Spiritual Treasure in Clay Pots
1 God in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged. 2 We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone's good conscience. 3 For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost. 4 They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 5 For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.
7 Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. 8 We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; 9 there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. 10 At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. 11 Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. 12 This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 The scripture says, “I spoke because I believed.” In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe. 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence. 15 All this is for your sake; and as God's grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving.
Living by Faith
16 For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. 17 And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. 18 For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.
aza 4
ŋugul eḏi zi andaci ŋiɽaŋali ŋutuput
1 ŋwu ṯaŋwu, eḏi nyi gwu ŋɔḏɽor ŋu ŋir ŋafur, ŋimɽi ŋi ŋeḏi Allah ta, eṯi nyi ere ajili rugwori mac. 2 nyiŋa limorlaci ŋiɽaŋali ŋwudɔŋw ŋir feḏiya na ŋir ŋejmeṯ; eti nyi derne eḏizerri array yi, ya eḏi zi kekeɽinjelu ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi Allah, lakin eti nyi naŋni eḏiɽi rɔgwɽɔ-na reri ki rugwor-na reḏi lizi tatap ŋirlalu ŋi ŋandina porpor, ki yeyna yeḏi Allah. 3 na ma ŋiɽaŋal ŋeri ŋizaw ŋir injiil kwuɽbeni kinna, eṯuŋw zi kwuɽbenizi kla dak likiraḏa lu. 4 ki ŋiɽaŋal-na ŋeŋen, kweleny kweḏi ṯurmun kḏu nuŋw zi riimezi ŋwoɽa-na kla liti leḏi ṯəmna mac, eḏi zi ṯinyini eḏeze fori kweḏi ŋiɽaŋal ŋizaw ŋir injiil, ŋeḏi ŋiniṯ ŋeḏi Kwruztu ŋgwa kwaɽina Allah dap dap. 5 kaka eṯinyji gwu ere andazi ŋeni rɔgwɽɔ reri mac; ŋeṯinyji andazi ŋeni Yecu Kwruztu, kwir Kweleny, na nyiŋa ta, eti nyi orɔ yaḏaam yalu ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi Yecu. 6 Allah wiri waruŋw: eḏi fori erṯelu kirim-na; wunderṯa wumerṯelu ki rugwor-na reri eḏi zi inḏeḏa fori kweḏi ṯilŋiiḏina ṯeḏi ŋiniṯ ŋeḏi Allah kiyeyna kweḏi Kwruztu.
ṯajila ṯeḏi buuluz na ŋuma ŋeḏi Allah
7 lakin eṯi nyi eḏi ŋurṯua ŋu kwɔmne-na kwudaɽmaḏir kullu gi domony, eḏi zi baŋaci ŋeḏi ŋuma ŋiṯemḏelu purpur, ŋeḏi Allah ŋiri, ŋiti ŋiri ŋeri mac. 8 eṯi nyi eḏi ṯurfa ṯir-na ter ter, lakin eṯi nyi ere eḏi kwukwurmuḏana lu mac; na ṯureŋina, lakin eṯi nyi ere alla rugwori mac; 9 na ṯowɽina yey, lakin eṯuŋw ere ṯazi nyuŋwuzi lu mac; ipeḏir nyji gwu lu, lakin nenyere ay mac; 10 eṯinyi ufini ki yaŋna-na yeri ŋwamin tatap ŋiɽany ŋeḏi Yecu, mindaŋ eḏi ŋimiiḏa ŋeḏi Yecu ruwene lu tɔk ki yaŋna-na yeri. 11 kaka nani nyi gwu limiiḏu, eṯi nyi eni leṯi kitazazi rɔgwɽɔ reri ŋiɽany nana dɔk dɔk ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi Yecu, ta ma ŋimiiḏa ŋeḏi Yecu ruwene lu ki yaŋna-na yeri yinḏi eḏay. 12 ṯaŋwu eṯi ŋiɽany aki ŋɔḏɽor deŋgeri-na, lakin ŋimiiḏa ta daŋgal-na.
13 kaka eḏi nyi gwu ṯəmna ṯir kaka ṯuŋwun, ŋgwa kwuluḏizi: ŋemnenyji, nenyji ma andazi; eṯinyji ma emni nyiŋa tɔk, na eṯinyji ma andazi. 14 kaka ilŋiiḏinyji gwu eḏaruŋw, ŋgwa kwumɔdiɽi Kwelenyi kweni Yecu kwenyji diɽi tɔk Yecu ŋali, na kwenyji mulɔ ŋaŋa li ki yeyna yuŋwun. 15 kaka urir gwu tatap ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeni ŋalu, mindaŋ mer oɽmaṯir luru luru ki ṯimeca-na ṯiṯemḏelu ṯeḏi ŋimɽi ŋeḏi Allah, er ma kikindezi ṯortaḏa eḏi ṯi nii Allah-na ŋiniṯ ŋi.
eḏi rari kwɔkwɔ, na ŋiniṯ ŋinḏi eḏi nanniḏa dɔk
16 ṯaŋwu eṯi nyi ere ajili rugwori mac. yaŋna yeri keni yeṯi kiraḏa lu, lakin rɔgwɽɔ reri iininy yi-na eṯir nanniḏa riaŋ ŋwamin tatap. 17 na ṯurfa kḏu ṯɔkwɽoc ṯeḏi kiremŋw ṯetinyji daɽmaci ŋiniṯi ŋini didip ŋinḏi eḏi nanniḏa dɔk, ŋiṯemḏelu purpur. 18 kaka iti icicanyi gwu mac kwɔmne kweṯijini, lakin ŋgwa kwiti kweṯijini mac; kaka eṯi gwu kwɔmne kweṯijini ernine, lakin kwɔmne kwiti kweṯijini mac, eṯuŋw nanniḏa dɔk.