1 Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. 2 While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. 3 We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked.
4 These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don't do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die. 5 God is the one who makes all this possible. He has given us his Spirit to make us certain he will do it. 6 So always be cheerful!
As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. 7 But we live by faith, not by what we see. 8 We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord. 9 But whether we are at home with the Lord or away from him, we still try our best to please him. 10 After all, Christ will judge each of us for the good or the bad that we do while living in these bodies.
Bringing People to God
11 We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. 12 We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.
13 If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. 14 We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. 15 And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.
16 We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in this way. 17 Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so Christ could make us acceptable to God.
1 Eṱe matu tjiwa kutja omaturiro wetu wokombanda yehi, nge ri otjihandura uriri, tji ya haṋewa, eṱe tu nomaturiro meyuru, nga zikama. Owo omaturiro nge ha tungirwe i ovandu, nungwari nga tungwa i Ndjambi, nu nge karerera aruhe nga aruhe. 2 Nu ngunda atwa tura otjihandura kombanda yehi tu tjema, tjinga atu zera okuyakurwa momaturiro wetu nga womeyuru, 3 Eṱe katu nokuvanga okukutjururwa nokukurama mutundu komurungu wa Ndjambi. 4 Eṱe mba ingee mbu twa tura otjihandura kombanda yehi tu tjema nu tu tjinda ouzeu, tjinga atu ha vanga okuisapo orutu ndwi rwoundu; tu vanga okuzara indwi rwomeyuru kombanda yaindwi rwoundu kutja ihi otjikoke tji ṋiṋiwe i omuinyo. 5 Ingwi ngwe tu ṱunina omarundurukiro nga, eye oNdjambi. Nu eye we tu pa Ombepo ye otja otjiyambo tjaimbi avihe mbi matu kapewa.
6 Opu twa zokuyanḓipara momutima. Nu matu tjiwa kutja, ngunda atu ri morutu ndwi, ingee tu ri kokure nomaturiro wa Muhona. 7 Eṱe omahupiro wetu ye za mu imbi mu tu kambura nungwari ka ezu mu imbi mbi tu muna. 8 Eṱe twe ura nonḓero, nu itjatu vanga okuisa omaturiro worutu rwetu natu katura pu Muhona. 9 Nungwari kutja twa tura mba poo twa tura ngwina, tu nonḓero imwe uriri, noyo okongwi okutja eye a kare nonyuṋe mu eṱe. 10 Orondu eṱe atuhe tu sokumunika komurungu wa Kristus okupangurwa i ye. Nu auhe ma pewa imbi mbye sokupewa otja ku imbi avihe mbya tjitire ngunda e nomuinyo kombanda yehi, kutja vya ri oviwa poo vya ri ovivi.
Ohange na Ndjambi mu Kristus
11 Eṱe tu tjiwa kutja okukara nondira ku Muhona ku nomaheero watjike. Opu tu zokukondja okupopera ovandu ku ye. Ndjambi u tu tjiwa okumana, nami me undju kutja eṋe wina momitima vyeṋu mamu ndji tjiwa. 12 Eṱe katu nakurihivira eṋe rukwao, nungwari matu mu pe oruveze kutja mu rihivire eṱe, eṋe kutja mu sore okuzira imba mbe rihivira imbi mbi munika, nu mbi he ri mbi vyomoukoto womutima. 13 Ndovazu twa puruka ozondunge, omena ra Ndjambi, nu ndovazu tu nozondunge zetu azehe, okutja omena reṋu. 14 Orusuvero rwa Kristus ru tu hinga, tjinga atwa tjiwa kutja omundu umwe ngwi wa ṱira avehe, nu ihi matji hee kutja avehe ve norupa monḓiro ye. 15 Nu eye wa ṱira avehe, kokutja imba mbe nomuinyo ave ha ngara ve nomuinyo mu wo oveni, nungwari a rire ingwi ngwa ṱira wo nu ngwa pendurirwa wo.
16 Nu nambano eṱe katu tji sosonona omundu komuhingo wovandu. Nandarire kutja rukuru twa sosononene Kristus komuhingo wovandu, katu tji nokuuhara amatu mu sosonona nao rukwao. 17 Ingwi ngu ri owa Kristus, eye omundu omupe. Imbi ovikuru vya kapita, avihe vya rire ovipe. 18 Avihe mbi vya tjitwa i Ndjambi. Nangarire kutja eṱe twa ri ovanavita na ye, eye we tu hanganisa na ye omuini mu Kristus. Neye we tu pa otjiungura tjoukarere womahanganeno. 19 Ombuze yohanganisiro oyokutja Ndjambi wa hanganisa ouye na ye omuini mu Kristus. Nu Ndjambi ka karere nongore nouvi wawo. Nu indji ombuze yohanganisiro we i yandja ku eṱe.
20 Neṱe tu hungirira po Kristus aayo oNdjambi omuini ongu ma hungire mu eṱe. Eṱe tu riyarikaṋa ku eṋe mena ra Kristus atu tja: Yakureye ohanganisiro Ndjambi ndja tjita mu ye. 21 Kristus ke na pa tjitire ourunde, nungwari Ndjambi we mu tjita otja omurunde motjimbe tjetu, kokutja eṱe, moruwano na Kristus, tu sore okuisirwa i Ndjambi.
