1 Khawrin 3
1 Manuca rhoek, kai tah nangmihte mueihla hlang bangla ka thui ham a coeng moenih. Tedae pumsa hlang, Khrih ah cahmangrhoek bangla kam voek.
My fellow believers, [when I was with you previously], I was not able to teach you as [I would teach people who are controlled by the Holy] Spirit {[whom the Holy] Spirit [controls]}. Instead, [I had to teach you as I would teach] people whom their self-directed nature controls. [I taught very simple concepts to you who had recently believed] in Christ, [as a parent would speak very simple words] to a baby.
2 Nangmihte suktui ni kan tul. Na coeng uh hlan dongah buhhap kan cah moenih. Tahae due khawna coeng uh moenih.
I did not [teach] you [things that were difficult for you to understand, just like a woman does not] give [her baby] solid food [that the baby cannot chew and digest]. [And just like a woman] ([gives her baby milk/breast-feeds her baby]), [I taught you simple spiritual concepts], because at that time you were not able to understand difficult things. And you are still not able to understand difficult concepts,
3 Pumsa la na khuiah thatlainah, tohhaemnah dongah na om uh pueng. Pumsa la na om uh tih hlang dongahna pongpa uh pawt nim?
because you are still controlled by your self-directed nature. Some of you are jealous and quarreling. (That shows that your self-directed nature is controlling you!/Does not that prove your self-directed nature is controlling you?) [RHQ] It shows that [you are acting like] unbelievers act.
4 Pakhat loh, “Kai tah Paul kah ni, a tloe long khaw, “Kai tah Apollos kah,” tilana thui vaengah hlang la na om uh mahnim?
By some of you saying, “I am [loyal to] Paul,” and others saying, “I am [loyal to] Apollos,” (you show that [you are acting like] unbelievers./does not it show that [you are acting like] unbelievers?) [RHQ]
5 Te dongah Apollos tah metlam a om? Paul tah metlam a om? Boeipa loh a paek vanbangla terhoek lamlong ni tueihyoeih rhoek te rhipna tangnah uh.
[So what you really ought to think about] Apollos and me [RHQ] is that we(dl) are merely men who serve God. As a result of our [telling you the message about Christ], you trusted in him. Both of us [(dl)] are merely doing the work that the Lord appointed us to do.
6 Kai loh ka phungtih Apollosloha suep dae Pathen long ni a rhoeng sak.
I was [the first one who preached God’s message to you. I was like] [MET] someone who plants seeds. [Later], Apollos [taught you more of God’s message. That was like] [MET] someone who waters plants [after they start to grow]. But it is God who [enables people to grow spiritually, just like he is the one who] causes [plants] to grow.
7 Te dongah aka phung te a tloe moenih, aka suep tah a tloelaa om moenih. Tedae te tah Pathen long ni a rhoeng sak.
So [the person who first preaches God’s message to people is not important, and the person who later teaches people more of God’s message is not important, just like] [MET] it is not the person who plants [the seeds] or the person who waters [the plants] who is important. Instead, it is God, who causes plants to grow [and who causes people to grow spiritually, who is important].
8 Aka phung neh aka suep tah pakhatlaa om dongah a thakthaenah bangla a thapang rhip a dang ni.
The person [who first preaches God’s message to people and the one who later teaches them more of God’s message] [MET] both (are [trying to reach the] same [goal]/have the same [purpose]). And [God] will reward each of them according to how they served him.
9 Pathen lohmuenah Pathen kah bibipuei la ka om uh tih Pathen kah a imsak la na om uh.
Remember that Apollos and I are both working together for God. [You do not belong to us]. Just like a field [belongs to its owner, not to those who work in it], you belong to God, [not to us who work for him]. 1 Corinthians 3:9b-15 Also, a house belongs to its owner. [It does not belong to the man who built it. Similarly, God is the one to whom you belong].
10 Pathen kah lungvatnah kai m'paek lamloh aka cueih imsakung bangla khoengim ka tloeng. A tloeloha tlingtlawn thil dae metla a tlingtlawn khaw rhip hmu nawn saeh.
[Just like] a skilled person puts a foundation in the ground [before he builds a house], as a result of God kindly helping me [MET], [I was the first one who declared the message about Christ to you. And, just like] others build a house on its foundation, there were [others who later taught you more about Christ]. But [just like each person who builds a house] must be careful about what materials he uses to build it [MET], each person [who teaches God’s truth must be careful about what he teaches].
11 Khoengim aka sut Jesuh Khrih amah a om phoeiah a tloe loh sut ham a coeng moenih.
Just like people can put in [only] one foundation [for a house] [MET], [there is only one message that we can give to people. That message is about] Jesus Christ.
12 Tedae khat khat loh khoengim te sui, ngun, lungthen, thing, khopol, cangkong, dongah a sak atah,
Furthermore, people can build a house on its foundation [with materials that are valuable and do not burn easily, such as] gold, silver, and expensive jewels. Or they could build a house with [materials that are not valuable and that burn easily, such as] wood, hay, and straw.
13 khat rhip kah khoboe tah mingpha la om vetih a khohnin loh a thuicaih bitni. Hmai te a pumphoe pah coeng dongah khat rhip kah khoboe te metla a om khaw hmai mah loh a nuemnai bitni.
Later it will become clear/evident what kind of material they used to build the house. [Similarly, when people teach others God’s truth], it will later become clear [what kind of things they taught]. [God] will make that clear/evident at the time [when he judges us] [MTY].
14 Pakhat kah a khueng te a bitat a kuei atah thapang a dang ni.
When a fire [starts burning a house], it becomes clear whether the builders used [materials in their] work [that will burn, or materials that will not burn]. Similarly [MET], when God judges us, it will be clear whether we taught others things that were long-lasting and valuable or not. If [the materials that are used to] build a house [are materials that] do not burn, the builder will receive a reward [MET]. [Similarly, if we have taught others things that are valuable and long-lasting, God will give us a reward].
15 Pakhat kah a bisai te a tlum atah sungdaeh ni. Tedae amah ngawntah hmai lamloh a loeih vanbangla a khang van ni.
If [the things that we have taught] are not valuable and long-lasting [MET], [we will not get a reward]. We will be saved {[God] will save us} [from hell], but [that is all that we will get. We will be like a man who] escapes from a fire [without saving any of his possessions]. (questioned)
16 Pathen kah bawkim la na om uh tih Pathen Mueihla loh nangmih khuiah a kol tena ming uh moenih a?
You need to remember that God [is present among] you [(pl) as he was present in the] Temple [in Jerusalem]. [RHQ] God’s Spirit lives within you.
17 Pakhat long ni Pathen kah bawkim te a poeih atah anihte Pathen loh a poeih ni. Pathen kah bawkim tah cim ta. Te tah nangmih ni.
So, [just like] God will destroy anyone who tries to destroy his Temple, [he will destroy anyone who destroys the unity of a congregation. He will do that] because [he has set] you, [his people, apart for himself, just like he set] his Temple [apart for himself].
18 Pakhat khaw amah neh amah hoilae uh boel saeh. Nangmih khuikah khat khat loh ta kumhal ah hlang cueih la om ham a poek atah hlang ang la om dae saeh. Te daengah ni hlang cueihlaa om eh. (aiōn g165)
Some among you think that you are wise because unbelievers thought you were wise previously. Stop deceiving yourselves. [If you really want to be wise, by accepting what God considers to be wise] you should [be willing to let unbelievers consider that you are] foolish [IRO]. (aiōn g165)
19 Diklai cueihnah tah Pathen taengah angnah la om. A daek tangtae dongah, aka cueihrhoek te amih kah rhaithinah neh a khum.
You should do that because things that unbelievers [consider to be] [IRO] wise, God considers to be foolish. [We can learn from] the Scriptures [what God says about] that: Those who think that they are [IRO] wise, he messes up their plans by the mistakes they make!
20 Te phoeiah aka cueihrhoek kah poeknah he a honghilaa coeng te Boeipa loh koep a ming.
And [we can learn from] these words of Scripture, The Lord considers as useless the thoughts of [humans who think that they are] [IRO] wise.
21 A cungluem he nangmih ham a om coeng dongah hlang dongah tah pomsang tangloeng boel saeh.
So, stop boasting about [how good one Christian leader is or how good another Christian leader is]. All [of us(exc) exist as leaders only to help] you!
22 Paul khaw, Apollos khaw, Kephas khaw, Diklai khaw, hingnah khaw, dueknah khaw, aka pai nawn khaw, hmailong khaw, nangmih kah boeih ni.
Specifically, do not boast about me, or about Apollos, or about Peter! Everything in the world exists to [benefit] you [believers]. Whether you live or whether you die, the things that are happening now or the things that will happen in the future, they are all to benefit you.
23 Nangmih khaw Khrih kah tih Khrih khaw Pathen kah ni.
[You should boast about] Christ, [not about your leaders, because] you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
