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.
Kiilaa la ñantoolu niŋ a hakoolu
1 Fo nte maŋ firiŋ baŋ? Fo nte maŋ ke kiilaa* ti baŋ? Fo nte maŋ Yeesu je baŋ, m̀ Maariyo? Alitolu mennu be Maariyo kono saayiŋ, fo a maŋ bo niŋ nte le la dookuwo la? 2 Hani a ye a tara, m maŋ ke kiilaa ti doolu ye, bari m mu kiilaa ti alitolu ye le. Alitolu faŋolu le mu tampoo ti, meŋ ka seedeyaa ke n na kiilaariyaa to Maariyo kono.
3 Ñiŋ ne mu n na tankandiri kumoo ti moolu ye, mennu lafita ka n tuumi: 4 Ka ntolu daañini, fo wo maŋ ke kuwo ti, meŋ ñanta baŋ? 5 Fo a maŋ ke ñantoo le ti ntolu fanaa ye ka musoo futuu, meŋ mu Yeesu noomalankoo ti, aniŋ ka a ke ǹ taañoo ti, ko kiilaa doolu ka a ke ñaameŋ, Kefas aniŋ Maariyo doomaalu? 6 Fo nte niŋ Barinabas doroŋ ne maŋ ñantoo soto ka i dahaa dookuwo la ǹ na baluwo to? 7 Jumaa le be tara la kelediŋyaa dookuwo la, aduŋ a ka a faŋ joo? Jumaa le be wayini* yiri kankaŋo bo la, a te a yiridiŋolu domo la? Waraŋ, jumaa le be ninsi koorewo kanta la, a te keekewo miŋ na?
8 Fo nte ye ñinnu fo hadamadiŋ kaŋo le kaŋ baŋ? Fo Musa la Luwaa* fanaa maŋ wo kuu kiliŋolu le fo baŋ? 9 A be safeeriŋ Luwaa kono le ko, “Ali kana ninsoo daa siti, niŋ a be siimaŋ toñonkoo la.” Fo ninsoo le la kuwo ye Alla suula? 10 Fo a maŋ ñiŋ fo ntolu le la kuwo kamma? Tooñaa, a be safeeriŋ ntolu le la kuwo kamma ka dankeneyaa ko, senelaa si jikoo soto a la dookuwo to, aduŋ toñonkarilaa fanaa si jikoo soto a niyo to katirifeŋo to. 11 Ŋà kesoo meŋ fii alitolu kono, wo mu kuu betoolu le ti ka bo niŋ Nooroo la sooroo la. Saayiŋ duŋ, fo wo mu kuu baa le ti baŋ ka feŋ soto ali bulu, meŋ mu ñiŋ duniyaa naafuloo ti? 12 Niŋ doolu ye ñiŋ ñantoo soto alitolu bulu, fo ntolu maŋ ñaŋ na a soto la ka tambi wolu la?
Hani wo, ntolu nene maŋ m̀ faŋ nafaa ǹ na ñiŋ ñantoo la, bari ǹ ka wakiili feŋo bee le la, fo ǹ kana kalewo ke Kiristu* la kibaari betoo siloo kaŋ. 13 Fo ali maŋ a loŋ ko, moolu mennu ka dookuwo ke Alla Batudulaa kono, wolu ka ì la domoroo soto Alla Batudulaa le to baŋ? Aduŋ moolu mennu ka dookuwo ke sadaajanidulaa* to, fo wolu buka ì niyo soto suboo to, meŋ bota sadaa ti jee? 14 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, Maariyo ye yaamaroo dii le ko, moolu mennu ka kibaari betoo kawandi, wolu ñanta ì la baluwo soto la ka bo niŋ kibaari betoo le la. 15 Bari nte nene maŋ m faŋ nafaa wo ñantoolu hani kiliŋ na, aduŋ m maŋ tara ñiŋ leetaroo safee kaŋ ali ye fo n si ì soto. A fisiyaata m fee ka faa, diina ka feŋ ke, meŋ si n na ñiŋ kibiri kuwo taa m bulu. 16 Niŋ n ka kibaari betoo kawandi, wo te ke la kibiri kuwo ti n ye, kaatu a mu ñantoo le ti n kaŋ. Kooroo be n ye, niŋ m maŋ kibaari betoo kawandi! 17 Kaatu niŋ n ka ñiŋ ke m faŋo la lafoo le kaŋ, m be joo soto la le. Bari niŋ m buka a ke m faŋo la lafoo kaŋ, wo to wo mu dookuwo le ti, meŋ karafata m ma. 18 Muŋ ne duŋ mu nte la joo ti? Ñiŋ kawandoo faŋo le mu n na joo ti, feŋ buka kaniŋ meŋ kunna. Wo kamma la, n nene maŋ m faŋ nafaa ñiŋ ñantoo la, ŋa meŋ soto ka bo niŋ kibaari betoo kawandoo la.
19 Hani nte firinta ka bo moolu bulu ñaa-wo-ñaa, ŋa m faŋ ke moolu bee ye joŋo le ti fo n si moo jamaa naati noo Kiristu kaŋ. 20 Nte keta Yahuudoo le ti Yahuudoolu ye, fo n si ì naati noo Kiristu kaŋ. Hani m faŋo maŋ tara Luwaa koto ñaa-wo-ñaa, bari n tarata Luwaa koto moolu ye le, mennu be Luwaa koto, fo n si ì naati noo Kiristu kaŋ. 21 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, nte naata ke Luwaa lombaloo le ti moolu ye, mennu maŋ Luwaa loŋ, fo n si ì naati noo Kiristu kaŋ. Wo maŋ a yitandi ko, m maŋ tara luwaa koto Alla la karoo la, kaatu m be Kiristu la luwaa koto le. 22 N keta sembentaŋo le ti moolu ye, mennu maŋ semboo soto, fo n si ì naati noo Kiristu kaŋ. N keta feŋo bee le ti moolu bee ye fo a si ke ñaa-wo-ñaa, n si doolu kiisandi noo. 23 Nte ka feŋo bee le ke kibaari betoo la kuwo kamma la, fo n si niyo soto a barakoo to.
24 Fo ali maŋ ñoodaŋ boroo la kuwo loŋ ko, borilaalu bee le ka bori, bari kiliŋ doroŋ ne ka kañeerifeŋo soto? Wo to, ali bori fo ali si a soto! 25 Aduŋ ñoodaŋ borilaalu bee ka faŋ maroo ke feŋo bee le kono. Ì ka a ke le ka kañeerinaafoo soto, meŋ ka kasaara, bari ntolu ka a ke le ka kañeerinaafoo soto, meŋ buka kasaara. 26 Wo kamma la, nte buka bori hamentaŋyaa kono, aduŋ m buka kurupeñe kenseŋolu fayi ko moo meŋ ka ì fayi foñoo kono, 27 bari ko kurupeñelaa ka a faŋo kuluu ñaameŋ, n ka m balajaatoo kuluu wo le ñaama ka a la hame kuwolu bayi. Niŋ wo nte, n na doolu kawandiriŋ koolaa, nte faŋo daa si bo kañeerifeŋo ñoosaboo to.
