Paul and the False Apostles
1 Please put up with a little of my foolishness. 2 I am as concerned about you as God is. You were like a virgin bride I had chosen only for Christ. 3 But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way. 4 We told you about Jesus, and you received the Holy Spirit and accepted our message. But you let some people tell you about another Jesus. Now you are ready to receive another spirit and accept a different message. 5 I think I am as good as any of those super apostles. 6 I may not speak as well as they do, but I know as much. And this has already been made perfectly clear to you.
7 Was it wrong for me to lower myself and honor you by preaching God's message free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by taking money from them to serve you. 9 Even when I was in need, I still didn't bother you. In fact, some of the Lord's followers from Macedonia brought me what I needed. I have not been a burden to you in the past, and I will never be a burden. 10 As surely as I speak the truth about Christ, no one in Achaia can stop me from bragging about this. 11 And it isn't because I don't love you. God himself knows how much I do love you.
12 I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won't be able to brag about doing the same things we are doing. 13 Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14 And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. 15 So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve.
Paul's Sufferings for Christ
16 I don't want any of you to think I am a fool. But if you do, then let me be a fool and brag a little. 17 When I do all this bragging, I do it as a fool and not for the Lord. 18 Yet if others want to brag about what they have done, so will I. 19 And since you are so smart, you will gladly put up with a fool. 20 In fact, you let people make slaves of you and cheat you and steal from you. Why, you even let them strut around and slap you in the face. 21 I am ashamed to say we are too weak to behave in such a way.
If they can brag, so can I, but it is a foolish thing to do. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? Well, so am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a fool to talk this way, but I serve him better than they do. I have worked harder and have been put in jail more times. I have been beaten with whips more and have been in danger of death more often.
24 Five times my own people gave me 39 lashes with a whip. 25 Three times the Romans beat me with a big stick, and once my enemies stoned me. I have been shipwrecked three times, and I even had to spend a night and a day in the sea. 26 During my many travels, I have been in danger from rivers, robbers, my own people, and foreigners. My life has been in danger in cities, in deserts, at sea, and with people who only pretended to be the Lord's followers.
27 I have worked and struggled and spent many sleepless nights. I have gone hungry and thirsty and often had nothing to eat. I have been cold from not having enough clothes to keep me warm. 28 Besides everything else, each day I am burdened down, worrying about all the churches. 29 When others are weak, I am weak too. When others are tricked into sin, I get angry.
30 If I have to brag, I will brag about how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, knows I am not lying. And God is to be praised forever! 32 The governor of Damascus at the time of King Aretas had the city gates guarded, so he could capture me. 33 But I escaped by being let down in a basket through a window in the city wall.
XI.
Sv. Pōvula pašaizlīdzeiba.
1 Ak, ka jyus kaut drusku grybātu pījimt munu naprōteibu. Jā, pījemit nu manis. 2 Es asmu pōrjimts par jums ar dīvišku centeibu; es jyusus sadarynōju vīnam veiram, lai jyusus, kai teiru jaunovu, stōdeitu prīškā Kristum. 3 Es beistūs, ka kai čyuska ar sovu viļteibu pīvyla Īvu, tai arī jyusu dūmu nasabūjōtu un nu Kristum pīnōceigōs vinkōršeibas un navaineibas naatrautu. 4 Un jo kas pi jums atgōjis kaidu cytu Jezu sludynōtu, na kai mes sludynojam, vai jyus cytu goru sajimtu, na asot sajāmuši, vai arī cytu Evangeliju dzērdātu, na kai jyus nu manis dzērdējot, tad varit sev pasaklauseit. 5 Bet es dūmoju, ka es par tū „dīžapostolu“ zamōks naasmu. 6 Lai arī es byutu naveikls runā, tad tūmār na atziņā, jo tū mes vysā un vysur skaidri asam pīrōdejuši.
7 Vai tad es asmu sagrākōjis? ka es, lai jyusus paaugstynōtu, sevi pazamynōju un bez atleidzeibas jums sludynōju Dīva Evangeliju? 8 Sajimdams nu jom pabolstu, cytas draudzes es asmu aplaupejis, lai varātu kolpōt jums. 9 Un kad es storp jums beju un tryukumu cīšu, es nivīna naapgryutynōju, un munam tryukumam paleidzēja brōli, kas nōce nu Makedonijas. Un tai es sorgōjūs, lai jyusu naapgryutynōtu, un arī uz prīšku es nu tō sorgōšūs. 10 Kai Kristus patīseiba ir manī, tai šytys dīžonums Achajas apgobolā man natiks nūslōpāts. 11 Kōpēc? Vai tōpēc, ka es jyusu namīļoju? — Tū zyna Dīvs. 12 Kū es doru, tū es dareišu arī uz prīšku, lai tim, kas mums dīžonumā grib leidzynōtīs, atjimtu ikvīnu izdeveibu. 13 Un tī cylvāki, kas izalīk par Kristus apostolim, ir vyltus apostoli, mōnu strodnīki. 14 Un nav kō breinōtīs. Jo pats satans izalīk par gaismas engeli. 15 Un nav nikas sevišks, ka arī jō kolpi izalīk par taisneibas kolpim. Jūs gols tūmār byus taids, kai jūs dorbi.
16 Un es atkōrtoju: Lai nivīns manis naskaita par muļki. Uu jo tūmār, tad skaitit mani par muļki tai, ka es ar sevi kaut par kū varātu dīžōtīs. 17 Kū es šymā gadejumā par dīžonumu soku, tō es nasoku Kristus gorā, bet gon kai nasaprosdams. 18 Jo tik daudzejī dīžojās par mīseigajom (lītom), tad arī es grybu dīžōtīs. 19 Jyus gon muļkus labprōt īcīšat, jo poši asot gudri. 20 Jyus pacīšat, jo kaids jyusus kalpynoj, izmontoj, jums pōresteibu dora, jyusus pōrspēj, jo kas jums par vaigu syt. 21 Sev par kaunu man ir jōatsazeist, ka mes šytō naspējam. Tūmār, kū kaids cyts īsadrūšynoj, — es runoju nasaprasšonā, — tū īsadrūšynoju arī es. 22 Jo jī ir ebreji, — arī es. Jo jī ir izraelīši, — arī es. Jo jī ir Abraama pēcnōcēji, — arī es. 23 Jo jī ir Kristus kolpi, — nasaprasšonā runoju — tū vairōk es: pōrmēreigajōs pyulēs, daudz vairōk īslūdzeišonā cītumūs, bezmēreigajā šausteišonā, pat bīži nōves brīsmōs, 24 nu jūdim es sajēmu pīcas reizes četrudemit sitīņu atjamūt vīnu. 25 Trejskōrteigi mani syta ar reikstem, reizi mātōja ar akminim, trejskōrteigi es pōrcīšu kuga avariju, vīnu dīnnakti es tyku plūseits jyurā. 26 Es daudzkōrt beju ceļōjumūs, upu yudiņu brīsmōs, slapkovu brīsmōs, nu ciļtsbrōlim brīsmōs, tūksnesī brīsmōs, nu pogōnim brīsmōs, piļsātā brīsmōs, uz jyuras brīsmōs, nu vyltus brōlim brīsmōs. 27 Es izcīšu pyules un tryukumu, bīži nūmūdā naktis, izolkumu un slōpes, daudz gavēņu, soltumu un plykumu. 28 Bez šytō vysa vēļ nōk klōtu ikdīniškōs ryupes un ryupes par vysom draudzem.
29 Kas tad palīk vōjs, man reizē vōjam napalīkūt? Kas īsaļaunoj, man naīsadagūt? 30 Jo ir jōsadīžoj, tad es dīžojūs par sovu vōjumu. 31 Dīvs, Kunga Jezus Tāvs zyna, ka es namaloju. Jys lai ir slaveits myužam!
32 Damaskas kēniņa Aretas pōrvaldnīks pavēlēja apsorgōt piļsātu, lai mani sakartu. 33 Bet mani caur lūgu pōri par myuru nūlaide peitinī un tai es nu jō rūkom izmuku.
