1 Ba Kkolinto 9
1 Ani nsilimwangunuke? Ani nsili mutumwa? Te ndakamubona na Jesu Mwami wesu?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Aren’t you yourselves my work achieved in union with the Lord?
2 Kuti nketali mutumwa kulibwami, pele ndilinguwe kulindinwe. Nkambo inywe mulichitondezyo chabutumwa bwangu muMwami.
If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal that stamps me as an apostle in union with the Lord.
3 Echi nchili kwabilizyo changu kulabo bandi lungulula:
The defence that I make to my critics is this:
4 Tatukwe chelelo na chakulya alubo aunywa?
Haven’t we a right to food and drink?
5 Tatukwe chelelo na chakwenda antomwe amukazi nyina, mbuli mbuba chita boonse batumwa, alubo bananyina baMwami, alubo aKefasi?
Haven’t we a right to take a wife with us, if she is a Christian, as the other apostles and the Master’s brothers and Cephas all do?
6 Na takuli Bbanabbasi andime abo batakwe chelelo chakubeleka?
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to give up working for our bread?
7 Ngwani ubeleka mbuli silumamba ulifozya? Ngwani ubyala munda wamasansa aboobo atalyi muchelo yawo? Kana ngwani wembela butanga aboobo katanywi malili kuzwa kubutanga?
Does anyone ever serve as a soldier at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat its produce? Or does anyone look after a herd and not drink the milk?
8 Tandambi ezi zintu kazizwa kunguzu zyamuntu? Awalo mulawu tawambi obo na?
Am I, in all this, speaking only from the human standpoint? Does not the Law also say the same?
9 Nkambo kuli lembedwe mulawo waMozesi,” mutamwangi mulomo musune ulyatuka miila.” Alimwi musune na Leza ngwayanda.
For in the Law of Moses it is said – “You should not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it the bullocks that God is thinking of?
10 Talikwambula atala andiswe na? Zyakalembelwa ndiswe, kaambo oyo ulima welede kulima abulangilizi, pele upola welede abulangizi bwa kwabana mubutebuzi.
Or is not is said entirely for our sakes? Surely it was written for our sakes, for the ploughman ought not to plough, nor the thrasher to thrash, without expecting a share of the grain.
11 Ikuti twakabyala zintu zyamuya akati kanu, zilindide na kuti tutyole zintu zijatika kuzwa kulindinywe?
Since we, then, sowed spiritual seed for you, is it too much that we should reap from you an earthly harvest?
12 Kuti bamwi bakali kuchita zyelelo kuzwa kulindinwe, swebo tatwelede zyindilide na? Asi tetwakayanda echi chelelo. Asikuti twaka kkakatila zintu zyoonse kuti kutabi chikachizya makani aKkilisito. Sa tamuzi na kuti abo bachita milimo yamunganda yaLeza bajana kulya kwabo munganda yaLeza?
If others share in this right over you, don’t we even more? Still we did not avail ourselves of this right. No, we endure anything rather than impede the progress of the good news of the Christ.
13 Sa tamuzi na kuti abo babeleka kuchipayilo babilana ezyo nzibatula echipayililo?
Don’t you know that those who do the work of the Temple live on what comes from the Temple, and that those who serve at the altar share the offerings with the altar?
14 Munzila njiyeyo, Mwami wakalayilila kuti abo bakkambawuka makani mabotu belede kujana zyakuli gwasya kumakani mabotu.
So, too, the Master has appointed that those who tell the good news should get their living from the good news.
15 Asi tendakayanda chimwi chezyelelo ezi. Alimwi nsilembeli kuti ndichitilwe chimwi chintu. Nizyakalikabotu mendifwe. Takwe muntu uyondisampawula kukulikankayizya oku!
I, however, have not availed myself of any of these rights. I am not saying this to secure such an arrangement for myself; indeed, I would far rather die – Nobody will make my boast a vain one!
16 Na kuti ndakambawuka makani mabotu, nsyelede kulisumpula, nkambo ndelede kuchita obo, alimwi maawe kuli ndime kuti tenda kambawuka makani mabotu!
If I proclaim the good news, I have nothing to boast of, for I am compelled to do so. Woe is me if I do not share it!
17 Na kuti ndachita chakuyanda, ndila mpindu. Asi kuti chakutayanda ndichila bubanzi mbundakapegwa. Nimpindunzi yangu?
If I do this work willingly, I have a reward; but, if unwillingly, I have been charged to perform a duty.
18 Na kuti nekambawuka, ndipe vangeli katakwe mbadalo alimwi nsibwezi chelelo chizwide mumakani mabotu.
What is my reward, then? To present the good news free of all cost, and so make but a sparing use of the rights which it gives me.
19 Nikuba ndangunwidwe kulizyoonse, ndakaba muzike kuliboonse kuchitila kuti ndijane zyiingi.
Although I was entirely free, yet, to win as many converts as possible, I made myself everyone’s slave.
20 Kuba Juda ndakaba mbuli muJuda, kuchitila kuti ndijane abo balimunsi amulawu. Ndakachita echi nikuba kuti nsilimunsi amulawu. (ULB ula: Ndakachita ezi ime lwangu nketali munsi lyamuwa. Magwalo achi Giliki echindi kalimache alubo kayandika abumwi bupanduluzi bwachindi asiya kunze munchali oyu.)
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews. To those who are subject to Law I became like a man subject to Law – though I was not myself subject to Law – to win those who are subject to Law.
21 Kulabo balanze amulawu, ndakaba mbuli umwi ulanze amulawo, nekuba tendakali kunze amulawo waLeza lwangu asi kunsi amulawu waKkilisito. Ndakachita ezi kuchitila kuti ndijane abo balanze amulawu.
To those who have no Law I became like a man who has no Law – not that I am free from God’s Law; no, for I am under Christ’s Law – to win those who have no law.
22 Kuba teteete ndakaba muteteete, kuchitila kuti ndeete bateteete. Ndakaba zintu zyoonse kubantu boonse kuchitila kuti amwi anzila zimwi ndalikufutula bamwi.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so as at all costs to save some.
23 Ndichita zintu zyoonse nkambo kamakani mabotu kuchitila kuti ndikabe achabilo muzyolwe zyamakani mabotu.
And I do everything for the sake of the good news, so that with them I may share in its blessings.
24 Tamuzi na kuti mumuzundano boonse bala chijana basikuchijana muzundano, asi omwe ngujana bulumbu.
Don’t you know that on a racecourse, though all run, yet only one wins the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Umwi awumwi uchijana welede kulijata muzintu zyoonse. Balazichita kuti batambule musini umana, asi tulazichita kuti tutambule oyo utamani.
Every athlete exercises self-restraint in everything; they, indeed, for a crown that fades, we for one that is unfading.
26 Aboobo mbubobu mbundichijana, mbuli utakwe utakwe makanze; mbubobu mbewuma, katalimbuli uwuuma luwo.
I, therefore, do not run aimlessly. I do not box like a man hitting the air.
27 Asi ndazunda mubili wangu alimwi nduuchita muzike, kuchitila kuti ndamana kukambawuka kuli bamwi, ime lwangu ntakajaniki abubi.
No, I bruise my body and make it my slave, so that I, who have called others to the contest, will not myself be rejected.
