2 Corinthians 3
1 [As I write these things about myself], I am [RHQ] not [doing it] to boast about how good I am, [as some of you say I do]. Some people always carry letters with them that tell how well they work, [that other people] have [written]. But I do not [RHQ] need [to bring] letters like that [when I come to you]. Nor do I need to ask you [to write] letters like that [for me when I go to other congregations].
Ke nya siwo meŋlɔ na mi la, ɖe wodze abe míele mía ɖokui kafum enea? Alo ɖe wòhiã mi abe ame aɖewo ene be míatsɔ kafukafugbalẽwo vɛ na mi alo míaxɔ kafukafugbalẽ le mia si mahã?
2 You yourselves are [MET] [like a] letter that recommends my work [for God to everyone]. People see [how Christ changed] your [lives when you believed the message that I taught you]. Everyone [who knows you] can see [the result of my work for God].
Miawoe nye míaƒe agbalẽ si woŋlɔ ɖe miaƒe dziwo me, si amewo katã nya, eye woxlẽnɛ.
3 You are [MET] [like] a letter that Christ himself [has written] that says good things about [my work for God in your lives]. You show [people by the way you now conduct your lives that God has changed your lives] as a result of my work [among you. People did] not [find out about you by] reading [a letter that was written to them on paper] with [pen and] ink. Instead, [they saw how] the Spirit of the all-powerful God [has changed your lives]. Nor [did people find out about you by reading] a letter that was carved on stone slabs [like the stone slabs that God gave to Moses]. Instead, [it was the change that God’s Spirit made in] your lives [MET] [that they saw].
Amewo akpɔe be miezu agbalẽ si tso Kristo gbɔ to mía dzi. Menye agbalẽ si woŋlɔ kple nuŋlɔtsi o, ke boŋ esi wotsɔ Mawu gbagbe la ƒe Gbɔgbɔ ŋlɔe ɖe miaƒe dziwo me, ke menye ɖe nuŋlɔkpewo dzi o.
4 I [can very] confidently [write these things about the work that Silas, Timothy, and I did among you, because God knows that what I write is true. We(exc) are true workers] for God [because of what] Christ [has done for us].
Míele nya siawo gblɔm kple kakaɖedzi, elabena míeɖo ŋu ɖe Mawu ɖeka hɔ̃ la ko ŋu to Kristo dzi.
5 We [(exc)], by ourselves, do not have the ability [to do this work]. None of us [apostles] can say, “[I have changed the lives of these people].” God is the one [who has given us this ability].
Míawo la, ŋusẽ aɖeke mele mía si si míate ŋu atsɔ awɔ nu siawo katã o, ke míaƒe ŋusẽ tso Mawu gbɔ.
6 He is the one who enables us [(exc)] to be his messengers. [He has enabled us to tell people the message] about the new agreement [that he is making with them]. This is not a [message about obeying all the] written laws [of his old agreement that he made with the Jewish people]. Instead, [it is a message about God giving us his] Spirit. [Previously, God condemned people to be] separated from him forever [if they did not obey his laws]. But by [God’s new agreement] his Spirit enables people to live [eternally].
Mawue nye ame si na míedze be míanye Nubabla Yeye la ƒe gbeƒãɖelawo. Nubabla Yeye sia to vovo sãa tso xoxoa si nye se siwo woŋlɔ la gbɔ. Ke yeyetɔ nye be míasubɔ Mawu le Gbɔgbɔ me elabena Gbɔgbɔ lae gbɔa agbe ame, ke seawo ɖeɖe ko dzi wɔwɔ kplɔa ame yia ku me.
7 [Moses] taught [the people that if they did not obey God’s laws completely they would be] separated from God forever. [God] wrote [his laws] on stone [slabs. Then he gave them to Moses to teach them to the people. Although God’s laws condemned the people] to die, [when Moses brought those laws down from Sinai Mountain, God caused Moses’ face to shine] Moses’ face to shine radiantly [to show the people that these laws were God’s laws. It shone]. so brightly that the people of Israel could not keep looking at Moses’ face. [They had to look away]. But the brightness was slowly fading away.
Enye nyateƒe be Mose xɔ se siwo woŋlɔ ɖe kpe dzi, siwo dzi mawɔmawɔ hea ku vɛ la, le ŋutikɔkɔe gã aɖe me. Eye esi wòtrɔ gbɔ va kple seawo la, keklẽ gã aɖe ƒo xlãe ale gbegbe be Israelviwo mete ŋu kpɔ eƒe ŋkume gɔ̃ o, gake ŋutikɔkɔe ma nu va yi xoxo.
8 [So], [since God showed in such a wonderful way that those laws that condemned the people to die were from him], surely when we [(exc)] teach [people about how God’s] Spirit will [change their lives], [God will show] in an even more wonderful way [that] it is [his message.] [RHQ]
Ke azɔ la, ɖe míakpɔ mɔ na dzidzɔ kple ŋutikɔkɔe geɖe wu le esime Mawu ƒe Gbɔgbɔ subɔsubɔ la le amewo xɔm ɖe agbe le ŋkeke siawo me oa?
9 The message [that Moses taught them was wonderful, but when people heard] that message, [they realized that they were sinners and that God] would punish them. But God’s message that we [(exc) teach is a] much more wonderful message. We teach people that God will (erase the record of/declare people no longer guilty for) [the sinful things that they have done].
Ne ŋutikɔkɔe geɖe ƒo xlã se siwo hea ku vɛ la, ekema ŋutikɔkɔe geɖe fũu ŋutɔe aƒo xlã nubabla yeye si Mawu wɔ, si kplɔa ame yia agbe mavɔ la me.
10 [The truth is that, although the work of teaching the people to obey God’s laws] was once important, it is not as important now, because [the work of teaching people that God will forgive them and] enable them to live to please him is far more important.
Le nyateƒe me la, ŋutikɔkɔe ma si klẽ tso Mose ƒe ŋkume la menye naneke ne woatsɔ asɔ kple esi ƒo xlã Mawu ƒe nubabla yeye la o.
11 Furthermore, [the message that Moses taught was not a lasting message, just like] the brightness on his face was not lasting and soon faded away. But [when God gives his Spirit to people], the wonderful work that [God’s Spirit does in their lives] is much greater [because] it lasts forever.
Eya ta ne nu xoxo si nu va yi la kpɔ ŋutikɔkɔe nenema la, ekema Mawu ƒe nubabla yeye si hea agbe mavɔ vɛ la ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe la mele gbɔgblɔ me o, elabena eya anɔ anyi ɖaa.
12 We [(exc)] know that the message that we teach is a [much more wonderful message than the message that Moses taught]. So we [can preach] boldly.
Azɔ esi mɔkpɔkpɔ sia le mía si ŋuti la, dzika metsoa mía ƒo o, eye míegblɔa nya la kple dzideƒo.
13 We do not [need to put a veil over our faces when we teach people], as Moses did. Moses put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not see that the radiance [on his face] soon faded away. [Similarly, the glory of the old agreement has also faded away].
Míawo ya la, míewɔna abe ale si Mose wɔ esi wòtsɔ nu tsyɔ mo be Israelviwo nagakpɔ nu si nu tsina ƒe nuwuwu o la ene.
14 But the Israelis stubbornly refused to [understand that the old agreement would end]. Even now, when they read the old agreement, [they still do not realize that it has ended. It is as if] [MET] that same veil [that Moses put on his face] is now over their [minds, keeping them from understanding God’s true message]. They will [understand that message] only when [they come to trust] in Christ. Then [it will be as though God] has removed the veil.
Va se ɖe egbeŋkekea dzi la, menye Mose ƒe mo ko wotsyɔ nue o, ke boŋ Israelviwo hã ƒe susuwo kple nugɔmesese dzie, elabena wogaɖoa dzi ɖe Nubabla Xoxoa ŋu, eye woxlẽnɛ ɖaa abe nu si ko me woƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ le ene, evɔ wònye to Kristo dzixɔse me ko hafi woate ŋu adzo le vivitia me, eye agbe ƒe kekeli la nadze na wo.
15 [Throughout all these years], even until now, when [the Israelis] read what Moses [write, it is as though] a veil is covering their minds.
Eye va se ɖe fifia ne woxlẽ Mose ƒe Seawo la, nutsyɔnu gatsyɔa wofe mo kokoko.
16 But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
Ke gbe si gbe wo dometɔ aɖe trɔ eye wòxɔ Aƒetɔ la la, ekema nu si tsyɔ mo nɛ si na be wòle viviti me la, ɖena ɖa.
17 [It is by the power of his] Spirit that the Lord [works in our lives], and the Lord’s Spirit has set us free [from trying to obey all the rules and rituals that God gave Moses].
Aƒetɔ la ŋutɔe nye Gbɔgbɔ si naa agbe wo eye afi si Aƒetɔ la ƒe Gbɔgbɔ le ko la, afi mae ablɔɖe le.
18 [It is as though God] has removed the veil from our faces [MET]. We realize how awesome Jesus is. As we realize that, we are continually being changed {[the Holy Spirit is] continually changing us} to become more and more like Jesus, [so that people can see], more and more, how awesome [Jesus is]. It is the Spirit of the Lord who does [this].
Ke mí ame siwo katã xɔ Yesu Kristo abe Aƒetɔ ene heɖoa dzi ɖe eŋu la, nutsyɔnu aɖeke mele míaƒe mowo o, eya ta míele abe ahuhɔ̃e si ɖea Aƒetɔ la ƒe keklẽ kple ŋutikɔkɔe fiana la ene. Eye zi ale si Aƒetɔ la si nye Gbɔgbɔ la le dɔ wɔm le mía me la, etrɔa mí be míaɖi Kristo le eƒe ŋutikɔkɔe me.
