< 1 UPhetro 4 >
1 Njengoba uKristu wasihluphekela enyameni, hlomani lani ngengqondo efananayo, ngoba ohlupheke enyameni, useyekele isono,
2 ukuze isikhathi esiseleyo enyameni lingabe lisaphilela inkanuko zabantu, kodwa intando kaNkulunkulu.
3 Ngoba kwanele kithi ukuthi isikhathi sempilo esedlulileyo siqhube intando yabezizwe, lapho sasihamba emanyaleni, ezinkanukweni, ekudakweni, ekuminzeni, ekunatheni, lekukhonzeni izithombe okuyangisayo;
4 abamangala kukho, nxa lingagijimi ndawonye kulokhukuthululeka kwamanyala, belihlambaza;
5 abazaziphendulela kulowo olungele ukwahlulela abaphilayo labafileyo.
6 Ngoba ngenxa yalokhu ivangeli latshunyayelwa lakwabafileyo, ukuze bahlulelwe ngokwabantu enyameni, kodwa baphile ngokukaNkulunkulu emoyeni.
7 Kodwa ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekusondele; ngakho qondani lilinde lisemikhulekweni;
8 kodwa phambi kwakho konke banini lothando oluvuthayo omunye komunye, ngoba uthando luzasibekela inkithinkithi yezono;
9 phathanani kuhle ekwethekelaneni, ngaphandle kokusola;
10 ngulowo lalowo njengesiphiwo asemukeleyo, kasisebenze omunye komunye, njengabaphathi abalungileyo bomusa kaNkulunkulu ozinhlobonhlobo;
11 uba umuntu ekhuluma, kakhulume njengamazwi kaNkulunkulu; uba umuntu esebenza, kasebenze njengokuvela emandleni uNkulunkulu awanikayo; ukuze uNkulunkulu adunyiswe kuzo zonke izinto ngoJesu Kristu, okukuye ubukhosi lamandla kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni. (aiōn )
12 Bathandekayo, lingamangali ngesilingo esitshisayo esiphezu kwenu esilihlolayo, ngokungathi lehlelwe yinto engaziwayo;
13 kodwa njengoba lihlanganyela inhlupheko zikaKristu, thokozani, ukuze kuthi lekwembulweni kwenkazimulo yakhe lithokoze lijabule kakhulu.
14 Uba lithukwa ngenxa yebizo likaKristu, libusisiwe; ngoba uMoya wenkazimulo lokaNkulunkulu uhlezi phezu kwenu; ngabo-ke uyathukwa, kodwa ngani uyadunyiswa.
15 Kodwa kakungabi khona owakini ohlupheka njengombulali, loba isela, loba umenzi wokubi, loba njengozigaxa endabeni zabanye;
16 kodwa uba ehlupheka njengomKristu, kangabi lanhloni, kodwa kadumise uNkulunkulu ngenxa yalokhu.
17 Ngoba sekuyisikhathi sokuthi ukwahlulela kuqale endlini kaNkulunkulu; njalo uba kuqala kithi, kuzakuba yini ukuphela kwalabo abangalalelanga ivangeli likaNkulunkulu?
18 Uba-ke olungileyo esindiswa ngobulukhuni, oweyisa uNkulunkulu lesoni uzabonakala ngaphi?
19 Ngakho-ke labo abahluphekayo ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu, njengakuMdali othembekileyo kabanikele eyabo imiphefumulo ekwenzeni okuhle.
