1We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God’s grace and then do nothing with it. 2He says,
“When I had mercy on you, I heard you.
On the day I saved you, I helped you.” (Isaiah 49:8)
I tell you, now is the time God has mercy. Now is the day he saves.
Paul’s Sufferings
3We don’t put anything in anyone’s way. So no one can find fault with our work for God. 4Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by standing firm in troubles, hard times and suffering. 5We don’t give up when we are beaten or put in prison. When people stir up trouble in the streets, we continue to serve God. We work hard for him. We go without sleep and food. 6We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love. 7We speak the truth. We serve in the power of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in the right hand and in the left. 8We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders. 9We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed. 10We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything.
11Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you. 12We are not holding back our love from you. But you are holding back your love from us. 13I speak to you as if you were my children. It is only fair that you open your hearts wide to us also.
Paul Warns Against Worshiping False Gods
14Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? 15How can Christ and Satan agree? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said,
“I will live with them.
I will walk among them.
I will be their God.
And they will be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27)
17So,
“Come out from among them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Do not touch anything that is not pure and ‘clean.’
Then I will receive you.” (Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34,41)
18And,
“I will be your Father.
You will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord who rules over all.” (2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8)
16:1 1Akor 3:9; 2Akor 5:20Tondũ tũrĩ aruti a wĩra hamwe na Ngai-rĩ, nĩtũkũmũringĩrĩria mũtikae kwamũkĩra wega wa Ngai o ũguo tũhũ. 26:2 Isa 49:8Nĩgũkorwo ekuuga atĩrĩ,
“Hĩndĩ ya gwĩtĩkĩrĩka-rĩ, nĩndagũthikĩrĩirie,
naguo mũthenya wa kũhonokanio-rĩ, nĩndagũteithirie.”
Atĩrĩrĩ-i, rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo ihinda rĩa gwĩtĩkĩrĩka nĩ Ngai, naguo ũyũ nĩguo mũthenya wa kũhonokanio.
Mũtũũrĩre Mũritũ wa Paũlũ
36:3 Math 5:29; 1Akor 9:12Ithuĩ-rĩ, tũtitũmaga hagĩe na ũndũ ũngĩhĩnga mũndũ nĩguo ũtungata witũ ndũkonerwo mahĩtia. 4Aca, ithuĩ tũrĩ ta ndungata cia Ngai nĩtwĩgathagĩrĩria maũndũ-inĩ mothe: nĩ ũndũ wa kũũmĩrĩria maũndũ maingĩ; na gũkirĩrĩria mathĩĩna na moritũ, na mĩtangĩko; 56:5 2Akor 11:23-25; 1Akor 4:11na ũndũ wa kũhũũrwo, na kuohwo njeera, na kũreherwo ngũĩ; na kũruta wĩra mũritũ, na kũũrwo nĩ toro ũtukũ, na ngʼaragu; 6ningĩ nĩ ũndũ wa gũtũũra na ũthingu, na ũtaũku, na gũkirĩrĩria, na gũtugana thĩinĩ wa Roho Mũtheru, na kũgĩa na wendani ũtarĩ na ũhinga; 76:7 2Akor 10:4; Aef 6:10-18o na kwaria ũhoro wa ma, na gũkorwo tũrĩ na hinya wa Ngai; nĩgũkorwo tũnyiitĩte indo cia mbaara cia ũthingu guoko-inĩ kwa ũrĩo na kwa ũmotho; 8rĩmwe tũheagwo gĩtĩĩo, na rĩrĩa rĩngĩ tũgaconorwo, rĩmwe tũgacuukĩrwo maũndũ mooru na rĩngĩ mega; ningĩ o na tũrĩ andũ a ma, tũgatuuo a maheeni; 96:9 2Akor 1:8-10; 2Akor 4:10, 11rĩmwe tũgatuuo nĩtũũĩkaine, no rĩrĩa rĩngĩ tũgatuuo ta tũtoĩkaine; ningĩ tũkahaana ta tũraakua, no tũrĩ o muoyo; tũhũũragwo, no tũtiũragagwo; 10o na tũngĩonwo ta tũrĩ na kĩeha, ithuĩ tũkoragwo tũkenete hĩndĩ ciothe; tuonekaga tũrĩ athĩĩni, no nĩtũtuaga andũ aingĩ itonga; tũtuagwo ta tũtarĩ kĩndũ, no indo ciothe nĩ ciitũ.
116:11 2Akor 7:3Akorinitho aya, tũramwarĩria hatarĩ ũndũ tũkũmũhitha, na tũkamũhingũrĩra ngoro ciitũ biũ. 12Ithuĩ nĩtũmuonetie wendo witũ kũna no inyuĩ mũtiratuonia wendo wanyu. 13O ta ũguo tũmwĩkĩte-rĩ, ndĩramwarĩria ta ciana ciakwa, o na inyuĩ hingũrai ngoro cianyu biũ.
Mũtikoohanio na arĩa Matetĩkĩtie
146:14 1Akor 5:9, 10; Aef 5:7, 11Mũtikae kuohanio na arĩa matetĩkĩtie ta mwĩkĩrĩtwo icooki rĩmwe nao. Tondũ-rĩ, ũthingu na waganu ingĩgwatanĩra atĩa? Kana ũtheri na nduma-rĩ, ingĩgĩa na ngwatanĩro ĩrĩkũ? 15Kristũ na Beliali-rĩ, marĩ na ũiguano ũrĩkũ? Nake mũndũ ũrĩa wĩtĩkĩtie na ũrĩa ũtetĩkĩtie-rĩ, marĩ na ngwatanĩro ĩrĩkũ? 166:16 1Akor 3:16; Math 16:16Hekarũ ya Ngai yakĩhota atĩa kũiguana na mĩhianano? Nĩgũkorwo ithuĩ nĩ ithuĩ hekarũ ya Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo. O ta ũrĩa Ngai oigĩte atĩrĩ: “Nĩndĩrĩtũũranagia nao, na njeerage gatagatĩ-inĩ kao, nduĩke Ngai wao, nao matuĩke andũ akwa.”
176:17 Kũg 18:4; Isa 52:11“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, umai kũrĩ o
na mwĩyamũranie nao,
ũguo nĩguo Mwathani ekuuga.
Mũtikahutie kĩndũ kĩrĩ thaahu,
na niĩ nĩngũmwamũkĩra.”
18“Nĩngũtuĩka Ithe wanyu,
na inyuĩ mũtuĩke ariũ akwa na aarĩ akwa,
ũguo nĩguo Mwathani-Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.”
