< 2 Timoteo 2 >
1 Na wo Timoteo, me ba, Kristo Yesu yɛ mmɔborɔhunufoɔ, enti ma ɔnhyɛ wo den.
You [are like a] son to me. So I urge also that you [let God] empower you [spiritually] as a result of Christ Jesus acting kindly toward you.
2 Fa nsɛm a wotee sɛ mereka akyerɛ adansedifoɔ bebree no, na fa hyɛ nnipa a wogye wɔn di na wɔbɛtumi akyerɛ afoforɔ nso nsa.
[As you do that], remembering that [the message] that you heard from me is the same message that other people have affirmed/declared to you, you must entrust/give that message to people whom you can trust, people who will be competent/able/qualified to teach others.
3 Sɛ amanehunu ba wo so a, mia wʼani tena sɛ Kristo Yesu sraani pa.
Endure as I do what we suffer for Christ Jesus, like a good soldier [endures what he suffers].
4 Ɔsraani mfa ne ho nhyehyɛ afisɛm mu, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔpɛ sɛ ɔsɔ ne panin ani.
[You know that] soldiers, in order to please their captain, do not (become involved in civilian affairs/spend time doing other kinds of work) [MET]. [So, like soldiers, do not let other matters (distract you as you serve/hinder you from serving]) [Christ Jesus]!
5 Saa ara nso na obi a ɔfra akansie mu a ɔtu mmirika no rentumi nni nkonim gye sɛ ɔdi akansie no mmara so.
[Similarly, you know that] athletes who do not obey the rules of the contest will not be given {not win} the prize [MET]. [So, like athletes, do all that Christ Jesus has commanded so that God will reward you]!
6 Okuafoɔ a wadɔ nʼafuo no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔnya mu nnɔbaeɛ a ɛdi ɛkan no.
[You also know that] a hard-working farmer should be the first to receive some of the harvest [MET]. [So, like farmers, work hard for Christ Jesus and expect that God will reward you]!
7 Dwene nsɛm a mereka yi ho ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade bɛma woate biribiara ase.
Think about what I have just written, because, [if you do], the Lord will enable you to understand everything [that you need to understand].
8 Kae Dawid aseni Yesu Kristo a wɔnyanee no firii awufoɔ mu sɛdeɛ wɔkaa no Asɛmpa a mekaa ho asɛm no mu no.
[Endure everything by] remembering how Jesus Christ [endured it when he suffered]. Remember that he came back to life {God raised him from the dead} and [God affirmed/declared him to be king as] his ancestor [King] David was. Those are things that I tell to people when I tell them the message [about Christ].
9 Esiane sɛ meka Asɛmpa no enti, mehunu amane, mpo, wɔagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn sɛ ɔdebɔneyɛfoɔ. Nanso, Onyankopɔn asɛm no ngu nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn mu;
I am suffering [here in prison] because [some people oppose] the good message [that I tell]. They have even put me in chains as if I were a criminal. Nevertheless, the message from God is not chained {nothing is preventing [MET] [others from proclaiming] the message from God}.
10 na yei enti, biribiara a ɛbɛba me so no, ɛsiane Onyankopɔn nnipa a wayi wɔn no enti, megyina ano, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wɔn nso bɛnya nkwagyeɛ ne animuonyam a ɛnni awieeɛ a ɛwɔ Kristo Yesu mu no. (aiōnios )
Therefore I [willingly] endure all [that I am suffering] for the sake of those [whom God has] chosen. [I do this] in order that Christ Jesus will save them, too, and that they will be forever with [him in the] glorious [place where he is]. (aiōnios )
11 Nsɛm a ɛsɛ sɛ wode wo ho to so nie: “Sɛ yɛne no wuiɛ a, yɛne no bɛtena ase.
[Endure everything as you remember] that these words [that we all say/sing] (OR, [that we teach people]) [are trustworthy]: Since we have stopped behaving as we did in the past, as though we died when he died, we shall also live with him.
12 Sɛ yɛampa aba a, yɛne no bɛdi ɔhene. Sɛ yɛpa no a, ɔno nso bɛpa yɛn.
Since we are also patiently enduring what we suffer, we shall also rule with him. But if we say that we do not know him, he also will say that he does not know us.
13 Sɛ yɛnnyɛ nokwafoɔ a, ɔno deɛ, ɔyɛ ɔnokwafoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔrensesa nʼasɛm.”
If we (are unfaithful/stop doing what he tells us to do), he will treat us just like he promised to do, because he (can never be untrue to himself/always does what he says that he will do).
14 Monkae mo nkurɔfoɔ wɔ yei ho na mommɔ wɔn kɔkɔ wɔ Onyame anim sɛ wɔnnni wɔn ho akasakasa. Ɛmfa asɛm pa mma. Sɛ wɔyɛ saa a, ɛsɛe atiefoɔ no adwene.
[Those whom you appointed to teach others] God’s truth, keep reminding them about these things that [I have told you]. Tell them strongly that, since God knows what they are doing (OR, that God [will judge them for everything that is wrong that they do, and therefore]) they must not quarrel (about words/about matters that are not important), [because, when teachers quarrel, it helps] no one, [and because, when they quarrel, they spiritually] destroy those who hear them (OR, they cause those who hear [them to] quit (being committed [to Christ]/believing [in Christ]).)
15 Bɔ mmɔden sɛ wobɛyɛ odwumayɛfoɔ a womfɛre Onyankopɔn adwuma no yɛ ho, na kyerɛ nokorɛ a ɛwɔ Onyankopɔn asɛm no mu no, na woafata nʼanim.
(Do your best/Try hard) to be the kind of person that God will approve of. [Be like a] good worker as you teach the true message accurately. If a worker works well, he will not need to be ashamed of (OR, will be pleased about) [what he does].
16 Twe wo ho firi nsɛnhuhuo a ɛho nte ho ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno na ɛpam nnipa firi Onyankopɔn ho.
(Stay away from/Do not talk with) [those who talk foolishly and] ([godlessly/say things that displease God]), because [those who talk foolishly] will become even more (ungodly/displeasing to God),
17 Deɛ wɔkyerɛ no te sɛ akusikuro a ɛdidi fa honam no ani. Saa akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ yi mu baanu ne Himeneo ne Fileto.
and [because] their message will [harm people] [SIM] [like] gangrene/cancer does. [You know] Hymenaeus and Philetus. They are [two] such people [who talk in this manner].
18 Wɔamane afiri nokorɛ no ho na wɔka kyerɛ agyidifoɔ bi sɛ, yɛn wusɔreɛ no atwam dada, na wɔnam saa asɛm no so sɛe wɔn adwene.
[Specifically], they teach a wrong message; [that is], they say [wrongly that God will not cause dead people to live again because] he has already given us [spiritual] life. [They claim that our spiritual life is the only new life that we will receive. By saying that], they cause some people
19 Nanso, obi rentumi nhinhim fapem denden a Onyankopɔn ato no, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔatwerɛ saa nsɛm yi wɔ so: “Awurade nim wɔn a wɔyɛ ne deɛ,” na “Obiara a ɔka sɛ ɔyɛ Awurade dea no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwe ne ho firi bɔne ho.”
not to continue to believe [in Christ]. However, [the congregations of] God are strong [MET]. [They are like] a strong foundation on which is written: “The Lord knows the people who really belong to him,” and “Every person who calls Jesus [MTY] ‘Lord’ must stop doing wicked things”.
20 Nkuku ne nkaka wɔ efi kɛseɛ mu. Ebi wɔ hɔ a wɔde dwetɛ na ayɛ, ebi nso wɔde sika kɔkɔɔ na ayɛ. Wɔde dua na ayɛ bi na afoforɔ nso wɔde dɔteɛ. Ebi wɔ hɔ a ɛwɔ hɔ ma nnapɔnna bi na afoforɔ nso daa wɔde di dwuma.
In a wealthy person’s house there are not only utensils made of gold and of silver, but also utensils made of wood and of clay. The gold and silver [utensils are used] at special [occasions/events], and the others are used at ordinary [occasions. Similarly, in a congregation there are those who] ([are ready/desire]) [to do great things for the Lord Jesus, and there are those like the teachers of false doctrines/teachings who are not].
21 Sɛ obi te ne ho firi saa nneɛma bɔne no ho a, wɔde no bɛyɛ nnwuma sononko ɛfiri sɛ, watu ne ho asi hɔ, asiesie ne ho ama ne wura sɛ dwuma pa biara a ɛsɛ sɛ ɔdi no, ɔbɛdi.
Therefore, those who rid themselves of [what is evil in their lives] will be able to [work well for the Lord. They will be like] utensils [MET] used at special [occasions], set apart for and especially useful to the owner [of the big house. They will be like fine utensils] that have been prepared {are ready} to do any kind of good work.
22 Dwane firi mmeranteberɛ mu akɔnnɔ, na ti nneɛma a ɛho teɛ te sɛ: tenenee, gyidie, ɔdɔ ne asomdwoeɛ a ɛka wo ne wɔn a wɔfiri akoma pa mu bom frɛ Awurade ma ɔboa no akyi.
[Because of that], you [(sg)] must avoid doing the wrong actions that [many] young people desire to do. Instead, you must earnestly do right actions, believe [the true teaching], love [God and others, and you must continually be at] peace with those who ask the Lord [to help them and who are] pure in every way (OR, who serve [Jesus] faithfully).
23 Mfa wo ho nhyehyɛ nkwasea akyinnyeɛ a ɛmfa hwee mma no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛde akasakasa ba.
Do not talk [with anyone who] foolishly [wants] to argue about matters that are not important. [Do not talk with them], because you know that [when people talk about foolish things], they begin to quarrel.
24 Ɛnsɛ sɛ Awurade ɔsomfoɔ ne obi nya akasakasa. Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ayamyɛ ma obiara. Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ pa a ɔwɔ boasetɔ nso
But those who serve the Lord must not quarrel. Instead, they should be kind to all people, they should be able to teach [God’s truth well], and they should be patient [with people].
25 a sɛ wɔn a wɔne no di asie fom a, ɔto ne bo ase tene wɔn so, sɛ ebia, Onyankopɔn bɛsakyera wɔn adwene na wɔahunu nokorɛ no.
[That is, they should] gently instruct/teach people who oppose [the true message. They should do that] in order that perhaps God will cause others to completely change what they think, so that they may acknowledge/believe the true [message].
26 Na wɔn adwene mu ada hɔ na wɔadwane afiri ɔbonsam a wakyekyere wɔn ama wɔyɛ nʼapɛdeɛ no afidie mu.
In that way they may get free from [what is like] [MET] a trap [set by] the devil. The devil has deceived them in order that [they might do] what he wants [them to do].