¹Mimi Paulo mwenyewe ambaye naonekana kuwa mpole nikiwa pamoja nanyi, lakini mkali wakati nikiwa mbali nanyi, nawasihini kwa huruma na wema wake Kristo.

¹Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:

²Nawaombeni msinisababishe kuwa mkali wakati nitakapokuja, maana nina hakika naweza kuwa mkali kwa wote wale wanaotudhania kwamba tunaishi kidunia.

²yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

³Kweli tunaishi duniani, lakini hatupigani vita kidunia.

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh

⁴Maana, silaha tunazotumia katika vita vyetu si silaha za kidunia, ila ni nguvu za Mungu zenye kuharibu ngome zote. Tunaharibu hoja zote za uongo,

⁴(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),

⁵na kubomoa kila kizuizi cha majivuno kilichowekwa kuipinga elimu ya Mungu; tunaziteka fikira zote na kuzifanya zimtii Kristo.

⁵casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

⁶Mkisha kuwa wakamilifu katika kutii, sisi tuko tayari kuadhibu kila namna ya kutotii.

⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.

⁷Ninyi hutazama mambo kwa nje tu. Je, yupo mtu yeyote anayedhani kwamba yeye ni wa Kristo? Sawa! Basi, afikirie vilevile kwamba sisi pia ni wa Kristo kama yeye alivyo wa Kristo.

⁷Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also are we.

⁸Hata kama nimezidi katika kujivuna kwangu juu ya ule uwezo aliotupa--uwezo wa kuwajenga na sio wa kubomoa--hata hivyo sijutii hata kidogo.

⁸For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame:

⁹Sipendi mfikiri kwamba nataka kuwatisha ninyi kwa barua zangu.

⁹that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

¹⁰Mtu anaweza kusema: "Barua za Paulo ni kali na zenye maneno mazito, lakini yeye mwenyewe anapokuwa pamoja nasi ni mtu dhaifu, na hata anapoongea maneno yake ni kama si kitu."

¹⁰For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.

¹¹Mtu asemaye hivyo heri akumbuke kwamba hakuna tofauti ya yale tunayoandika katika barua wakati tuko mbali, na yale tutakayofanya wakati tutakapokuwa nanyi.

¹¹Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such [are we] also in deed when we are present.

¹²Kwa vyovyote hatungethubutu kujiweka au kujilinganisha na wale watu wanaojisifia wenyewe. Watu wenye kujifanya wao kuwa kipimo cha kujipimia, na watu wanaojilinganisha wenyewe kwa wenyewe, ni wapumbavu.

¹²For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

¹³Lakini sisi hatutajivuna kupita kiasi; kujivuna huko kutabaki katika kile kipimo cha kazi aliyotukabidhi Mungu, kazi ambayo tunaifanya pia kwenu.

¹³But we will not glory beyond [our] measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you.

¹⁴Na kwa vile ninyi mu katika mipaka hiyo, hatukuipita tulipokuja kwenu, tukiwaleteeni Habari Njema juu ya Kristo.

¹⁴For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ:

¹⁵Basi, hatujivunii kazi waliyofanya wengine zaidi ya kipimo tulichopewa; ila tunatumaini kwamba imani yenu itazidi miongoni mwenu kufuatana na kipimo alichotuwekea Mungu.

¹⁵not glorying beyond [our] measure, [that is,] in other men's labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto [further] abundance,

¹⁶Hapo tutaweza kuihubiri Habari Njema katika nchi nyingine, mbali nanyi; na haitakuwa shauri la kujivunia kazi waliyofanya watu wengine mahali pengine.

¹⁶so as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you, [and] not to glory in another's province in regard of things ready to our hand.

¹⁷Lakini kama yasemavyo Maandiko: "Mwenye kuona fahari na aone fahari juu ya alichofanya Bwana."

¹⁷But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

¹⁸Anayekubaliwa si yule anayejisifu mwenyewe, bali yule anayesifiwa na Bwana.

¹⁸For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.