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.
Ŋen ŋəd̶urwaṯo na ŋəmëɽria ŋed̶a gəd̶weinu
1 Gerṯe egafo məɽəməɽeñ egero igəbëndənia? Gerṯe egaɽo ed̶a gəd̶weinu? Gerṯe igaseicu Yesu igi gəɽo Eləŋ igëndr? Ñaganəñaŋ gerṯe ñagaɽo ŋəmëɽria ŋəlëɽəñi eg-Eləŋ Yesu? 2 Ndə egero igəd̶weinu eled̶a lwomən təŋ, gerṯe d̶eṯəm igəd̶weinu eñaŋ ŋen ŋanṯa ñagaɽo ŋaməla ŋəd̶əd̶weinia d̶əlëɽəñi eg-Eləŋ Yesu.
3 Đopəṯa d̶əlëɽəñi id̶i led̶a ildi ləñirnḏeicia ṯia. 4 Nanda ñagero ñagəberṯia ŋələŋe ṯa ñase na ñëṯi? 5 Nanda ñagero ñagəberṯia ŋələŋe ṯa ñageimama wuji igi gəmənu gëndu ŋen, ŋen ŋarno led̶a ləd̶weinu lwomən təŋ na ŋen ŋarno lorəba l-Eləŋ Yesu, na Buṯrus? 6 Walla igënəñi na Barnaba, ñagaɽo ndəjan, ñagero ñagəberṯia ŋələŋe ṯa ñaŋgiṯi ŋəmëɽria iŋi ñagiyəməṯia? 7 Ǝsëgi gəɽo askari gəbəɽo id̶əbwaiñəd̶ia iliga lənəŋ d̶əpəɽad̶a d̶əlëɽəŋu? Ǝsëgi gəlaɽa gii genəb na ṯaŋerṯe gausa? Ǝsëgi gəsia oɽo na ṯaŋerṯe gəlṯiṯa ŋan?
8 Ñagaṯa egalwaɽo ŋen iŋi ŋələŋeŋa ŋəled̶a ikərəŋ? Gerṯe alganun yalwaɽo ṯia com? 9 Ŋen ŋawërd̶ənu ig-Alganun yi-Musa ṯa, “Ñerṯe ñagəbakasa ŋəndəri ëiñua iŋi ŋoɽa ŋwana.” Fəñənḏəri iñi Rəmwa rəɽrəmoṯwa? 10 Walla ralwaɽo ŋen ŋanṯa nëndr? A, d̶eṯəm ŋen ŋawërd̶ənu ṯa fənëndr, ŋen ŋanṯa ŋen ŋafo ŋopia ndə ed̶a gəlaɽa na ed̶a goɽa ŋwana lëbəd̶ia ṯia ṯalṯurṯu ŋen ṯa alakarnəd̶e ŋwana. 11 Ndə nanda ñagəwad̶o ŋolwa ŋusila eñaŋ, ŋen ŋoɽra ndə ñagwanḏa eñaŋ laŋge laŋəno? 12 Ndə led̶a lwomən lerṯo ŋələŋe eŋen iŋi eñaŋ, gerṯe ñagananda ñagəberṯia ŋələŋe eñaŋ ñagaməñaṯəlo?
Orn ñagero ñagəbəd̶ia ŋen ŋəŋələŋe iŋi, orn ñagaɽiñaṯo ŋen pred̶ ṯa ñerṯe ñagətriṯia d̶ela d̶əŋen ŋəŋəra ŋ-Almasiya. 13 Ñagaijəba ŋen ṯa led̶a ildi ləbəd̶ia ŋəmëɽria ig-Alekəl lënəŋulu lamicinia elaŋge l-Alekəl, na led̶a ildi ləbəd̶ia ŋəmëɽria ŋad̶una yid̶əɽəd̶ənia labakarnəd̶ia laŋge ləd̶əɽəd̶ənia? 14 Nṯia com, Eləŋ Rəmwa raṯa ṯa led̶a ildi ləbërrəŋaid̶ia ŋen ŋəŋəra ŋəlëɽəŋu laməṯia ŋenŋa ŋəŋəra ŋəlëɽəŋu.
15 Orn igënəñi egero igəbəd̶ia ŋen ŋarno iŋi, na egero igəwërd̶ia ŋen iŋi ṯa laŋge ildi aliñəneini, ŋen ŋanṯa ŋen ŋaŋəra ṯa egabaiya ŋaməñaṯo ŋen iŋi ṯa ed̶a aŋerṯe gənəŋ gəñətriṯia id̶eminia d̶əlëɽəñi id̶i d̶əd̶urwaṯo ṯa aŋid̶i d̶əpiano. 16 Ndə igəbërrəŋaicia led̶a ŋen ŋəŋəra ŋə-Rəmwa, egero ŋələŋe ṯa igəwëminia, na d̶eṯəm d̶afəñau. Wëi ŋəbwato eganeinia ŋen ŋeicia kaiñ ndə egəber igəbërrəŋaicia led̶a ŋen ŋəŋəra ŋə-Rəmwa. 17 Ndə egamed̶əño igëbəd̶ia ṯia igid̶i eneini d̶əpəɽa, orn ndə egero egamed̶əño d̶eṯəm ŋen iŋi ŋaneinəñi ŋen ŋanṯa yid̶i. 18 Ŋen ŋafəṯia wandəgi gəɽo d̶əpəɽa d̶əlëɽəñi? Fəŋu ṯa d̶eṯəm ndə igəbërrəŋaicia led̶a ŋen ŋəŋəra ŋə-Rəmwa igëbəd̶ia ṯia məɽəməɽeñ ilia yero, ṯa yerṯe igəma ŋen ŋəd̶eṯəm pred̶ ŋəlëɽəñi egerṯo eŋen ŋəŋəra ŋə-Rəmwa.
19 Egero egəɽia ebai eged̶a gənəŋ, orn igëbəd̶ia etam gəlëɽəñi gəɽo ebai eled̶a pred̶, ṯa imaməṯia Rəmwa led̶a lwaiña. 20 Egarno Alyawuḏ eled̶a l-Alyawuḏ, ṯa imaməṯia Rəmwa Alyawuḏ. Eled̶a ildi lakaseid̶ənu eŋen ŋ-Alganun yi-Musa egarno ed̶a gakaseid̶ənu eŋen ŋ-Alganun ṯa elmamaṯa Rəmwa nano, orn igënəñi egero igakaseid̶ənia eŋen ŋ-Alganun. 21 Egero egəfia ndëuwər eŋen ŋ-Alganun yi-Rəmwa, orn egafo eŋen ŋ-Alganun ig-Almasiya, orn eled̶a ildi ləfo ndëuwər eŋen ŋ-Alganun egarno ed̶a igi gəfo ndëuwər eŋen ŋ-Alganun ṯa elmamaṯa Rəmwa nano. 22 Eled̶a lëbia eŋen, egarno igëbia eŋen ṯa e elmamaṯa Rəmwa nano ildi lëbia eŋen Egaɽo ŋen pred̶ eled̶a pred̶ ṯa rad̶ra pred̶ elmamaṯa Rəmwa nano ləmaṯan. 23 Igëbəd̶ia ŋen pred̶ ŋen ŋanṯa Rəmwa, ṯa igënəñi ñaɽəbəd̶e id̶əbuŋṯia d̶əŋen ŋəŋəra ŋə-Rəmwa.
24 Ñagaijəba ṯa led̶a ildi ləlaldəña ed̶əbaparjəd̶ia lalaldiña pred̶, orn ed̶a gonto gid̶i aŋəneini d̶əpəɽa. Laldəñr ṯia ṯa ñaneini d̶əpəɽa id̶i. 25 Na ed̶a gənəŋ igi gəɽo erraɽa ṯa aŋəɽeṯe oɽəfa, gënəŋu aŋëɽəd̶iṯaŋəno eŋen pred̶ d̶ëndia aŋənod̶a. Ed̶a igi gëbəd̶ia ṯia ŋen ŋanṯa aŋəneini ṯaj isi yid̶i aiyəməndëd̶əni, orn lëndr ləgëbəd̶iar ṯia ŋen ŋanṯa alneinr ṯaj isi yeber yid̶i aiyəməndëd̶əni. Ṯaj isi yid̶i aiyəməndëd̶əni 26 Ŋen ŋafəṯia egalaldiña ṯia, gerṯe garno ed̶a gaijəba ŋopia, egabwaiñəd̶ia ŋen ŋero ŋəbarna ed̶a gəpəd̶ia igəbwud̶ gəpiano. 27 Orn igëpunia aŋəno ilëɽəñi jaica bəɽan, na igabəkëndia ṯa aiyəɽeṯe ebai ṯa d̶ad̶d̶a d̶əŋen iŋi, ndə igəbërrəŋaicia led̶a ŋen, yerṯe igamərnia waŋge gero ŋeniano.