2 Akorinitho 13
1 Rĩrĩ nĩ riita rĩa gatatũ gũũka kwanyu. Ũhoro o wothe no nginya ũrũgamĩrĩrwo nĩ ũira wa andũ eerĩ kana atatũ.
[In the Scriptures it is stated that when one person] accuses [another of wrongdoing, you must not believe his] accusation [right away]. [First, you must listen to at least] two or three people who actually saw what happened. [So keep in mind that] this will be the third time that I will visit you!
2 Nĩndamũkaanirie hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndaarĩ na inyuĩ riita rĩa keerĩ. O na rĩu nĩngũmũkaania o rĩngĩ, o na itarĩ hamwe na inyuĩ: Rĩrĩa ndĩrĩũka rĩngĩ, andũ arĩa matũũrĩte mehagia kuuma tene, kana mũndũ ũngĩ o wothe, ndirĩ ngacaaĩra,
When I visited you the second time, I warned you [that I was going to punish all the wrongdoers among you]. [And now] I am [warning you] again while I am still away [from you]. When I visit you this third time, I will punish those who were sinning [at the time when I visited you] before [and who are still sinning], and I will [punish] the others [who have been sinning since then, if they have not stopped their sinful behavior].
3 tondũ nĩmũrenda kũmenya kĩhooto kĩa atĩ nĩ Kristũ waragia na kanua gakwa. We ndamwĩkagĩra maũndũ ta atarĩ na hinya, no nĩonanagia atĩ arĩ na hinya gatagatĩ-inĩ kanyu.
Because you have demanded that I prove to you that Christ is speaking [to you when] I [speak to you, I will show you that I speak to you as his apostle. Christ] does not approve of your sinful behavior. On the contrary, he will powerfully [discipline you].
4 Nĩgũkorwo nĩ ma nĩambirwo mũtharaba-inĩ atarĩ na hinya, no nĩatũũraga muoyo nĩ ũndũ wa hinya wa Ngai. O ta ũguo-rĩ, o na ithuĩ tũtirĩ hinya tũrĩ thĩinĩ wake, no nĩ ũndũ wa hinya wa Ngai nĩtũtũũraga muoyo thĩinĩ wake nĩguo tũmũtungatage.
[It is true that] Christ [seemed to be] weak when he was crucified {when [people] killed him by nailing him to the cross}. But [it is also true that] he [now] lives because God [worked] powerfully [to bring him back to life. Similarly], as I [serve] God, I also am a weak human [being as Christ was]. But I also [have a close relationship with] Christ [who is now alive again]. And with his [authority] I will use God’s power [to discipline] you.
5 Mwĩgeriei, muone kana inyuĩ ene nĩ mwĩtĩkĩtie ũhoro wa ma; mwĩtuĩriei inyuĩ ene. Kaĩ inyuĩ mũtooĩ atĩ Kristũ Jesũ arĩ thĩinĩ wanyu, tiga no mũgĩkorirwo mũgwĩte kĩgeranio kĩu?
Each of you should ask yourself: “[Do I] believe [God’s message about Christ?]” Each of you should [examine yourselves to] make sure that you truly do [believe] in Christ [and so truly belong to him], and that [his Spirit lives] in you [(pl)]. When you examine yourselves [in that way], I am sure that you will [RHQ] say [to me], “Yes, of course we [belong to] Christ.”
6 Na nĩngwĩhoka atĩ nĩmũrĩona atĩ ithuĩ tũtigwĩte kĩgeranio.
I am [also] certain that you will know that I [belong to Christ, just like you do].
7 Na rĩu tũkũhooya Ngai atĩ mũtikae gwĩka ũndũ o na ũmwe mũũru. Ti atĩ nĩguo andũ monage atĩ nĩtwĩtĩkĩrĩtwo nĩwe, na nĩtũtooranĩtie, no nĩgeetha inyuĩ mwĩkage maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire, o na tũngĩoneka ta tũtatooranĩtie.
But [because I do not want to have to punish you], I am praying to God that he will help you not to do anything evil [that would cause me to have to punish you. I pray this], not in order that when people [who say that I am not your apostle] realize [that my ministry among you has been very successful, they will have to agree] that I do have authority from Christ. Instead, [I pray this because I want] you to do what is right, even though that might mean that [my opponents would think] that I do not have authority from Christ, [since I would not have an opportunity to show my authority to discipline you].
8 Nĩgũkorwo tũtingĩhota gwĩka ũndũ ũreganĩte na ũhoro wa ma, tiga o ũrĩa ũrĩ wa ũhoro wa ma wiki.
[If you do what is right, I will not discipline you], [because it would] not [be right for me to do that if you are conducting your lives the way you should, like] God’s true [message says that you should. What God asks me to do is to help people to know and obey his] true [message].
9 Tũkoragwo na gĩkeno rĩrĩa rĩothe tũtarĩ na hinya, no inyuĩ mũrĩ na hinya; na nĩtũmũhooyagĩra mũtuĩke andũ aagĩrĩru kũna.
I am happy [whenever] you are strongly [trusting and obeying Christ, and because of that I do not have to use my authority to discipline you. It does not matter to me if that makes people think that I do not have any authority]. Truly, what I am praying for is that [God] will [help] you to completely change your conduct.
10 Gĩtũmi kĩrĩa kĩratũma nyandĩke maũndũ maya o na itarĩ hamwe na inyuĩ-rĩ, nĩgeetha hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ngooka ndikaanahũthĩre ũhoti wakwa ũũru, ũhoti ũrĩa Mwathani aaheire ũrĩ wa kũmũkũria, no ti wa kũmũthũkia.
That is why I am writing these things while I am still away from you. [What I want is that] when I visit you, [you will already be conducting your lives as God wants you to], and so I will not have to [discipline you] severely, as the [Lord Jesus Christ gave me] the authority to do. The authority that I have from the Lord is to help you to become [spiritually] mature believers, not to cause you to stop [trusting in him].
11 Na rĩu ngĩrĩkia-rĩ, ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, tigwoi na wega. Thiiagai na mĩthiĩre ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire, thikagĩrĩriai ithaithana rĩakwa, gĩagai na meciiria o mamwe, na mũtũũranagie na thayũ. Nake Ngai wa wendo na thayũ nĩarĩkoragwo hamwe na inyuĩ.
Finally, my fellow believers, [I say to you], be joyful. Completely [change how you conduct your lives], and do what I have urged you [to do]. Be united in what you think [about the matters about which I have written to you]. Live peacefully [with each other. If you do those things], God, who [enables you to] love [each other] and be peaceful, will bless [MTY] you.
12 O mũndũ nĩageithie ũrĩa ũngĩ na ngeithi theru cia kĩmumunyano.
Greet each other affectionately as [fellow members] of God’s family [should].
13 Andũ arĩa othe aamũre nĩmamũgeithia.
All God’s people [here] send you greetings.
14 Wega wa Mwathani Jesũ Kristũ, na wendani wa Ngai, na ngwatanĩro ya Roho Mũtheru, ĩroikaraga na inyuĩ inyuothe.
[I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ will act kindly [toward] all of you, in ways that you do not deserve, that God will [show all of you how much he] loves you, and that the Holy Spirit [will cause you to have good] fellowship [with him and with each other].
