1 In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. 2 Hear what God says:
“When the time came for me to show you favor,
I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you,
I helped you.”
Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!
3 We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. 4 Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties. 5 We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. 6 By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants—by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, 7 by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. 8 We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; 9 as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; 10 although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
11 Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. 12 It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. 13 I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!
Warning against Pagan Influences
14 Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? 15 How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said,
“I will make my home with my people
and live among them;
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.”
17 And so the Lord says,
“You must leave them
and separate yourselves from them.
Have nothing to do with what is unclean,
and I will accept you.
18 I will be your father,
and you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
1 Otja mbu tu ri ovaungure vapamwe na Ndjambi matu riyarikaṋa ku eṋe kutja amu ha pewa otjari tja Ndjambi omungandjo. 2 Ndjambi ma tja:
“Ami mbe ku zuvira moruveze orusemba,
nu mbe ku yama meyuva rondjamo.”
Tara, oruveze orusemba onambano, nu ndinondi ondi ri eyuva rondjamo!
3 Eṱe tu kondja kutja atu ha tjiti ombutarisiro komundu auhe ngamwa, kokutja motjiungura tjetu amu ha munika ondataiziro. 4 Nungwari mu avihe mbi tu tjita tu raisa kutja oweṱe ovakarere va Ndjambi. Eṱe twa kara nomuretima momaumba, na momatatumisiro, na momauzeu aehe ngamwa. 5 Eṱe twa tonwa, atu paterwa motjovakamburwa natu kara momazunganeno; twa ungurisiwa tjinene, natu kara omauṱuku omengi katumba natu nondjara. 6 Twe riraisa oveni kutja oweṱe ovaungure vapamwe na Ndjambi moukohoke na mounongo na mokukara nomuretima noupore. Avihe mbi twa tjita mOmbepo Ondjapuke na morusuvero rouatjiri, 7 na mokuzuvarisa ouatjiri na momasa wa Ndjambi nge ungura mu eṱe. Eṱe tuna ousemba otja otjirwise tjetu, okurwisa nokuriyeura natjo. 8 Eṱe tu yozikwa nu tu tengururwa; tu yambururwa nu tu tangwa. Tu varwa otja ovapukise, nungwari atu hungira ouatjiri; 9 tu varwa otja ovahatjiukwa, nungwari atu tjiukwa i avehe; otja ovaṱi, nungwari tareye, oweṱe mba tu nomuinyo; otja ovaverwa, nungwari atu hiya ṱa; 10 otja ovanaruhoze, nungwari aruhe atu nenyando; otja ovasyona, nungwari atu tumbisa ovengi; otja mbu tu hi notjiṋa, nungwari atu na avihe.
11 Vakwetu Ovakorinte, eṱe twa hungira ongahukiro na eṋe; omitima vyetu ku eṋe vi ri kamwaha okumanuka. 12 Katu patere omitima vyetu ku eṋe; oweṋe mbu mwa pata omitima vyeṋu ku eṱe. 13 Ami me hungire na eṋe aayo oweṋe ovanatje vandje. Tjiteye ku eṱe imbi eṱe mbi twa tjita ku eṋe: Omitima vyeṋu wina ngavi kare kamwaha!
Omaronga otja kovikaro vya imba mbe he ri ovakambure
14 Amu kara nehore rimwe na imba mbe ha kambura mu Kristus! Mape ya vi ousemba nouhasemba vi nanene kumwe? Nondjerera i noruwano rwatjike nonḓorera? 15 Mape yenene vi kutja pe sokukara omazuvasaneno pokati ka Kristus na Satan? Pe noruwano rwatjike pokati komukambure nomuhakambura? 16 Oomukuru vovisenginina ve noruveze rwatjike mondjuwo ya Ndjambi omunamuinyo? Orondu eṱe oweṱe ondjuwo ondjapuke ya Ndjambi omunamuinyo, otja Ndjambi punga a hungirire a tja:
“Ami me tura mu wo
ne ryanga mokati kawo;
me rire Ndjambi wawo,
nowo ave rire otjiwaṋa tjandje.”
17 Muhona opu ma zokutja:
“Zamoeye mokati kawo
nu mu haṋike na wo!
Amu ṱunu ko ku ihi tji tji ri otjihakohoke,
nami otji me mu yakura.
18 Ami me rire Iho,
neṋe mamu rire ovanatje
vandje ovazandu novakazona,
Muhona, Omunamasaaehe, ma tja nao.”
