Leaders in the Church
1 This is a true saying: If a man is eager to be a church leader, he desires an excellent work. 2 A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach; 3 he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money; 4 he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect. 5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God? 6 He must be mature in the faith, so that he will not swell up with pride and be condemned, as the Devil was. 7 He should be a man who is respected by the people outside the church, so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the Devil's trap.
Helpers in the Church
8 Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money; 9 they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They should be tested first, and then, if they pass the test, they are to serve. 11 Their wives also must be of good character and must not gossip; they must be sober and honest in everything. 12 A church helper must have only one wife, and be able to manage his children and family well. 13 Those helpers who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Great Secret
14 As I write this letter to you, I hope to come and see you soon. 15 But if I delay, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion:
He appeared in human form,
was shown to be right by the Spirit,
and was seen by angels.
He was preached among the nations,
was believed in throughout the world,
and was taken up to heaven.
Kerkheb di ǂgaeǂgui-aon
1 Ama ǂgomǂgomsa mîs ge nēsa: Kerkheb di ǂgaeǂgui-ao ǂgao ra khoe-i hoa-i ge ǃgôaǃgôasa ǃereamsa ra tura. 2 Kerkheb ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i ge nî ūo; ǁî-i ge ǃgameb ǃnâ ǂgomǂgomsa, ǃnomsa, ǁkhaesenxa, gā-ai ǂgaoba ūhâ tsî ǃgâi gomma nî ūhâ. ǁÎ-i ge khoexasiba ǃhaokhoen ǃoa nî ūhâ tsî ǁkhāǁkhās ǂansa nî ūhâ. 3 Kerkheb ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i ge ǀhoro tamas ka io ǃkhamxa tide, xawe i ge nî tsamtsiǃnâ tsî ǂkhîxaǃnâ tsî mariǃgunuxa tide. 4 ǁÎ-i ge ǁî-i ǂû-i di omarisa ǂhanuse ǂgaeǂgui tsî ǀgôan â-i xa ǃgôahe tsî nî ǁnâuǀnamhe. 5 ǁÎ-i omaris ǂûsa ga ǂhanuse ǂgaeǂgui ǁoa khoe-e kha mâ ǀgaus ai Elob di kerkheba ǂgaeǂgui ǁkhā? 6 Kerkheb ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i ge Xristesi ǂgoms ǃnâ kaise ǀasa tide, kaise i nî ǁî-e ǂnīsase tsâsen tsî ǃhaese ǁgâuab* di ǀgoraǃgâs ǃnâ ǁnā xui-ao. 7 Kerkheb ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i ge hoaraga ǀhûhâsib khoen xa nî ǃgôahe tsî kerkheb ǃnâ ǀgui tama, î-i tā ǁgâuab di ǁnoa-i ǃnâ ǁnā tsî taotaosa xū kai.
Kerkheb di ǃoaba-aon
8 ǁKhā ǀgaus ain ge kerkheb di ǃoaba-aona ǃgâi aiǁgausa nî ūhâ tsî ǀgamnamxa tide. ǁÎn ge ǀgaisa ǂauxûi-ā-ao tamas ka io mariǃgunuxa tide. 9 ǂHaiǂhaisa amab Xristesi ǂgoms dib ǃaroman ge ǂgomǂgomsa tsî ǃgāsa ǂgaoǂansa nî ūhâ. 10 ǃOabas ǃnân nî mâiǂgāhes aiǃân ge aibe ǀnî ǁgauǂuis sîsenga ra ǁgui-aihe, ǁîn ǀgaub tsî ǁkhāsib nî kōhese. Nē ǃâitsâsan ga ǂnao-ose mâǃkharu, o ǀguin ge ra ǃoaba-ao kai. 11 ǁKhā ǀgaub ain ge ǁîn di ǃgame-aogu tsî tarade ǀgausa ûiba nî ūhâ tsî nau khoena mîǁgaiǁgai tamas ka io ǂkhabase ǂgā-am tide. ǁÎn ge ǃnomsase tanisen tsî nî ǂgomǂgomsa dīn ra xū-i hoa-i ǃnâ. 12 Kerkheb ǃoaba-ao-i ge ǁî-i ǃgameb ǃnâ nî ǂgomǂgomsa tsî ǁî-i ǀgôan tsî omarisa ǂhanuse nî ǂgaeǂgui ǁkhā. 13 ǁNā ǃoaba-aon hîa ǃgâi sîsenna ra dīn ge khoen di ǃgôasiba ra ǃoaǂuibasen tsî kai ǁaposasiba ūhâ, ǁîn di ǂgoms hîan Xristub* Jesub ǃnâ ūhâs ǃnâ.
Kai ǂganǃgâsib ǂgoms dib
14 Nē sîǂkhanisa ta ge kai ǃâubasens ǀkha ra xoa, ǃhae ǁaeb ǃnâ ta nî sī ǀhao-ū tsise. 15 Xawe ta nî ǀhabes ka, ots ge mâtin khoena Elob ommi ǃnâ nî tanisen ǃkhaisa a ǂan ǁkhā, ǁnāb ge a ûitsama Elob di kerkhe, amab di ǂkhâǃnâba. 16 Nēb ge kai ǂganǃgâsib sada ǂgoms dib khoe-i xare-i a dîǃnâ ǁoaba.
Elob ge khoesi īb ǃnâ ǂhaiǂhaihe,
Gagab ǃnâ ǂhanu-ai kaihe
tsî ǀhomǃgāgu xa ge mûhe.
ǁÎb ge ǀūbe ǁaedi ǃnâ aoǁnâhe,
ǃhūbaib xa ǂgomhe
tsî ǂkhaisib ǃnâ ge ūǃapahe.
