2 Wakorintho 10
Paulo anajitetea kuhusu kazi yake
1 Mimi Paulo mwenyewe ambaye naonekana kuwa mpole nikiwa pamoja nanyi, lakini mkali niwapo mbali nanyi, nawasihini kwa huruma na wema wake Kristo. 2 Nawaombeni msinisababishe kuwa mkali wakati nitakapokuja, maana nina hakika naweza kuwa mkali kwa wote wale wanaotudhania kwamba tunaishi kidunia. 3 Kweli tunaishi duniani, lakini hatupigani vita kidunia. 4 Maana, silaha tunazotumia katika vita vyetu si silaha za kidunia, ila ni nguvu ya Mungu yenye kuharibu ngome zote. Tunaharibu hoja zote za uongo 5 na kubomoa kila kizuizi cha majivuno kilichowekwa kuipinga elimu ya Mungu; tunaziteka fikira zote na kuzifanya zimtii Kristo. 6 Mkisha kuwa wakamilifu katika kutii, sisi tuko tayari kuadhibu kila namna ya kutotii.
7 Nyinyi 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. 8 Hata kama nimezidi katika kujivuna kwangu juu ya ule uwezo aliotupa – uwezo wa kuwajenga na sio wa kubomoa – hata hivyo sijuti hata kidogo. 9 Sipendi mfikiri kwamba nataka kuwatisha nyinyi kwa barua zangu. 10 Mtu 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.” 11 Mtu asemaye hivyo heri akumbuke kwamba hakuna tofauti ya yale tunayoandika katika barua wakati tuko mbali, na yale tutakayofanya wakati tutakapokuwa nanyi.
12 Kwa 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. 13 Lakini sisi hatutajivuna kupita kiasi; kujivuna huko kutabaki katika kile kipimo cha kazi aliyotukabidhi Mungu, kazi ambayo tunaifanya pia kwenu. 14 Hatukuruka mipaka tuliyowekewa wakati tulipokuja kwenu. Sisi tulikuwa wa kwanza kuja kwenu tukiwaleteeni Habari Njema juu ya Kristo. 15 Basi, hatujivunii kazi waliyofanya wengine zaidi ya kipimo tulichopewa; ila tunatumaini kwamba imani yenu itazidi miongoni mwenu kufuatana na kipimo alichotuwekea Mungu. 16 Hapo tutaweza kuihubiri Habari Njema katika nchi nyingine, mbali nanyi; na haitakuwa shauri la kujivunia kazi waliyofanya watu wengine mahali pengine.
17 Lakini kama yasemavyo Maandiko: “Mwenye kujivuna na ajivunie kazi ya Bwana.” 18 Anayekubaliwa si yule anayejisifu mwenyewe, bali yule anayesifiwa na Bwana.
2 Corinthians 10
1 Now 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:2 yea, 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.3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),5 casting 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;6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.7 Ye 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.8 For 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:9 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.10 For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.11 Let 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.12 For 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.13 But 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.14 For 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:15 not 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,16 so 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.17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.