¹Ndugu, tunapenda kuwapa habari juu ya neema ambazo Mungu ameyajalia makanisa ya Makedonia.

¹Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia;

²Waumini wa huko walijaribiwa sana kwa taabu; lakini furaha yao ilikuwa kubwa hivi hata wakawa wakarimu kupita kiasi, ingawaje walikuwa maskini sana.

²how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

³Naweza kushuhudia kwamba walikuwa wakarimu kadiri ya nguvu zao na hata zaidi. Kwa hiari yao wenyewe,

³For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, [they gave] of their own accord,

⁴walitusihi sana wapewe nafasi ya kushiriki katika huduma hii ya kuwasaidia watu wa Mungu.

⁴beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints:

⁵Hilo lilikuwa jambo ambalo hatukulitazamia kabisa! Kwanza walijitolea wao wenyewe kwa Bwana, kisha wakajitolea wenyewe kwetu pia, kufuatana na mapenzi ya Mungu.

⁵and [this], not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

⁶Kwa sababu hiyo, tulimsihi Tito aliyeianza kazi hiyo awasaidieni pia muitekeleze huduma hii ya upendo miongoni mwenu.

⁶Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace also.

⁷Ninyi mna kila kitu: imani, uwezo wa kusema, elimu; bidii yote ya kutenda mema, na upendo wenu kwetu. Hivyo, tunatazamia muwe wakarimu katika huduma hii ya upendo.

⁷But as ye abound in everything, [in] faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and [in] all earnestness, and [in] your love to us, [see] that ye abound in this grace also.

⁸Siwapi ninyi amri, lakini nataka tu kuonyesha jinsi wengine walivyo na bidii ya kusaidia ili nipate kujua jinsi upendo wenu ulivyo wa kweli.

⁸I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

⁹Maana, ninyi mnajua neema ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo: yeye, ingawa alikuwa na kila kitu, alijifanya maskini kwa ajili yenu, ili kutokana na umaskini wake, awatajirishe.

⁹For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.

¹⁰Kuhusu jambo hili, basi, nawapeni shauri hili: inafaa kwenu kutekeleza sasa yale mliyoanza mwaka jana. Ninyi mlikuwa wa kwanza kuchukua hatua na kuamua kufanya hivyo.

¹⁰And herein I give [my] judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.

¹¹Basi, kamilisheni shughuli hiyo; na kama vile mlivyokuwa na hamu kubwa ya kusaidia, basi, fanyeni bidii vivyo hivyo, kadiri ya uwezo wenu, kuikamilisha.

¹¹But now complete the doing also; that as [there was] the readiness to will, so [there may be] the completion also out of your ability.

¹²Maana ikiwa mtu ana moyo wa kusaidia, Mungu hupokea kila anachoweza kutoa: hadai zaidi.

¹²For if the readiness is there, [it is] acceptable according as [a man] hath, not according as [he] hath not.

¹³Ninyi hampaswi kuongezewa taabu kusudi wengine wapunguziwe mzigo wao; sivyo, ila ni lazima tujali usawa na haki.

¹³For [I say] not [this] that others may be eased [and] ye distressed;

¹⁴Kila mlicho nacho sasa cha ziada kiwasaidie wale wanaohitaji, ili nao wakati watakapokuwa na ziada, wawasaidie ninyi katika mahitaji yenu, na hivyo kuwe na usawa.

¹⁴but by equality: your abundance [being a supply] at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become [a supply] for your want; that there may be equality:

¹⁵Kama Maandiko yasemavyo: "Aliyekusanya kwa wingi hakuwa na ziada, na yule aliyekusanya kidogo hakupungukiwa."

¹⁵as it is written, He that [gathered] much had nothing over; and he that [gathered] little had no lack.

¹⁶Namshukuru Mungu aliyeweka ndani ya moyo wa Tito hamu hiyo niliyo nayo mimi ya kuwasaidia.

¹⁶But thanks be to God, who putteth the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

¹⁷Si tu kwamba alikubali ombi letu, ila pia alikuwa na hamu kubwa ya kusaidia, hata akaamua kwa hiari yake mwenyewe kuja kwenu.

¹⁷For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord.

¹⁸Pamoja naye, tunamtuma ndugu mmoja ambaye sifa zake katika kueneza Habari Njema zimeenea katika makanisa yote.

¹⁸And we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [is spread] through all the churches;

¹⁹Zaidi ya hayo, yeye amechaguliwa na makanisa awe mwenzetu safarini wakati tunapopeleka huduma hii yetu ya upendo, huduma tunayoifanya kwa ajili ya utukufu wa Bwana na uthibitisho wa nia yetu njema.

¹⁹and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in [the matter of] this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and [to show] our readiness:

²⁰Tunataka kuepa lawama zinazoweza kutokea kuhusu usimamizi wetu juu ya zawadi hii karimu.

²⁰Avoiding this, that any man should blame us in [the matter of] this bounty which is ministered by us:

²¹Nia yetu ni kufanya vema, si tu mbele ya Bwana, lakini pia mbele ya watu.

²¹for we take thought for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²²Basi, pamoja na ndugu hao, tumemtuma ndugu yetu mwingine ambaye mara nyingi tumempa majaribio mbalimbali, tukamwona kuwa ni mwenye hamu kubwa ya kusaidia; hata sasa amekuwa na moyo zaidi kwa sababu ana imani sana nanyi.

²²and we have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which [he hath] in you.

²³Tito ni mwenzangu; tunafanya kazi pamoja kwa ajili yenu; lakini kuhusu hawa ndugu zetu wengine, wanaokuja pamoja nao, hao ni wajumbe wa makanisa, na utukufu kwa Kristo.

²³Whether [any inquire] about Titus, [he is] my partner and [my] fellow-worker to you-ward, or our brethren, [they are] the messengers of the churches, [they are] the glory of Christ.

²⁴Basi, waonyesheni uthabiti wa upendo wenu, makanisa yapate kuona kweli kwamba fahari ninayoona juu yenu ni ya halali.

²⁴Show ye therefore unto them in the face of the churches the proof of your love, and of our glorying on your behalf.