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 naayapostoli aafundja
1 Onda hala, mu idhidhimikile ndje nuuna ndoka wo nda fa nda nika uugoya. Alikana, idhidhimikilii ndje! 2 Ngame onde mu sila efupa, ndele naKalunga osho e li. Oshoka ne omwa fa omukadhona omuyelele, ngoka nda kongela omulumentu gumwe awike, oKristus. 3 Ngame onda tila kutya pamwe oondunge dheni otadhi yonuka e tamu ke etha po okukala aantu yaKristus, ngaashi Eva a pukithwa koondunge dhomakoto geyoka. 4 Oshoka ohamu idhidhimikile nenyanyu shaa ngoka te ya kune tu uvitha Jesus gulwe i ili kee shi ngoka twa uvitha. Omwa taamba wo ombepo nevaangeli lilwe, ndyoka inaali fa ombepo nevaangeli ndyoka mwe li taamba kutse.
5 Ngame itandi dhiladhila ando kutya ondi vulike kaayapostoli yeni mboka aanene. 6 Otashi vulika ndaa shi enyakwa mokupopya, ihe ondi na ngaa oondunge. Shika otwe shi mu tseyithile aluhe pamikalo odhindji.
7 Ngame sho nde mu uvithile elaka etoye lya za kuKalunga, inandi mu pula nando osha. Ngame ondi ifupipike, opo ndi mu nenepeke. Nenge onda puka? 8 Manga nda li tandi longo mokati keni, onda li tandi futwa komagongalo galwe. Nandi tye, onde ga yugu, opo ndi mu kwathe. 9 Ethimbo ndyoka nda kala pune, inandi mu pula iimaliwa, nonando onda li nde yi pumbwa, oshoka aamwameme mboka ya zi kuMakedonia, oye etele ndje ashihe shoka nda li nda pumbwa. Ngashika sha kala methimbo lya piti, osho wo tashi ka kala nokomeho kutya ngame inandi hala oku mu etela uudhigu nando owasha. 10 Omolwoshili yaKristus, ndjoka yi li mungame? Otandi uvaneke kutya eitango ndika lyandje kali na nando mpoka tali ka mwenekwa mevi alihe lyAagreka. 11 Omolwashike tandi popi ngeyi? Omolwaasho ando ndaa mu hole? Kalunga oku shi shi kutya ondi mu hole.
12 Ngashingeyi otandi tsikile owala naashoka tandi shi longo, opo aayapostoli mboka yalwe yaa vule okumona etompelo lyokwiitanga kutya otaa longo pamukalo ngaangoka tatu longo. 13 Aalumentu ya tya ngaaka kaye shi aayapostoli yashili, ihe oyo aafundja. Oyo otaa longitha iifundja miilonga yawo notayi iningi ya kale ya fa aayapostoli yaKristus. 14 Eeno, shika itashi kumitha! Oshoka naSatana ota vulu okwiishitukitha, a kale a fa omuyengeli guuyelele. 15 Onkee ano itashi kumitha, ngele aayakuli yaSatana otayi ishitukitha, ya kale ongaayakuli aawanawa. Ihe hugunina otaa ka pewa shoka yi ilongela.
Omahepeko gomuyapostoli Paulus
16 Otandi shi endulula natango: Inaku kala nando ogumwe ta tala ndje kutya ngame egoya. Ihe ngele otamu shi ningi, nena taambii ndje ano ongegoya. Osho ngeyi otandi vulu ihe okwiitanga. 17 Eeno, shoka tandi popi ngashingeyi, hasho shoka Omuwa a hala, ndi popye. Moshinima shika shokwiitanga ote popi lela ongegoya. 18 Ihe sho pe na aantu oyendji mboka hayi itanga paantu, nangame wo otandi shi ningi. 19 Ne yene omu li po aanandunge, onkee ohamu idhidhimikile omagoya. 20 Ohamu idhidhimikile kehe ngoka te mu ningilile mo nenge te mu yulu moohapu nenge te mu tala nondhino nenge te mu nyekele. 21 Ngame onda sa ohoni oku shi zimina kutya otwa li twa tila okuninga ngaaka. Otandi popi ongegoya kutya, ngele ope na ngoka ta vulu okwiitangela oshinima shontumba, nena nangame wo ote vulu oku shi ninga. 22 Oyo Aahebeli? Ngame wo Omuhebeli. Oyo Aaisraeli? Ngame wo Omwiisraeli. Oyo oluvalo lwaAbraham? Ngame wo ogwomoluvalo lwaAbraham. 23 Oyo aayakuli yaKristus? Ote popi ongomulumentu egoya kutya ondi ya vule ayehe. Onda longo noonkondo ndi ya vule. Onda kala mondholongo omathimbo ogendji, onda dhengwa olwindji, onda kala olwindji popepi neso. 24 Onda dhengwa lutano kAajuda omadhengo omilongo ndatu nomugoyi. 25 Onda dhengwa noongola lutatu kAaroma, nalumwe onda dhengwa nomamanya. Onda kala lutatu moshiponga sheteko lyosikepa. Ethimbo limwe onda kala ootundi omilongo mbali nane momeya. 26 Momalweendo gandje ogendji onda adhika kiiponga yomafundja noyaayugi, iiponga tayi zile ndje mAajuda ooyakwetu nomaapagani. Opwa kala iiponga miilando, iiponga moombuga, iiponga yomomafuta omanene nomiiponga tayi zi mookuume aafundja. 27 Opwa li pwa kala iilonga nuupyakadhi. Olwindji onda lala inee kotha nonda si ondjala nenota. Olwindji onda kala ndaa na iikulya nonda hepekwa unene kuutalala nokonkayi. 28 Kakele kiinima mbika, esiku kehe otandi thiminikwa meni lyandje koshimpwiyu shomagongalo agehe. 29 Olye ngoka omunkundi, ngame ndaa kale ando omunkundi pamwe naye? Olye ngoka ta pundukile muulunde, ndaa lulumikwe kusho?
30 Ngele ondi na okwiitanga, otandi itangele iinima mbyoka tayi ulike, nkene ngame ndi li po omunkundi. 31 Edhina lyaKalunga, He yOmuwa gwetu Jesus, nali simanekwe, oshoka oku shi shi kutya ite fundju. 32 Manga nda li muDamaskus, elenga lyomukwaniilwa Aretas olya tula aalangeli piiyelo yoshilando, li kwate ndje. 33 Ihe ngame onda kulukithwa ndi li montungwa nonda pitithwa mombululu yi li mekuma e tandi hunuka mo miikaha ye.
