Spiritual Treasure in Clay Pots
1 God in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged. 2 We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone's good conscience. 3 For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost. 4 They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 5 For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.
7 Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. 8 We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; 9 there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. 10 At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. 11 Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. 12 This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 The scripture says, “I spoke because I believed.” In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe. 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence. 15 All this is for your sake; and as God's grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving.
Living by Faith
16 For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. 17 And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. 18 For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.
Ovaapostele mave zuvarisa Jesus Kristus oMuhona
1 Ndjambi motjari tje we tu pa otjiungura tjoukarere hi. Opu twa sokuungura nokuhaurwa. 2 Eṱe twa tya okuhinokutjita ozondjito azehe zomonḓorera nozonḓisahoṋi. Katu tjiti ovineya moviungura vyetu, nu wina katu sotorora embo ra Ndjambi. Nungwari matu tjivisa ouatjiri noukahu auhe, nu matu riraisa oveni momuhingo mbwi ku auhe ngu nomeritjiviro omawa womomutima komurungu wa Ndjambi. 3 NOmbuze Ombwa, ndji tu zuvarisa tji i he ri ongahu, okutja kangahu ku imba porwe mbu mave pandjara. 4 Owo kave nongamburiro, ozondunge zawo tjinga aze ṱizirwa monḓorera i omukuru omunauvi wouye mbwi, kokutja ave ha munu ondjerera yOmbuze Ombwa. Oyo ondji ri Ombuze Ombwa yongeṋangeṋeno ya Kristus ngu ri osaneno ya Ndjambi. 5 Eṱe katu rizuvarisa oveni, nungwari tu zuvarisa Jesus Kristus kutja eye oMuhona, nokutja eṱe oveni oweṱe ovakarere veṋu motjimbe tja Jesus. 6 Ndjambi ngwa tjere:
“Ondjerera ngai yere okuza monḓorera,”
Eye Ndjambi tjingeye ngwa yerisa ondjerera ye momitima vyetu kutja e tu yerise nondjiviro yongeṋangeṋeno ya Ndjambi, ndji yera okuza mu Jesus Kristus.
Otjihuze motjitjuma tjomunoko
7 Eṱe mbu tu notjihuze hi mu eṱe oveni, tu ri tjimuna ovitjuma vyomunoko, mbi teka tjimanga; omasa nge kapita avihe ye za mu Ndjambi, nu kaye zu mu eṱe. 8 Tu ṋiṋikiziwa mu avihe, nungwari katu pama omuinyo; rumwe tu kara mokuivaiva, nungwari katu yaraara; 9 eṱe tu tatumisiwa, nungwari Ndjambi ke tu imbirahi; tu vandwa pehi, nungwari katu hahauka. 10 Inga omaṱiro wa Jesus tu ye tjinda akuhe nga aruhe motutu twetu, kokutja omuinyo wa Jesus u munike motutu twetu. 11 Ngunda atu nomuinyo, aruhe tu kara moumba wonḓiro motjimbe tja Jesus, kokutja omuinyo wa Jesus u munike motutu twetu otuṱi. 12 Ihi matji hee kutja eṱe twe riyandjera okuṱa, kokutja eṋe mu mune omuinyo waaruhe.
13 Omatjangwa maye tja:
“Ami mba kambura,
opu mba zokuhungira.”
Eṱe tu nOmbepo tjingeyo, ndji pendura ongamburiro, neṱe twa kambura, opu matu zokuhungira wina. 14 Eṱe matu tjiwa kutja Ndjambi ngwa pendura Muhona Jesus movakoke, wina me tu pendura puna Jesus ne ketukuramisa puna eṋe komurungu wotjihavero tje tjouhona. 15 Avihe mbi tu vi tjitira eṋe, kokutja otjari tja Ndjambi tji takavare movandu ovengi, nokutja ovandu ve tje okuhepa ku Ndjambi, nu ihi matji yeta ondjozikiro ku Ndjambi.
Okuhupa mongamburiro
16 Komuhingo mbwi opu tu ha zu okurihahiza. Nandarire kutja omasa wotutu twetu maye yanda, omuinyo wetu womoukoto mau yarurwa koupe eyuva arihe. 17 Okumuna ouzeu kwetu kwanambano oko okupupu nu ku kapita tjimanga, nungwari oko ku tu ungurira ondjozikiro, ndji kapita avihe nu ndji karerera nga aruhe. 18 Omeho wetu kaye tara koviṋa mbi munika, nungwari ye tara ku imbi mbi ha munika, orondu imbi mbi munika ovyo ovyoruveze orusupi uriri, nu imbi mbi ha munika vi karerera aruhe nga aruhe.