Present Weakness and Resurrection Life
1Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”4:6 Gen. 1:3 made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”4:13 Psalm 116:10 (see Septuagint) Since we have that same spirit of4:13 Or Spirit-given faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Honhom Mu Agyapadeɛ A Ɛwɔ Nkukuo Mu
1Onyankopɔn nam nʼadom so de saa asɛm yi abrɛ yɛn na ɛno enti, ɛmma yɛn akoma ntu. 2Yɛagyae kokoamsɛm ne aniwudeyɛ nyinaa. Yɛnnaadaa na yɛntwa Onyankopɔn asɛm no ho nkontompo. Yɛnnaadaa obi mma ɔnnye deɛ Atwerɛsɛm no nkaeɛ nni. Yɛgyae saa aniwudeɛ no nyinaa. Yɛgyina Onyankopɔn anim kasa enti yɛka nokorɛ ma wɔn a wɔnim yɛn no nyinaa gye di. 3Sɛ Asɛmpa a yɛka no yɛ ahintasɛm a, ɛyɛ ahintasɛm ma wɔn a wɔreyera. 4Wɔnnye nni, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbonsam asɛe wɔn adwene. Ɔtwe wɔn firi hann a ɛto gu wɔn so no ho; hann a ɛfiri Asɛmpa no mu a ɛfa Kristo a ɔte sɛ Onyankopɔn animuonyam no ho no. 5Ɛnyɛ yɛn ankasa ho na yɛka asɛm no fa. Yɛka Yesu Kristo ho asɛm sɛ ɔno ne Awurade no na yɛn nso Yesu enti, yɛyɛ mo asomfoɔ. 6Onyankopɔn a ɔkaa sɛ, “Hann mfiri esum mu nhyerɛn no” ɔno na wahyerɛn wɔ yɛn akoma mu, ama yɛanya Onyankopɔn animuonyam ho nimdeɛ wɔ Yesu Kristo mu.
7Yɛte sɛ nkukuo a wɔde agyapadeɛ asie mu. Tumi ankasa no firi Onyankopɔn na ɛmfiri yɛn. 8Yɛtaa hunu amane, nanso wɔnnsɛee yɛn. Mpo sɛ yɛnnim deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ a yɛmpa aba. 9Amaneɛ mu, Onyankopɔn ka yɛn ho, na sɛ wɔbɔ yɛn hwe fam a yɛsɔre bio. 10Mmerɛ nyinaa yɛn onipadua no soa Yesu wu a ɔwuiɛ no sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a nʼabrabɔ bɛda adi wɔ yɛn mu. 11Yɛn asetena mu nyinaa, Yesu enti, yɛte hɔ ma owuo sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, nʼabrabɔ bɛda adi wɔ yɛn onipadua a ɛwu no mu. 12Yei kyerɛ sɛ owuo di ne dwuma wɔ yɛn mu ɛnna nkwa nso di ne dwuma wɔ mo mu.
13Atwerɛsɛm no ka sɛ, “Mekasaeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, na megye di.” Saa honhom mu gyidie no ara so na ɛma yɛn nso yɛkasa, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛgye di. 14Yɛnim sɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔmaa Awurade Yesu sɔre firii awufoɔ mu no bɛma yɛne Yesu asɔre na ɔde yɛn abɛka mo ho wɔ nʼanim. 15Mo enti na yeinom bɛba mu; na sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn adom no reduru nnipa bebree nkyɛn no, saa ara nso na wɔbɛbɔ mpaeɛ ada Onyankopɔn ase de ahyɛ no animuonyam.
16Esiane yei enti, yɛn bo ntu. Ɛwom sɛ yɛn onipadua no reporɔ nkakrankakra deɛ, nanso yɛn honhom no deɛ, ɛsesa yɛ foforɔ da biara da. 17Na saa ɔhaw kakra a yɛfa mu no de animuonyam a ɛnni awieeɛ a ɛboro saa ɔhaw no so no bɛbrɛ yɛn. 18Yɛmfa yɛn adwene nkɔ nneɛma a yɛhunu so, na mmom, nneɛma a yɛnhunu so na yɛde yɛn adwene kɔ. Deɛ wɔtumi hunu no ntena hɔ nkyɛ, nanso deɛ yɛntumi nhunu no tena hɔ daa.
