Paul's Visions and Revelations
1 I have to boast, even though it doesn't do any good. But I will now talk about visions and revelations given me by the Lord. 2 I know a certain Christian man who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the highest heaven (I do not know whether this actually happened or whether he had a vision—only God knows). 3-4 I repeat, I know that this man was snatched to Paradise (again, I do not know whether this actually happened or whether it was a vision—only God knows), and there he heard things which cannot be put into words, things that human lips may not speak. 5 So I will boast about this man—but I will not boast about myself, except the things that show how weak I am. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not boast, because I do not want any of you to have a higher opinion of me than you have as a result of what you have seen me do and heard me say.
7 But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. 8 Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. 9 But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. 10 I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul's Concern for the Corinthians
11 I am acting like a fool—but you have made me do it. You are the ones who ought to show your approval of me. For even if I am nothing, I am in no way inferior to those very special “apostles” of yours. 12 The many miracles and wonders that prove that I am an apostle were performed among you with much patience. 13 How were you treated any worse than the other churches, except that I did not bother you for financial help? Please forgive me for being so unfair!
14 This is now the third time that I am ready to come to visit you—and I will not make any demands on you. It is you I want, not your money. After all, children should not have to provide for their parents, but parents should provide for their children. 15 I will be glad to spend all I have, and myself as well, in order to help you. Will you love me less because I love you so much?
16 You will agree, then, that I was not a burden to you. But someone will say that I was tricky, and trapped you with lies. 17 How? Did I take advantage of you through any of the messengers I sent? 18 I begged Titus to go, and I sent the other believer with him. Would you say that Titus took advantage of you? Do not he and I act from the very same motives and behave in the same way?
19 Perhaps you think that all along we have been trying to defend ourselves before you. No! We speak as Christ would have us speak in the presence of God, and everything we do, dear friends, is done to help you. 20 I am afraid that when I get there I will find you different from what I would like you to be and you will find me different from what you would like me to be. I am afraid that I will find quarreling and jealousy, hot tempers and selfishness, insults and gossip, pride and disorder. 21 I am afraid that the next time I come my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I shall weep over many who sinned in the past and have not repented of the immoral things they have done—their lust and their sexual sins.
Paulub di ǁhapodi tsî ǂhaiǂhaidi
1 Koasens ge tita harebeoǃnâba, xawe ta ge nēsi ǁhapodi tsî ǂhaiǂhaidi ǃKhūb ge mā te di xa nî ǃhoa. 2 Khoeb, disihakaǀa kurigu ǃkharu hâse ǃnonaǁî ǀhommi ǃoa ge ūǃapaheba ta ge Xristub* ǃnâ a ǂan. Tita ge iseb ge sorosise tamas ka io gagasise hâ isa a ǀū, xawe Elob ge a ǂan. 3-4 Tsî ta ge ǁkhāti ǁnā khoeb, Paradais ǃnâ ge ūǃapaheb, mîǂuiheǁoasa xūn tsî ǁkhāti khoe-i xare-i ǃhoasa mā-amhe tama xūn tsîna ge ǁnâuba a ǂan. Tita ge iseb sorosise tamas ka io gagasise ge hâ isa a ǀū, xawe Elob ge a ǂan. 5 ǁNāti īb xa ta nî koasen, xawe ta tita xa aitsama koasen tide tsî ti ǂkhabusasigu ǀguigu xa nî koasen. 6 Koasen ǂgao ta ka xawe ta ge gârekhoese ī tide, amaba ta nî ǃhoa xui-ao. Xawe ta khoe-i xare-i tita tawa i ra mûn tsî tita xa i ra ǁnâun ǂamai, tita xa ǀgapi ǂâisa ūhâ tidega ra ūdabasen.
7 ǂGui buruxa xūn hîa ta ge mûn ǀkha ta ǀgapiǀgapisen tidese ta ge tsûsa sorosi ǃgomsiba ge māhe. Nē ǃgomsib ge Satanni* di sîsabeb ǀgapiǀgapisen ta tidese ra ǂnauǁgui teba. 8 ǁNās ǃaroma ta ge ǃnona ǃnādi kōse ǃKhūba nē tsâbab tita xu nî ūbē ǃkhaisa ge ǀkhoma. 9 Xaweb ge tita ǁga ge mî: “Ti ǀkhommi ge sats ǃaroma ǂâu hâ. Ti ǀgaib ge a kai sats ga ǂkhabusao.” O ta Xristub di ǀgaib nî tita ǃnâ hâse ti ǂkhabusasigu xa koasens xa ra ǃgâiaǂgao. 10 ǁNā-amaga ta ge ǂkhabusasigu, mîǁgaiǁgaidi, ǃgom ǁaegu, ǃgôaǃgondi tsî ǂōǂōsigu ǃnâ Xristub ǃaroma ra ǃgâiaǂgao, ǂkhabusa ta ka, o ta ǀgaisa xui-ao.
Paulub di ǂhansens Korinteǁîn ǃaroma
11 Tita ge gâre khoe-i ase ge tanisen. Sadu ge tita ǁnās ǃoa ge ǁgari. Sadu ge tita nî koase īdo. Xū tama ta ka ī, xawe ta ge sadu di kai apostelgu* ǃoagus tsîna ǂkharitsâsen tama hâ. 12 Xūn hîa apostelta a ǃkhaisa ra ǁgauǂuin ge saodi, buruxa dīn tsî buruxa sîsengu tsîn ge sadu ǁaegu, kai ǃnūǃnâxasib ǀkha tita xa ge dīhe. 13 Nau kerkhegu ge ǃkhōǃoan hoana du ge ge ǃkhōǃoa. ǃGomsib ase ta ge ība du tama i ǃkhais ǀguis ge ra ǀkhara. ǁNās ga tsū, o ǀûba te.
14 ǃNonaǁî ǃnāsa ta ge ǁkhawa sadu tawa ta nî sīse ǂhomisen hâ tsî ta ge ǃgomsib ase ība du tide, sadu dina ta ôa tama tsî ta sado ra ôa xui-ao. ǀGôan ge ǁgûna a ǀhaoǀhaoba ǁoa, xawe ǁgûna ǁîn di ôana. 15 Tita ge ū ta hâ-i hoa-i tsî tita ǂûta tsîna sadu ǀomdi ǃaroma nî ǁguiba. Tita ga ǃnāsase ǀnam duo, o ta kha mâti ǀoro ǀnamma sado xu nî ǃkhōǃoa?
16 ǃGomsib ase ta ge ība du tama hâ i ǃkhais ge a ǃgāsa, xawen ge ǀnîn âdo tita ge gā-ai i amaga ta ge gāxaǃnâsib ǀkha ǃkhō du ti a mî ǁkhā. 17 Sadu ǃoa ta ge sîgu di ǀguib xaweb ǃnâ-u ta kha sado xu ge ǃnari? 18 Tituba ta ge ge ǀkhoma, îb sari du tsî ta ge ǀnî ǃgâsaba ge sîsao. Tituba kha ge gāxaǃnâ du? ǀGui gagas ǃnâ khom kha gere tanisen? ǀGui ǀgaub ai ǀgui khom kha gere tanisen?
19 Nē hoaraga ǁaeba ge sadu ǃoagu gere ǁkhaubasen ti du ra ǂâi? Elob aiǃâ ge ge Xristub ga ǃhoa hâ khami ra ǃhoa tsî ǀnamsabedo, sadu gagasi omkhâis ǃaroma dī ge ra xūn hoana ra dī. 20 Sī ta ka, o ta ǀnîsi sado tita ra ǂgao khami hō tide tsî sado tita, sadu ra ǂgao khami hō tide ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǃao. ǁNāpa nî hâ ǂnoagudi, tauxasib, ǁaib, ǁhaiǃāgudi, mîǁgaiǁgaigub, ǀhoegub, ǁîǃgôasens tsî ǂâikorobesib tsîna ta ge ra ǃao. 21 Ti Elob nî sadu tawa ta ga sīo, tao kai te ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǃao. ǂGuin hîa ge ǃanuoǃnâsib, ǀaib tsî turab tsîn di ǁoregu ǀkha tsî ǃhobasen taman hâ ǃkhais ǃaroma tita ǃoaǃoana.
