Kwabase-Efesu 4

1 Njengesibotshwa seNkosi, ngiyalincenga ukuba liphile impilo efanele ubizo elalwamukelayo.

I, the prisoner of the LORD, then call on you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

2 Wobani ngabathobekileyo labamnene ngokupheleleyo; bekezelani, libekezelelane omunye komunye ethandweni.

with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,

3 Zamani ngamandla wonke ukugcina ukumanyana kukaMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.

being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;

4 Kulomzimba munye loMoya munye; njengalokhu labizelwa ethembeni linye ekubizweni kwenu,

one body and one Spirit, according as you were also called in one hope of your calling;

5 iNkosi yinye, lokholo lunye, ubhaphathizo lunye;

one Lord, one faith, one immersion,

6 uNkulunkulu munye uYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke njalo okubo bonke.

one God and Father of all, who [is] over all, and through all, and in you all,

7 Kodwa yilowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa ngokwaba kukaKhristu.

and to each one of you was given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,

8 Yikho-nje umbhalo usithi: “Ekwenyukeleni kwakhe phezulu, wahola abathunjiweyo abanengi njalo wanika izipho ebantwini bakhe.”

for this reason, it says, “Having gone up on high He led captive captivity, and gave gifts to men.”

9 (Ukuthi “wenyuka” kutshoni ngaphandle kokuthi njalo wehlela lezigabeni zangaphansi komhlaba na?

And that, He went up, what is it except that He also went down first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 Yena lowo owehlela phansi nguye kanye owenyukela phezulu kakhulu kulamazulu wonke ukuze agcwale izindawo zonke emhlabeni lasezulwini.)

He who went down is the same who also went up far above all the heavens, that He may fill all things—

11 UKhristu nguye owanika abanye ukuba babe ngabapostoli, abanye babe ngabaphrofethi, abanye babe ngabavangeli, abanye babe ngabaphathi labanye babe ngabafundisi,

and He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] proclaimers of good news, and some [as] shepherds and teachers,

12 ukuba balungisele abantu bakaNkulunkulu imisebenzi yenkonzo, ukuze umzimba kaKhristu wakhiwe

to the perfecting of the holy ones, for a work of ministry, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

13 sonke size sifinyelele ekumanyaneni, ekukholweni lasekwazini iNdodana kaNkulunkulu sikhule ngokupheleleyo, sithole isilinganiso sokuphelela okufunyanwa kuKhristu.

until we may all come to the unity of faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fullness of the Christ,

14 Ngakho kasisayikuba zingane, siphoswa emuva laphambili ngamagagasi, siphetshulwa lapha lalaphaya yimimoya yonke yemfundiso kanye lokuhlakanipha lobuqili babantu ngamazwi abo enkohliso.

that we may no longer be children, being tossed by waves and being carried around by every wind of the teaching, in the cunning of men, in craftiness, to the scheming of leading astray,

15 Kodwa-ke, sikhuluma iqiniso ngothando, sizakhula ezintweni zonke kuye yena oyiNhloko, yena enguKhristu.

and [speaking] truth in love, we may increase to Him [in] all things, who is the head—the Christ;

16 Kusukela kuye umzimba wonke ohlanganiswe wabanjaniswa yimisipha yonke ewusekelayo uyakhula uzakhe ngothando, isitho sinye ngasinye sisenza umsebenzi waso.

from whom the whole body, being fitly joined together and united, through the supply of every joint, according to the working in the measure of each single part, the increase of the body makes for the building up of itself in love.

17 Ngakho-ke, ngilitshela lokhu, ngikugcizelela eNkosini, ukuba akumelanga liphile njengabeZizweni emicabangweni yabo eyize.

This, then, I say, and I testify in the LORD: you are no longer to walk, as also the other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Kubamnyama ekuqedisiseni kwabo njalo behlukene lokuphila kukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokungazi kwabo okungenxa yobulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo.

being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

19 Sebelahlekelwe ngunembeza wonke, sebezinikele ekuthokoziseni inyama ukuze benze inhlobo zonke zokuxhwala, inkanuko iqhubeka ifuna okunengi.

who, having ceased to feel, gave themselves up to the licentiousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;

20 Kodwa lina uKhristu kalimazanga ngaleyondlela.

and you did not so learn the Christ,

21 Impela lezwa njalo lafundiswa ngaye ngokweqiniso elikuJesu.

if [it] so be [that] you heard Him, and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus;

22 Lafundiswa mayelana lendlela yenu yakuqala yokuphila ukuba lilahle uqobo lwenu oludala, olonakaliswa yizinkanuko zalo zenkohliso;

concerning the former behavior you are to put off the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,

23 ukuba lenziwe libe batsha esimeni sengqondo zenu;

and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 lifake uqobo lomzimba olutsha, oludalelwe ukuba njengoNkulunkulu ekulungeni okuqotho lobungcwele.

and to put on the new man, which, according to God, was created in righteousness and kindness of the truth.

25 Ngakho-ke, yilowo lalowo wenu kumele alahle amanga akhulume iqiniso kumakhelwane wakhe ngoba sonke siyizitho zomzimba munye.

For this reason, putting away the lying, each speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another;

26 “Ekuthukutheleni kwenu lingoni”: Ilanga kalingatshoni lilokhu lithukuthele

be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

27 njalo lingamniki indawo yokugxila uSathane.

neither give place to the Devil;

28 Lowo obekade entshontsha kangantshontshi futhi kodwa kumele asebenze, enze ulutho oluhle ngezandla zakhe ukuze abe langakwabela abaswelayo.

whoever is stealing let him no longer steal, but rather let him labor, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need.

29 Akungabi lenkulumo embi ephuma emilonyeni yenu kodwa okusizayo ekwakheni abanye ngokwezinswelo zabo, ukuba kusize labo abalalelayo.

Let no corrupt word go forth out of your mouth, but what is good to the necessary building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

30 Njalo lingamdabukisi uMoya oNgcwele kaNkulunkulu elabekwa ngaye uphawu lwelanga lokuhlengwa.

and do not make the Holy Spirit of God sorrowful, in which you were sealed to [the] day of redemption.

31 Susani yonke inzondo, ulaka lokuthukuthela, ingxabano lesinyeyo, kanye lobubi bonke.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice,

32 Wobani lomusa kanye lozwelo komunye lomunye wenu njalo lithethelelane njengalokhu uNkulunkulu walithethelela ngoKhristu.

and become kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as God also forgave you in Christ.