The Rights of an Apostle
1 I am free. I am an apostle. I have seen the Lord Jesus and have led you to have faith in him. 2 Others may think that I am not an apostle, but you are proof that I am an apostle to you.
3 When people question me, I tell them 4 that Barnabas and I have the right to our food and drink. 5 We each have the right to marry one of the Lord's followers and to take her along with us, just as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter do. 6 Are we the only ones who have to support ourselves by working at another job? 7 Do soldiers pay their own salaries? Don't people who raise grapes eat some of what they grow? Don't shepherds get milk from their own goats?
8-9 I am not saying this on my own authority. The Law of Moses tells us not to muzzle an ox when it is grinding grain. But was God concerned only about an ox? 10 No, he wasn't! He was talking about us. This was written in the Scriptures so that all who plow and all who grind the grain will look forward to sharing in the harvest.
11 When we told the message to you, it was like planting spiritual seed. So we have the right to accept material things as our harvest from you. 12 If others have the right to do this, we have an even greater right. But we haven't used this right of ours. We are willing to put up with anything to keep from causing trouble for the message about Christ.
13 Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered? 14 In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.
15 But I have never used these privileges of mine, and I am not writing this because I want to start now. I would rather die than have someone rob me of the right to take pride in this. 16 I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed. 17 If I preach because I want to, I will be paid. But even if I don't want to, it is still something God has sent me to do. 18 What pay am I given? It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge and not to use the privileges that are mine because I am a preacher.
19 I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so I can win as many people as possible. 20 When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. 21 And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. 22 When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. 23 I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.
A Race and a Fight
24 You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! 25 Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. 26 I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. 27 I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.
Omausemba noviungura vyomuapostele
1 Kawami omukutuke are? Kawami omuapostele are? Hi mwine Jesus oMuhona wetu are? Nu kaweṋe mbu mu ri ovihape vyotjiungura tjandje mu Muhona are? 2 Nandi mbi he ri omuapostele kovandu varwe, ku eṋe owami omuapostele. Orondu eṋe mbu mu ri ova Muhona oweṋe otjihako tjouapostele wandje.
3 Omaziriro wandje kovandu mba mbe ndji pangura, owo nga: 4 Indu ami hi nousemba okupewa ovikurya nomanuwa mena roviungura vyandje are? 5 Ami hi nousemba okuryanga nomukazendu omukambure mouyenda wandje otja imba ovaapostele ovakwetu novangu va Muhona na Petrus tjaave tjiti are? 6 Poo ami na Barnabas porwetu ombu tu sokuungurira ombaruriro yetu are? 7 Omurwe wovita ouṋe ngu rikora omuini ngunda e ri motjiungura tjovita? Nouṋe ngu kuna otjikunino tjomivite na ha ri ovikurya vyatjo? Nouṋe ngu risa ozonyanda na ha nu omaihi wazo?
8 Ami hi nokuhungira otja ovandu tji ve hungira uriri, orondu Omatwako ye hungira otjiṋa tjingetjo. 9 MOmatwako wa Moses mwa tjangwa nai: “Onduwombe, ndji mai yata ovikokotwa ko nakuikuta ko kotjinyo.” Indu Ndjambi u ninga ko na tja nozonduwombe are? 10 Poo eye ka heere eṱe, indu tja tja nao? Ii, omambo nga ya tjangerwa eṱe. Ingwi ngu ma taura ehi, na ingwi ngu ma tondo ovikokotwa, auhe u ungura nomaundjiro wokutja ma munu orupa rwe rwomakondero. 11 Eṱe twa kuna ovyOmbepo mokati keṋu, indu ma rire otjiṋa otjinene tji matu mu ningire imbi vyombaruriro yorutu are? 12 Tji mamu yandja ousemba mbwi kovandu varwe, indu eṱe katu nousemba mbwi tjinene komeho are?
Nungwari eṱe katu ungurisire ousemba mbwi. Moruveze rwanao eṱe twa zara oviṋa avihe mbi, kokutja atu ha twa mo otjipwite mondjira yOmbuze Ombwa ya Kristus. 13 Kamu nokutjiwa are kutja imba mbe ungura motjouyapuke ve pewa ovikurya vyawo motjouyapuke nokutja imba mbe karera potjipunguhiro, owo ve pewa orupa rwawo moviyambo vyotjipunguhiro? 14 Momuhingo tjingewo Muhona wa rakiza kutja imba mbe zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa ngave parurwe momazuvarisiro wOmbuze Ombwa.
15 Nungwari ami hi ungurisire ousemba auhe mbwi. Nu wina ami hi nokutjangera kutja mbi mune ousemba mbwi. Ku ami atja rira kokuwa tjinene okuṱa! Ohiviro ndji kape nomundu ngu me ndji yeka. 16 Tji me zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa, kahepero ami okurihiva. Mbi zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa tjinga e ri otjiungura tji mbi sokutjita. Nu owee ku ami tji mbi hi nokuzuvarisa indji Ombuze Ombwa! 17 Andakuzu me zuvarisa nombango yandje omuini, etje yenena okuundja okupewa ondjambi; Nungwari ami hi nokuzuvarisa nombango yandje omuini: Otjo otjiungura tji mba rakiziwa i Ndjambi. 18 Nu nambano ondjambi yandje ongendjambi? Oyo okongwi okutja otja ngu mbi ri omuzuvarise ami mbi zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa nokuhina ondjambi, nokutja komuhingo mbwi otji mba za ko kousemba wandje mbwa kutwa kumwe nokuzuvarisa indji Ombuze Ombwa.
19 Owami omukutuke nu himukarere womundu; nungwari ami omuini mbe ritwa moukarere waavehe, kokutja mbi toṋene po Kristus ovengi otja tji mape sorwa. 20 Mokati kOvajuda mbi ritjinda otja Omujuda, kokutja mbi munine po Ovajuda, nu nangarire kutja ami hi ri kehi yOmatwako wa Moses, ku imba mbe ri kehi yOmatwako, ami mbi ritjinda otja ngu mbi ri kehi yOmatwako, kokutja mbi munine po ovandu mba mbe ri kehi yOmatwako nga. 21 Momuhingo tjingewo, tji me ungura mokati kaimba mbe he ri Ovajuda, mbi ritjinda otja ngu mbi ri owopendje yOmatwako wOvajuda, kokutja mbi munine po imba mbe he ri Ovajuda. Nu kape nokuheya kutja ami hi nonḓuviro komatwako wa Ndjambi; ami, tjiri, mbi ri kehi youvara womatwako wa Kristus. 22 Tji me ungura mokati kaimba mbe ri ovingundi mongamburiro, mbi ritjinda otja ngu mbi ri otjingundi otja wo, kokutja mbi munine po imba ovingundi. Ku avehe ami mba rira oviṋa avihe, kokutja mbi yame nangarire tjiva. 23 Nu avihe mbi mbi tjitira Ombuze Ombwa, kokutja mbi kare norupa mozondaya zayo.
24 Eṋe, tjiri, mamu tjiwa nawa kutja motjirarakaneno mu tupuka ovararakane ovengi. Nungwari ingwi ngu toṋa ihi otjihuze, eye u rira umwe uriri. Nu komuhingo mbwi tupukeye kokutja mu toṋe ihi otjihuze! 25 Omurarakane ngamwa auhe u ritjaera koviṋa ngamwa avihe. Eye nao u tjitira kutja a kamune oruzenga rwondoṋeno ndu ha karerere, nungwari eṱe tu rarakanena oruzenga ndu karerera. 26 Ami opu me zu okutupuka otja omundu ngu ma tupuka okuvaza omukoka womaandero wotjikara; nami hi ri otja omutone wozongomi ngu ma tono mombepo uriri. 27 Ami mbi tona orutu rwandje ru tindire, nu mbi ru ete kehi youkarere wandje, kokutja tji mba zu nokuisanena varwe kotjirarakaneno, ami omuini e ha isiwa mo.
