Paul’s Vision and His Thorn
1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
11I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”12:11 Or the most eminent apostles even though I am nothing. 12I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. 13How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
14Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
19Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 20For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
Paulo Anisoadehu
1Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ahohoahoa so nni mfaso biara de, nanso ɛsɛ sɛ mehoahoa me ho. Nanso afei mɛka anisoadehu ne adiyisɛm a Awurade ada no adi akyerɛ me no. 2Minim Okristoni bi a mfe dunan ni biribi hwim no de no kɔɔ ɔsoro. Minnim sɛ saa asɛm yi sii ampa ara anaasɛ ɛyɛ anisoadehu. Onyankopɔn nko ara na onim. 3Miti mu. Minim sɛ wohwim saa ɔbarima yi kɔɔ Paradise. Bio, minnim sɛ saa asɛm yi sii ampa ara anaasɛ ɛyɛ anisoadehu. Onyankopɔn nko ara na onim. 4Na hɔ na ɔtee nneɛma bi a wɔde ka nsɛm a ɛnyɛ yiye, nsɛm a wɔmma kwan mma wɔnka. 5Enti mede saa onipa yi bɛhoahoa me ho na meremfa me ara me ho nhoahoa me ho, gye sɛ nneɛma a ɛda me adi sɛ meyɛ mmerɛw no ho. 6Sɛ mehoahoa me ho mpo a, anka merenyɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ nokware ara na meka. Nanso merenhoahoa me ho, efisɛ mempɛ sɛ obiara bu me otitiriw sen sɛnea wahu na wate afi me nkyɛn no. 7Sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a ɛnam saa adiyisɛm nwonwaso yi nti meremma me ho so no, wɔsomaa ɔbonsam bɔfo ma ɔde honam mu yaw a emu yɛ den brɛɛ me de brɛɛ me ase. 8Mebɔɔ eyi ho mpae mprɛnsa kyerɛɛ Awurade na mesrɛɛ no sɛ ɔmma emfi me so nkɔ. 9Ne mmuae a ɔmaa me ne sɛ, “Mʼadom nko ara na ɛho hia wo, na bere a woayɛ mmerɛw no na me tumi mu yɛ den pa ara.” Enti ɛyɛ me anigye pa ara sɛ mede me mmerɛwyɛ hoahoa me ho, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a mɛte Kristo bammɔ tumi a ɛbɔ me ho ban no nka. 10Esiane Kristo nti, mepene mmerɛwyɛ, ɔyaw, amanehunu, ɔtaa ne akwanside so. Efisɛ me mmerɛwyɛ mu no na meyɛ den.
11Meyɛ me ho sɛ ɔkwasea, nanso mo na moama mayɛ saa. Mo na anka ɛsɛ sɛ mugye me to mu. Na sɛ menyɛ hwee a, ɔkwan biara so no, mennyɛ sɛ abomfiaa wɔ mo anim nsen “Asomafo” a mubu wɔn no. 12Mede boasetɔ dii dwuma wɔ mo mu de kyerɛɛ sɛ meyɛ ɔsomafo. 13Dwumadi no bi yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ne anwonwade. Dɛn na ɛma moyɛ asɔre a aka no mu abomfiaa, efisɛ mammisa mo mmoa bi nti? Mesrɛ mo, momfa saa mfomso no nkyɛ me.
14Afei masiesie me ho sɛ merebɛsra mo nea ɛto so mpɛn abiɛsa, na merenyɛ adesoa mma mo. Mo na mo ho hia me na ɛnyɛ mo ahode. Na mpo mmofra nkora ade mma awofo, awofo mmom na wɔkora ade ma mmofra. 15Ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mo nti, mɛhwere nea mewɔ ne mʼadagyew de aboa mo. Sɛ medɔ mo yiye a, mo dɔ a mowɔ ma me no so bɛtew ana? 16Mobɛte ase sɛ na menyɛ adesoa mma mo. Nanso obi bɛka se, meyɛ ɔdaadaafo a mede nnaadaa na eyii mo. 17Ɔkwan bɛn so? Menam abɔfo a mesomaa wɔn mo nkyɛn no so sisii mo ana? 18Mesomaa Tito se ɔnkɔ, na mesomaa onua baako kaa ne ho. Mokyerɛ sɛ Tito sisii mo ana? So na ɔno ne me nyinaa mfi Honhom koro mu ntu anammɔn koro ana?
19So mususuw daa sɛ pɛ ara na yɛpɛ sɛ yɛka biribi de tetew yɛn ho wɔ mo anim ana? Yɛkasa sɛnea Kristo pɛ sɛ yɛka wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. Na biribiara a yɛyɛ no nso, me nnamfo pa, yɛyɛ de hyɛ mo den. 20Misuro sɛ midu hɔ a sɛnea anka mepɛ sɛ mihu mo no, merenhu mo saa. Saa ara nso na sɛnea anka mopɛ sɛ muhu me no, morenhu me saa. Minim sɛ mɛba abɛto akasakasa ne anibere, abufuw ne pɛsɛmenkominya, ɔyaw ne nseku, ahantan ne basabasayɛ no. 21Misuro sɛ da a mɛba bio no, Onyankopɔn begu mʼanim ase wɔ mo anim na mesu ama wɔn a wɔayɛ bɔne dedaw na wonnuu wɔn ho wɔ wɔn akɔnnɔ ne aguamammɔ ho no.
