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 Sige ge Elob di sîsenǁare-aoge ase khoexaǃnâse ra ǂgan du, î du tā Elob di ǀkhomma ǁause ǃkhōǃoa, 2 nētib ra mî xui-ao:
“Ūǃoahesa ǁaeb ǃnâ
ta ge ge ǁnâu tsi
tsî ǃgâiǃōsib di tsēs
ai ta ge ge huiǂui tsi.”
Mû, nēb ge Elob ǀkhomma ūǃoas di ǁaeba, nēs ge ǃgâiǃōsib di tsēsa.
3 Sige ge ǃoabas âge nî tsūse ǂgā-amhe ǃkhaisa ǂgao tama hâ, ǁnā-amaga ge ge ra ǁgū, îs tā ǃnôa-aiǃnaose khoe-i xare-i di daob ǃnâ hâ. 4 Xawe ge ge hoan ǃnâ Elob di ǃoaba-aoge ase ra koasen. ǁNāsa ge ge ǃnāsa mâǃkharus ǀkha ǃoab ǃnâ, tsūǀkhāgu ǃnâ tsî ǃgomsigu ǃnâ ra dī. 5 Sige ge ǂnaudi, ǃkhōsis tsî khâikhâisendi, ǃgom sîsengu, ǁomǁoas tsî ǃâs ǀkha hâs ǃnâ ge hâ i. 6 Sige ge ǃanusib, ǂans, ǃnūǃnâxasib tsî ǃgâisib ǀkha Elob di ǃgāge ase, ǃAnu Gagab ǀkha ama ǀnammi ǃnâ ra ǁgausen. 7 Mîs amab dis tsî ǁkhāti ǀgaib Elob dib ǃnâ. ǁÂtanin ǂhanu-aisib din ǀkha amǀkhāb tsî ǁareǀkhāb ǁôab ǃnâ, ǁnāǂam-ū tsî nî ǁkhāti ǁkhaebasenūse. 8 ǀNî khoen ge ra ǃgôasiba mā ge tsî ǀnîna ǃgôaoǃnâsiba. ǀNîn ge tsū xūna sige xa ra mî tsî ǀnîna ǃgâi xūna. ǀNîn ge ǂhumi-aoge ti ra mî, xawe ge ge amaba ra ǃhoa. 9 ǂAnsabe tamase, xawe hoan xa ǂanhese. ǁŌb ǀgūse ge ge hâ i, xawe ge ge a ûitsama, ǂnauhe ra, xawe ǃgamhe tamase, 10 ǃoa ge ra xawe ge hūgaǀgui ǃgâiaǂgaob ǃnâ hâ, ǀgâsaǃâ, xawe ge ǂguina gagasise ra ǃkhūǃkhū tsî ge xū-i xare-e ūhâ tama, xawe hoana ūhâse.
11 Korinteǁîdo, ǂhauǂgaruse sadu ǀkha ǃhoa tsî ge ge sige ǂgaoga harase sadu ǃoagu ge ǁkhowa-am. 12 Sige ge sige di ǀnamtsâsiga sadu ǃoagu ǃkhō-oa tama hâ, xawe du ge sado sige ǃoagu ra ǃkhō-oa. 13 Ti ôan ǃoa ta ra ǃhoa khami ta ge ra ǃhoa-ū du: Sadu ǂgaoga ǁkhāti harase ǁkhowa-am.
ǀŪben ǃoagu hâ ǃkhâikhoms
14 Tā ǂgomoǃnân ǀkha ǀgui jokhoesa ǂgae. Mâ ǃgaeǁaresab kha ǂhanu-aisiba ǁgauoǃnâsib ǀkha ūhâ? Tsî mâ ǀhûǁaresab kha ǃnâba ǃkhaenab ǀkha ūhâ? 15 Tsî mâ ǃgaeǀhaosab kha Xristuba* ǁgâuab ǀkha ūhâ? Tsî mâ amǃnâ-e-i kha ǂgomsabe-e ǂgomoǃnâ-i ǀkha ūhâ? 16 Tsî mâ ǁnâuǃāgu-eb kha Elob Tempela ǁgôa-elon ǀkha ūhâ? Sadu kom ûitsama Elob di Tempeldo, Elob ǂûb ge mî khami:
“ǁÎn ǃnâ ǁan,
ǁîn ǃnâ ǃgû
tsî ta nî ǁîn di Elo
tsîn nî ǁîna ti ǁae kai.”
17 ǁNā-amaga
“ǁÎna xu ǃgû,
î du ǁîna xu ǀgora” tib ra ǃKhūba mî.
“Î du ǃanuoǃnâ-i xare-e tā tsâǀkhā,
o ta ge nî ūǃoa du.
18 Tita ge nî sadu Î
tsî du ge sado nî ti ôa,
tib ra Hoaǀgaixa ǃKhūba mî.”
