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.
Odjuulufi yokuya meulu
1 Osheshi otu shi shii, olutu letu, etwali eli lopedu, ngeenge tali hanaunwa po, fye otu netungaumbo kuKalunga, eumbo laalushe meulu, inali tungwa nomake. 2 Onghee hano hatu keme nokudjuulukwa fye tu dikwe eumbo ekwaulu, 3 osheshi ngeenge twe li dikwa, itatu monika tu li hamunghele. 4 Osheshi ofye ava tu li natango metwali eli, ohatu keme tu noudjuu, osheshi inatu hala okudulwa, ndelenee okudjalekwa tuu, opo eshi shi nokufya shi ponwe po komwenyo. 5 Ndelenee ou e tu longekidila oshinima eshi, Oye Kalunga, ou e tu pa ombabyona yOmhepo.
6 Onghee otu neyombamo alushe ndele otu shi shii, fimbo tu li mombuletu, molutu eli letu, katu li mOmwene, 7 osheshi ohatu ende meitavelo, hamokumona, 8 ndelenee fye otu neyombamo shili notwa djuulukwa okutembuka mo molutu nokufika mombuletu kOmwene. 9 Onghee hano otwa hala oku mu wapalela ngeenge tu li mombuletu ile katu mo. 10 Osheshi ofyeni atusheni tu nokuholoka kolukalwatokolo laKristus, opo keshe tuu ou a pewe osho e shi longa molutu, ngeenge ouwa ile owii.
Eudifo lekwatakanifo
11 Hano etilo lOmwene eshi tu li shii, ohatu kendabala okwiitavelifa ovanhu, ndelenee kuKalunga otwa shiivika nawa; ndele ondi neteelelo nokutya, nanye yo omu tu shii momaliudo eni. 12 Osheshi ihatu lihokwifa fye vene kunye, ndelenee otwa hala tu mu pe omhito mu litange molwetu, nye mu kale mu na sha okutomhifa venya have litangele osho hashi monika nomesho, hasheshi shi li momutima. 13 Osheshi ngeenge otwa li twa piyaana, otwe shi ninga omolwaKalunga; ndele ngeenge otu nombili otu i kwete molweni. 14 Osheshi ohole yaKristus otai tu fininike ofye ava twa tokola ngaha: umwe okwa fya omolwaaveshe, hano aveshe ova fya; 15 ndele Oye okwa fya ponhele yaaveshe, opo ovo ve nomwenyo vehe likalele vali voovene, ndelenee Oye ou e va fila nokwe va nyumukila.
16 Onghee hano mokudja paife kape na ou tu mu shii pambelela; nonande twa li twa shiiva Kristus pambelela, katu mu shii vali ngaha. 17 Hano ngeenge ope na ou e li muKristus, oye omushitwa mupe; eshi shikulu osha xula po, tala, aishe ya ninga ipe. 18 Ndelenee ashishe eshi tashi di muKalunga, ou e tu hanganifa naye mwene muKristus nokwe tu pa oshilongayakulo shehanganifo. 19 Osheshi Kalunga okwa kala muKristus nokwa hanganifa ounyuni naye mwene, ndele ine va valulila omatauluko avo, ndele okwe tu pa ondjovo yehanganifo.
20 Ponhele yaKristus ofye hano ovatumwa, ndele Kalunga ote tu kumaidifa. Ponhele yaKristus ohatu mu ilikana: Itaveleni mu hanganifwe naKalunga. 21 Oye ou ina shiiva nande oulunde, okwe mu ninga oulunde molwetu, opo tu ninge ouyuki waKalunga muye.
