Kwabase-Efesu 1
1 UPhawuli, umpostoli kaKhristu uJesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, Lakwabangcwele bakaNkulunkulu abase-Efesu, abathembekileyo kuKhristu uJesu:
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God: To God's people who are in Ephesus--believers in Christ Jesus.
2 Umusa lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba leNkosini uJesu Khristu kakube kini.
May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Udumo kalube kuNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, osibusise ebukhosini basezulwini ngezibusiso zonke zakomoya kuKhristu.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has crowned us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ;
4 Ngoba wasikhetha umhlaba ungakadalwa ukuthi sibe ngcwele lokuthi singabi lasici ebusweni bakhe. Ngothando
even as, in His love, He chose us as His own in Christ before the creation of the world, that we might be holy and without blemish in His presence.
5 wasimisela ukuba senziwe amadodana akhe ngoJesu Khristu, ngokwentokozo yakhe kanye lentando yakhe,
For He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ--such being His gracious will and pleasure--
6 ukuze kudunyiswe umusa wakhe omangalisayo asiphe wona ngesihle kuLowo amthandayo.
to the praise of the splendour of His grace with which He has enriched us in the beloved One.
7 Kuye silokuhlengwa ngegazi lakhe lokuthethelelwa kwezono ngokwenotho yomusa kaNkulunkulu
It is in Him, and through the shedding of His blood, that we have our deliverance--the forgiveness of our offences--so abundant was God's grace,
8 awuthululele phezu kwethu ngenhlakanipho yonke langokuqedisisa.
the grace which He, the possessor of all wisdom and understanding, lavished upon us,
9 Wasazisa imfihlakalo yentando yakhe mayelana lentokozo yakhe elungileyo ayiceba kuKhristu,
when He made known to us the secret of His will. And this is in harmony with God's merciful purpose
10 ukuba kuhlanganiswe ndawonye zonke izinto ezisezulwini lasemhlabeni ngaphansi kwenhloko yinye enguKhristu.
for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it--the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.
11 Sakhethwa kuye, simiselwe lokho ngokwecebo lakhe yena osebenza izinto zonke ngokuvumelana lenjongo yentando yakhe,
In Him we Jews have been made heirs, having been chosen beforehand in accordance with the intention of Him whose might carries out in everything the design of His own will,
12 ukuze kuthi thina esaba ngabokuqala ukubeka ithemba lethu kuKhristu sibe ngabokubonga udumo lwakhe.
so that we should be devoted to the extolling of His glorious attributes--we who were the first to fix our hopes on Christ.
13 Lani labalwa kanye loKhristu lapho selizwe ilizwi leqiniso, levangeli lokusindiswa kwenu. Selikholwe kuye, labekwa uphawu, uMoya oNgcwele owathenjiswayo,
And in Him you Gentiles also, after listening to the Message of the truth, the Good News of your salvation--having believed in Him--were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit;
14 oyisibambiso esiyisiqiniselo selifa lethu kuze kufike ukuhlengwa kwalabo abangabakaNkulunkulu ukuba kudunyiswe udumo lwakhe.
that Spirit being a pledge and foretaste of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption--the inheritance which He has purchased to be specially His for the extolling of His glory.
15 Ngenxa yalokhu, sekulokhu ngezwa ngokukholwa kwenu eNkosini uJesu kanye lothando lwenu kubo bonke abantu bakaNkulunkulu abangcwele,
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and of your love for all God's people,
16 angikaze ngiyekele ukulibongela lokulikhumbula emikhulekweni yami.
offer never ceasing thanks on your behalf while I make mention of you in my prayers.
17 Ngiyaqhubeka ngicela ukuba uNkulunkulu weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, uYise oyinkazimulo, alinike uMoya wokuhlakanipha lokwambulelwa ukuze limazi ngcono.
For I always beseech the God of our Lord Jesus Christ--the Father most glorious--to give you a spirit of wisdom and penetration through an intimate knowledge of Him,
18 Ngikhulekela njalo lokuthi amehlo ezinhliziyo zenu akhanyiselwe ukuze lilazi ithemba alibizela kulo, inotho yelifa lakhe elimangalisayo kwabangcwele,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened so that you may know what is the hope which His call to you inspires, what the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in God's people,
19 lamandla akhe amakhulu angelakulinganiswa kithi thina esikholwayo. Amandla lawo afana lokusebenza kwamandla akhe amakhulu
and what the transcendent greatness of His power in us believers as seen in the working of His infinite might
20 awasebenzisa evusa uKhristu kwabafileyo, emhlalisa esandleni sakhe sokunene ebukhosini basezulwini
when He displayed it in Christ by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His own right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 phezu kokubusa konke lobukhosi, amandla kanye lombuso, lamabizo wonke angatshiwo, kungayisikho kwalesisikhathi kuphela kodwa lakuleso esizayo. (aiōn g165)
high above all other government and authority and power and dominion, and every title of sovereignty used either in this Age or in the Age to come. (aiōn g165)
22 UNkulunkulu wabeka izinto zonke ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe wamkhetha ukuba abe yinhloko yezinto zonke zebandla,
God has put all things under His feet, and has appointed Him universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body,
23 lona elingumzimba wakhe, ukuphelela kwakhe yena ophelelisa izinto zonke ngezindlela zonke.
the completeness of Him who everywhere fills the universe with Himself.
