Being Acceptable to God
1 Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.
2 Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3 But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, 4 although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old, and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. 6 And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.
7 But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.
Running toward the Goal
12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. 16 But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.
17 My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. 18 I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again 19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
20 But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ 21 has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.
Ousemba watjiri
1 Nambano ami me mana orutuu ndwi nomambo nga: Vakwetu, yorokeye mu Muhona! Ami hi nokuurwa okumutjangera omambo tjingewo, nowo maye mu tjevere. 2 Ṱakamiseye imba mbe tjita ouvi; ṱakamiseye imba mbe hohiza ouvi; ṱakamiseye omasukarero nge hi notjiṋa ye heya! 3 Eṱe tu nomasukarekero watjiri, eṱe mbu tu karera Ndjambi mOmbepo ye, eṱe mbu tu rihiva mu Kristus Jesus nu mbu tu he riyameke komasukarero worutu. 4 Ami wina etje twa onḓakameno yandje moviṋa vyopendje. Nu tji pe nomundu ngu ma tjangovasi ma sora okutwa onḓakameno ye moviṋa vyopendje, ami wina etje sora tjinene komeho. 5 Ami tji mba sukarekwa tjandje mbi notjivike tjimwe. Owami Omuisrael mokukwatwa momuhoko wa Benjamin, nu owami Omuheberi okuza kombazu. Nu mokuṱakamisa Etwako rOvajuda mba ri Omufarisei. 6 Nu mba ri nonḓero tjinene nai nga tji mba tatumisa ombongo ya Kristus. Nu mokuṱakamisa imbi mbya ri komuhingo wEtwako ami mba ri omuhinatjipo komurungu wa Ndjambi. 7 Nungwari oviṋa avihe mbi ye vara otja ovinanḓengu, nambano mbi vi varera Kristus otja ovihinanḓengu. 8 Nu kaviṋa mbi porwavyo: Novikwao avihe mbi vi vara ovihinanḓengu, orondu ingwi okutjiwa Kristus Jesus oMuhona wandje kwa kapita avihe tjinene komeho. Nu avihe mbe vi imbirahira ye; avihe mbi vi vara otja oviyaya porwavyo kokutja mbi mune Kristus, 9 nu mbi kare noruwano na ye. Ami hi tji nokuvanga okuvarwa otja omusemba komurungu wa Ndjambi motjimbe tjokuṱakamisa Omatwako, nungwari me varwa otja omusemba mena rongamburiro mu Kristus. Nu tji mbe riyameke ku Kristus, me varwa otja omusemba komurungu wa Ndjambi. 10 Ihi porwatjo tji me zeri okongwi okutjiwa Kristus nomasa wombendukiro ye, nokukara norupa momahihamisiro we, nokusana na ye monḓiro ye, 11 momaundjiro wokutja ami omuini mbi pendurwe movakoke.
Rarakaneye okuvaza indji onduri!
12 Ami hi nakutja avihe mbe vi muna poo kutja ami mba pwisiwa, nungwari me kondjo kutja avihe vi rire ovyandje, Kristus Jesus tjinga e ndji isa po owe rukuru. 13 Nu, vakwetu, ami hi nakutjangovasi avihe mbe vi muna. Nungwari otjiṋa tjimwe tji me tjiti okongwi okuzemba imbi vyokombunda nokunanukira imbi vyokomeho. 14 Ami me rarakanene okuvaza indji onduri kokutja mbi katoṋe ihi otjihuze tjeyuru. Otjihuze hi otjo omuinyo omupe Ndjambi mbwe ndji isanena mu Kristus Jesus.
15 Neṱe atuhe mbu twe kura mombepo tu sokukara nouripura tjingewo. Nungwari tjiva veṋu tji ve nouripura warwe, Ndjambi mee mu pe ondjiviro osemba. 16 Nungwari ngatu ṱakamise uri imbwi omuhunga mbu twa toora nga mba.
17 Horereye ku ami, vakwetu, nu mu tare ku imba mbe horera kotjikaro otjisemba eṱe tji matu mu pe. 18 Otjiṋa hi mbe mu raerere rukuru potuingi, nu nambano me tji yarukire rukwao noruhoze: Pe novandu ovengi mbe hupa otja ovanavita notjikoroise tja Kristus. 19 Owo mave kayanda motjovasengwa; ozonḓuma zawo zonyama onḓe ri omukuru wawo; owo ve rihivira imbi mbi ve ṱisa ohoṋi; owo ve ripura na imbi vyouye mbwi porwavyo. 20 Nungwari eha retu ri ri meyuru, nu matu undju omukuture wetu Jesus Kristus oMuhona, a rauke keyuru. 21 Eye ma tanaura otutu twetu otungundi notukoke kutja tu sane nomuhapo worutu rwe orunandjozikiro, tjinga e nomasa okuwisa oviṋa avihe kehi youhonapare we.
