Paul Defends His Work for Christ
1 Do you think I am a coward when I am with you and brave when I am far away? Well, I ask you to listen, because Christ himself was humble and gentle. 2 Some people have said we act like the people of this world. So when I arrive, I expect I will have to be firm and forceful in what I say to them. Please don't make me treat you that way. 3 We live in this world, but we don't act like its people 4 or fight our battles with the weapons of this world. Instead, we use God's power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy arguments 5 and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. We capture people's thoughts and make them obey Christ. 6 And when you completely obey him, we will punish anyone who refuses to obey.
7 You judge by appearances. If any of you think you are the only ones who belong to Christ, then think again. We belong to Christ as much as you do. 8 Maybe I brag a little too much about the authority that the Lord gave me to help you and not to hurt you. Yet I am not embarrassed to brag. 9 And I am not trying to scare you with my letters. 10 Some of you are saying, “Paul's letters are harsh and powerful. But in person, he is a weakling and has nothing worth saying.” 11 Those people had better understand that when I am with you, I will do exactly what I say in my letters.
12 We won't dare compare ourselves with those who think so much of themselves. But they are foolish to compare themselves with themselves. 13 We won't brag about something we don't have a right to brag about. We will only brag about the work God has sent us to do, and you are part of that work. 14 We are not bragging more than we should. After all, we did bring the message about Christ to you.
15 We don't brag about what others have done, as if we had done those things ourselves. But I hope as you become stronger in your faith, we will be able to reach many more of the people around you. That has always been our goal. 16 Then we will be able to preach the good news in other lands where we cannot take credit for work someone else has already done. 17 The Scriptures say, “If you want to brag, then brag about the Lord.” 18 You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord's approval.
Paulub ge sîsenni âba ra ǂnoaba
1 Tita Pauluta ge sado Xristub* di ǃgamǃgamsens tsî tsauraǃnâsib tsîkha ǀkha ra ǀkhoma, xawe ta ge sîǂkhanidi ǃnâ-u ǁkhoaǂgaosiba ra sîsenū tsî sadu mûǁae a ǃgamǃgamsenxa. 2 Sadu tawa ta ga sī, o ta ge ǀnî khoen ǃoagu ta nî ǁkhoaǂgaoxa ǃkhaisa ra ǀape, ǁîn ra khoesi ǀgaub ai ge ra ûi ti ǂâi xui-ao. Tsî ta ge sadu ǀkha ta ga hâ ǁaeb ai ta ǁkhā ǁkhoaǂgaosiba sadu ǀkha sîsenū tide ǃkhaisa ra ǀkhoma du. 3 Tsî ǃhūbaib ǃnâ ge ûi hâ, xawe ge ge khoesi ǀgaub ǀkha ǃkham tama hâ. 4 ǁÂtanin sige ra ǃkhamūn ge ǃhūbaisi tama hâ, xawen ge Elob di ǀgaisa ǁâtani. ǁÎn ge khākhoen di ǀgaisa hâǃkhaide ra hîkākā tsî ǂhumi ǂgaenamǃgâgude ra khôaǁnâ. 5 Nē ǁâtanin ge mâ xū-i hîa khoen nî Eloba ǂan ǃkhais ǃoagu ra khâikhâisen-i hoa-e ra hîkākā. Tsî ge ge mâ ǂâis hoasa Xristubas nî ǁnâuǀnamse ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ra ū. 6 Sadu ǁnâuǀnamxasib ga dīǀoaǀoahe, o ge ge ǂhomisen hâ sadu ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâsiba ǁkharasa.
7 ǃAugasi īsib xūn diba du ge ra kō. Khoe-i ga Xristub di-i a ti ǂgomo, a i nēsa ǂâiǃgâ, ǁî-i ǁkhā-i khami ge sige tsîna Xristub di ǃkhaisa. 8 ǂKharirose ta ga ǁkhāsib sado ǂnubikhâis ǂama ge ge ǃKhūb xa māheb xa ǃnāsase koasen, sado khôaǁnâs ose, o ta ge tao tide. 9 Ti sîǂkhanidi ǀkha ta ge sado ǃaoǃao ǂgao tama hâ. 10 ǀNîn ge “Sîǂkhanidi ge ǃgom tsî a ǀgaisa, xaweb ga ǁîba khoeb ase sada ǀkha hâ, ob ge ǂkhabusa tsî ǃhoas âba harebeoǃnâ!” ti ra mî. 11 Sige di sîǂkhanidi ǃnâ ge ra xoa khami ge ge ǁnāti īn ǀkha ge ga ǀhao, o nî ī. 12 A da tā ǁnān, ǁî-aitsama ra koasenn ǀkha ǀgoraǂgāsen tamas ka io ǀgopeǀnōsensa dītsâ. ǁÎ-aitsama ra ǁîn ǀkha ǀnōsenn tsî ǁî-aitsama ǁîn ǀkha ra ǀgopeǀnōsenn ge a ǁnâuǃāoǃnâ. 13 Xawe ge ge ǁkhāsib âge ǂamai koasen tide, xawes ge sige di koasensa Elob xa ge māhe hâ ǁkhāsiba ǃnā tama hâ. Sige ǃereams ge ǁkhāti sadu tsîna ǃkhōǂgā hâ. 14 Sige ǁkhāsiba sadu ǂama khoraǂuis ge tsū tama hâ, sige ge sadu tawa Xristub di ǃGâiǂhôasa hā-ū xui-ao. 15 Sige xa ge dīhes xase ge naugu ge dī sîsenni ǂama koasen tama hâ. Tsî ge ge ǃâubasensa ūhâ, sadu ǂgoms ga ǀomkhâi, ob sige sîsenni sadu ǁaegu hâba ǃnāǂamsase nî kaikaihesa. 16 O ge ge sadu ǀkharib di taman tsîna ǃGâiǂhôasa nî aoǁnâba, ǀkhara ǃkhain ǀnai sîsenaihe hân ǃnâ ge koasen tidese. 17 Xawe Xoas ra mî khami: “Koasen ra-e, a i ǃKhūb ǃnâ koasen.” 18 ǁÎ-aitsama koasen tama-i, ǁnā-i ge ūǃoahe tsî ǃKhūb xa ra kaikaihe.
