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.
Kristus Oye aeke emona lashili
1 Ndele natango, ovamwatate, hafeni mOmwene! Oku mu shangululila oinima ei itaku lolola nge, ndelenee kunye epameko.
2 Lungameni eembwa odo, lungameni ovalongi ovo vai, lungameni ovo va pitifwa nai etanda. 3 Osheshi ovapiti vetanda vashili ofye ava hatu longele Kalunga mOmhepo yaKalunga nohatu litangele Kristus Jesus, fye itatu lineekele ombelela, 4 nande ame ndi na sha shokulineekelwa yo pambelela. Ngeenge pe na ou e shii, oye e na sha shokulineekela ombelela, ame ondi mu dule. 5 Ame ou nda pitifwa etanda mefiku etihetatu, aame womoludi laIsrael, womapata aBenjamin, Omuheberi womOvaheberi, pamhango Omufarisai, 6 pauladi ndimuhepeki weongalo, pauyuki womhango aame omuhenashipo. 7 Ndelenee ei ya li eliko lange, onde i tala oyo oshiponga omolwaKristus. 8 Heeno oshili, oinima aishe, eshi nde i shaameka nokushiiva Kristus Jesus Omwene wange, handi i tale oyo oshiponga, osheshi omolwaye nda kanifa aishe nohandi i dini oyo oimbodi yongaho, ndi likole Kristus, 9 ndele ndi monike ndi li muye, ndihe nouyuki wange mwene womomhango, ndelenee oyou womeitavelo laKristus, ouyuki tuu ou hau di muKalunga molweitavelo; 10 nondi mu shiive, neenghono denyumuko laye nokukala pamwe naye momauyehame aye ndi mu fe mokufya kwa fa kwaye, 11 ame ndi fike ko kenyumuko lokovafi.
Elalakaneno lOmukriste
12 Hakutya nde shi hanga ngeno ile nda wana nda pwa, ndelenee ohandi shi lotokele, ndi shi kwate, ngaashi ame nda kwatwa kuKristus Jesus. 13 Ovamwatate, ame itandi litale nokutya, nde shi hanga, ndelenee handi shi ningi: ohandi dimbwa ei yokonima nohandi lalakanene ei yokomesho, 14 ohandi lotokele kefikilo, okondjabi yefindano Kalunga e i ifanena nge neifano lopombada muKristus Jesus.
15 Hano ofyeni atusheni ava twa wana, tu diladileni ngaha, nongeenge mu nomadiladilo amwe moshinima shonhumba, naasho otamu ke shi hololelwa kuKalunga. 16 Ndelenee keshe apa twa fikeni, natu endeni mondjila imwe nokukala mediladilo limwe.
17 Ovamwatate, ningeni ovahopaeleli vange, nye mu tale ava hava ende pashihopaelelwa eshi mwa kufa mufye. 18 Osheshi vahapu, ngaashi nde ve mu lombwela luhapu nohandi mu lombwele vali, ndi nomahodi, ohava ende ovatondi vomushiyakano waKristus. 19 Exulilo lavo olo ekano, nedimo lavo olo kalunga kavo, nefimano lavo ohoni yavo, nohava diladila ei yopadu. 20 Ndelenee oukwashilongo wetu otu u kwete meulu, omo hatu teelele Omwene Jesus Kristus Omuxupifi, 21 ou ta ka shitulula omalutu etu aa a xutuka, a fe olutu laye loshinge, okeenghono daye tadi dulikifa aishe kuye.
