The Rights of an Apostle
1 I am free. I am an apostle. I have seen the Lord Jesus and have led you to have faith in him. 2 Others may think that I am not an apostle, but you are proof that I am an apostle to you.
3 When people question me, I tell them 4 that Barnabas and I have the right to our food and drink. 5 We each have the right to marry one of the Lord's followers and to take her along with us, just as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter do. 6 Are we the only ones who have to support ourselves by working at another job? 7 Do soldiers pay their own salaries? Don't people who raise grapes eat some of what they grow? Don't shepherds get milk from their own goats?
8-9 I am not saying this on my own authority. The Law of Moses tells us not to muzzle an ox when it is grinding grain. But was God concerned only about an ox? 10 No, he wasn't! He was talking about us. This was written in the Scriptures so that all who plow and all who grind the grain will look forward to sharing in the harvest.
11 When we told the message to you, it was like planting spiritual seed. So we have the right to accept material things as our harvest from you. 12 If others have the right to do this, we have an even greater right. But we haven't used this right of ours. We are willing to put up with anything to keep from causing trouble for the message about Christ.
13 Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered? 14 In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.
15 But I have never used these privileges of mine, and I am not writing this because I want to start now. I would rather die than have someone rob me of the right to take pride in this. 16 I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed. 17 If I preach because I want to, I will be paid. But even if I don't want to, it is still something God has sent me to do. 18 What pay am I given? It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge and not to use the privileges that are mine because I am a preacher.
19 I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so I can win as many people as possible. 20 When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. 21 And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. 22 When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. 23 I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.
A Race and a Fight
24 You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! 25 Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. 26 I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. 27 I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.
Hɔguuŋ wǝthi kaavɔr.
1 Nyii kwiti kwɔrɔ hɔrr mac-a? Nyii kwiti kwɔrɔ kaavɔr mac-a? Nyii kwiti kwɔmǝ ese Yǝcu-ŋw kwɔrɔ Kweeleny kwǝri mac-a? Ŋaaŋa liti lir lǝginǝ-nyji ki-ŋothɽor-na ŋǝthi Kweeleny mac-a? 2 Minyeere oro kaavɔr ki-lizi lithaathɔ mac tǝ, nǝny-ṯoro kaavɔr daŋgalɔ; ŋwɔṯaŋw noro ŋaaŋa khiṯim kǝthi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi ŋaavɔr ŋiinyi ethi Kweeleny-na. 3 Nǝ ṯɔrɔcca ki-rogɽo oro ṯiinyi kɔthɔ naanɔ-gwɔ lizi kila lǝṯi-nyii ṯǝccici. 4 Nyii kwiti kwǝthi haga ethethne, nǝ ethii tok mac-a? 5 Nyii kwiti kwǝthi haga mac ethi irǝri kwaaw-gi kwiinyi kaka yaavɔra yithaathɔ, nǝ liyǝŋgǝri ethi Kweeleny-na nǝ Bɔṯrɔs tok-a? 6 Alla nyiiŋǝ lirta Barnaaba-gi ṯɔɽɔk lɔvthanna ethethne ŋiimǝŋi ŋǝri? 7 Jesh kwundǝr kwǝndu kwǝṯi akkɔ ŋothɽor gwuruush-gi kwǝthi rogɽo ruuŋwun? Ǝyǝ kwɔrɔ kweere kwǝṯi kiithi jineeneya mindaŋ etheere yecce nyɔɔrɔ nyuuŋwun mac? Taaɽa tindǝr tǝndu teere titi tǝṯii ŋan ŋǝthi ŋirel ŋuuŋun mac?
8 Ŋandisa-nyji ŋɔ ŋisɔlṯa-ŋi ŋǝthi ŋizigwunǝŋǝ? Sherii@a kwiti ṯǝ kwandisaŋw tok mac-a? 9 Kaka nɔlɔɔthɔnar-gwɔ ki Sherii@a-na kwǝthi Muusǝ ŋaarɔŋw, “Ǝṯeere kǝkkici tithri ṯuunyu mac kira tǝṯi pii ŋwaana ŋwaara-ŋi.” E-ta ŋǝniŋw, Allah wǝṯi kettice ŋiɽaŋali yǝy ŋǝthi nyithri-a? 10 Ŋiti ŋandisa-ŋwsi ŋɔ tatap ŋǝni ŋǝri mac-a? Ŋɔlɔɔthɔna-pa ŋǝni ŋǝri; kaka nɔvthannar-gwɔ ethi kwizi kwee ṯǝkkizǝ-thi kizǝn, nǝ ŋgwa kwǝṯisi pii ǝṯɔŋwsi pii ṯǝkkizǝ-thi kizǝn tok ethaavi lɔɔɽɔŋi luuŋwun. 11 Nǝ nugwuuthi-nyji daŋgal-na ŋisaaw ŋir ṯigɽim, e-ta ŋǝni ŋifirlli beṯṯen ethɔɔni faayitha kwokwo daŋgal-na kwǝthi yaŋna? 12 Mǝ lithaathɔ ǝthi haga ethisi-gwɔ kittatha ŋɔ naaniŋa-gwɔ, e-ta nǝnyi-mǝ ere oro nyiiŋǝ rerrec lǝŋgi ǝthi haga wuṯǝmthǝlɔ-a? Laakin nǝnyji tǝ ere kettice yǝy mac ŋǝthi huguug wɔ, laakin nǝnyji kǝniny indindinyanni naana, mindaŋ etheere rii Inyjiilǝ keereny mac wǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ. 13 Ŋiti ŋilŋica-ŋǝsi mac ethaarɔŋw kila lǝṯi akkɔ ŋothɽor ki-heikal-na lǝṯi-ṯǝ yee ethneya wǝthi heikala, nǝ kila lǝṯi akkɔ ŋothɽor ki-ŋwɔthgwun-lǝ kiraama-gi, ǝṯirani lɔɽɔmaṯṯɔ kiraama-na? 14 Nǝ nǝrṯoroŋw tok, nǝ Kweeleny alla waamira ethi kila lǝṯi aari bǝshirǝ Inyjiilǝ ethi ethne Inyjiil-yi.
15 Laakin nyii tǝ, ninyjeere kettice ŋeere yǝy mac ŋǝthi huguug wɔ, wala ethisi lɔcca ŋaaŋwɔsi ŋɔ ethi-ŋi naŋnatha ŋaaŋwɔsi kwomne kweere. Ŋɔvthanna-pa duŋgwu-nyii ethi kǝniny ai, mindaŋ mǝ kwizi ere kweere mac, ǝthi ŋɔma ethi dimmǝthǝ nyuŋwɔ ṯǝllinǝ ki-rogɽo kɔthɔ. 16 Nyii kwiti kwǝthi haga mac ethi piŋi rogɽo kaka naariny-gwɔ bǝshirǝ Inyjiilǝ. Nǝ ŋɔ tatap nǝnyii kǝkkini waamir-yi ethisi ǝrri. Ǝnnǝ ṯurvǝ ṯiinyi minyeere aari bǝshirǝ Inyjiilǝ mac! 17 Nǝ mǝnyji ǝrri ŋɔ ṯɔgwor-thi ṯiinyi tǝ, ǝnyii kittatha ethi aavi ɔjra; laakin mǝreere oro ŋǝthi ṯɔgwor ṯiinyi mac tǝ, nǝ Allah oro wuruusǝ-nyii wǝkiil wǝthi ŋothɽor ŋɔ. 18 Ɔjra wiinyi wundǝr wǝndu? Wundǝr wǝni-ŋwɔ ethaari bǝshirǝ Inyjiilǝ domony, nǝ ethiseere kettice yǝy ŋa mac ŋǝthi huguug wiinyi wǝthi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi Inyjiil-pa.
19 Nyii kwir hɔrr, ninyeere oro kwɔwaay kwǝthi kwizi kweere mac; laakin nǝnyii ruusi rogɽo riinyi kwɔwaay kwǝthi lizi tatap, mindaŋ minyǝthi ŋɔma ethisi ǝginǝ luuru. 20 Nǝ ŋǝni Yahuuḏ, nǝnyii ruusi rogɽo riinyi Yahuuḏi, mindaŋ ethi ǝginǝ Yahuuḏǝ; nǝ ki-lizi-nǝ kila likǝkkinǝ Sherii@a-gi, nǝnyii ruusi rogɽo riinyi kwɔgǝkkinǝ Sherii@a-gi, mindaŋ ethi ǝginǝ ŋunduŋwsi, niti-vǝ nɔrɔ-nyii kinnǝ kwɔgǝkkinǝ Sherii@a-gi mac. 21 Nǝ nǝrṯoroŋw tok, mǝnyii naani Umam-yi, ǝṯinyaaɽanni Umama wiira Sherii@a-na kwǝthi Yahuuḏ, mindaŋ minyǝthi ŋɔma ethi ǝginǝ Umama. Ŋiti ŋǝniŋw nyii kwǝṯi derne ethi iinyici Sherii@a naana kwǝthi Allah mac; laakin ninyǝni kwɔgǝkkinǝ sherii@a-gi kwǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ. 22 Nǝ kila lajla ki-ṯǝmminǝ ǝṯi-nyii ajli tok, mindaŋ ethisi ǝginǝ kila lajla ki-ṯǝmminǝ-nǝ. Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝnyii rothonne kwomne tatap, ethi ǝginǝ lizi tatap, mindaŋ ethisi fǝtǝ kilǝthi kila lokwo. 23 Ŋǝṯi-nyji ǝrri ŋɔ tatap ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi Inyjiil, mindaŋ mǝnyii aavi barka tok kwuuŋwun.
24 Ŋaaŋa liti lilŋithi mac ethaarɔŋw lizi tatap lǝṯi kalmiṯathi nǝ ǝṯɔŋw ǝllini Kwɔtɔpɔt ethisi ṯamthɔ-la lithaathɔ, mindaŋ ǝṯɔŋw aavi haḏiiyyǝ? Ŋwɔṯaŋw avrir ŋaaŋa tok mindaŋ maavi haḏiiyyǝ. 25 Nǝ ŋgwa kwǝṯi kalmiṯathi ǝṯɔŋw dirnini aŋna wuuŋwun kwomne naana ŋgwa tatap kwǝṯi ǝjli ŋunduŋw. Ŋǝṯirsi ǝrri ŋɔ ethǝgini taŋgiŋi ṯidaɽiminna yǝni-yi yǝthi yaaɽi domony titi tǝṯi nannatha tɔttɔṯ mac, laakin nyiiŋǝ tǝ, ǝṯirsi ǝrri ŋǝthi taŋgi tǝṯi nannatha dok-dok. 26 Nǝrṯoro ŋɔ ŋǝṯiny-ŋi avri tittir kwicca ǝzir ŋoṯŋoṯ wa wandɔ-gwɔ ṯirgaka; ṯaŋw ǝṯinyoro kaka ŋgwa kwǝṯi irmicicithi buniyǝ-gi, kwiti kwir kaka ŋgwa kwǝṯi ermicice kɔrɔni domony mac; 27 laakin ǝṯinyii ermicice aŋna wiinyi buniyǝ-gi tig-tig ethiiɽǝsi; mindaŋ mǝnyji ǝccǝ lithaathɔ bǝshirǝ tǝ, nyeere bǝryǝnni kwaathan-gi mac.