Paul Defends His Ministry
1 I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you—I who am said to be meek and mild when I am with you, but harsh with you when I am away. By the gentleness and kindness of Christ 2 I beg you not to force me to be harsh when I come; for I am sure I can deal harshly with those who say that we act from worldly motives. 3 It is true that we live in the world, but we do not fight from worldly motives. 4 The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; 5 we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ. 6 And after you have proved your complete loyalty, we will be ready to punish any act of disloyalty.
7 You are looking at the outward appearance of things. Are there some there who reckon themselves to belong to Christ? Well, let them think again about themselves, because we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8 For I am not ashamed, even if I have boasted somewhat too much about the authority that the Lord has given us—authority to build you up, not to tear you down. 9 I do not want it to appear that I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 Someone will say, “Paul's letters are severe and strong, but when he is with us in person, he is weak, and his words are nothing!” 11 Such a person must understand that there is no difference between what we write in our letters when we are away and what we will do when we are there with you.
12 Of course we would not dare classify ourselves or compare ourselves with those who rate themselves so highly. How stupid they are! They make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards! 13 As for us, however, our boasting will not go beyond certain limits; it will stay within the limits of the work which God has set for us, and this includes our work among you. 14 And since you are within those limits, we were not going beyond them when we came to you, bringing the Good News about Christ. 15 So we do not boast about the work that others have done beyond the limits God set for us. Instead, we hope that your faith may grow and that we may be able to do a much greater work among you, always within the limits that God has set. 16 Then we can preach the Good News in other countries beyond you and shall not have to boast about work already done in someone else's field.
17 But as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done.” 18 For it is when the Lord thinks well of us that we are really approved, and not when we think well of ourselves.
Buulus gwabiŋaijo lijo darnu ŋeleny ŋina ŋuthuŋwulo ŋidhi di Kalo
1 A nyi gwajothaije galo rujini gwai gwitiny gwa al Masiiẖ a iŋir gwuŋun, nyi gwina gwan Buulus ada nyi gwimaje gwirujinu gwitiny, abi ada nyi gwati gwimaje dagalo ganu no nyuthi reuŋw ganu dagalo. 2 Abi nyi gwajothaije galo dathinyi rii ganu ada nyi gwimaje dagalo ganu uminyi gwai gwina gwathinyigwai uminyi darnu nyi gware ganu gi liji ganu, lina lati lathiji irejo je galo darnu anaŋa lathilela gi dhuŋun dha aŋinu no. 3 Ada anaŋa limathelila gi dhuŋun dha aŋinu, abi anaŋa lati lathapai ŋoŋora dhuŋun dhai dha aŋinu no. 4 (A minoŋ ŋidi ŋa ŋoŋor ŋuri ŋati ŋa aŋinu no, abi ŋuthi ŋoma Kalo gai dil ŋai kiye duna gwina gwathin ŋidi je ŋa ŋoŋor;) 5 a ŋuthi ŋoma ŋupeje ireyuŋw je galo ja ŋadigireny ŋega, a ŋidi peth ŋina ŋo kabo ŋina ŋadhare ŋamilai ŋaro dhuwan dha liŋa gwa Kalo, a ŋwodha ireyuŋw je galo peth dilro jine gi dhuŋun dha dhuthejo al Masiiẖuŋw kuni; 6 albije momaŋ dilwurejo uruŋw kuni ganu dhuŋuna dhuŋun, maji manya meaje uthejuŋw nyuni gwalo. 7 Nyaŋa lathi datiŋa ŋida galo ŋina ŋaŋinu gi je ganu dagalo ŋinena a? Ada kwiji gweda gwimuminyi kwidom gwuŋun darnu gwiro gwa al Masiiẖ, abrico kwijo ibigwa ko kwidom gwuŋun ŋwirijo dhuŋuna ibidha je galo manaŋ, darnu gwiro ŋinena ruŋw gwa al Masiiẖ, a minoŋ ko anaŋa liro la al Masiiẖ ko. 8 Abi ada nyi gwima urijo ŋida ŋeda ŋamilai gwoinyadhanu gi ŋeleny ŋega, ŋina ŋidhedhije Kweleny ŋan ucini gwa imaan gwalo, a ŋati ŋan irniye gwalo no, a dharo dhati dhinyapai no. 9 Dathinyi aŋinu darnu nyi gwidhenyiyaje jawaabaat jai no. 10 Ŋinena aro liji nu, Jawaabaat juŋun jibur dhuŋuna a juthi ŋoma; abi aŋini gwa aŋinu yuŋun imulo nono, a dhuŋun dhuŋun dhiro ŋinena dhiro tur gi je ganu ja liji. 11 Abrico kwijo ibigwa ŋwudhura dhuŋuna ibidha, darnu gwiro ŋinena janana gi dhuŋun ibidha jawaabaat jai ada anaŋa lati limaje no, a minoŋ anaŋa lathapai dhuŋuna ibidha ko ada anaŋa limaje. 12 Ŋinena athana uthi ŋoma dana dhura lidom luri gi liji ganu lina lathigeta shahaada gi lidom legen gwina gwiŋir no, i athathana ubiyo lidom ganu luri ŋeda ŋalai no; abi ŋediŋa lathigeta miizaan gi lidom legen lidom lai legen, alubiye lidom ganu legen lidom lai legen, athathil liŋidhi no. 13 Abi anaŋa lati lare ŋamilai gi ŋidi ŋina ŋati ŋigitinu gi miizaan no, abi gi dhuŋun dha miizaan gwa dhuŋun dhina dhigitinu dapai dhina dhidhedhije Kalo, dhina dhigitinu gi miizaan gwina gwuthi ŋoma gwobana dagalo ko. 14 Ŋinena athathana dhiŋudhi lidom luri kwereny, gwiro ŋinena anaŋa lati luthi ŋoma dobana dagalo no; abi anaŋa limobana dagalo ko Dhuŋun dhai dhina Dhiŋir dha al Masiiẖ. 15 A anaŋa lati laro ŋamilai gi ŋidi ŋina ŋati ŋijo gi miizaan no, ŋinena uthi ŋidi ibiŋa dhuŋuna ganu dhina dhibur dhina dhapo liji liter; abi anaŋa luthi dhunijuŋw ada imaan gwalo gwima biŋa, danaro liji lina lipilipa dagalo ganu gi dhuŋun dha dhuŋun dhina dhedhije Kalo dapai gwoinyadhanu, 16 dana abiŋaijo lijo lina ligwujaje galo Dhuŋuna dhina Dhiŋir, athana aro ŋamilai gi dhuŋun dha ŋiro ŋina ŋapilo liji liter kwereny no. 17 Abi gwina gware ŋamilai, abrico ŋware ŋamilai gi Kweleny. 18 Ŋinena athi kwiji rui gwiŋir gwina gwathidhedha gwidom gwuŋun shahaada gwina gwiŋir no, abi gwina gwathi Kweleny dhedha shahaada gwina gwiŋir.