Visions from the Lord
1 I have to brag. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I must brag about the visions and other things that the Lord has shown me. 2 I know about one of Christ's followers who was taken up into the third heaven 14 years ago. I don't know if the man was still in his body when it happened, but God certainly knows.
3 As I said, only God really knows if this man was in his body at the time. 4 But he was taken up into paradise, where he heard things too wonderful to tell. 5 I will brag about that man, but not about myself, except to say how weak I am.
6 Yet even if I did brag, I would not be foolish. I would simply be speaking the truth. But I will try not to say too much. That way, none of you will think more highly of me than you should because of what you have seen me do and say. 7 Of course, I am now referring to the wonderful things I saw. One of Satan's angels was sent to make me suffer terribly, so that I would not feel too proud.
8 Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. 9 But he replied, “My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. 10 Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong.
Paul's Concern for the Lord's Followers at Corinth
11 I have been making a fool of myself. But you forced me to do it, when you should have been speaking up for me. I may be nothing at all, but I am as good as those super apostles. 12 When I was with you, I was patient and worked all the powerful miracles and signs and wonders of a true apostle. 13 You missed out on only one blessing the other churches received. That is, you didn't have to support me. Forgive me for doing you wrong.
14 I am planning to visit you for the third time. But I still won't make a burden of myself. What I really want is you, and not what you have. Children are not supposed to save up for their parents, but parents are supposed to take care of their children. 15 So I will gladly give all I have and all I am. Will you love me less for loving you too much? 16 You agree that I wasn't a burden to you. Maybe that's because I was trying to catch you off guard and trick you. 17 Were you cheated by any of those I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent another follower with him. But Titus didn't cheat you, and we felt and behaved the same way he did.
19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? Actually, we have been speaking to God as followers of Christ. But, my friends, we did it all for your good.
20 I am afraid when I come, we won't be pleased with each other. I fear that some of you may be arguing or jealous or angry or selfish or gossiping or insulting each other. I even fear that you may be proud and acting like a mob. 21 I am afraid God will make me ashamed when I visit you again. I will feel like crying because many of you have never given up your old sins. You are still doing things that are immoral, indecent, and shameful.
Paulub di ǁhapodi tsî ǂhaiǂhaidi
1 Koasens ge tita harebeoǃnâba, xawe ta ge nēsi ǁhapodi tsî ǂhaiǂhaidi ǃKhūb ge mā te di xa nî ǃhoa. 2 Khoeb, disihakaǀa kurigu ǃkharu hâse ǃnonaǁî ǀhommi ǃoa ge ūǃapaheba ta ge Xristub* ǃnâ a ǂan. Tita ge iseb ge sorosise tamas ka io gagasise hâ isa a ǀū, xawe Elob ge a ǂan. 3-4 Tsî ta ge ǁkhāti ǁnā khoeb, Paradais ǃnâ ge ūǃapaheb, mîǂuiheǁoasa xūn tsî ǁkhāti khoe-i xare-i ǃhoasa mā-amhe tama xūn tsîna ge ǁnâuba a ǂan. Tita ge iseb sorosise tamas ka io gagasise ge hâ isa a ǀū, xawe Elob ge a ǂan. 5 ǁNāti īb xa ta nî koasen, xawe ta tita xa aitsama koasen tide tsî ti ǂkhabusasigu ǀguigu xa nî koasen. 6 Koasen ǂgao ta ka xawe ta ge gârekhoese ī tide, amaba ta nî ǃhoa xui-ao. Xawe ta khoe-i xare-i tita tawa i ra mûn tsî tita xa i ra ǁnâun ǂamai, tita xa ǀgapi ǂâisa ūhâ tidega ra ūdabasen.
7 ǂGui buruxa xūn hîa ta ge mûn ǀkha ta ǀgapiǀgapisen tidese ta ge tsûsa sorosi ǃgomsiba ge māhe. Nē ǃgomsib ge Satanni* di sîsabeb ǀgapiǀgapisen ta tidese ra ǂnauǁgui teba. 8 ǁNās ǃaroma ta ge ǃnona ǃnādi kōse ǃKhūba nē tsâbab tita xu nî ūbē ǃkhaisa ge ǀkhoma. 9 Xaweb ge tita ǁga ge mî: “Ti ǀkhommi ge sats ǃaroma ǂâu hâ. Ti ǀgaib ge a kai sats ga ǂkhabusao.” O ta Xristub di ǀgaib nî tita ǃnâ hâse ti ǂkhabusasigu xa koasens xa ra ǃgâiaǂgao. 10 ǁNā-amaga ta ge ǂkhabusasigu, mîǁgaiǁgaidi, ǃgom ǁaegu, ǃgôaǃgondi tsî ǂōǂōsigu ǃnâ Xristub ǃaroma ra ǃgâiaǂgao, ǂkhabusa ta ka, o ta ǀgaisa xui-ao.
Paulub di ǂhansens Korinteǁîn ǃaroma
11 Tita ge gâre khoe-i ase ge tanisen. Sadu ge tita ǁnās ǃoa ge ǁgari. Sadu ge tita nî koase īdo. Xū tama ta ka ī, xawe ta ge sadu di kai apostelgu* ǃoagus tsîna ǂkharitsâsen tama hâ. 12 Xūn hîa apostelta a ǃkhaisa ra ǁgauǂuin ge saodi, buruxa dīn tsî buruxa sîsengu tsîn ge sadu ǁaegu, kai ǃnūǃnâxasib ǀkha tita xa ge dīhe. 13 Nau kerkhegu ge ǃkhōǃoan hoana du ge ge ǃkhōǃoa. ǃGomsib ase ta ge ība du tama i ǃkhais ǀguis ge ra ǀkhara. ǁNās ga tsū, o ǀûba te.
14 ǃNonaǁî ǃnāsa ta ge ǁkhawa sadu tawa ta nî sīse ǂhomisen hâ tsî ta ge ǃgomsib ase ība du tide, sadu dina ta ôa tama tsî ta sado ra ôa xui-ao. ǀGôan ge ǁgûna a ǀhaoǀhaoba ǁoa, xawe ǁgûna ǁîn di ôana. 15 Tita ge ū ta hâ-i hoa-i tsî tita ǂûta tsîna sadu ǀomdi ǃaroma nî ǁguiba. Tita ga ǃnāsase ǀnam duo, o ta kha mâti ǀoro ǀnamma sado xu nî ǃkhōǃoa?
16 ǃGomsib ase ta ge ība du tama hâ i ǃkhais ge a ǃgāsa, xawen ge ǀnîn âdo tita ge gā-ai i amaga ta ge gāxaǃnâsib ǀkha ǃkhō du ti a mî ǁkhā. 17 Sadu ǃoa ta ge sîgu di ǀguib xaweb ǃnâ-u ta kha sado xu ge ǃnari? 18 Tituba ta ge ge ǀkhoma, îb sari du tsî ta ge ǀnî ǃgâsaba ge sîsao. Tituba kha ge gāxaǃnâ du? ǀGui gagas ǃnâ khom kha gere tanisen? ǀGui ǀgaub ai ǀgui khom kha gere tanisen?
19 Nē hoaraga ǁaeba ge sadu ǃoagu gere ǁkhaubasen ti du ra ǂâi? Elob aiǃâ ge ge Xristub ga ǃhoa hâ khami ra ǃhoa tsî ǀnamsabedo, sadu gagasi omkhâis ǃaroma dī ge ra xūn hoana ra dī. 20 Sī ta ka, o ta ǀnîsi sado tita ra ǂgao khami hō tide tsî sado tita, sadu ra ǂgao khami hō tide ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǃao. ǁNāpa nî hâ ǂnoagudi, tauxasib, ǁaib, ǁhaiǃāgudi, mîǁgaiǁgaigub, ǀhoegub, ǁîǃgôasens tsî ǂâikorobesib tsîna ta ge ra ǃao. 21 Ti Elob nî sadu tawa ta ga sīo, tao kai te ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǃao. ǂGuin hîa ge ǃanuoǃnâsib, ǀaib tsî turab tsîn di ǁoregu ǀkha tsî ǃhobasen taman hâ ǃkhais ǃaroma tita ǃoaǃoana.
