Paul and the False Apostles
1 Please put up with a little of my foolishness. 2 I am as concerned about you as God is. You were like a virgin bride I had chosen only for Christ. 3 But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way. 4 We told you about Jesus, and you received the Holy Spirit and accepted our message. But you let some people tell you about another Jesus. Now you are ready to receive another spirit and accept a different message. 5 I think I am as good as any of those super apostles. 6 I may not speak as well as they do, but I know as much. And this has already been made perfectly clear to you.
7 Was it wrong for me to lower myself and honor you by preaching God's message free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by taking money from them to serve you. 9 Even when I was in need, I still didn't bother you. In fact, some of the Lord's followers from Macedonia brought me what I needed. I have not been a burden to you in the past, and I will never be a burden. 10 As surely as I speak the truth about Christ, no one in Achaia can stop me from bragging about this. 11 And it isn't because I don't love you. God himself knows how much I do love you.
12 I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won't be able to brag about doing the same things we are doing. 13 Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14 And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. 15 So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve.
Paul's Sufferings for Christ
16 I don't want any of you to think I am a fool. But if you do, then let me be a fool and brag a little. 17 When I do all this bragging, I do it as a fool and not for the Lord. 18 Yet if others want to brag about what they have done, so will I. 19 And since you are so smart, you will gladly put up with a fool. 20 In fact, you let people make slaves of you and cheat you and steal from you. Why, you even let them strut around and slap you in the face. 21 I am ashamed to say we are too weak to behave in such a way.
If they can brag, so can I, but it is a foolish thing to do. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? Well, so am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a fool to talk this way, but I serve him better than they do. I have worked harder and have been put in jail more times. I have been beaten with whips more and have been in danger of death more often.
24 Five times my own people gave me 39 lashes with a whip. 25 Three times the Romans beat me with a big stick, and once my enemies stoned me. I have been shipwrecked three times, and I even had to spend a night and a day in the sea. 26 During my many travels, I have been in danger from rivers, robbers, my own people, and foreigners. My life has been in danger in cities, in deserts, at sea, and with people who only pretended to be the Lord's followers.
27 I have worked and struggled and spent many sleepless nights. I have gone hungry and thirsty and often had nothing to eat. I have been cold from not having enough clothes to keep me warm. 28 Besides everything else, each day I am burdened down, worrying about all the churches. 29 When others are weak, I am weak too. When others are tricked into sin, I get angry.
30 If I have to brag, I will brag about how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, knows I am not lying. And God is to be praised forever! 32 The governor of Damascus at the time of King Aretas had the city gates guarded, so he could capture me. 33 But I escaped by being let down in a basket through a window in the city wall.
Paulo ndi Lazo'bai Kowe'bai ro be
1 Male ämiri yaiŋgyine ma be, ondro ma'do gica fere amama ro owo. Rägu nyìŋgyi mabe! 2 Ma yaoko be ta amiro ta, kpa oso Lu ronye; nyàlaba orivoya oso ŋgutikodroŋwa wäṛiro ma'ba ta be ogyene mano alodi aza ri ronye, se ni Kristo andivona. 3 Ma orivoya turi ro tana tauni drî amiro ro enjina 'da ago nye'bena taoma 'da ndi ŋgalu wäṛiro amiro ndra Kristo ri be, kpa oso odo Awa be tauni ini ro koweoga rosi ronye. 4 Tana nyà 'diaza se kabe ikyi amire ago kabe Yesu to ope 'do uru yai'dwesi, ko se màpe be 'do; ago miru tori ndi lazo se orivoya cu to ni Tori ndi lazo se nyùsube ni ama resi ri ono te!
5 Musu tavo kote makye ma orivoya vuru tipari ni ànya se äzite “lazo'bai” amiro ana ri! 6 Kode mäni ata ca ko kadoro oko, ma ko tauni ako, mà'ba ta ono ṛote ŋbelero ämiri tu cini si, ago ṛo ta cini yasi.
7 Märu ŋga aza kote ni ami rigyesi tuse mape Lazokado Lu ro be ämiri si, mologo andivo maro te vuru tana ma'ba ami robe ndra. Inye'do mayete koziro ya? 8 Tuse mabe ugu losi oye ami lako si, känisa azaka ozoyi päläti ni märi. Mugu ànya oco te ŋgaopa usu si ni ànya resi tana mapa ami robe. 9 Ago tuse mabe ami yibe si mokwo ami kote ta ŋgaopa rota tuse male parata te si; ädrupii se ikyiyite ni Makedonia yasi eziyi ŋgase cini malebe te. Oso tuse kälävube si ronye, ago kpa tu mileya ya ma'dona ko alona ŋgaläŋgyi ro ämiri! 10 Taŋgye Kristo ro maya si, ma tao'ba anjioko driuŋgyi maro ono o'bane a'done titiro i'do vo cini Akaya ro yasi. 11 Inye'do ma ta ono atana tana mulu ami ko ya? Lu ni ndi mulu ami!
12 Tase mabe ugu oyena yauono muguna ndi oyena, tana “lazo'bai” se azaka kai lagaza, ni a'dovoya ta azaka be ugu driuŋgyiza, ago ukyi uguyi ata 'da ekye ànya kayi losi gialo màbe oyena ono oyena. 13 Màno kai ko orivoya lazo'bai ŋgye yi, ànya orivoya lazo'bai kowe'bai, se kayi koweoga ta losi oye ànyaro rota, ago kayi andivo ànyaro tozana a'done oso lazo'bai ŋgye Kristo ro ronye. 14 A'do ko talaro ro! Ca Satani andivo unina ndi andivo ndaro tozane landrene oso malaika ŋgaeyi ro ronye! 15 Ruindu'bai ndaro kotozayi andivo ànyaro ca landrene oso ruindu'bai taŋgye ro ronye 'do ko ta amba yi. Äduro ànya usuna päläti taoye ànyaro ro 'da.
Rueza Paulo ro oso Lazo'ba ronye
16 Medelena kpa to'di beṛo ko 'diaza ri tavousune ekye ma amama yi. Oko ondro nyusu ndi inye, dia miru ma oso 'di amama ronye, tana ma'do robe driuŋgyi fere be. 17 Tase mabe ugu atana yauono ko tase Opi kolena märi atane owo; ta anya gi driuŋgyi ro ono ta, endaro ma ugu ata oso 'di amama ronye. 18 Oko 'di amba azaka orivoya ka driuŋgyi toto ta a'do lidri rota, mayena kpa inye. 19 Ami andivo orivoya tavouni amba be, ago nyiŋgyi ya kpate yai'dwesi ta 'di amama ro rota. 20 Nyìŋgyi ya te 'dise kabe ami oye iyeäṛi ronye be kode kabe ami odo kode kabe ami lodi miomba si kode kabe voondre ndra ami drisi kode kabe militi amiro o'bi be. 21 Ma orivoya driupiro ta ono ata voya, oko ama orivoya turi ro ŋga kai oyene.
Oko ondro 'diaza kolete driuŋgyine ta ŋga aza rota, ma ugu ata oso 'di amama ro ronye, ma'dona kpa driupiako oso 'do ronye. 22 Inye'do ànya orivoya Ebere'bai ya? Ma kpa inye. Inye'do ànya orivoya Yisaraele'bai ya? Ma kpa inye. Inye'do ànya orivoya zelevoi Abarayama roya? Ma kpa inye. 23 Inye'do ànya orivoya ruindu'bai Kristo ro ya? Ma ata oso 'di ŋgäbä ro ronye, oko ma orivoya ruindu'ba kadopara yi ndrani ànyari! Maye losi te amba ndra, avo ma te kamba ya perena amba, a'bi ma te co'da si amba ndra, ago ondroalo ma'dote ti odrane. 24 Perena nji drikaca'bai Yudai ro 'bi yi ma te co'da si 'butenätu fonjidriesu. 25 Perena nätu drikaca'bai Roma'bai ro 'biyi ma te co'da si, ago perena alo avo ma te kuni si. Perena nätu toŋbo se mabe udi sina tisite gyi ya, ago tu alo si marite saa 'buteritu fosu gyi ya. 26 Aba amba maro ya ma'dote rriti ya ni gyitändri ri ago ni ŋgatopa'bai ri, rriti ya ni Yudai azi ri ago ni Atrai ri, rriti a'dote 'bakicii yasi, rriti vocowa yasi, rriti gyi'desii drisi, ago rriti ni bereazii miodo'bai ro ri. 27 Losi ndi rriti be a'dote; ondoalo marite u'duako; ma'dote täbiri ro ndi gyilu be, ondoalo ma'dote ŋgaonya ako amba, vooriro, ndi boŋgo be ako. 28 Ago ŋga azaka tana eṛo ako, ma orivoya tu cini si ŋgaläŋgyi zele milo'be be ta känisa cini rota. 29 Ondro 'diaza orivoya mbaraako, musu ma kpa mbaraako, ondro 'diaza olocite takozi ya, ya maro te orivoya twi milo'be be.
30 Ondro ka'do be märi driuŋgyine, mäŋgyina drî ta ŋgase kabe mbaraako maro ka'da ta ayani. 31 Lu ago Täpi Opi Yesu ro, räṛu ka'do ävuru ndaro ri äduako, nite anjioko maga kowe ko. 32 Tuse mabe orivoya Damaseka ya wari'ba se 'Bädri'ba Aretasa zele nda 'ba vookwa'bai te dereŋwa 'bakici ro kalasi ma urune. 33 Oko e'ba ma te vuru koṛiga si piṛi tiṛi ro yasi, ago mapavote ni ndäri.