Romans 13
1 Let every individual be obedient to those who rule over him; for no one is a ruler except by God's permission, and our present rulers have had their rank and power assigned to them by Him.
Umuntu wonke kumele azithobe kulabo ababusayo, ngoba akukho mbuso ngaphandle kwalowo obekwe nguNkulunkulu. Imibuso ekhona ibekwe nguNkulunkulu.
2 Therefore the man who rebels against his ruler is resisting God's will; and those who thus resist will bring punishment upon themselves.
Ngakho, lowo ovukela umbuso uvukela okumiswe nguNkulunkulu, njalo labo abenza njalo bazilethela ukwahlulelwa.
3 For judges and magistrates are to be feared not by right-doers but by wrong-doers. You desire--do you not? --to have no reason to fear your ruler. Well, do the thing that is right, and then he will commend you.
Ngoba ababusi kabesabeki kulabo abenza okulungileyo, kodwa kulabo abenza okubi. Liyafuna ukukhululeka ekwesabeni lowo obusayo na? Ngakho yenzani okulungileyo yena uzalincoma.
4 For he is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid. He does not wear the sword to no purpose: he is God's servant--an administrator to inflict punishment upon evil-doers.
Ngoba yena uyinceku kaNkulunkulu yokulenzela okuhle. Kodwa nxa lisenza okubi, yesabani, ngoba inkemba kayiphatheli ize. Uyinceku kaNkulunkulu, umeli wentukuthelo ukuba ehlisele isijeziso kowenza okubi.
5 We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.
Ngakho, kuyaswelakala ukuzithoba kubabusi, hatshi kuphela ngenxa yokujeziswa okungenzakala, kodwa langenxa yesazela.
6 Why, this is really the reason you pay taxes; for tax-gatherers are ministers of God, devoting their energies to this very work.
Ngenxa yalokhu futhi yikho-nje lithela imithelo, ngoba ababusi bazinceku zikaNkulunkulu, ezinikela isikhathi sazo sonke ekubuseni.
7 Pay promptly to all men what is due to them: taxes to those to whom taxes are due, toll to those to whom toll is due, respect to those to whom respect is due, honour to those to whom honour is due.
Phanini abantu bonke okungokwabo: Nxa ungathelanga, thela imithelo, nxa kuyikuqoqwa kwemali, iqoqeni. Nxa kuyikwesaba, yesabani. Nxa kuyikuhlonipha, hloniphani; nxa kuyikudumisa, dumisani.
8 Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.
Lingayekeli umlandu ungahlawulwanga, ngaphandle kokuqhubeka komlandu wokuthandana, ngoba lowo othanda umuntu wakibo usewugcwalisile umthetho.
9 For the precepts, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt do no murder," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not covet," and all other precepts, are summed up in this one command, "Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thou lovest thyself."
Imilayo ethi, “Ungafebi, Ungabulali, Ungebi, Ungahawukeli” kanye leminye imilayo engabe ikhona ihlanganiswa ngumthetho lo othi: “Thanda umakhelwane wakho njengoba uzithanda.”
10 Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.
Uthando kalwenzi ngozi kumakhelwane. Ngakho uthando luyikugcwaliswa komthetho.
11 Carry out these injunctions because you know the critical period at which we are living, and that it is now high time, to rouse yourselves from sleep; for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first became believers.
Njalo yenzani lokhu liqedisisa isikhathi sakhathesi. Isikhathi sesifikile ukuba livuke ebuthongweni benu, ngoba ukusindiswa kwethu khathesi sekuseduze kakhulu kulekuqaleni kwethu ukukholwa.
12 The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.
Ubusuku sebuzadlula; ukusa sekusondele. Ngakho kasilahleni imisebenzi yobumnyama sigqoke isivikelo sokukhanya.
13 Living as we do in broad daylight, let us conduct ourselves becomingly, not indulging in revelry and drunkenness, nor in lust and debauchery, nor in quarrelling and jealousy.
Kasiziphatheni kuhle, njengasemini, hatshi emadilini okuminza lokudakwa, hatshi ekuhlobongeni lentokozo yobugangi, hatshi ngokuxabana langomona.
14 On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.
Kodwa zigqokiseni iNkosi uJesu Khristu, njalo lingacabangi ngokuthokozisa inkanuko yemvelo yenu yokona.
