1 Timothy 3
1 Faithful is the saying, If any man aspires to supervision, he desires a good work.
Nansi isitsho esiqotho esithi: Lowo ofuna ukuba ngumthungameli ufisa umsebenzi olesithunzi.
2 The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,
Umthungameli akumelanga abengosolekayo njalo kumele abeyindoda elomfazi oyedwa, ezithibayo, elamandla okuzibamba, ehloniphekayo, ephatha kuhle izihambi, eyenelisa ukufundisa,
3 no drunkard, not a fighter, not greedy of base gain, but gentle, noncontentious, no lover of money,
engayisiso sidakwa, engeladlakela kodwa emnene, engathandi ingxabano, engathandi imali.
4 a man who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all propriety
Kayibe ngephatha kuhle umuzi wayo njalo ibone ukuba abantwana bayo bayayilalela ngenhlonipho efaneleyo.
5 (but if any man knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of a congregation of God?),
(Nxa umuntu engakwazi ukuphatha umuzi wakhe angaliphatha njani ibandla likaNkulunkulu na?)
6 not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Akumelanga kube ngosanda kuphenduka hlezi azikhukhumeze abe ngaphansi kokwahlulelwa kunye loSathane.
7 And he must also have good testimony from those outside, lest he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Njalo kumele abe ngodume ngokuhle kwabangaphandle ukuze angaweli ehlazweni lasemjibileni kaSathane.
8 Helpers likewise, be honorable, not double-tongued, not attending to much wine, not greedy of base gain,
Ngokunjalo, amadikoni lawo kumele kube ngabantu abahloniphekayo, abaqotho, abanganathi iwayini elinengi, abangadingi inzuzo ngobuqili.
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
Kumele babambelele eqinisweni elizikileyo kanye lasekukholweni ngesazela esihlanzekileyo.
10 And let these also first be proven, then being blameless, let them serve.
Kumele baqale bahlolwe; nxa kungekho lutho olubi ngabo, kabasebenze njengamadikoni.
11 The wives likewise, be honorable, not slanderous, sober, faithful in all things.
Ngokunjalo, labomkabo kumele babe ngabesifazane abahloniphekayo, abangahlebiyo kodwa abazithibayo labathembekileyo ezintweni zonke.
12 Let helpers be husbands of one wife, ruling children and their own houses well.
Umdikoni kabe lomfazi oyedwa kuphela njalo ophatha kuhle abantwana bakhe kanye labendlu yakhe.
13 For those who serve well will acquire to themselves a good standing, and much boldness in the faith in Christ Jesus.
Labo abasebenze kuhle bazuza isithunzi lesithembiso esikhulu ekukholweni kwabo kuKhristu uJesu.
14 These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee sooner,
Lanxa ngikhangelele ukuza kuwe masinyane, ngikulobela iziqondiso lezi ukuze kuthi
15 but if I delay, that thou may know how it is necessary to live in a house of God, which is a congregation of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
nxa ngibambeka, ukwazi ukuthi abantu kumele baziphathe njani endlini kaNkulunkulu elibandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo, insika lesisekelo seqiniso.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of piety. God was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by agents, proclaimed among nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory.
Kungekho kuthandabuza imfihlakalo yokwesaba uNkulunkulu inkulu: Wabonakaliswa emzimbeni, wafakazelwa nguMoya, wabonwa yizingilosi, watshunyayelwa phakathi kwezizwe, umhlaba wakholwa kuye, wenyukiselwa phezulu ngenkazimulo.
