1 N a, naku ake, na Paora, tenei tohe ki a koutou na te tikanga mahaki me te ngakau ngawari o te Karaiti, he mea iti nei ahau i ahau i kona i roto i a koutou, i tawhiti nei ia e maia ana ki a koutou:

I, Paul, ask you this myself. I do it through Christ Who is so gentle and kind. Some people say that I am gentle and quiet when I am with you, but that I have no fear and that my language is strong when I am away from you.

2 A e ra, e tohe ana ahau ki a koutou, kia kaua ahau ina tae atu e maro ki te whakaputa i te maia, pera me taku e mea nei kia maia ki etahi, e whakaaro nei ki a matou, ano ko ta matou whakahere no te kikokiko.

Do not make me speak strong words to you when I come. Some people think we want the things of the world because of what we do and say. I have decided to talk to these people if I have to.

3 N o te mea ahakoa haereere matou i roto i te kikokiko, ehara i te kikokiko ta matou whawhai;

It is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world.

4 E hara hoki nga rakau o ta matou pakanga i te mea no te kikokiko, engari he kaha i roto i te Atua hei whakahoro i nga pa kaha:

We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil.

5 H oro ana i a matou nga whakaaroaronga me nga mea ikeike katoa e whakakake ana kite matauranga ki te Atua, a riro parau mai ana nga whakaaro katoa, ka meinga kia ngohengohe ki a te Karaiti;

We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.

6 M e te noho rite ano ki te whakapa riri mo nga mahi tutu katoa, ina tino ngohengohe rawa koutou.

We are ready to punish those who will not obey as soon as you obey in everything.

7 E titiro ana koutou ki nga mea kei mua i to koutou mata. Ki te u te whakaaro o tetahi no te Karaiti ia, me mahara ia ki tenei mea ano hoki, no te Karaiti ia, pena ano hoki matou.

You are seeing things only as men see them. If anyone feels sure he belongs to Christ, he should remember that we belong to Christ also.

8 A hakoa hoki ahua rahi ake taku whakamanamana mo nga tikanga i a matou nei, na te Ariki nei i homai hei hanga ake i a koutou, ehara i te mea hei tuku i a koutou ki raro, e kore ahau e meinga kia whakama:

I am not ashamed if I say this of myself. The Lord gave me the right and the power to help you become stronger, not to break you down.

9 K ia kaua ahau e meatia e whakawehi ana i a koutou ki aku pukapuka.

I do not want you to think I am trying to make you afraid with my letters.

10 K o ana pukapuka hoki, e ai ki ta ratou, he taimaha, he kaha; ko tona tinana ia i a ia i konei he ngoikore, ko tana korero he korekore noa iho.

They say, “His letters are strong and they make us think. When he is here with us, he is weak and he is hard to listen to.”

11 K ia mahara taua tu tangata ki tenei, na ko to matou ahua i nga kupu o nga pukapuka i a matou e ngaro mai nei, koia ano to matou rite ki nga mahi me i kona matou.

What we say in our letters we will do when we get there. They should understand this.

12 E kore hoki matou e maia ki te whakauru atu, ki te whakariterite ranei i a matou ki etahi e whakapai nei ki a ratou ano: i a ratou ia e mehua nei i a ratou ki a ratou ano, e whakariterite nei i a ratou ki a ratou ano, kahore o ratou matauranga.

We do not compare ourselves with those who think they are good. They compare themselves with themselves. They decide what they think is good or bad and compare themselves with those ideas. They are foolish.

13 E kore hoki matou e whakamanamana ki tua atu i to matou mehua, engari ka rite ki te mehua o te wahanga i whakaritea mai e te Atua ma matou, e tae atu ai ki a koutou rawa.

But we will not talk with pride more than God allows us to. We will follow the plan of the work He has given us to do and you are a part of that work.

14 K ahore hoki a matou totoro noa atu, e kiia ai kahore he taenga atu mo matou ki a koutou: i tae atu na hoki matou ki a koutou rawa na i runga i te rongopai o te Karaiti:

We did not go farther than we were supposed to go when we came to you. But we did come to you with the Good News of Christ.

15 E kore hoki matou e whakamanamana ki ko atu i to matou mehua, ara, ki nga mahi a etahi atu; engari e u ana to matou whakaaro, ka tupu haere to koutou whakapono, ka ai koutou hei whakanui i a matou, e tino rite rawa ai ki to matou ruri;

We take no pride in the work others have done there. But we hope your faith will keep growing because of help from others. Then we will grow because of you.

16 K ia kauwhautia ai te rongopai ki nga wahi i ko atu i a koutou, kia kaua hoki e whakamanamana i runga i to te tangata ke ruri ki nga mea e noho tata ana ki to matou ringa.

We hope to preach the Good News in the countries on the other side of you. Then we would take no pride in work done by another person in another country.

17 K i te whakamanamana ia tetahi, me whakamanamana ia ki te Ariki.

If anyone wants to be proud, he should be proud of what the Lord has done.

18 H e teka hoki ko te tangata e whakapai ana ki a ia ano ka tikangatia, engari ko ta te Ariki e whakapai ai.

It is not what a man thinks and says of himself that is important. It is what God thinks of him.