Paul and Those Who Pretend to Be Apostles
1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolish bragging. Yes, please put up with me! 2My jealousy for you comes from God himself. I promised to give you to only one husband. That husband is Christ. I wanted to be able to give you to him as if you were a pure virgin. 3But Eve’s mind was tricked by the snake’s clever lies. And here’s what I’m afraid of. Your minds will also somehow be led astray. They will be led away from your true and pure love for Christ. 4Suppose someone comes to you and preaches about a Jesus different from the Jesus we preached about. Or suppose you receive a spirit different from the Spirit you received before. Or suppose you receive a different message of good news. Suppose it was different from the one you accepted earlier. You put up with those kinds of things easily enough.
5I don’t think I’m in any way less important than those “super-apostles.” 6It’s true that I haven’t been trained as a speaker. But I do have knowledge. I’ve made that very clear to you in every way. 7I preached God’s good news to you free of charge. When I did that, I was putting myself down in order to lift you up. Was this a sin? 8I received help from other churches so I could serve you. This was almost like robbing them. 9When I was with you and needed something, I didn’t cause you any expense. The believers who came from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I haven’t caused you any expense at all. And I won’t ever do it. 10I’m sure that the truth of Christ is in me. And I’m just as sure that nobody in Achaia will keep me from bragging. 11Why? Because I don’t love you? No! God knows I do!
12And I will keep on doing what I’m doing. That will stop those who claim they have things to brag about. They think they have a chance to be considered equal with us. 13People like that are false apostles. They are workers who tell lies. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14That comes as no surprise. Even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light. 15So it doesn’t surprise us that Satan’s servants also pretend to be serving God. They will finally get exactly what they deserve.
Paul Brags About His Sufferings
16I will say it again. Don’t let anyone think I’m a fool. But if you do, put up with me just as you would put up with a fool. Then I can do a little bragging. 17When I brag about myself like this, I’m not talking the way the Lord would. I’m talking like a fool. 18Many are bragging the way the people of the world do. So I will brag like that too. 19You are so wise! You gladly put up with fools! 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who makes you a slave or uses you. You put up with those who take advantage of you. You put up with those who claim to be better than you. You put up with those who slap you in the face. 21I’m ashamed to have to say that I was too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to brag about, I also dare to brag about. I’m speaking like a fool! 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Do they belong to the people of Israel? So do I. Are they Abraham’s children? So am I. 23Are they serving Christ? I am serving him even more. I’m out of my mind to talk like this! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have suffered terrible beatings. Again and again I almost died. 24Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip. 25Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from my fellow Jews and in danger from Gentiles. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers. 27I have worked very hard. Often I have gone without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Often I have gone without food. I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, every day I am concerned about all the churches. It is a very heavy load. 29If anyone is weak, I feel weak. If anyone is led into sin, I burn on the inside.
30If I have to brag, I will brag about the things that show how weak I am. 31I am not lying. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows this. May God be praised forever. 32In Damascus the governor who served under King Aretas had their city guarded. He wanted to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall. So I escaped from the governor.
Paũlũ na Atũmwo a Maheeni
111:1 2Akor 5:13; Math 17:17Nĩngwĩhoka nĩmũgũkirĩrĩria ũrimũ ũrĩa mũnini ndĩ naguo; ndamũthaitha mũngirĩrĩrie. 2Nĩndĩraigua ũiru nĩ ũndũ wanyu, ũiru uumanĩte na ũngai. Ndamwĩrĩire o mũthuuri ũmwe, na nĩwe Kristũ, nĩgeetha ngaamũneana kũrĩ we mũrĩ ta mũirĩtu gathirange. 311:3 Kĩam 3:1-6, 13; Kũg 12:9No ndĩ na guoya gũtigatuĩke atĩ meciiria manyu no maturuurio mũtiganĩrie ũgima na ũtheru wa kwĩrutĩra Kristũ, o ta ũrĩa Hawa aaheenekire nĩ nyoka na wara wayo. 411:4 Agal 1:6-9; Arom 8:15Inyuĩ nĩmwamũkagĩra ũhoro ũngĩ mũkenete, mũndũ o wothe angĩmũhunjĩria ũhoro wa Jesũ ũngĩ tiga Jesũ ũrĩa twamũhunjĩirie, kana mũngĩamũkĩra roho ũngĩ tiga Roho ũrĩa mwamũkĩrire, o na kana mũgetĩkia ũhoro-mwega ũngĩ tiga ũrĩa mwetĩkirie. 5No ndigwĩciiria atĩ ndĩ mũnini o na hanini kũrĩ “atũmwo acio anene.” 611:6 1Akor 1:17; Aef 3:4No ngorwo itarĩ mũrute ũhoro-inĩ wa kwaria, no ndĩ na ũmenyo. Nĩtũmũmenyithĩtie maũndũ maya wega na njĩra ciothe.
711:7 2Akor 12:13; Arom 1:1Hihi nĩ kwĩhia ndeehirie nĩ kwĩnyiihia nĩguo ndĩmũtũũgĩrie inyuĩ na ũndũ wa kũmũhunjĩria Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega wa Ngai hatarĩ irĩhi? 811:8 Filem 4, 15, 18Nĩgũtunya ndaatunyaga makanitha mangĩ ngĩamũkĩra ũteithio kuuma kũrĩ o nĩguo hote kũmũtungata. 9Na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndaarĩ na inyuĩ, ndabatario nĩ kĩndũ-rĩ, ndiatuĩkaga mũrigo harĩ mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, nĩgũkorwo ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ moka kuuma Makedonia nĩmaheire indo cia kũigana mabataro makwa. Nĩndĩgirĩrĩirie ndigatuĩke mũrigo kũrĩ inyuĩ na njĩra o yothe, na nĩngũthiĩ na mbere gwĩka ũguo. 1011:10 Arom 9:1; Atũm 18:12Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa ũhoro wa ma wa Kristũ ũrĩ thĩinĩ wakwa, gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũ thĩinĩ wa ngʼongo cia Akaia ũngĩngiria ndĩrahe ũguo. 11Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũma njuge ũguo? Nĩ tondũ ndimwendete? Ngai nĩoĩ atĩ nĩndĩmwendete! 12Na nĩngũthiĩ na mbere na gwĩka ũrĩa ndĩreka, nĩguo njagithie kĩene andũ arĩa macaragia mweke wa kuoneka atĩ nĩmaiganaine na ithuĩ, thĩinĩ wa maũndũ marĩa merahaga namo.
1311:13 Kũg 2:2; Math 7:15Nĩgũkorwo andũ ta acio nĩ atũmwo a maheeni, aruti wĩra a kũhĩtithia andũ, na metuaga atũmwo a Kristũ. 14Naguo ũndũ ũcio ti wa kũmakania, nĩgũkorwo o na Shaitani o nake nĩetuaga mũraika wa ũtheri. 1511:15 Afil 3:19Ndũkĩrĩ ũndũ wa kũgegania ndungata ciake cingĩĩtua ndungata cia ũthingu. Marigĩrĩrio-inĩ makaagĩa na kĩrĩa kĩringaine na ciĩko ciao.
Paũlũ Kwĩrahĩra Mathĩĩna Make
16Nĩnguuga o rĩngĩ atĩrĩ: Mũndũ ndakae kuona ta ndĩ kĩrimũ. No angĩkorwo nĩguo mũkuona-rĩ, kĩnyamũkĩrei o ta ũrĩa mũngĩamũkĩra kĩrimũ, nĩguo ndĩĩrahe o hanini. 1711:17 1Akor 7:12, 25Ũhoro-inĩ wa mwĩraho ũyũ ndĩ naguo-rĩ, ndiraaria ta ũrĩa Mwathani angĩaria, no ndĩraaria o ta ũrĩa kĩrimũ kĩngĩaria. 18Kuona atĩ andũ aingĩ nĩmareraha ta ũrĩa thĩ ĩĩrahaga-rĩ, o na niĩ ngwĩraha o tao. 19Tondũ inyuĩ mũkĩrĩ oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmũkiragĩrĩria arĩa irimũ mũkenete! 20Ti-itherũ, nĩmũkiragĩrĩria mũndũ o wothe o na angĩmũtua ngombo ciake, kana ũrĩa ũkũmũhatĩrĩria, kana ũrĩa ũkũrĩa indo cianyu, kana ũrĩa ũgwĩtũũgĩria mbere yanyu, o na kana ũrĩa ũkũmũhũũra hĩ. 21Nĩngũconoka ngiuga atĩ ithuĩ nĩtwaremirwo nĩ gwĩka maũndũ ta macio!
Ũndũ ũrĩa mũndũ ũngĩ angĩhota kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ waguo-rĩ, ndĩkĩarie ta ndĩ kĩrimũ-rĩ, o na niĩ no ngĩgerie kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ waguo. 2211:22 Arom 9:4; Arom 11:1Andũ acio nĩ Ahibirania? O na niĩ ndĩ Mũhibirania. Andũ acio nĩ Aisiraeli? O na niĩ ndĩ Mũisiraeli. Andũ acio nĩ njiaro cia Iburahĩmu? O na niĩ ndĩ wa rũciaro rwa Iburahĩmu. 2311:23 1Akor 15:10; Arom 8:36Andũ acio nĩ ndungata cia Kristũ? (Ngwaria ũguo ta ndĩ mũgũrũku.) Niĩ nĩndĩmakĩrĩte. Nĩndutĩte wĩra na kĩyo kũmakĩra, na ngaikio njeera mahinda maingĩ makĩria yao, na ngahũũrwo na kĩboko makĩria, o na mahinda maingĩ ndanakuhĩrĩria gũkua. 2411:24 Gũcook 25:3Ayahudi nĩmahũũrire na kĩboko maita matano, o ihinda iboko mĩrongo ĩtatũ na kenda. 2511:25 Atũm 16:22; Atũm 14:19Nĩndahũũrirwo na thanju maita matatũ, na riita rĩmwe ngĩhũũrwo na mahiga nyuguto,11:25 Ayahudi mooragaga mũndũ na njĩra ya kũmũhũũra na mahiga nyuguto (Atũm 14:19-20). na maita matatũ ndanathũkĩrwo nĩ marikabu ndĩ thĩinĩ, na ngĩraara o na ngĩtinda iria-inĩ ũtukũ ũmwe na mũthenya mũgima. 2611:26 Atũm 16:22; Atũm 21:31Ngoretwo ngĩthiĩ ngʼendo nyingĩ. Ngagĩkorwo ndĩ ũgwati-inĩ wa gũtwarwo nĩ njũũĩ, na ũgwati-inĩ wa atunyani, na ũgwati-inĩ wa gũũkĩrĩrwo nĩ andũ a rũrĩrĩ rwitũ, na ũgwati-inĩ wa gũũkĩrĩrwo nĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ; na ngoona ũgwati ndĩ matũũra-inĩ manene, na ndĩ thĩinĩ wa bũrũri, na ndĩ iria-inĩ; o na ũgwati wa andũ arĩa maheenanagia atĩ nĩ ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ. 2711:27 Atũm 18:3; 1Akor 4:11, 12Ndaanaruta wĩra mũritũ na wa mĩnoga, na maita maingĩ ngaagaga toro; ndaanakorwo na ngʼaragu na nyoota, na maita maingĩ ngaaga kĩndũ gĩa kũrĩa; ndaanakorwo heho-inĩ na ndĩ njaga. 28Hamwe na macio mothe-rĩ, o mũthenya ngoragwo na mũrigo, ngĩĩtanga nĩ ũndũ wa makanitha mothe. 29Nũũ ũngĩkorwo aagĩte hinya, na niĩ njage gũkorwo njũrĩtwo nĩ hinya? Nũũ ũngĩhĩngithio, na niĩ njage gũkorwo ngĩcinwo nĩ marakara?
3011:30 1Akor 2:3; Agal 6:14Angĩkorwo no nginya ndĩĩrahe, ngwĩrahĩra maũndũ marĩa monanagia ũrĩa itarĩ na hinya. 31Ngai, na nowe Ithe wa Mwathani Jesũ, ũrĩa ũgoocagwo nginya tene-rĩ, nĩoĩ atĩ ndiraheenania. 3211:32 Atũm 9:24Kũu Dameski, barũthi ũrĩa waathanaga arĩ rungu rwa Mũthamaki Areta-rĩ, nĩathanire itũũra inene rĩa andũ a Dameski rĩrangĩrwo nĩgeetha aanyiitithie. 33No nĩndoimĩirio ndirica, ngĩikũrũkĩrio rũthingo-inĩ ndĩ thĩinĩ wa gĩkabũ, ngĩhonoka kũnyiitwo nĩwe.
