Kwabase-Efesu 2
1 Lina lalifile eziphambekweni lasezonweni zenu,
To you Gentiles also, who were dead through your offences and sins,
2 elaliphila kuzo ngesikhathi lisalandela izindlela zalo umhlaba lezombusi wombuso wasemoyeni, umoya osebenzayo lakhathesi kulabo abangalaleliyo. (aiōn g165)
which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life. (aiōn g165)
3 Lathi sonke sake saphila phakathi kwabo ekuqaleni, sithokozisa izinkanuko zemvelo yethu yesono, silandela lezifiso kanye lemicabango yazo. Njengabanye, ngokwemvelo sasifanele ulaka.
Among them all of us also formerly passed our lives, governed by the inclinations of our lower natures, indulging the cravings of those natures and of our own thoughts, and were in our original state deserving of anger like all others.
4 Kodwa ngenxa yothando lwakhe olukhulu kithi, uNkulunkulu olesihawu esikhulu,
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on us,
5 wasenza saba ngabaphilayo loKhristu lanxa sasifile eziphambekweni, ngomusa selisindisiwe.
caused us, dead though we were through our offences, to live with Christ--it is by grace that you have been saved--
6 UNkulunkulu wasivusa ekufeni kanye loKhristu wasihlalisa laye ebukhosini basezulwini kuKhristu uJesu
raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being in Christ Jesus,
7 ukuze kuthi ezikhathini ezizayo atshengise inotho yomusa wakhe engeke ilinganiswe, ebalulwe yibubele bakhe kithi kuKhristu uJesu. (aiōn g165)
in order that, by His goodness to us in Christ Jesus, He might display in the Ages to come the transcendent riches of His grace. (aiōn g165)
8 Ngoba ngomusa lisindisiwe, kungokukholwa njalo lokhu akuveli kini, kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu,
For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit--
9 hatshi ngemisebenzi, ukuze kungabi lozazincoma.
so that it may be impossible for any one to boast.
10 Ngoba siyibuciko bukaNkulunkulu, sidalelwe kuKhristu uJesu ukuba senze imisebenzi emihle, uNkulunkulu ayilungisa ngaphambili ukuba siyenze.
For we are God's own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.
11 Ngakho, khumbulani ukuthi kuqala lina elingabeZizweni ngokuzalwa njalo elibizwa ngokuthi “ngabangasokanga” yilabo abazibiza ngokuthi “ngabokusoka” (lokho okwenziwa emzimbeni ngezandla zabantu),
Therefore, do not forget that formerly you were Gentiles as to your bodily condition. You were called the Uncircumcision by those who style themselves the Circumcised--their circumcision being one which the knife has effected.
12 khumbulani ukuthi ngalesosikhathi lalehlukene loKhristu, lingabalelwa enzalweni yako-Israyeli njalo lingabezizweni kusivumelwano sesithembiso, lingelathemba njalo lingelaye uNkulunkulu emhlabeni.
At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.
13 Kodwa khathesi kuKhristu uJesu lina elake laba khatshana le selisondezwe eduzane ngegazi likaKhristu.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were so far away have been brought near through the death of Christ.
14 Ngoba yena uqobo uyikuthula kwethu, yena owenza ababili baba munye, wadiliza uthango olungumduli wobutha owehlukanisayo,
For He is our peace--He who has made Jews and Gentiles one, and in His own human nature has broken down the hostile dividing wall,
15 ngokuchitha emzimbeni wakhe umthetho lemilayo yawo kanye lezimiso. Injongo yakhe yayingeyokudala phakathi kwakhe umuntu oyedwa njalo omutsha ngabantu ababili, ngalokho enze ukuthula,
by setting aside the Law with its commandments, expressed, as they were, in definite decrees. His design was to unite the two sections of humanity in Himself so as to form one new man,
16 kuthi kulo umzimba munye kube lokubuyisana kwayo yomibili kuNkulunkulu ngesiphambano, achitha ngaso ubutha bayo.
thus effecting peace, and to reconcile Jews and Gentiles in one body to God, by means of His cross--slaying by it their mutual enmity.
17 Weza wazatshumayela ukuthula kini elalikhatshana lokuthula kulabo ababeseduzane.
So He came and proclaimed good news of peace to you who were so far away, and peace to those who were near;
18 Ngoba ngaye sobabili siyafinyelela kuYise ngoMoya munye.
because it is through Him that Jews and Gentiles alike have access through one Spirit to the Father.
19 Ngalokho-ke, kaliseyibo bezizweni lezihambi, kodwa seliyinzalo yakithi labantu bakaNkulunkulu, kanye lamalunga abendlu kaNkulunkulu,
You are therefore no longer mere foreigners or persons excluded from civil rights. On the contrary you share citizenship with God's people and are members of His family.
20 lakhelwe phezu kwesisekelo sabapostoli labaphrofethi, uKhristu uJesu yena uqobo eyilitshe elikhulu lekhoneni.
You are a building which has been reared on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself,
21 Indlu yonke ihlanganiselwe kuye njalo ikhula ukuze ibe lithempeli elingcwele eNkosini.
in union with whom the whole fabric, fitted and closely joined together, is growing so as to form a holy sanctuary in the Lord;
22 Lani futhi lakhelwa ndawonye kuye ukuze libe yindawo yokuhlala uNkulunkulu ahlala kuyo ngoMoya wakhe.
in whom you also are being built up together to become a fixed abode for God through the Spirit.
