1 KuThimothi 5

1 Ungamkhuzi ngolaka umuntu omdala kodwa mncenge ngokungathi nguyihlo. Amajaha aphathe njengabafowenu,

2 abesifazane abadala njengonyoko, abesifazane abatsha njengodadewenu ngokuhlambuluka okupheleleyo.

3 Woba lonanzelelo olufaneleyo kubafelokazi abaswelayo kakhulu.

4 Kodwa nxa umfelokazi elabantwana kumbe abazukulu, kumele bafunde kuqala kulakho konke ukusebenzisa ukholo lwabo ngokukhathalela abendlu yakwabo langokusiza abazali babo labazali babazali babo ngoba lokhu kuyamthokozisa uNkulunkulu.

5 Umfelokazi oswelayo kakhulu njalo esele eyedwa ubeka ithemba lakhe kuNkulunkulu njalo uqhubeka ebusuku lemini ekhuleka ecela usizo kuNkulunkulu.

6 Kodwa umfelokazi ophilela intokozo ufile lanxa esaphila.

7 Banike labo abantu izeluleko lezi ukuze angabikhona ongasoleka.

8 Nxa umuntu enganakekeli izihlobo zakhe ikakhulu abendlu yakwabo, uselulahlile ukholo lwakhe njalo mubi kakhulu kulongakholwayo.

9 Akulamfelokazi ozabekwa eluhlwini lwabafelokazi ngaphandle kokuba eseleminyaka edlula engamatshumi ayisithupha, obengokade ethembekile kumkakhe

10 njalo edumile ngezenzo zakhe ezinhle, ezinjengokondla abantwana, lokuphatha kuhle izihambi, lokugezisa inyawo zabangcwele, lokusiza abahluphekayo kanye lokuzinikela kuzozonke izenzo ezinhle.

11 Abafelokazi abasesebatsha ungababeki eluhlwini olunjalo. Ngoba lapho izinkanuko zabo zomzimba sezikhulela ukuzinikela kwabo kuKhristu bafuna ukwenda.

12 Ngalokho-ke, bazilethela ukwahlulelwa phezu kwabo ngoba bephule isithembiso sabo sokuqala.

13 Langaphandle kwalokho, basuka babe lomkhuba wokuvilapha batshone benquma ngemizi. Njalo kababi ngamavila nje kuphela kodwa bangabanyeyayo labathandi bezindaba zabanye besitsho izinto okungafanelanga bazitsho.

14 Ngakho, abafelokazi abasesebatsha ngibacebisa ukuba bende, babelabantwana, baphathe izindlu zabo njalo banganiki isitha ithuba lokuba kube lokuhleba.

15 Abanye bavele sebedukile balandela uSathane.

16 Nxa umuntu okholwayo elabafelokazi emzini wakhe, kumele abasize hatshi ukuyekela besinda ibandla ukuze ibandla lisize abafelokazi abaswela kakhulu.

17 Abadala abaqhuba kuhle imisebenzi yebandla bafanele ukuhlonitshwa okuphindiweyo ikakhulu labo abasebenza ukutshumayela lokufundisa.

18 Ngoba umbhalo uthi: “Inkabi ungayifaki isayeke nxa ibhula amabele,” njalo uthi, “Isisebenzi sifanele umholo waso.”

19 Ungalamukeli icala eletheswa umuntu omdala ngaphandle kokuba limangalwa ngabafakazi ababili loba abathathu.

20 Abenza izono kumele bakhuzwe phambi kwabantu ukuze labanye baxwayiseke.

21 Ngiyakulaya phambi kukaNkulunkulu loKhristu uJesu lezingilosi ezikhethiweyo ukuba ugcine iziqondiso lezi kungekho bandlululo njalo ungenzi lutho ngokukhetha.

22 Ungaphangisi ukubeka izandla emuntwini njalo ungahlanganyeli ezonweni zabanye. Zigcine uhlambulukile.

23 Yekela ukunatha amanzi kuphela kodwa sebenzisa lewayini elincinyane ngenxa yesisu sakho lokuhlala kwakho ugula.

24 Izono zabanye abantu zisobala, zifika endaweni yokwahlulela kuqala kulabo; kodwa abanye ezabo izono zilandela ngemva kwabo.

25 Ngokufanayo, izenzo ezinhle zisobala njalo lalezo ezingenjalo azingeke zihlale zifihliwe.