1 Corinthians 15
1 Now, my fellow believers, I want to remind you about the message about Christ that I preached to you. It is the message that you received and that you have continued to trust firmly.
Ngakho, bazalwane, ngilazisa ivangeli engalitshumayeza lona, lani elalemukelayo, njalo elimi kulo,
2 If you keep on firmly [believing] this message that I preached to you, you will be saved {[God] will save you}. If you do not continue to believe it, your believing [in Christ] was (all for nothing/useless)!
njalo elisindiswa ngalo; uba libambelela elizwini levangeli engalitshumayela kini, ngaphandle kokuthi lakholwa ize.
3 The most important part of the message that I received [from the Lord Jesus], and that I told you, was this: Christ died to [take away the guilt] of our sins, as the Scriptures [said that he would do].
Ngoba ngalinika okokuqala lokho engakwemukelayo lami, ukuthi uKristu wafa ngenxa yezono zethu, njengokwemibhalo;
4 His [dead body] was buried {They buried his [body]}. On the third day [after that], [God] caused him to become alive again, as the Scriptures [said would happen].
lokuthi wangcwatshwa; lokuthi wavuswa kwabafileyo ngosuku lwesithathu, njengokwemibhalo;
5 After that, [Christ] was seen by {appeared to} Peter. Then he appeared to [eleven of] the [original] twelve [apostles].
lokuthi wabonakala kuKefasi, emva kwalokho kwabalitshumi lambili;
6 Later he was seen by {appeared to} more than 500 of our fellow believers. Most of those are still living, but some of them have died [EUP].
emva kwalokho wabonakala ngesikhathi sinye kubazalwane abedlula amakhulu amahlanu, ubunengi babo basekhona kuze kube lamuhla, kodwa labanye sebalala;
7 Then he was seen by {appeared [to]} [his younger brother] James, [who became the leader of the congregation in Jerusalem]. Then he appeared to all of the apostles.
emva kwalokho wabonakala kuJakobe, emva kwalokho wabonakala kubaphostoli bonke;
8 Finally, he was seen by {appeared to} me, but I became an apostle in a way that was very unusual [MET].
lekucineni kwabo bonke wabonakala lakimi njengozelwe ngesikhathi esingaqondanga.
9 The fact is, I [consider that I] am the least important of the apostles. I do not deserve to be an apostle, because I (persecuted God’s groups of believers/caused God’s groups of believers to suffer) [everywhere I went].
Ngoba mina ngingomncinyanyana kubaphostoli, engingafanele ukuthiwa ngumphostoli, ngoba ngazingela ibandla likaNkulunkulu.
10 But it is because God acted kindly toward me in ways that I did not deserve that I became what I am now. And his acting kindly toward me produced a great result [LIT], which is that I worked harder [for Christ] than all the other apostles. But it was not that I [was working with my own ability]. Instead, God was helping me in a way I did not deserve.
Kodwa ngomusa kaNkulunkulu ngiyikho lokho engiyikho khona, lomusa wakhe okimi kawubanga yize; kodwa ngitshikatshike okwengezelelwe kulabo bonke, kanti kungesimi, kodwa ngumusa kaNkulunkulu olami.
11 So it does not matter whether it was I [who was preaching or whether it was the other apostles who were preaching]. We all preached [the same message], and that message is what you believed.
Ngakho loba kuyimi, loba kuyibo, ngokunjalo siyatshumayela langokunjalo lakholwa.
12 So now [let me ask you this]: Since [we] have all preached to you that Christ was raised again {that [God] caused Christ to become alive} after he died, (no one among you should be saying that [God] will not cause [believers] to become alive again after they die!/why do some of you say that [God] will not cause [believers] to become alive again after they die?) [RHQ]
Kodwa uba uKristu etshunyayelwa ukuthi uvusiwe kwabafileyo, batsho njani abanye phakathi kwenu ukuthi kakukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo?
13 If [it is true that God] will not cause anyone to become alive again, that situation would mean that Christ was not raised from the dead {[he] did not cause Christ to become alive again}!
Kodwa uba kungekho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, kavuswanga laye uKristu;
14 And if Christ was not raised from the dead {if [God] did not cause Christ to become alive again}, then what we preached to you was useless, and your believing [in Christ] is useless.
uba-ke uKristu engavuswanga, ngakho ukutshumayela kwethu kuyize, lokholo lwenu lalo luyize.
15 [If it is true that] no one will be raised from the dead {[that God] will not cause anyone to become alive again after he dies}, we [(exc)] have been guilty of lying to you about God, because we told you that God caused Christ to become alive again.
Lathi futhi sificwa singabafakazi bamanga bakaNkulunkulu, ngoba safakaza ngoNkulunkulu ukuthi wamvusa uKristu, angamvusanga, uba-ke abafileyo bengavuswa.
16 But if it were really true that no one who has died will be raised {that [God will] not cause anyone who has died to become alive} again, then Christ was not raised {[he] did not cause Christ to become alive} again either!
Ngoba uba abafileyo bengavuswa, kavuswanga laye uKristu;
17 If it were true that Christ was not raised {that [God] did not cause Christ to become alive} again after he died, you have believed in Christ for nothing, [because] God will still [punish] you for [MTY] your sins.
njalo uba uKristu engavuswanga, ukholo lwenu luyize; lisesezonweni zenu.
18 And those people who died [EUP] [while they were trusting] in Christ will go to hell. (questioned)
Ngakho lalabo abalele bekuKristu sebabhubha.
19 In this life [many of us have suffered much for Christ] because we confidently expect [that he will reward us in heaven]. If we have confidently expected this in vain, people should pity us more than they pity anyone else!
Uba singabathembela kuKristu kule impilo kuphela, singabalosizi kulabo bonke abantu.
20 But [the truth is that] Christ has been raised from the dead {that [God] has caused Christ to live again after he had died}, and (that guarantees/because of that, it is certain) [MET] that he will also cause those [believers] who have died [EUP] to become alive again.
Kodwa khathesi-ke uKristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo, waba yisithelo sokuqala sabaleleyo.
21 What one man, [Adam, did affects us all]. We all die. Similarly, what one man—[Christ]—did [affects us(inc) all]: God will cause [all believers] to become alive again.
Ngoba lokhu ngomuntu ukufa kweza, langomuntu ukuvuka kwabafileyo kweza.
22 Because of what Adam did, all [of us who are descended] from him die. Similarly, because of what [Christ did], all of us who have a close relationship with him will be brought back to life {[God] will make alive all of us who have a close relationship with Christ}.
Ngoba njengalokhu kuAdamu bonke bayafa, ngokunjalo futhi kuKristu bonke bazakwenziwa baphile.
23 But we must all take our turn. [God raised] Christ first [MET]. And when Christ returns, [God will cause] those who belong to Christ to become alive again.
Kodwa ngulowo lalowo ngesakhe isigaba; isithelo sokuqala uKristu, besekusiba ngabakaKristu ekufikeni kwakhe,
24 Then, after Christ has destroyed all [DOU] the evil powers that oppose God, [the world] will end. Then Christ will give to God, his Father, his kingdom to completely rule over it.
besekusiba yikuphela, lapho esenikela umbuso kuNkulunkulu, uYise, lalapho esenze kwaphela konke ukubusa labo bonke ubukhosi lamandla.
25 You must realize that Christ must rule [here on earth] until he has completely defeated [MTY] all his enemies.
Ngoba umele yena ukubusa, aze abeke zonke izitha ngaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
26 The last thing that [he] will get rid of is death. [But he certainly will get rid of death, which is like] an enemy [to us].
Isitha sokucina esizachithwa yikufa.
27 [In the Scriptures the Psalmist wrote that] God will cause everything to be under Christ’s [authority] [MTY]. But it is clear that the word ‘everything’ here does not include God, because God is the one who will cause everything to be under Christ’s [authority] [MTY].
Ngoba izinto zonke uzehlisele ngaphansi kwenyawo zakhe. Kodwa nxa esithi izinto zonke zehlisiwe, kusobala ukuthi ungaphandle kwazo yena ozehlisileyo izinto zonke ngaphansi kwakhe.
28 After everything is put under [the authority of] God’s Son, then Christ will put himself completely under [the authority of] God, the one who gave him that authority. Then God will be completely in control of everything [IDM], everywhere.
Nxa izinto zonke sezehlisiwe ngaphansi kwakhe, khona layo iNdodana ngokwayo izazehlisa ngaphansi kwalowo owehlisela zonke izinto ngaphansi kwayo, ukuze uNkulunkulu abe yikho konke kukho konke.
29 [Now think about this: Some among you] are being baptized (OR, are baptizing people) on behalf of those who died [before someone baptized them] (OR, who died [before they became believers]). If, [as some people say, believers] will not be raised [from the dead] {[God] will not cause [believers] to become alive again}, (what is the value in those people doing that?/there is no value in those people doing that!) [RHQ] If [God] will not cause any [believers] to become alive again, it is senseless to be baptized {baptize anyone} on behalf of someone who has died. [RHQ]
Pho, bazakwenzani ababhabhathizelwa abafileyo uba abafileyo bengavuki isibili? Kungani babhabhathizelwa abafileyo na?
30 Furthermore, [if God will not cause us believers to become alive again], it is [RHQ] very foolish for me and the other apostles to be constantly [putting ourselves] in danger [because we tell people the gospel].
Kungani lathi sisengozini ihola ngehola?
31 My fellow believers, every day I [am in danger of] being killed {people killing me}! That is as true as it is that I am pleased with you because of your close relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ngiyafa usuku ngosuku, ngiyaqinisa ngokuzincoma ngani engilakho kuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.
32 [If God will not cause us believers to become alive again after we die], (I will receive no benefit at all [from having opposed those who attacked me so strongly] in Ephesus [city]./what will I gain [from having opposed those who attacked me so strongly] in Ephesus [city]?) [RHQ] They were [fighting me like] wild beasts! If we [believers] will not be raised [from the dead] {If [God] will not cause us [believers] to live again}, we might as well say [as people often say]: “Tomorrow we are going to die, so we might as well enjoy now everything that we can. We might as well feast and get drunk!”
Uba ngokwabantu ngalwa lezilo eEfesu, nzuzo bani kimi, uba abafileyo bengavuki? Asidle sinathe, ngoba kusasa siyafa.
33 Do not let [yourselves be deceived by those who say that God will not cause believers to live again] {Do not let [people who say that God will not cause believers to live again] deceive you}. If you associate with evil people [who say such things], they will (influence you to do evil things/destroy your good moral way of living).
Lingakhohliswa; ukwejwayelana lababi kuyonakalisa izimilo ezinhle.
34 Start thinking correctly again [about these matters], as you should, and [stop your sinful behavior which has resulted from] your wrong thinking. [I say that] because [it seems that] some among you do not know God, and as a result they [are thinking wrongly]. I say that to make you ashamed.
Vusani ingqondo ngokulunga njalo lingoni; ngoba abanye balokungamazi uNkulunkulu; ngikhulumela ukuthi libe lenhloni.
35 But some of you are asking, “How will dead people be raised {How will [God] cause dead people to become alive} again? What kind of bodies will they have?”
Kodwa omunye uzakuthi: Abafileyo bavuswa njani? Njalo beza lomzimba onjani?
36 [Anyone who asks such questions is] foolish. You [know that] a seed that is planted in the ground must completely change its form [MET] before it sprouts.
Siphukuphuku, lokho okuhlanyelayo wena, kakwenziwa kuphile ngaphandle kokuthi kufe;
37 A seed, such as a wheat seed, is very different from the plant that sprouts from it.
lalokho okuhlanyelayo, kawuhlanyeli umzimba ozakuba khona, kodwa uhlamvu oluze, mhlawumbe, olwebele kumbe olokunye nje;
38 God gives everything that lives the form that he desires. He gives each seed its own form.
kodwa uNkulunkulu uyinika umzimba njengokuthanda kwakhe, lakuleyo laleyo yenhlanyelo owayo umzimba.
39 [Similarly], people, animals, birds, and fish all have flesh, but each one has a different kind of flesh.
Inyama yonke kayisinyamanye; kodwa enye yinyama yabantu, lenye yinyama yenyamazana, lenye eyenhlanzi, lenye eyezinyoni.
40 Also, there are angelic beings in heaven (OR, stars and planets in the sky), and there are people with bodies on the earth. The angelic beings (OR, stars and planets) are beautiful in one way, and people on earth are beautiful in a different way.
Ikhona lemizimba yezulwini, lemizimba yemhlabeni; kodwa inkazimulo yezulu ingenye, leyemhlabeni ingenye.
41 The sun is bright in one way, and the moon is bright in a different way, and the stars are bright in a different way. And even the various stars are different from each other in how bright they are.
Enye yinkazimulo yelanga, lenye yinkazimulo yenyanga, lenye yinkazimulo yezinkanyezi; ngoba inkanyezi yehlukile kwenye inkanyezi enkazimulweni.
42 And it is the same way [with our bodies. The bodies that we will have when God causes us] to live again after we die [will not be the same as the bodies that we have now] [MET]. [The bodies that we have now] will die and decay. [The new bodies that we will have] will never die.
Kunjalo-ke ukuvuka kwabafileyo. Kuhlanyelwa ekuboleni, kuyavuswa kungekho ekuboleni;
43 We despise [the bodies that we have now], before we die. But our [new bodies] will be glorious. The [bodies that we have before we die] are weak. But our new bodies will be strong.
kuhlanyelwa ekudelweni, kuvuswe enkazimulweni; kuhlanyelwa ebuthakathakeni, kuvuswe emandleni;
44 The bodies that we have before we die are natural bodies. But [our new bodies] will be ones that [God’s] Spirit ([controls/gives us]). Just like there are natural bodies, there are bodies that [God’s] Spirit [completely] controls (OR, makes alive).
kuhlanyelwa umzimba wemvelo, kuvuswe umzimba womoya. Kukhona umzimba wemvelo, njalo kukhona umzimba womoya.
45 [In the Scriptures] it is written {we read} that [when] the first man, Adam, [was created], he became a living human being. [Christ later also became a human being]. But [he is different from Adam, because he] became a person who gives us [spiritual] life.
Langokunjalo kulotshiwe ukuthi: Umuntu wokuqala uAdamu waba ngumphefumulo ophilayo; uAdamu wokucina ngumoya ophilisayo.
46 But our bodies that God’s Spirit (will completely control/will give us) are not the first bodies that we have. We have our natural bodies first.
Kodwa okokuqala kakusikho okomoya, kodwa okwemvelo, besekusiza okomoya.
47 The first man, [Adam], was created {[God] created the first man, Adam} from the dust of the earth. But [Christ], the one who came later, came from heaven.
Umuntu wokuqala wavela emhlabeni, ungowomhlabathi; umuntu wesibili uyiNkosi evela ezulwini.
48 Everyone on earth [has a body] like the first man on the earth had. And in heaven, [everyone will have a body like Christ], the man who came from heaven, has.
Njengoba enjalo owomhlabathi, banjalo labo abomhlabathi; lanjengoba enjalo owezulwini, banjalo labo abezulwini;
49 And just like [God] gave us bodies like the first man on earth had, so we [believers will have bodies] like [Christ] has, who is now in heaven.
futhi njengoba sibelesimo sowomhlabathi, lathi sizakuba lesimo sowezulwini.
50 My fellow believers, I want you to know that we [(inc)] [SYN] cannot go [to heaven, where] God rules [over everything], with our physical bodies, because our bodies [cannot last forever]. They will die and decay.
Kodwa ngitsho lokhu, bazalwane, ukuthi inyama legazi kungelidle ilifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu; lokubola kakulidli ilifa lokungaboli.
51 But I will tell you something that [God] has not revealed [before]: [Some of] us [believers] will not die [EUP]. However, all of us will be changed {[God] will change all of us}.
Khangelani, ngilitshela imfihlo: Kasiyikulala sonke, kodwa sizaphendulwa sonke,
52 [It will happen] suddenly, as [fast as someone can] blink his eye [MET], when [we hear the sound of God’s] trumpet for the last time. When we hear that trumpet, all [the believers] who have died will come back to life and will have bodies that are changed {that [God] has changed}, bodies that will never decay.
ngesikhatshana, ngokucwayiza kwelihlo, ekukhaleni kophondo lokucina; ngoba uphondo luzakhala, labafileyo bazavuswa bengelakubola, lathi sizaphendulwa.
53 And the [bodies of us who are alive at that time] will [also] be changed {And [God] will [also] change the [bodies of us who are alive at that time]}. These bodies of ours that die and decay must be transformed into [new bodies that] will never die; [it will be like someone] [MET] getting rid of [his old clothes] and putting on [new ones].
Ngoba lokhu okubolayo kumele ukwembatha ukungaboli, lalokho okufayo kwembathe ukungafi.
54 When that happens, what is written {what ([a prophet/Isaiah]) wrote} [in the Scriptures] will come true/happen: [God] will completely get rid of [MET] death. Our dying will no longer have any power to defeat us;
Nxa-ke lokho okubolayo sekwembethe ukungaboli, lalokho okufayo sekwembethe ukungafi, kuzakwenzeka ngalesosikhathi ilizwi elilotshiweyo lokuthi: Ukufa kuginyiwe ekunqobeni.
Lungaphi, kufa, udonsi lwakho? Kungaphi, ngcwaba, ukunqoba kwakho? (Hadēs g86)
56 It is because we sin [MET] [that we die, and it is because we] have God’s laws that we [know that we] have sinned.
Lodonsi lokufa yisono; lamandla esono ngumlayo.
57 But because of what our Lord Jesus Christ [has done], he enables us to be free [from having to obey God’s laws to be saved and to be free of being afraid to die]. We should thank God for that!
Kodwa kabongwe uNkulunkulu osinika ukunqoba ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.
58 So, my fellow believers whom I love, continue to hold strongly to [the things that you believe]. Do not let anything cause you to doubt them. Always be doing enthusiastically the work that the Lord [gives you]. And remember that the work that you do for the Lord is never (in vain/useless), [as it would be if God will not cause us to live again after we die].
Ngakho, bazalwane bami abathandekayo, manini, linganyikinyeki, lengezelelwe emsebenzini weNkosi kokuphela, lazi ukuthi ukutshikatshika kwenu kakusilo ize eNkosini.
