Rights and Duties of an Apostle
1 Am I not a free man? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? And aren't you the result of my work for the Lord? 2 Even if others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do! Because of your life in union with the Lord you yourselves are proof of the fact that I am an apostle.
3 When people criticize me, this is how I defend myself: 4 Don't I have the right to be given food and drink for my work? 5 Don't I have the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my trips? 6 Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for our living? 7 What soldiers ever have to pay their own expenses in the army? What farmers do not eat the grapes from their own vineyard? What shepherds do not use the milk from their own sheep?
8 I don't have to limit myself to these everyday examples, because the Law says the same thing. 9 We read in the Law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Now, is God concerned about oxen? 10 Didn't he really mean us when he said that? Of course that was written for us. Anyone who plows and anyone who reaps should do their work in the hope of getting a share of the crop. 11 We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12 If others have the right to expect this from you, don't we have an even greater right?
But we haven't made use of this right. Instead, we have endured everything in order not to put any obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ. 13 Surely you know that the men who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who offer the sacrifices on the altar get a share of the sacrifices. 14 In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who preach the gospel should get their living from it.
15 But I haven't made use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this now in order to claim such rights for myself. I would rather die first! Nobody is going to turn my rightful boast into empty words! 16 I have no right to boast just because I preach the gospel. After all, I am under orders to do so. And how terrible it would be for me if I did not preach the gospel! 17 If I did my work as a matter of free choice, then I could expect to be paid; but I do it as a matter of duty, because God has entrusted me with this task. 18 What pay do I get, then? It is the privilege of preaching the Good News without charging for it, without claiming my rights in my work for the gospel.
19 I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible. 20 While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. 21 In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law. 22 Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.
23 All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings. 24 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. 25 Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. 26 That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. 27 I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.
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.