2 Korinčanima 12

1 Hvaliti se treba? Ne koristi doduše ali - dolazim na viđenje i objave Gospodnje.

[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 Znam čovjeka u Kristu: prije četrnaest godina - da li u tijelu, ne znam; da li izvan tijela, ne znam, Bog zna - taj je bio ponesen do trećeg neba.

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 I znam da je taj čovjek - da li u tijelu, da li izvan tijela, ne znam, Bog zna -

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 bio ponesen u raj i čuo neizrecive riječi, kojih čovjek ne smije govoriti.

5 Time ću se hvaliti, a samim se sobom neću hvaliti osim slabostima svojim.

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 Uistinu, kad bih se i htio hvaliti, ne bih bio bezuman; istinu bih govorio. Ali se uzdržavam da ne bi tko mislio o meni više nego što vidi na meni ili što čuje od mene.

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 I da se zbog uzvišenosti objava ne bih uzoholio, dan mi je trn u tijelu, anđeo Sotonin, da me udara da se ne uzoholim.

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 Za to sam triput molio Gospodina, da odstupi od mene. A on mi reče:

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

9 “Dosta ti je moja milost jer snaga se u slabosti usavršuje.” Najradije ću se dakle još više hvaliti svojim slabostima da se nastani u meni snaga Kristova.

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 Zato uživam u slabostima, uvredama, poteškoćama, progonstvima, tjeskobama poradi Krista. Jer kad sam slab, onda sam jak.

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 Postao sam bezuman! Vi me natjeraste. Ta trebalo je da me vi preporučite jer ni u čemu nisam manji od “nadapostola”, premda nisam ništa.

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 Znamenja apostolstva moga ostvarena su među vama u posvemašnjoj postojanosti: znakovima i čudesima i silnim djelima.

[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 Ta u čemu ste to manji od drugih crkava, osim što vam ja nisam bio na teret? Oprostite mi ovu “nepravdu”.

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 Evo, spremam se treći put doći k vama i neću vam biti na teret jer ne ištem vaše, nego vas. Djeca doista nisu dužna stjecati roditeljima, nego roditelji djeci.

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 A ja ću najradije trošiti i istrošiti se za duše vaše. Ako vas više ljubim, zar da budem manje ljubljen?

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 Ali neka! Ja vas nisam opterećivao, nego, “lukav” kako jesam, “na prijevaru vas uhvatih”.

[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 Da vas možda nisam zakinuo po kome od onih koje poslah k vama?

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 Zamolio sam Tita i poslao s njime brata. Da vas možda Tit nije u čemu zakinuo? Zar nismo hodili u istom duhu? I istim stopama?

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 Odavna smatrate da se pred vama branimo. Pred Bogom u Kristu govorimo: sve je to, ljubljeni, za vaše izgrađivanje.

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 Bojim se doista da vas kada dođem, možda neću naći kakve bih htio i da ćete vi mene naći kakva ne biste htjeli: da ne bi možda bilo svađa, zavisti, žestina, spletkarenja, klevetanja, došaptavanja, nadimanja, buna;

[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 da me opet kada dođem, ne bi ponizio Bog moj kod vas kako ne bih morao oplakivati mnoge koji su prije sagriješili, a nisu se pokajali za nečistoću i bludnost i razvratnost koju počiniše.

[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.