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.
Naafuloo feŋ nafantaŋolu kono
1 Bayiri ntolu ye ñiŋ dookuwo soto ka bo niŋ Alla la hiinoo le la, ǹ te jikilateyi la. 2 M̀ fatata malu kuwolu la le, mennu ka ke kulloo kono. M̀ buka neeneeroo ke, sako ǹ si Alla la kumoo tooñaa yelemandi. Ǹ ka tooñaa le fo koyirinke fo moo-wo-moo si a tooñaayandi noo a sondomoo kono Alla ñaatiliŋo la. 3 Niŋ a ye a tara, kibaari betoo, m̀ be meŋ kawandi kaŋ, be muuriliŋ ne, wo to muurilaŋo be moolu le ñaadaalu kaŋ, mennu be kasaaroo siloo kaŋ. 4 Ñiŋ duniyaa maralilaa ye itolu lannabaloolu sondomeñaalu suki le fo ì kana maloo je noo, meŋ naata ka bo niŋ kibaari betoo la Kiristu* la kallankeeyaa* to, ate meŋ mu Alla muluŋo ti. 5 Ntolu ka meŋ kawandi, wo maŋ ke m̀ faŋolu la kuwo ti, bari ǹ ka Yeesu Kiristu le la kuwo kawandi ko, ate le mu Maariyo ti, ntolu mu ali la dookuulaalu le ti, a la kuwo kamma la. 6 Alla meŋ ko nuŋ ko, “Maloo ye mala diboo kono,” ate faŋo le ye a la maloo dii ǹ sondomoo kono fo ǹ si a la kallankeeyaa fahaamu. Ñiŋ mu Alla la kallankeeyaa le ti, meŋ ka mala Kiristu ñaadaa to.
7 Aduŋ ŋà ñiŋ naafuloo soto keraŋo le kono, meŋ dadaata potoo la ka a yitandi ko, ñiŋ sembe baa bota Alla faŋo le bulu, a maŋ ke ntolu ti. 8 Ì ye n toorandi ñaa-wo-ñaa, bari ì te n kasaara noo la. Ǹ tarata jaakaloo kono, bari m̀ maŋ jikilateyi. 9 Moolu ye ǹ toorandi, bari ǹ tankandilaa maŋ m̀ bula. Ì ye m̀ boyindi duuma, bari m̀ maŋ kasaara. 10 Ǹ na tooroo kono, m̀ balajaatoo ka Yeesu la saayaa le duni fo a la baluwo fanaa si je noo m̀ bala. 11 Ntolu la ñiŋ baluwo kono, waati-wo-waati ǹ ka tara saayaa maasiiboo le kono Yeesu la kuwo kamma la, fo a la baluwo si yitandi m̀ baloolu kono, mennu mu saayaa taa ti. 12 Wo kamma la, saayaa le be dookuwo ke kaŋ ntolu kono, baluwo le be dookuwo ke kaŋ alitolu kono.
13 Ko a be safeeriŋ ñaameŋ ko:
“Nte laata le, bituŋ ǹ diyaamuta.”
Baawo ntolu niŋ ate ye wo lannoo noora kiliŋo le soto, m̀ fanaa diyaamuta le, kaatu ǹ laata le. 14 Aduŋ ŋà a loŋ ne ko, meŋ ye Maarii Yeesu wulindi ka bo saayaa kono, wo le be ntolu fanaa wulindi la. Bituŋ a si ǹ niŋ Yeesu niŋ alitolu samba a ñaatiliŋo la. 15 Kaatu ñinnu bee ka ke ali la nafaa le kamma, fo Alla la hiinoo si futa moo jamaa ma, ka tenturoo lafaa, ka horomoo dii Alla la.
Baluwo ka bo niŋ lannoo la
16 Wo kamma la, m̀ buka jikilateyi. M̀ balajaatoolu be baŋ kaŋ ñaa-wo ñaa, bari ǹ konoto daañaa ka tu kutayaa la le luŋ-wo-luŋ. 17 Ñiŋ toorandiŋo meŋ be ke la fo waatindiŋ, wo be m̀ parendi la le ka ǹ naati badaa-badaa kallankeeyaa kono, meŋ maŋ ñoŋo soto. 18 Kaatu m̀ buka kuwolu juubee, mennu ka je, bari mennu buka je, ǹ ka wolu le juubee. Kuwolu mennu ka je, wolu be baŋ na le, bari mennu buka je, wolu le ka tu fo abadaa.
