1Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
1እኔም ራሴ ጳውሎስ፥ በእናንተ ዘንድ ፊት ለፊት ሳለሁ ትሑት የሆንሁ፥ ከእናንተ ግን ብርቅ የምደፍራችሁ፥ በክርስቶስ የዋህነትና ገርነት እመክራችኋለሁ፤
2But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
2በዓለማዊ ልማድ እንደምንመላለስ በሚቆጥሩን በአንዳንዶች ላይ አምኜ ልደፍር አስባለሁ፥ በዚያ እምነት ግን ከእናንተ ጋር ሆኜ እንዳልደፍር እለምንችኋለሁ።
3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
3በሰው ልማድ ምንም እንኳ የምንመላለስ ብንሆን፥ እንደ ሰው ልማድ አንዋጋም፤
4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
4የጦር ዕቃችን ሥጋዊ አይደለምና፥ ምሽግን ለመስበር ግን በእግዚአብሔር ፊት ብርቱ ነው፤
5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
5የሰውንም አሳብ በእግዚአብሔርም እውቀት ላይ የሚነሣውን ከፍ ያለውን ነገር ሁሉ እናፈርሳለን ለክርስቶስም ለመታዘዝ አእምሮን ሁሉ እንማርካለን፥
6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
6መታዘዛችሁም በተፈጸመች ጊዜ አለመታዘዝን ሁሉ ልንበቀል ተዘጋጅተናል።
7Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
7በፊታችሁ ያለውን ተመልከቱ። ማንም የክርስቶስ መሆኑን ተረድቶ ቢሆን፥ ይህን እንደ ገና በራሱ ይቁጠረው፤ እርሱ የክርስቶስ እንደ ሆነ እኛ ደግሞ እንዲሁ ነን።
8For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
8ጌታ እናንተን ለማነጽ እንጂ እናንተን ለማፍረስ ያይደለ በሰጠው በሥልጣናችን ከፊት ይልቅ ብመካ እንኳ አላፍርም።
9That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
9በመልእክቶቼ የማስደነግጣችሁ አይምሰላችሁ።
10For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
10መልእክቶቹስ ከባድና ኃይለኛ ናቸው፥ ሰውነቱ ግን ሲታይ ደካማ ነው፥ ንግግሩም የተናቀ ነው ይላሉና።
11Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
11እንዲሁ የሚል ይህን ይቁጠረው፤ በሩቅ ሳለን በመልእክታችን በኩል በቃል እንዳለን፥ በፊቱ ደግሞ ሳለን በሥራ እንዲሁ ነን።
12For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
12ራሳቸውን ከሚያመሰግኑ ከአንዳንዶች ጋር ራሳችንን ልንቆጥር ወይም ራሳችንን ልናስተያይ አንደፍርምና፤ ነገር ግን እነርሱ ራሳቸውን ከራሳቸው ጋር ሲያመዛዝኑ፥ ራሳቸውንም ከራሳቸው ጋር ሲያስተያዩ፥ አያስተውሉም።
13But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
13እኛ ግን እግዚአብሔር እንደ ወሰነልን እስከ እናንተ እንኳ እንደሚደርስ እንደ ክፍላችን ልክ እንጂ ያለ ልክ አንመካም።
14For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
14ወደ እናንተ እንደማንደርስ አድርገን ከመጠን አናልፍምና፥ የክርስቶስን ወንጌል በመስበክ እስከ እናንተ እንኳ ደርሰናልና፤
15Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
15በሌሎች ድካም ያለ ልክ አንመካም፥ ነገር ግን እምነታችሁ ሲያድግ ከእናንተ ወዲያ ባለው አገር እስክንሰብክ ሥራችንን እየጨመርን፥ በክፍላችን በእናንተ ዘንድ እንድንከብር ተስፋ እናደርጋለን፤ በሌላው ክፍል ስለ ተዘጋጀው ነገር አንመካም።
16To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
17የሚመካ ግን በጌታ ይመካ፤ እግዚአብሔር የሚያመሰግነው እንጂ ራሱን የሚያመሰግን እርሱ ተፈትኖ የሚወጣ አይደለምና።
17But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.