< Kwabase-Efesu 4 >
1 Njengesibotshwa seNkosi, ngiyalincenga ukuba liphile impilo efanele ubizo elalwamukelayo.
2 Wobani ngabathobekileyo labamnene ngokupheleleyo; bekezelani, libekezelelane omunye komunye ethandweni.
3 Zamani ngamandla wonke ukugcina ukumanyana kukaMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.
4 Kulomzimba munye loMoya munye; njengalokhu labizelwa ethembeni linye ekubizweni kwenu,
5 iNkosi yinye, lokholo lunye, ubhaphathizo lunye;
6 uNkulunkulu munye uYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke njalo okubo bonke.
7 Kodwa yilowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa ngokwaba kukaKhristu.
8 Yikho-nje umbhalo usithi: “Ekwenyukeleni kwakhe phezulu, wahola abathunjiweyo abanengi njalo wanika izipho ebantwini bakhe.”
9 (Ukuthi “wenyuka” kutshoni ngaphandle kokuthi njalo wehlela lezigabeni zangaphansi komhlaba na?
10 Yena lowo owehlela phansi nguye kanye owenyukela phezulu kakhulu kulamazulu wonke ukuze agcwale izindawo zonke emhlabeni lasezulwini.)
11 UKhristu nguye owanika abanye ukuba babe ngabapostoli, abanye babe ngabaphrofethi, abanye babe ngabavangeli, abanye babe ngabaphathi labanye babe ngabafundisi,
12 ukuba balungisele abantu bakaNkulunkulu imisebenzi yenkonzo, ukuze umzimba kaKhristu wakhiwe
13 sonke size sifinyelele ekumanyaneni, ekukholweni lasekwazini iNdodana kaNkulunkulu sikhule ngokupheleleyo, sithole isilinganiso sokuphelela okufunyanwa kuKhristu.
14 Ngakho kasisayikuba zingane, siphoswa emuva laphambili ngamagagasi, siphetshulwa lapha lalaphaya yimimoya yonke yemfundiso kanye lokuhlakanipha lobuqili babantu ngamazwi abo enkohliso.
15 Kodwa-ke, sikhuluma iqiniso ngothando, sizakhula ezintweni zonke kuye yena oyiNhloko, yena enguKhristu.
16 Kusukela kuye umzimba wonke ohlanganiswe wabanjaniswa yimisipha yonke ewusekelayo uyakhula uzakhe ngothando, isitho sinye ngasinye sisenza umsebenzi waso.
17 Ngakho-ke, ngilitshela lokhu, ngikugcizelela eNkosini, ukuba akumelanga liphile njengabeZizweni emicabangweni yabo eyize.
18 Kubamnyama ekuqedisiseni kwabo njalo behlukene lokuphila kukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokungazi kwabo okungenxa yobulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo.
19 Sebelahlekelwe ngunembeza wonke, sebezinikele ekuthokoziseni inyama ukuze benze inhlobo zonke zokuxhwala, inkanuko iqhubeka ifuna okunengi.
20 Kodwa lina uKhristu kalimazanga ngaleyondlela.
21 Impela lezwa njalo lafundiswa ngaye ngokweqiniso elikuJesu.
22 Lafundiswa mayelana lendlela yenu yakuqala yokuphila ukuba lilahle uqobo lwenu oludala, olonakaliswa yizinkanuko zalo zenkohliso;
23 ukuba lenziwe libe batsha esimeni sengqondo zenu;
24 lifake uqobo lomzimba olutsha, oludalelwe ukuba njengoNkulunkulu ekulungeni okuqotho lobungcwele.
25 Ngakho-ke, yilowo lalowo wenu kumele alahle amanga akhulume iqiniso kumakhelwane wakhe ngoba sonke siyizitho zomzimba munye.
26 “Ekuthukutheleni kwenu lingoni”: Ilanga kalingatshoni lilokhu lithukuthele
27 njalo lingamniki indawo yokugxila uSathane.
28 Lowo obekade entshontsha kangantshontshi futhi kodwa kumele asebenze, enze ulutho oluhle ngezandla zakhe ukuze abe langakwabela abaswelayo.
29 Akungabi lenkulumo embi ephuma emilonyeni yenu kodwa okusizayo ekwakheni abanye ngokwezinswelo zabo, ukuba kusize labo abalalelayo.
30 Njalo lingamdabukisi uMoya oNgcwele kaNkulunkulu elabekwa ngaye uphawu lwelanga lokuhlengwa.
31 Susani yonke inzondo, ulaka lokuthukuthela, ingxabano lesinyeyo, kanye lobubi bonke.
32 Wobani lomusa kanye lozwelo komunye lomunye wenu njalo lithethelelane njengalokhu uNkulunkulu walithethelela ngoKhristu.
