Proof of Our Ministry
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others , epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
Je! Tunaanza tena kujisifu wenyewe? Au tunahitaji, kama wengine, barua zenye sifa kuja kwenu, au kutoka kwenu?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
Ninyi ndinyi barua yetu, iliyoandikwa mioyoni mwetu, inajulikana na kusomwa na watu wote;
3 forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
mnadhihirishwa kwamba mmekuwa barua ya Kristo tuliyoikatibu, iliyoandikwa si kwa wino, bali kwa Roho wa Mungu aliye hai; si katika vibao vya mawe, ila katika vibao ambavyo ni mioyo ya nyama.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
Na tumaini hilo tunalo mbele za Mungu kwa njia ya Kristo.
5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Si kwamba twatosha sisi wenyewe kufikiri neno lo lote kwamba ni letu wenyewe, bali utoshelevu wetu watoka kwa Mungu.
6 who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Naye ndiye aliyetutosheleza kuwa wahudumu wa agano jipya; si wa andiko, bali wa roho; kwa maana andiko huua, bali roho huhuisha.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
Basi, ikiwa huduma ya mauti, iliyoandikwa na kuchorwa katika mawe, ilikuja katika utukufu, hata Waisraeli hawakuweza kuukazia macho uso wa Musa, kwa sababu ya utukufu wa uso wake; nao ni utukufu uliokuwa ukibatilika;
8 how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
je! Huduma ya roho haitazidi kuwa katika utukufu?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
Kwa maana ikiwa huduma ya adhabu ina utukufu, siuze huduma ya haki ina utukufu unaozidi.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
Maana hata ile iliyotukuzwa haikuwa na utukufu hivi, kwa sababu ya utukufu uzidio sana.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Kwa maana, ikiwa ile inayobatilika ilikuwa na utukufu, zaidi sana ile ikaayo ina utukufu.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
Basi, kwa kuwa mna taraja la namna hii, twatumia ujasiri mwingi;
13 and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
nasi si kama Musa alivyotia utaji juu ya uso wake, ili kwamba Waisraeli wasitazame sana mwisho wa ile iliyokuwa ikibatilika;
14 but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
ila fikira zao zilitiwa uzito. Kwa maana hata leo hivi, wakati lisomwapo Agano la Kale, utaji uo huo wakaa; yaani, haikufunuliwa kwamba huondolewa katika Kristo;
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
ila hata leo, torati ya Musa isomwapo, utaji huikalia mioyo yao.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
Lakini wakati wo wote watakapomgeukia Bwana, ule utaji huondolewa.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is , there is liberty.
Basi (Bwana) ndiye Roho; walakini alipo Roho wa Bwana, hapo ndipo penye uhuru.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Lakini sisi sote, kwa uso usiotiwa utaji, tukiurudisha utukufu wa Bwana, kama vile katika kioo, tunabadilishwa tufanane na mfano uo huo, toka utukufu hata utukufu, kama vile kwa utukufu utokao kwa Bwana, aliye Roho.
