1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 19 For though I be free from all men , yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men , that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you . 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Fanilo ne mishingo ye ntumwa wa Jesu
1 Apa andizosununguka kene? Apa ate ndili ntumwa wa Jesu kene? Andizobona Jesu She wedu kene? Apa ate muli mbhayilo we nshingo wangu muna She kene? 2 Ha kuli kuti ku bamwe andite ndili ntumwa wa Jesu, iko ndi iye kumuli, ngobe imwi ndimwi lutjwayo gwe kuti ndi ntumwa wa She.
3 Ndowozwidabilila muna ibabo banowondibhuzwa nditi; 4 Apa atina fanilo kupiwa zojiwa ne zwinong'wiwa kene? 5 Apa atina fanilo dze kuyenda ne nkadzi wakalobogwa we Nkirisiti mu njendo se bamwe batumwa ne banung'una ba She na Pita kene? 6 Kene ndimi na Bhanabhasi koga basina fanilo dze kuletjedza kushingila kuzwitjidza kene? 7 Ndiupi unoshinga nshingo we bubhayani, ngono ezwilipa kene? Ndiani unoti alima nzhambi mu nnda kasije ntjelo wawo kene? Ndiupi unothuwa zwithuwo kasing'we nkaka wazo kene?
8 Apa ndoleba ikoku nge ndaulo ye bathu kene? Nlayo autoleba itjo zwatjo kene? 9 Ngobe kwakakwagwa mu nlayo wa Mushe kuyi, “Usisunge nlomo ng'ombe inoshokola mathunde.” Apa Ndzimu ipapa unoleba ngekwe ng'ombe kene? 10 Apa autoleba nge kwedu kene? Kwakakwaligwa iswi, ngobe ha nlimi elima ne nshokoli ha eshokola, bakafanila thama ikoku nge kugalabgwe kose kuti banowobe ne gobe muna tjavung'wa. 11 Ha tadzwala mbewu ye tjimeya mu muli, apa akuzofanila kuti tiwane zwe tjinyama zwatinotjila ndizo mu muli kene? 12 Ha bamwe bana fanilo iyeyi ye kutjidziwa mu muli, apa iswi atizofanila kube ne hwulu kupinda yabo kene?
Koga atizoishingisa fanilo iyeyi, kakale todzikitadzila tjimwe ne tjimwe pana kuti tidzinganyidze ndebo mbuya ngekwa Kirisiti. 13 Apa amutoziba kuti ibabo banoshinga mu ng'umba ye Ndzimu, banowana zojiwa zwabo mu ng'umba ye Ndzimu kene, na ibabo banopila zwibhayilo mu tjibeso bana gobe mu tjibhayilo kene? 14 Nge kunofanana, She bakalaula kuti ibabo banosumikila ndebo mbuya bawane tjabanotjila nditjo nge ndebo mbuya.
15 Nenguba kwakajalo andizotongo shingisa imwe ye fanilo idzedzi, kakale anditokwala ikoku kuti mutjitangisa kundipa. Bukulu ndingafa pana kuti ndiletje mmwe anditolele tjandinozwikudza nditjo. 16 Ha ndisumikila ndebo mbuya andingazwikudze, ngoti ndakafanila kuisumikila. Yee mme wee ndapalala, ha ndisingasumikile ndebo mbuya. 17 Ha ndithama ikoku ngoda kwangu, ndingalingilila mbhayilo. Ha ndisingathame ngoda kwangu, koga ndokuthama uli nshingo wandakapiwa, 18 ngono mbhayilo wangu ini? Ndiwoyu: ndosumikila ndebo mbuya kuzhe kwe ndipo, ndisingashingise fanilo dzangu nge buzhalo se nsumikili.
19 Nenguba imi ndakasununguka ndisina wakandithuwa ndakazwithama nlanda wa bose kuti ndizo ndiwane banji. 20 Ku Bajuta ndakabe Njuta, kuti ndiwane Bajuta. Kuna ibabo bapasi kwe nlayo ndakabe nthu upasi kwe nlayo, nenguba imi ndisi pasi kwe nlayo, kuti ndizo ndiwane bapasi kwe nlayo. 21 Kuna ibabo bakuzhe kwe nlayo ndakanga nthu u kuzhe kwe nlayo kuwana ibabo bakuzhe kwe nlayo. Oku akutodwa kuti anditolondolodza nlayo we Ndzimu, ngobe ndi pasi kwe nlayo wa Kirisiti. 22 Ha ndili pakati kwe basakasima ndobe usakasimabo, kuti ndiwane basakasima. Ndabe zwithu zose ku bathu bose, kuti ha kutubuka nditjidze bamwe babo nge zila imwe ne imwe.
23 Ndothama ikoku ndithamila ndebo mbuya, kuti ndibe ne gobe mu makombolelo ayo. 24 Apa amutoziba kuti mu kutangidzana nge lubilo balabuki banolabuka bose, koga nng'ompela kawana tjiala kene? Ndizo labukani nge zila yamunowowana tjiala. 25 Mmwe ne mmwe nlabuki unozwibhata mu zwithu zose. Banokuthama kuwana tjiala tjinoshakala, koga iswi tothama kuwana tjisingashakale. 26 Imi anditolabuka koga, anditoloba veyisi se nthu unoloba phepo koga, 27 ngono ndoloba mbili wangu aulaula, kuti ndisiti shule kwe ndasumikila ku bamwe, imi nge kwangu ndibe ndiwang'wa ndakafanilo lashiwa.