1 Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. 2 While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. 3 We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked.
4 These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don't do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die. 5 God is the one who makes all this possible. He has given us his Spirit to make us certain he will do it. 6 So always be cheerful!
As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. 7 But we live by faith, not by what we see. 8 We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord. 9 But whether we are at home with the Lord or away from him, we still try our best to please him. 10 After all, Christ will judge each of us for the good or the bad that we do while living in these bodies.
Bringing People to God
11 We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. 12 We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.
13 If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. 14 We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. 15 And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.
16 We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in this way. 17 Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so Christ could make us acceptable to God.
1 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝr elŋece nyiirŋǝ ethaarɔŋw, mǝ yǝvǝŋ yǝri kiyɔ yir wurǝyu ernene tǝ, nǝrǝthi dɔɔnɔŋw naanɔ-gwɔ Allah, kwir dɔɔnɔ kwiti kwɔdaɽiminna rii-ri mac, kwinḏi ethi nannitha dok-dok ki-leere-na. 2 Nǝ kire-kirem-ŋgwɔ tǝ, ǝṯir ǝgǝthǝ beṯ-beṯṯen, lakkɔ kizǝn ethi kenne dɔɔnɔŋw kwǝri kwǝthi ki-leere-naŋw; 3 nǝ ŋwɔṯaŋw mǝr kenne tok tǝ, ǝreere naani ŋwɔvdɔṯṯɔ kwokwony mac. 4 Nǝ a-naanir tǝ kinnǝni ki-yǝvǝŋ-nǝ kiyɔ yir wurǝyu, ǝṯir tǝ ǝgǝthǝ ṯurvǝ-thi, nǝ nǝreere ǝniŋw mac, a kwɔnaŋnari ethi allatha yǝvǝŋi-lɔ kiyɔ yir wurǝyu mac, laakin nǝrsi naŋni ethisi kenne kiya yǝthi ki-leere-naŋw, mindaŋ mǝ ŋiimiitha ŋǝṯi nanntha dok-dok irṯasi yaŋna-lɔ yǝri kiyɔ yir wurǝyu. 5 Nǝṯǝ Allah oro wɔgittica-nyji kwomne-lɔ ŋgwa cɔgwo-cogwop, winḏǝthǝ-nyji Ṯigɽimǝ ṯuuŋwun ṯir ǝrbuun.
6 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝr urǝnni ŋuugul-nǝ deddep nyaamin tatap. Na nǝr elŋe rac ethaarɔŋw, a-naanir ta kinnǝni ki-yǝvǝŋ-nǝ kiyɔ yir yaŋna, nǝrǝni luruccǝ dɔɔnɔŋw-na kwǝthi Kweeleny. 7 Kaka nǝṯir-gwɔ nanni ṯǝmminǝ-thi, nǝ ǝṯir-ŋeere nanni-nǝ ŋa ŋǝṯirsi ese mac. 8 A kwǝnir luurǝnnǝ ŋuugul-nǝ mindaŋ nǝr naŋni ethi rucci yaŋnana yǝri, mindaŋ ethi ɔɽɔmaṯṯi ki-dɔɔnɔ Kweeleny-gi. 9 Ŋwɔṯaŋw mǝrtǝ naani kinnǝni kɔnɔŋw, wala kinanaŋw, nǝrsǝthi ŋɔtɔpɔt ethi ǝmi ɔunduɔw-nǝ. 10 Nǝ laazim ǝri ruwǝnnǝlɔ kiyǝnǝ yǝthi kwɔrsi kwǝthi hɔkwɔm wǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ, mindaŋ mǝ leere-leere aavi ŋgwa kwǝthi ŋothɽor ŋuuŋun, ɔrɔr-gwɔ ŋisaaw alla ŋigii, ŋa ŋǝrrǝ-ŋwsi a-naanɔ-ŋw tǝ kinnǝni aŋna-yi kwamiithɔ.
Ṯammithana ṯǝthi-thi ammithina Allah-yi.
11 A kwilŋithir ethaarɔŋw ṯithiinya ethi ṯeenye Kweelenyi ṯǝṯi rotto ǝŋgwɔrɔ, ŋwɔṯaŋw ǝṯi-nyii ṯǝccici ethisi andindaci lithaathɔ tok. Allah wilŋithi-nyji-nǝ duɽull, nǝ nǝnyii kittatha naani-ŋa-gwɔ ethi elŋe nyuŋwsi tok ki-rɔgwor-na raalɔ. 12 Nyiiŋǝ liti liṯǝccicǝ mac ethi andaci ŋaaŋwɔsi ŋiɽaŋali ŋǝthi rogɽo rǝri; laakin nǝnyii ṯǝccici ethi inḏǝthǝ ŋaaŋwɔsi sǝbǝbǝ kwisaaw kwǝthi-gi piŋi rogɽo raalɔ ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝni ŋǝri, mindaŋ mǝthi ŋɔma ethisi ǝŋnici kila lǝṯi ǝllini ki-rogɽo ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi ŋizigwunǝŋ, ŋiti ŋir ŋǝthi ṯɔgwor ṯuuŋwun mac. 13 Nyiiŋǝ lǝni lir yeeɽer-pa? Nǝ nǝrtoro-pǝ kǝniny ŋǝthi Allah. E-ta nyiiŋǝ lɔsɔɔɽɔ ŋwɔɽana? Imba nǝrtǝ-pǝ ǝni ŋaalɔ! 14 A kwǝni kwukǝkkinǝr ṯamɽa-thi ṯǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ, na nǝr elŋe ethaarɔŋw kwizi kwɔmǝ ai kwette ki-lɔɔbi lǝthi lizi tatap, ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝr ǝniŋw, a kwɔɽɔmaṯṯir tatap ki-ŋiɽany-na ŋuuŋun. 15 Nǝ nɔŋwsi ǝyici tatap, mindaŋ mǝ kila linḏi ethi nanni, etheere nǝnnici rogɽo reeŋen kwokwony mac, laakin ethi nǝnnici ŋgwa kwɔmǝ ai dak, kaka mɔŋgwɔ diiɽǝ kwɔmiithɔ ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi reeŋen.
16 Ŋwɔṯaŋw kirem tǝ, ǝṯinyeere ǝccǝ kwizi kweere haakima ŋizigwunǝŋ-ŋi mac. Kerreny nǝrǝccǝ Kwɔrɔstɔ-ŋw haakima ŋizigwunǝŋ-ŋi, nǝ kirem tǝ, bǝri! 17 Ŋwɔṯaŋw mɔŋw naani kweere ethi Kwɔrɔstɔ-na, ǝṯɔŋworo kwiyaŋ, ǝṯi kwomne kwir kwɔɔɽɔn irṯathalɔ; mindaŋ ǝṯɔŋw mɔrthathi kwiyaŋ. 18 Nǝ Allah oro wǝrrǝsi ŋɔ tatap, nɔŋworo wǝmmithǝ-nyji-nǝ Kwɔrɔstɔ-ŋgi, mindaŋ nɔŋw inḏǝthǝ nyuŋwsi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi ṯǝmmithǝnǝ; 19 ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝrǝniŋw, Allah wǝmmithǝ ṯurmunǝ-nǝ rogɽo-ri ruuŋwun Kwɔrɔstɔ-ŋgi, mindaŋ nǝsi Allah fivrici ŋikiyaŋi kithaay ŋeeŋen, e-ta nɔŋw mǝ inḏǝthǝ nyuŋwsi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi ṯǝmmithǝ-nǝ. 20 Nyiiŋǝ lǝṯi andasi ki-lɔɔbi lǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ, nǝroro kaka nǝṯisi Allah tuurǝccǝlɔ nyuŋwsi-li. Ŋwɔṯaŋw ǝrŋǝsi tuurǝccǝlɔ ki-lɔɔbi lǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ: ammithirna Allah-yi. 21 Niti-vǝ nǝrrǝ kinnǝ Kwɔrɔstɔ ŋikiyaŋi ŋeere mac, nǝtǝ Allah ruusi kwikiya ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝni ŋǝri, nǝ duŋgwun-nǝ tǝ, ǝrǝthi ŋɔma ethi rillalɔ ṯirllathilɔ ṯǝthi Allah.