1 Thessalonians 4
1 Now, my fellow believers, [I want to write] about some other matters. Because we all have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus, we(exc) strongly urge you [DOU] to live in a way that pleases God. We taught you to do that, and you know that we lived that way as a result of what the Lord Jesus [told us]. We know that you are conducting your lives that way, but [we strongly urge] that you do that even more.
Okunye-ke, bazalwane, siyalincenga silikhuthaza eNkosini uJesu, njengalokhu lakwemukela kithi ukuthi kulifanele njani ukuhamba lokumthokozisa uNkulunkulu, ukuze lengezelele kukho kakhulu.
Ngoba liyazi ukuthi milayo bani esalinika yona ngeNkosi uJesu.
3 God wants you to live pure lives that will show that you completely belong to him. He wants you to avoid doing any sexually immoral acts (OR, avoid being sexually immoral in any way).
Ngoba le yintando kaNkulunkulu, ukungcweliswa kwenu, ukuthi lizithinte ekuphingeni;
4 [That is, he wants] each one of you to know how to control your own sexual desires [EUP]. He wants you to live pure lives that all people will see as good.
ukuthi ngulowo lalowo wenu kakwazi ukugcina esakhe isitsha ekungcweliseni lekuhlonipheni,
5 You must not lustfully desire [to do] immoral acts as unbelievers [MTY] [do] who do not obey God.
kungeyisikho enkanukweni yesifiso, njengabezizwe labo abangamaziyo uNkulunkulu.
6 [God wants each one of you to control your sexual desires, in order that] no one of you sin against your fellow believer and take advantage of him or her by doing things like that. Remember that we strongly warned you previously [DOU] that the Lord [Jesus] will punish all [people who do] sexually immoral acts.
Kakungabi khona oweqayo aqile umfowabo endabeni; ngoba iNkosi ingumphindiseli ngazo zonke lezizinto, njengoba lathi salitshela ngaphambili, safakaza.
7 When God chose us [believers], he did not want us to [be people who] behave in a sexually immoral way. On the contrary, [he wants us] to be [people who] behave in a morally pure way.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu kasibizelanga emanyaleni, kodwa ebungcweleni.
8 So I warn you that those who disregard [this teaching] of mine [are] not just disregarding me. On the contrary, [they are disregarding] God, [because God commanded it. Remember that] God sent his Spirit, who is holy, [to live] in you!
Ngakho lowo odelelayo, kadeleli muntu, kodwa uNkulunkulu owasinika futhi uMoya wakhe oyiNgcwele.
9 [I want to urge you] again [that you should] love [your] fellow believers [MET]. You do not really need that [anyone] write to you about that, because God has already taught you [how] to love each other,
Kodwa mayelana lothando lobuzalwane kalidingi ukuthi ngilibhalele; ngoba lina uqobo lifundisiwe nguNkulunkulu ukuthi lithandane;
10 and because you already are [showing that you love] your fellow believers [HYP] [who live] in other places [in your province] of Macedonia. Nevertheless, my fellow believers, we urge you to [love each other] even more.
ngoba lani lenza lokhu kubo bonke abazalwane abaseMakedoniya yonke; kodwa siyalikhuthaza, bazalwane, ukuthi lengezelele kakhulu,
11 [We urge you] also to eagerly strive/try to mind your own affairs and to not meddle/interfere with the affairs of others. We urge you also to work at your own occupations/jobs [to earn what you need to live]. Remember that we taught you previously to live like that.
njalo likhuthalele ukuba lokuthula lokwenza okwenu, lokusebenza ngezenu izandla, njengoba salilaya;
12 If you do these things, unbelievers will acknowledge/see that you behave decently/properly, and you will not have to depend on others [to] ([supply/give to you]) [what you need].
ukuze lihambe ngokuhlonitshwa ngabangaphandle, lingasweli lutho.
13 My fellow believers, we also want you to understand well [LIT] [what will happen] to our fellow believers [who now] are dead [EUP]. [You must not be/do like] the unbelievers. They [grieve deeply for people who die because] they do not confidently expect [people to live again after they die].
Kodwa kangithandi ukuthi lingabi lalwazi, bazalwane, ngalabo abaleleyo, ukuze lingadabuki, njengabanye labo abangelathemba.
14 We [believers] know that it is true that Jesus died and that he came back [to life] again. So [we also know well that] when Jesus returns, God [will cause] those [believers] who died [EUP] [to live again] and to come with [Jesus].
Ngoba uba sikholwa ukuthi uJesu wafa wavuka, ngokunjalo-ke labo abalele kuJesu, uNkulunkulu uzabaletha kanye laye.
15 [I write this] because the Lord [Jesus] revealed [to me] what I am now telling you. [Some of you may think that] when the Lord [Jesus] comes back, he will consider that we [believers] who are still living will be superior to those [believers] who have died [EUP], because [we will meet Jesus first. That is certainly not true]!
Ngoba lokhu sikutsho kini ngelizwi leNkosi, ukuthi thina esiphilayo esitshiywe kuze kube sekufikeni kweNkosi, isibili kasiyikubaqalela labo asebelele;
16 It is the Lord [Jesus] himself who will descend from heaven. [When he comes down, he] will command all of [us believers to rise from their graves]. The chief angel will shout [loudly], and [another angel] will blow a trumpet for God. Then (OR, As a result), the first thing that will happen is that the people who [trusted] in Christ before they died will live again.
ngoba iNkosi uqobo izakwehla ivela ezulwini ngesimemezelo sokulawula, ngelizwi lengilosi eyinduna, langokukhala kophondo lukaNkulunkulu, labafileyo kuKristu bazavuka kuqala;
17 After that, [God] will powerfully take up into the clouds all of us [believers] who are still living [on this earth]. [He will take us] and those [other believers who have died], in order that [we all] might together meet/welcome the Lord [Jesus] in the sky. As a result of that, we [all] will be with him forever.
kulandele thina esiphilayo esitshiyiweyo, sizahluthunelwa kanye labo emayezini siyehlangabeza iNkosi emoyeni; ngokunjalo besesihlala leNkosi njalonjalo.
18 Because [all this is true], encourage/comfort each other by reminding each other of this teaching.
Ngakho duduzanani ngalamazwi.
