Being Acceptable to God
1 Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.
2 Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3 But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, 4 although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old, and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. 6 And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.
7 But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.
Running toward the Goal
12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. 16 But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.
17 My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. 18 I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again 19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
20 But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ 21 has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.
Kiristu loŋo le kummaayaata
1 M baadiŋolu*, labaŋo la, ali seewoo Maariyo kono! Nte te pasi la ka ñiŋ kuwolu seyinkaŋ safee ali ye, aduŋ wo mu alitolu ye nafaa le ti. 2 Ali ali hakiloo tu wo moolu to, mennu ka kuu jawoolu ke, wo wuloolu. Ali ali hakiloo tu wo moolu to, mennu ka ì baloolu nama. 3 Ntolu le mu moolu ti, mennu ye sunna tooñaa soto, baawo ǹ ka Alla batu le ka bo niŋ a la Nooroo la, aduŋ ǹ ka kibiri Kiristu* Yeesu le la kuwo la. M̀ buka ǹ jikoo loo ǹ na hadamadiŋyaa kuwolu kaŋ, 4 nte ye daliiloo soto ka n jikoo loo a kaŋ ñaa-wo-ñaa.
Niŋ moo-wo-moo ye a miira ko, ate ye daliiloo soto le ka jiki a la hadamadiŋyaa kuwolu la, wo to nte le ye daliila koyoo soto jee ka tambi wo maarii la: 5 Nte sunnata tili seyinjaŋo le la, biriŋ n wuluuta. Nte mu Banisirayilankoo le ti, ka bo Benjamini lasiloo to. Nte mu Hiburunkoo* le ti, Hiburunkoo piir. Musa la Luwaa* la karoo la, n keta nuŋ Farisewo* faŋo le ti. 6 Hamoo la karoo la, nte ye Yeesu la kafoo toorandi baake le. Niŋ a ye a tara, Luwaa mutoo si moo tilindi noo Alla ñaatiliŋo la, wo to nte maŋ sootaaroo soto.
7 Bari meŋ-wo-meŋ mu nte la nafaa ti nunto, saayiŋ ŋa wo muta bonoo le ti, Kiristu la kuwo kamma la. 8 Tooñaa, nte ye feŋo bee muta bonoo le ti, kaatu ka Kiristu Yeesu loŋ, m Maariyo, wo le nafaa warata ka tambi feŋo bee la. Ate le la kuwo kamma la, m bonota feŋolu bee la. Ŋa wolu bee muta suntukuŋo le ti, fo n si Kiristu soto, 9 aniŋ ka tara a fee. Wo to m maŋ tiliŋo soto noo m faŋo la katoo la meŋ ka bo niŋ Luwaa mutoo la, bari ŋa tiliŋo le soto, meŋ ka soto niŋ lannoo la Kiristu kono. Ñiŋ tiliŋo ka bo Alla le bulu, aduŋ a be dendiŋ lannoo le la. 10 Nte lafita Kiristu le loŋ na, aniŋ a la saayaakoolaa wulindiroo semboo, aniŋ ka ke karasotolaa ti a la tooroolu niŋ a la saayaa to, 11 fo a si ke ñaa-wo-ñaa, n si niyo soto saayaakoolaa wulindiroo to.
Ali kana i dahaa katoo la
12 M maŋ a fo ko, nte futata wo tunkuŋo ma le fokabaŋ, bari nte ka tenteŋ boroo la m fankadaŋo bee le la ka kañeerifeŋo soto, Kiristu Yeesu ye n kañee a faŋo kaŋ meŋ ye. 13 Baadiŋolu, m maŋ a miira ko, ŋa a soto le foloo, bari kuu kiliŋ, ŋa wo ke le, wo le mu n ñinata kuwolu bee la le, mennu be n kooma, n ka ŋaaba kuwolu le kaŋ, mennu be n ñaato. 14 Nte ka ñori ñaato le ka ŋaaba wo tunkuŋo kaŋ, fo n si kañeerifeŋo soto, meŋ mu badaa-badaa baluwo ti, Alla ye n kumandi meŋ to ka bo niŋ Kiristu Yeesu la.
15 Alitolu mennu menta Nooroo kono, ali ñiŋ miirali kiliŋo soto. Niŋ a ye a tara, doolu ye miirali doo le soto ali kono, n jikita le ko, Alla be ñiŋ kuwo koyindi la wolu fanaa ma le. 16 Ali ŋà tenteŋ ñiŋ sila kiliŋo la, m̀ be meŋ kaŋ.
17 Baadiŋolu, ali kafu n na kuwo nikinnaalu ma, aduŋ ali si kali wo moolu koroosi, mennu be wo misaaloo nooma kaŋ fokabaŋ, ali ye meŋ soto m̀ bulu. 18 Kaatu moo jamaa be baluuriŋ, ì mu Kiristu la yiribantambiloo jawoolu le ti, ko ŋa a fo ali ye ñaameŋ siiñaa jamaa koomanto, saayiŋ n kumbootoo le be a fo kaŋ ali ye. 19 Wo moolu labaŋo mu kasaaroo le ti, kaatu ì konobatoo le mu ì la alla ti. Ì ka kibiri kuwolu le la, ì ñanta malu la mennu la. Ì hakiloolu ka tu ñiŋ duniyaa kuwolu doroŋ ne kaŋ. 20 Bari ntolu la bankudiŋyaa be Arijana le kono, n na Kiisandirilaa be bo la naŋ daameŋ. Ate le mu Maarii Yeesu Kiristu ti, m be meŋ batu kaŋ ka naa. 21 M̀ balajaata lamfuriŋolu mennu ñanta faa la, ate le be ì ke la balajaatoolu ti, mennu be kallankeeyaa* la ko a faŋo baloo be ñaameŋ. A be wo ke la niŋ semboo le la, semboo meŋ ye a tinna, a ye alihawaa bee ke noo a la maraloo koto.
