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.
Pawulu la tankandiri kumoo a la dookuwo to
1 Nte Pawulu be ali daani kaŋ ka bo niŋ Kiristu* la mooyaa la, aniŋ a la tenkuŋo. Doolu ka a fo le ko, n ka jooteeyaa le, niŋ m be ali kono, bari n ka fatiyaa le, niŋ n te ali kono. 2 M be ali daani kaŋ, ali kana a tinna, ŋa fatiyaa niŋ n naata ali yaa, kaatu n dankeneyaata ñiŋ na le ko, nte be fatiyaa la moolu fee le, mennu ka ǹ tuumi ko, ǹ ka ǹ na hadamadiŋyaa la hame kuwolu le nooma. 3 M̀ be baluuriŋ hadamadiŋyaa kono ñaa-wo-ñaa, bari m̀ buka keloo ke ko hadamadiŋolu ka a ke ñaameŋ. 4 Ntolu la kelejooraŋolu maŋ ke ñiŋ duniyaa kelejooraŋolu ti, bari ŋà Alla la sembe baa le soto ka tata bambandiŋolu kasaara. Ǹ ka moolu la soosooroolu tiñaa le, 5 aniŋ faŋ waroo siifaa bee, mennu si ke kalewo ti moolu ye ka Alla loŋ. Ǹ ka moolu la miira jawoolu bayi le fo ì si Kiristu batu. 6 Niŋ ali la yaamarimutoo timmata, m̀ pareeta le ka yaamari mutabaloolu bee kuluu.
7 Alitolu la jeroo, ali ka kuwolu kiitii wo le ñaama. Niŋ moo-wo-moo ye ñiŋ dankeneyaa soto ko, ate mu Kiristu le taa ti, wo to a si a faŋo hakiloo bulandi ko, ate mu Kiristu taa ti ñaameŋ, ntolu fanaa mu a taa ti wo le ñaama. 8 Maariyo ye kaŋo meŋ dii ǹ na ka ali bambandi, wo maŋ ke ka ali kasaara. Hani niŋ nte kibirita landatambirinke wo kaŋo kaŋ, n na kibiroo te ke la n ye malu kuwo ti. 9 Ali kana a miira ko, n lafita ka ali silandi n na leetaroolu le la. 10 Baawo moo doolu ka ñiŋ ne fo n na kuwo to ko, “Kumoolu mennu be a la leetaroolu kono ka fatiyaa le, ì ye bambaŋ, bari niŋ a be maabeeriŋ, a balajaatoo ka lamfu le, aduŋ a la diyaamoo maŋ jari feŋ na.” 11 Bari wo moolu si ñiŋ loŋ ko, ntolu ka kumoolu mennu safee ǹ na leetaroolu kono, ǹ ka wolu le ke, niŋ m̀ faŋo be maabeeriŋ.
12 Ntolu te haañi la ka m̀ faŋolu niŋ moo doolu tembe, mennu ka ì faŋolu jayi. Niŋ itolu ka ì faŋolu la kuwo laa, aniŋ ì ka ì faŋolu la kuwo tembe, wo to ì mu fahaamubaloolu le ti. 13 Ntolu la kibiroo te tambi la kuwo la, Alla ye mennu karafa ntolu ma fo ǹ si futa noo hani alitolu ma. 14 M̀ maŋ tara m̀ faŋolu la kuwo tambindi kaŋ, kaatu ntolu le keta foloo ti ka futa alitolu ma, n niŋ Kiristu la kibaari betoo. 15 Ǹ na kibiroo maŋ tambi naanewo la, moo koteŋolu la dookuwo to. Bari ǹ na jikoo mu ñiŋ ne ti ko, niŋ ali la lannoo yiriwaata, ǹ na dookuwo ali kono, a kenoo fanaa si fanu. 16 Wo to le ǹ si kibaari betoo kawandi noo bankoolu kaŋ, hani ka tambi alitolu la, fo ǹ kana kibiri dookuwo la, moo koteŋolu ye meŋ ke fokabaŋ. 17 A si ke ko a be safeeriŋ ñaameŋ:
“Niŋ meŋ be kibiri la, a si kibiri Maariyo la kuwo la.”
18 Kaatu a maŋ ke ko, moo meŋ ka a faŋo jayi, a mu lannamoo le ti, bari Maariyo faŋo ye meŋ jayi, wo le mu lannamoo ti.
