Chuma Chosungidwa Mʼmbiya Zadothi
1Choncho popeza mwachifundo cha Mulungu tili ndi utumiki uwu, sititaya mtima. 2Koma ife takaniratu njira zonse zachinsinsi ndi zochititsa manyazi. Sitichita kanthu mwachinyengo kapena mopotoza Mawu a Mulungu. Mʼmalo mwake, timayankhula choonadi poyera pamaso pa Mulungu, kufuna kuti aliyense ativomereze mu mtima mwake. 3Koma ngakhale uthenga wathu wabwino utakhala wophimbika, ndi wophimbika kwa okhawo amene akutayika. 4Mulungu wa dziko lapansi anachititsa khungu anthu osakhulupirira, kuti asathe kuona kuwala kwa Uthenga Wabwino umene umaonetsa ulemerero wa Khristu, amene ndi chifaniziro cha Mulungu. 5Choncho sitilalikira za ife eni, koma Yesu Khristu monga Ambuye, ife ndife atumiki anu chifukwa cha Yesu. 6Pakuti Mulungu amene anati, “Kuwala kuwunike kuchokera mu mdima,” Iyeyo ndiye anawunikira mʼmitima mwathu kutipatsa kuwala kuti tidziwe ulemerero wa Mulungu umene ukuoneka pa nkhope ya Yesu Khristu.
7Koma tili ndi chuma ichi mʼmbiya zadothi, kusonyeza kuti mphamvu yoposayi, imachokera kwa Mulungu osati kwa ife. 8Tapanikizika kwambiri mbali zonse koma osaphwanyika; tathedwa nzeru koma osataya mtima; 9tazunzidwa, koma osasiyidwa; takanthidwa, koma osawonongeka. 10Nthawi zonse tikuyenda nayo imfa ya Yesu mʼthupi mwathu, kuti moyo wake Yesu uwonekenso mʼthupi mwathu. 11Pakuti nthawi zonse, ngakhale tili ndi moyo, tikuperekedwa ku imfa chifukwa cha Yesu, kuti moyo wake wa Yesu uwonekenso mʼmatupi mwathu amene amafa. 12Choncho imfa ikugwira ntchito mwa ife, koma moyo ukugwira ntchito mwa inu.
13Kwalembedwa kuti, “Ndinakhulupirira; nʼchifukwa chake ndinayankhula.” Popeza ife tili ndi mtima womwewo wokhulupirira, ifenso timakhulupirira ndi kuyankhula, 14chifukwa timadziwa kuti amene anaukitsa Ambuye Yesu kwa akufa adzatiukitsanso ife pamodzi ndi Yesu, natipereka ife ndi inu pamaso pake. 15Zonsezi nʼkuti inu mupindule, kuti chisomochi chifikire anthu ochuluka kwambiri, amenenso adzathokoza mochuluka kwambiri ndi kupereka ulemerero kwa Mulungu.
16Nʼchifukwa chake ife sititaya mtima. Ngakhale thupi lathu likunka lifowokerafowokera, koma mʼkatimu tikulimbikitsidwa mwatsopano tsiku ndi tsiku. 17Pakuti masautso athu ndi opepuka ndi a kanthawi, koma akutitengera ulemerero wamuyaya umene ndi wopambana kwambiri. 18Motero sitiyangʼana zinthu zimene ndi zooneka ndi maso, koma zinthu zimene ndi zosaoneka. Pakuti zimene zimaoneka ndi zosakhalitsa, koma zimene sizioneka ndi zamuyaya.
A Treasure in Clay Jars
1So because of God’s mercy, we have work to do. He has given it to us. And we don’t give up. 2Instead, we have given up doing secret and shameful things. We don’t twist God’s word. In fact, we do just the opposite. We present the truth plainly. In the sight of God, we make our appeal to everyone’s sense of what is right and wrong. 3Suppose our good news is covered with a veil. Then it is veiled to those who are dying. 4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They can’t see the light of the good news that makes Christ’s glory clear. Christ is the likeness of God. 5The message we preach is not about ourselves. Our message is about Jesus Christ. We say that he is Lord. And we say that we serve you because of Jesus. 6God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” (Genesis 1:3) He made his light shine in our hearts. His light gives us the light to know God’s glory. His glory is shown in the face of Christ.
7Treasure is kept in clay jars. In the same way, we have the treasure of the good news in these earthly bodies of ours. That shows that the mighty power of the good news comes from God. It doesn’t come from us. 8We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn’t make us lose hope. 9Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out. 10We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies. In that way, the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies. 11We who are alive are always in danger of death because we are serving Jesus. This happens so that his life can also be shown in our earthly bodies. 12Death is at work in us. But life is at work in you.
13It is written, “I believed, and so I have spoken.” (Psalm 116:10) We have that same spirit of faith. So we also believe and speak. 14We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And he will also raise us up with Jesus. And he will present both you and us to himself. 15All this is for your benefit. God’s grace is reaching more and more people. So they will become more and more thankful. They will give glory to God.
16We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. 17Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. 18So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. That’s because what can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever.
