Paul and the False Apostles
1 Please put up with a little of my foolishness. 2 I am as concerned about you as God is. You were like a virgin bride I had chosen only for Christ. 3 But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way. 4 We told you about Jesus, and you received the Holy Spirit and accepted our message. But you let some people tell you about another Jesus. Now you are ready to receive another spirit and accept a different message. 5 I think I am as good as any of those super apostles. 6 I may not speak as well as they do, but I know as much. And this has already been made perfectly clear to you.
7 Was it wrong for me to lower myself and honor you by preaching God's message free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by taking money from them to serve you. 9 Even when I was in need, I still didn't bother you. In fact, some of the Lord's followers from Macedonia brought me what I needed. I have not been a burden to you in the past, and I will never be a burden. 10 As surely as I speak the truth about Christ, no one in Achaia can stop me from bragging about this. 11 And it isn't because I don't love you. God himself knows how much I do love you.
12 I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won't be able to brag about doing the same things we are doing. 13 Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14 And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. 15 So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve.
Paul's Sufferings for Christ
16 I don't want any of you to think I am a fool. But if you do, then let me be a fool and brag a little. 17 When I do all this bragging, I do it as a fool and not for the Lord. 18 Yet if others want to brag about what they have done, so will I. 19 And since you are so smart, you will gladly put up with a fool. 20 In fact, you let people make slaves of you and cheat you and steal from you. Why, you even let them strut around and slap you in the face. 21 I am ashamed to say we are too weak to behave in such a way.
If they can brag, so can I, but it is a foolish thing to do. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? Well, so am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a fool to talk this way, but I serve him better than they do. I have worked harder and have been put in jail more times. I have been beaten with whips more and have been in danger of death more often.
24 Five times my own people gave me 39 lashes with a whip. 25 Three times the Romans beat me with a big stick, and once my enemies stoned me. I have been shipwrecked three times, and I even had to spend a night and a day in the sea. 26 During my many travels, I have been in danger from rivers, robbers, my own people, and foreigners. My life has been in danger in cities, in deserts, at sea, and with people who only pretended to be the Lord's followers.
27 I have worked and struggled and spent many sleepless nights. I have gone hungry and thirsty and often had nothing to eat. I have been cold from not having enough clothes to keep me warm. 28 Besides everything else, each day I am burdened down, worrying about all the churches. 29 When others are weak, I am weak too. When others are tricked into sin, I get angry.
30 If I have to brag, I will brag about how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, knows I am not lying. And God is to be praised forever! 32 The governor of Damascus at the time of King Aretas had the city gates guarded, so he could capture me. 33 But I escaped by being let down in a basket through a window in the city wall.
Paulus nOvaapostele vyOposyo
1 Andakuzu mamu ndji zara kaṱiṱi, nandarire kutja me hungire ouyova. Arikaneye ndji zareye nai! 2 Ami mbi mu kondjera nonḓero, ndji za ku Ndjambi. Eṋe mu ri otja omusuko omukohoke ngu mba varekera okukupwa i omurumendu umwe uriri. Nomurumendu ngwi onguri Kristus. 3 Nungwari ami me tira kutja omeripura weṋu maye zunḓaka, nokutja mamu poka komeriyamekero weṋu aehe omakohoke ku Kristus erike, tjimuna Eva tja wovisirwe i onyoka novineya vyayo. 4 Eṋe mu zara nenyando omundu ngamwa ngu meya ku eṋe okuyekuzuvarisa Jesus warwe ngu he ri ingwi eṱe ngu twa zuvarisa; nu wina eṋe mu yakura ombepo yarwe nombuze ombwa yarwe, ndji he ri ndji eṱe ndji twe mu pa.
5 Ami me tjangovasi hi rivara omuhinanḓengu povandu veṋu mba mbu ku za “ovaapostele!” 6 Nandarire kutja ngahino owami omuhinamirya mokuhungira, imwi mondjiviro mbi nomirya. Imbi eṱe twe mu raisira ongahukiro oruveze aruhe na momihingo avihe.
7 Ami mba zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa ya Ndjambi ku eṋe nokuhinondjambi. Mbe risusuparisa, kokutja eṋe mu tongamisiwe. Indu ngahino mba tataiza are? 8 Kokutja mbi mu karere, ami ee sutwa ondjambi i ozombongo zarwe, nu komuhingo mbwi otje ri aayo mbi ze punda oviṋa. 9 Tji mba ri mokati keṋu, hi yandjere eputi komundu tjee hepa otjimariva; orondu ovakambure ovakwetu mba zire kOmakedonie ve ndji etera atjihe tji mba hepere. Mba kondjere kutja e he mu pe ouzeu, nu wina me kondjo kutja e he mu pe ouzeu nangarire kombunda yanai! 10 Mbi rihivira otjiṋa hi, notja kouatjiri wa Kristus mbu ri mu ami, kape nomundu mehi, arihe ra Akaja ngu me ndji yeka ohiviro ndji. 11 Hapo me hungire nai motjimbe tjokutja hiye mu suvera poo? Ndjambi ma tjiwa kutja ami mbe mu suvera!
12 Notja tji me tjiti nambano, otjinga ame tjiti aruhe wina, kokutja mbi tjaere ovaapostele imba varwe ave he rihivi nave he ritjindi otja ovaapostele tjimuna eṱe. 13 Ovandu otja imba owo ovaapostele woposyo, nu ve rivara kutja ovaapostele va Kristus. 14 Nu ihi katjikumise! Nandarire Satan omuini u ritjitukisa a munike otja omuengeri wondjerera. 15 Nu otje he ri oukumise kutja ovakarere ve wina mave rivara otja ovandu mbe tjita ombango ya Ndjambi. Ondjandero yawo ma i kara otja koviungura vyawo.
Paulus ma tatumisiwa otja omuapostele
16 Ami me yarukire po rukwao: Ape ningi omundu ngu me ripura kutja owami eyova. Nu tji pe he ri nao, ndji vareye otja eyova, kokutja mbi rihive kaṱiṱi wina. 17 Ihi nambano tji me hungire, hi nakuhungira tjo otja Muhona punga ama vanga; motjiṋa hi tjokurihiva ami, tjiri, me hungire otja eyova. 18 Nungwari tjinga ape novandu ovengi mbe rihiva komuhingo wovandu, ami wina otjinga ame tjiti! 19 Eṋe oveni oweṋe ovanazondunge, nu mu zara imba omayova nenyando. 20 Nu tji pena ngu me mu isa po ovakarere, tjiri, mu zareye, na tji pena ngu me mu huura oviṋa, na tji pena ngu me mu tjiti ovineya, na tji pena ngu me mu nyengura, na tji pena ngu me mu tono orupyu momurungu. 21 Ihi me hungire kutja mbi ṱohoṋi yokutja twa ri ovingundi tjinene okutjita oviṋa otja imbi!
Nambano ami me hungire otja eyova: Otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe omundu tji ma vanga okurihivira tjo, ami wina me rihivire tjo. 22 Owo Ovaheberi? Ami wina. Owo Ovaisrael? Ami wina. Owo ozondekurona za Abraham? Ami wina. 23 Owo ovakarere va Kristus? Nambano me hungire aayo hi nozondunge nungwari owami omukarere omusemba okukapita wo! Mba ungura tjinene okukapita wo, mba kara motjovakamburwa potuingi okukapita wo, mba tonwa potuingi okukapita wo, nu mba kara moumba wonḓiro potuingi. 24 Nu mba tonwa ovikando vitano i Ovajuda, notjikando atjihe mba tonwa ozongora omirongo vitatu na muvyu; 25 nu tutatu mba tonwa notuhongwe i ovahona vOvaroma; notjikando tjimwe mba vetwa nomawe. Nu tutatu mba ri mozondjuwozomomeva, nḓa tekera mokuvare, nu otjikando tjimwe mba kara mokuvare omutenya nouṱuku. 26 Momauyenda wandje omengi mba ri momaumba pekepeke: Omaumba wozonḓonḓu, omaumba wovapunde woviṋa, omaumba wOvajuda ovakwetu nomaumba wa imba mbe he ri Ovajuda. Pa ri omaumba movihuro na mokuti, nu wina pa ri omaumba mokuvare na mokati kovakambure ovakwetu ovanavineya. 27 Mba ri noviungura ovizeu neputi, potuingi mba kara nomauṱuku nokuhinokurara, nu potuingi mba kara nondjara nonyota; nu potuingi mba kara nokuhinovikurya, nokuhinomawameno, nokuhinotjirikutjire mombepera. 28 Pendje yaimbi avihe, ami wina ee uhara ame rikendere ozombongo azehe. 29 Tji pena ngwa ngundipara, ee ri munu aayo ami wina mba ngundipara; nu tji pena ngwa tura ondjo, ami wina ee hihamwa omutima.
30 Nu tji mbi sokurihiva, ami me rihivire oungundi wandje. 31 Ndjambi, Hiya Muhona Jesus, ma tjiwa kutja hi nokukora ovizeze. Eye nga tangwe aruhe nga aruhe! 32 Tji mba ri mOdamaskus, ongooneya yombara Aretas wa zikire ovatjevere pomuvero wotjihuro okundjikambura. 33 Nungwari mba raurirwa mondovi yorumbo motjimbamba, narire tji mba poṋa momake we.
