1 UPhetro 2
1 Ngakho lahlani ububi bonke lobuqili bonke lokuzenzisa lomhawu lokuhleba konke,
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
2 njengezingane ezisanda ukuzalwa, fisani uchago olungaqungwanga lwelizwi, ukuze likhuliswe ngalo,
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 uba-ke selinambithile ukuthi iNkosi ilomusa.
now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 Elizayo kuyo, ilitshe eliphilayo, elaliwa isibili ngabantu, kodwa kuNkulunkulu likhethiwe, liligugu,
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
5 lani njengamatshe aphilayo lakhiwe indlu yokomoya, ubupristi obungcwele, ukuze linikele imihlatshelo yokomoya eyemukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu.
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Ngakho kukhona lembhalweni ukuthi: Khangela ngiyabeka eSiyoni ilitshe lengonsi, elikhethiweyo eliligugu; lokholwa kuye kasoze ayangeke.
For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
7 Ngakho kini elikholwayo uligugu; kodwa kwabangalaleliyo, ilitshe abakhi abalalayo, leli selibe yinhloko yengonsi,
To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 lelitshe lokukhubekisa, ledwala lokuwisa; abakhubeka elizwini, bengalaleli; okuyikho labo ababekumiselwe;
and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
9 kodwa lina liluhlanga olukhethiweyo, ubupristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abatholiweyo, ukuze litshumayele jikelele ukulunga kwalowo owalibiza livela emnyameni laya ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo;
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
10 elalikade lingeyisibo abantu, kodwa khathesi lingabantu bakaNkulunkulu; elalingahawukelwanga, kodwa khathesi selihawukelwe.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Bathandekayo, ngiyalincenga njengabemzini lezihambi ukuthi lizithinte enkanukweni zenyama, ezilwa lomphefumulo;
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
12 lilokuhamba okuhle phakathi kwabezizwe, ukuze kuthi, ekulihlebeni njengabenzi bobubi, ezenzweni ezinhle abazibonileyo bangadumisa uNkulunkulu osukwini lokuhanjelwa.
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
13 Ngakho zehliseleni ngaphansi kwaso sonke isimiso sabantu ngenxa yeNkosi; loba kuyinkosi, njengebusayo;
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
14 loba kubabusi, njengabathunywe yiyo ekujezisweni kwabenzi bobubi, kodwa kube lodumo lwabenzi bokuhle.
or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
15 Ngoba injalo intando kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi ngokwenza okuhle lifake isayeke emlonyeni wokungazi kwabantu abayizithutha;
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 njengabakhululekileyo, kodwa lingabi lenkululeko njengesigubuzelo sobubi, kodwa njengezigqili zikaNkulunkulu.
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
17 Hloniphani bonke. Thandani ubuzalwane. Mesabeni uNkulunkulu. Hloniphani inkosi.
Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18 Zinceku, zehliseleni ngaphansi kwamakhosi ngokwesaba konke, kungeyisikho kulawo alungileyo lamnene kuphela, kodwa lakulawo angaqondanga.
Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.
19 Ngoba lokhu kungumusa, uba umuntu ethwala izinhlupheko ngenxa yesazela kuNkulunkulu, ehlupheka ngokungafanelanga.
For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.
20 Ngoba kulenzuzo bani, uba lisona beselitshaywa libekezela? Kodwa uba lisenza okuhle njalo lihlupheke libekezela, lokhu kungumusa kuNkulunkulu.
How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21 Ngoba labizelwa lokho, ngoba uKristu laye wasihluphekela, esitshiyela isibonelo, ukuze lilandele izinyathelo zakhe;
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
22 ongenzanga isono, lenkohliso kayificwanga emlonyeni wakhe;
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
23 owathi ethukwa kazaphindisela ngokuthuka, ehlupheka kazasongela, kodwa wazinikela kulowo owahlulela ngokulunga;
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
24 yena ngokwakhe owathwala izono zethu emzimbeni wakhe esihlahleni, ukuze kuthi, sesifile esonweni, siphile ekulungeni; okungemivimvinya yakhe lisilisiwe.
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
25 Ngoba lalinjengezimvu ezilahlekayo; kodwa khathesi selibuyele kuMelusi loMbonisi wemiphefumulo yenu.
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
