2 Kawrin 12

1 A rhoeirhoep pawt mai akhaw pomsang hama kuek. Tedae Boeipa kah mangthui neh pumphoenah te ka paan ni.

[It seems that] I must go on boasting [about myself]. Although [I do] not [think that my telling you about] this will help [you to accept me as Christ’s representative to you], I [will say this anyway]. I will tell you about visions that the Lord [gave a certain man] and about things that he [supernaturally] revealed [to that man. I will tell you this because some of the people among you boast that it was in visions that they received the things that they teach].

2 Hnuk kum hlaili ah Khrih dongkah hlang pakhat ka ming. A pum nen nim te ka ming ngawn pawh. A pum a tal khaw ka ming pawh. Vaan a pathum la anih a pom te Pathen loh a ming.

The man that I will tell you about is one [who believes] in Christ. Fourteen years ago he was taken {[Christ] took him} up into the third heaven, [the highest heaven, the place where God is]. I do not know whether he went there [in his physical body] or whether he was outside of his body [at that time and only his spirit went]. Only God really knows.

3 Tekah hlang te ka ming ngawn daea pum nen nim, pum tal lam nim te ka ming pawh.

But he was [suddenly] taken {[Christ suddenly] took him} up to [a place called] Paradise, [that wonderful place where God lives. I repeat that] I do not know whether his body [went there] or only his spirit. Only God knows [that. While he was there, God] told him some things that he does not allow [human beings] to tell [others about].

4 Tedae paradai la a pom te Pathen loh a ming. Te vaengah ol toeklek na pawt tea yaak uh tih hlang pakhat khaw ol thui ham pae pawh.

5 Te kah a yueng lam ni ka pomsang eh. Tedae kamah ham he ka vawtthoeknah nen pawt atah ka pomsang mahpawh.

I will proudly talk about that man. However, I will not be boasting [as] I say that I [am the one who saw and heard those wonderful things]. I will talk only about the things that [cause others to think of] me as a weak [human being like everyone else].

6 Pomsang ham ka ngaih cakhaw hlang ang la ka om pawt vetih oltak ni ka thui eh. Tedae kan hlun pueng. Kai he m'hmuh tih kai kawng te cungvang khaw a yaak vaengah pumphoenah dongkah a puehkan la pakhat long khaw kai he voelh ng'oep boel saeh.

But even if I should choose to boast [to you about such wonderful things that happened to me], I would not be [speaking like] a fool, because I would be telling you the truth. But I will not [talk proudly about such things], because I do not want any of you to think highly of me [because of the things that have happened to me]. Instead, [I want you to decide what kind of person I am by the way you see] me [acting] and by what you hear me teach.

7 Te daengah ni kamah ka pomsang pawt tangloeng eh. Kai phop hamla Satan kah puencawn loh ka saa te tlaeh neha toeh. Te nen te ka pomsang uh mahpawt nim?

In order that I might not become proud because of those many wonderful things [that Christ] revealed to me, [God permitted] Satan to send a messenger [to humble me] (OR, to [make me sick]). [What that messenger did to me was painful, like] [MET] a thorn pricking my body.

8 Hekah he kai lamkah khoe sak ham Boeipa te voeithum ka bih.

Three times I prayed to the Lord about it, begging him to take this away from me.

9 Tedae kamah taengah, “Kai kah lungvatnah tah nang ham rhoeh. Thaomnah tah vawtthoeknah dongah nia soep,” a ti. Te dongah ka vawtthoeknah dongah hlae hlae ka pomsang lat. Te daengah ni Khrih kah thaomnah loh kai n'rhaeh thil eh.

But he said to me, “[No, I will not take this away from you. Instead], I will kindly help you, and that will be all that you need, because it is [when you are] weak that I [can] best [work] powerfully [to help you].” So, because of [what the Lord said to me], I will very gladly boast about [the things that make] me [seem] weak, so that [people may realize] that it is Christ who gives me power [to serve him].

10 Te dongah Khrih yueng la vawtthoeknah nen khaw, olboepnah nen khaw, kueknah nen khaw, hnaemtaeknah citcai nen khaw ka lungtlun uh coeng. Ka tattloel vaengah yoeikoek la ka om van.

For that reason, [whenever I am] weak, or [when people] insult me, [or when I have to endure] hardships, or [when I am persecuted] {[people] cause me to suffer}, or [when I am in situations that] distress me, I am content because [I am serving] Christ. [I can say that] because at any time when I myself am weak, that is the [very] time when [Christ] powerfully [helps me].

11 Hlang ang la ka om khaw nangmih long ni kai nan tanolh uh. Kai tah nangmih kah a oep ham khaw ka kuek pai. A honghi la ka om mai cakhaw caeltueih rhoek kah buhuenga pom te ka phavawt moenih.

It has been foolish for me [to talk about myself like this], but it is you who forced me to do it. Truly [if the Lord would not help me], I would be worthless, [as my opponents say that I am]. But none of the men whom you [wrongfully think] [IRO] are great apostles are greater in any way than I am. So it would have been right/proper for you to say good things about me.

12 Caeltueih kah miknoek tah uehnah cungkuem neh miknoek la, khobae rhambae la, thaomnah la nangmih taengah thoeng coeng.

[You should have done that, because] when I was with you [I] repeatedly did the things that showed you that [I am truly] an apostle, such as performing many [DOU] miracles.

13 Hlangboel tloe rhoek lakah aka khulae te balae aka om. Te pawt akhaw kai kamah loh nangmih kan thinrhih sak mai pawt nim? Hekah boethae dongah khaw kai ng'rhen uh mai.

And I have [certainly treated] you as well as [I treated] the other congregations [that I helped to start. Or do you think that] by not asking you [to pay me for my work], I was not treating you as well as I treated the other congregations? (It is foolish for you to [think that] [IRO] [it] was wrong for me not [to ask for pay from you for my work, and therefore I should ask] you to forgive me for that!/Do you [think that it] was wrong for me not [to ask for pay from you for my work, and therefore I should ask] you to forgive me for that?) [RHQ]

14 Nangmih taengah a pathum ka pawk ham sikim la ka om coeng he. Tedae nangmih kah koe pawt tih namamih te kan toem dongah ka thinrhih mahpawh. Ca rhoek loh manu napa ham a tung paha kuek moenih. Tedae manu napa long ni ca rhoek ham a tung pah.

Now listen to me! It is time for me to come to you for a third [visit. When I come], I [still] will not insist that you [pay me for my work], because I do not want [any of] your [money] [EUP]! What I want is for you [MTY] [to love and appreciate me]. It is not [normally the duty of] children to save [money to provide for the needs of] their parents. Instead, it [is the duty of] parents to [provide] for their children [MET]. In the same way, [it is not your duty to provide for me. Instead, it is my duty to provide spiritual help for you because you are my spiritual children].

15 Kai loh hlae hlae ka vak cakhaw nangmih kah hinglu ham ni ka khok eh. Nangmih tea kum ngai kan lungnah coeng atah kamah ka lungnah he sii mai saeh.

So, for my part, [as a good parent would do], I will be very happy to use everything that I have, and do everything that I possibly can, [in order to help you]. And because I love you very much, (I will be very disappointed if [you] do not love me a little bit, too./will [you] not love me a little bit, too?) [RHQ]

16 Ana om dae saeh, kai loh nangmih kan nan moenih. Tuengkhuepnah neh hoeih aka om long ni nangmih te kan loh.

[You all] know that I did not depend on you [to provide for my needs]. However, [there are some who accuse me, saying that] [IRO] I was very clever and got money from you by tricking you.

17 Amih khuikah pakhat khaw nangmih taengla kan tueih moenih. Anih rhangneh nangmih kan omtoem nim?

But did I ever do that? No! I never [RHQ] asked any of the men whom I sent to you [to get money] from you [and bring it to me]

18 Titu te ka hloep tih manuca neh kan tueih. Titu loh nangmih te n'omtoem pawt maco? Mueihla ah amah la ka pongpa uh moenih a? Kholaeh khaw amah ah a thikat moenih a?

Titus went [and visited you because] I urged him to do so. I also sent the other believer, [whom you know], to go with Titus. [You know that] Titus did not [RHQ] trick [you in order to get money from you. And you certainly know that] he and I have always [RHQ] acted in exactly the same [honest] way [towards you].

19 Nangmih taengah ka huul uh tila na poek uh dingrhae coeng. Pathen hmaiah Khrih rhangnen ni ka thui uh. Tedae thintlo boeih tah nangmih kah hlinsainah ham ni.

While [you have been reading this letter, if] you have been thinking that I have [just] been [saying these things to] defend myself [against those who accuse me, you are wrong]. I have been saying [these things honestly, knowing] that God is listening [to me. I also speak as one who has a close relationship] with Christ. Everything that I do and [everything that I say is] to [help you] whom I love (to grow [spiritually/] to become [spiritually] mature).

20 Khoem ka pawk vaengah ka ngaih bangla nangmih kam hmu pawt ve ti ni ka rhih. Kai khaw nangmih loh nan ngaih uh pawt bangla m'hmu uh mai, tohhaemnah, thatlainah, thinsanah neh koevoeinah, olthaekaling, thuithetnah, hoemdawknah loh soekloeknah la khoem om ve.

[I have written this way to you] because I worry that when I come [to visit you], I will see that [some of] you are [not conducting your lives the way] that I want you [to]. If that is so, [when I get there] you will see that I will have [to act] in a [very severe way toward you, and I am sure] that you do not want that. Specifically, I am afraid that [some of you] may be quarreling, or that you are being jealous [of each other], or that you quickly get very angry [with them], or that you are acting selfishly, or that [some of] you are saying bad things about others, or that you are (spreading false rumors/saying false things) about each other, or that you are acting proudly, or that you are [doing things] in a disorderly manner.

21 Koep ka pawk vaengah ka Pathen loh nangmih hmaiah kai n'tlarhoel sak lah ve. Aka tholh rhoek te muep ka nguek thil dae yut uh pawh. Te dongah rhongingnah, Cukhalnah, omthenbawnnah te a saii uh.

[I] ([feel anxious/am concerned]) [about you. I worry that] when I visit you again, God, the one whom I [serve], will make me feel ashamed of you [when I see that] you [still are not conducting your lives as believers should]. Then I will feel very sad about [some of] you who were sinning previously and have not stopped your sinful behavior. [Some of you] may still have impure [thoughts. Some of you] may be having sexual intercourse with those to whom you are not married. [And some of you] may be doing other shameful things.