Life in God's Service
1 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. 2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.
3 And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. 4 We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. 5 In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. 6 So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; 7 if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; 8 if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. 10 Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another. 11 Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. 12 Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. 13 Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.
14 Ask God to bless those who persecute you—yes, ask him to bless, not to curse. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. 16 Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise.
17 If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. 18 Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. 19 Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, “I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord.” 20 Instead, as the scripture says: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame.” 21 Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.
Baluwo meŋ ka Alla seewondi
1 Wo to baadiŋolu*, Alla la balafaa kamma la, ŋa ali yaamari, fo ali si ali baloolu dii Alla la ko sadaa* baluuriŋolu, mennu seneyaata, aniŋ mennu ka Alla seewondi. Ñiŋ ne mu baturi tooñaa ti. 2 Ali kana ali faŋolu tembendi ñiŋ duniyaa kuwolu fee, bari ali si yelema ka bo niŋ hakili kutayandiroo la. Wo to le ali be Alla la lafoo loŋ na kuwolu to, mennu beteyaata, ì timmata, aniŋ ì ka a seewondi.
3 Alla ye hiinoo meŋ yita nte la, wo hiinoo le ye a tinna m be ali bee daani kaŋ: Ali kana ali faŋolu la kuwo landatambindi, bari ali si ali faŋolu kaañaŋ, meŋ-wo-meŋ ko ali la lannoo be ñaameŋ, Alla ye meŋ dii ali la. 4 Kaatu ntolu meŋ-wo-meŋ baloo ye suufu jamaa le soto, bari ì la dookuwolu maŋ kiliŋ. 5 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, ǹ siyaata le, bari m̀ mu balajaata kiliŋ ne ti Kiristu* kono, aduŋ ntolu kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa mu suufoo le ti ñoo ye.
6 Wo kamma la soorifeŋolu, ŋà mennu soto, ì maŋ ke kiliŋ ti, bari ì be dendiŋ Alla la hiinoo le la. Ǹ si ì dookundi a ñaama: Niŋ i la soorifeŋo mu ka Alla la kiilaariyaa kumoo fo, a fo ko i la lannoo be ñaameŋ. 7 Niŋ maakoyiroo le mu, maakoyiroo ke, niŋ karandiroo le mu, karandiroo ke, 8 niŋ wakiilindiroo le mu, i mooñoolu wakiilindi. Meŋ na soorifeŋo mu diiroo le ti, a si a ke a sondomoo bee la, meŋ na soorifeŋo mu ñaatonkayaa ti, a si a ke soobeeyaa kono, meŋ na soorifeŋo mu ka balafaa yitandi, a si a ke niŋ seewoo la.
9 Ali la kanoo si ke tooñaa ti. Ali kuu jawoo koŋ, ali ye kuu betoo muta kendeke. 10 Ali ñoo kanu beteke ko baadimmaalu Kiristu kono. I mooñoo horoma ka tambi a la i horomoo la. 11 Ali kana dasa ali la hame baa la, bari ali fatiyaa Nooroo kono ka Maariyo batu. 12 Ali seewoo ali la jikoo kono, ali si muña tooroo kono, aduŋ ali si saayi duwaa la. 13 Ali Alla la moo senuŋolu maakoyi, niŋ ì be suuloo kono, aduŋ ali si paree ka luntaŋolu jiyaa.
14 Ali neemoo duwaa moolu ye, mennu ka ali toorandi. Duwaa ì ye, bari kana ì danka. 15 Ali seewoo moolu fee, mennu be seewooriŋ. Ali kumboo moolu fee, mennu be kumboo kaŋ. 16 Ali ke ŋaniya kiliŋ ti ñoo ye. Ali kana faŋ waroo soto, bari ali niŋ moolu si kafuñooyaa mennu maŋ ì faŋ siyaa moo ti. Ali kana a miira ko, alitolu le ñaamenta.
17 Niŋ moo ye kuu jawoo ke ali la, ali kana a joo kuu jawoo la, bari ali a kata ka kuu betoolu ke moolu bee ñaatiliŋo la. 18 Niŋ a si ke noo ali la karoo la, ali niŋ moolu bee si tara kayiroo kono. 19 N kanuntewolu, ali kana ì joo ali faŋ ye, bari wo noo to, ali Alla seyi jee, kaatu a be safeeriŋ ne ko:
“Maariyo ko, ‘Julujoo mu nte le taa ti,
m be n joo la le.’ ”
20 Ali kana wo ke, bari wo noo to:
“Niŋ konkoo be i jawoo la, domoroo dii a la,
niŋ mindoo ye a muta, jiyo dii a la.
Niŋ i ka ñinnu ke, a be muluŋ na le ko,
i ka dimbaa keñemboo le juruma a kuŋo kaŋ.”
21 Kana soŋ, kuu jawoo ye i noo, bari i si kuu jawoo noo kuu betoo la.
