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.
Church Officials
1 It is true that anyone who desires to be a church official wants to be something worthwhile. 2 That's why officials must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. They must be self-controlled, sensible, well-behaved, friendly to strangers, and able to teach. 3 They must not be heavy drinkers or troublemakers. Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money.
4 Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. 5 If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people?
6 They must not be new followers of the Lord. If they are, they might become proud and be doomed along with the devil. 7 Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won't be trapped and disgraced by the devil.
Church Officers
8 Church officers should be serious. They must not be liars, heavy drinkers, or greedy for money. 9 And they must have a clear conscience and hold firmly to what God has shown us about our faith. 10 They must first prove themselves. Then if no one has anything against them, they can serve as officers.
11 Women must also be serious. They must not gossip or be heavy drinkers, and they must be faithful in everything they do.
12 Church officers must be faithful in marriage. They must be in full control of their children and everyone else in their home. 13 Those who serve well as officers will earn a good reputation and will be highly respected for their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Mystery of Our Religion
14 I hope to visit you soon. But I am writing these instructions, 15 so if I am delayed, you will know how everyone who belongs to God's family ought to behave. After all, the church of the living God is the strong foundation of truth.
16 Here is the great mystery of our religion:
Christ came as a human.
The Spirit proved
that he pleased God,
and he was seen by angels.
Christ was preached
to the nations.
People in this world
put their faith in him,
and he was taken up to glory.
