1 UPhetro 1
1 UPetro, umphostoli kaJesu Kristu, kwabemzini abakhethiweyo bokuhlakazeka kwePontusi, iGalathiya, iKaphadosiya, iAsiya, leBithiniya,
To the People of God who are living abroad, dispersed throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Roman Asia, and Bithynia,
2 njengokolwazi ngaphambili lukaNkulunkulu uBaba, ekungcwelisweni koMoya, ekulaleleni lekufafazweni kwegazi likaJesu Kristu: Umusa lokuthula kakwandiswe kini.
and who were chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the consecration of the Spirit, to learn obedience, and to be purified by the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ, from Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. May blessing and peace be yours in ever-increasing measure.
3 Ubusisiwe uNkulunkulu, ngitsho uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, owasizala kutsha ngesihawu sakhe esikhulu ethembeni eliphilileyo ngokuvuka kukaJesu Kristu kwabafileyo,
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has, in his great mercy, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 elifeni elingaboliyo lelingangcolanga lelingabuniyo, elilondolozelwe lona emazulwini,
given us the new Life of undying hope, that promises an inheritance, imperishable, stainless, unfading, which has been reserved for you in Heaven —
5 lina elilondolozwe ngamandla kaNkulunkulu ngokholo kusindiso olulungiselwe ukwembulwa esikhathini sokucina.
for you who, through faith, are being guarded by the power of God, awaiting a Salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last days.
6 Elithokoza kuso, lanxa okwesikhatshana khathesi, uba kudingeka, lisezahlupheka ezilingweni eziyizinhlobonhlobo,
At the thought of this you are full of exultation, though (if it has been necessary) you have suffered for the moment somewhat from various trials;
7 ukuze ukulingwa kokholo lwenu, oluligugu kakhulu okwedlula igolide elibhubhayo, selihlolwe ngomlilo, kuficwe kulendumiso lenhlonipho lodumo, ekwembulweni kukaJesu Kristu;
that the genuineness of your faith — a thing far more precious than gold, which is perishable, yet has to be tested by fire — may win praise and glory and honour at the Appearing of Jesus Christ.
8 elingambonanga limthanda, elithi khathesi lingamboni kodwa likholwe kuye, liyathokoza ngentokozo engakhulumekiyo ledumisekayo,
Though you have never seen him, yet you love him; though you do not even now see him, yet you believe in him, and exalt with a triumphant happiness too great for words,
9 lizuze isiphetho sokholo lwenu, usindiso lwemiphefumulo yenu.
as you receive the reward of your faith in the Salvation of your souls!
10 Ngalolusindiso abaprofethi babuzisisa njalo bahlolisisa, abaprofetha ngomusa oza kini;
It was this Salvation that the Prophets, who spoke long ago of the blessing intended for you, sought, and strove to comprehend;
11 babuza ukuthi yisiphi loba sinjani isikhathi uMoya kaKristu owayekibo osikhombayo, efakaza ngaphambili ngenhlupheko eziqondene loKristu, langobukhosi emva kwalezo;
as they strove to discern what that time could be, to which the Spirit of Christ within them was pointing, when foretelling the sufferings that would befall Christ, and the glories that would follow.
12 okwembulwa kubo ukuthi kungeyisikho kubo, kodwa kithi babesebenza lezizinto, eselizitshunyayezwa yilabo abalitshumayeza ivangeli ngoMoya oNgcwele othunywe evela ezulwini, izinto ingilosi ezilangatha ukuzihlolisisa.
And it was revealed to them that it was not for themselves, but for you, that they were acting as Ministers of the truths which have now been told to you, by those who, with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven, have brought you the Good News — truths into which even angels long to look.
13 Ngakho zibopheni inkalo zengqondo yenu, liqondile, lithembe ngokupheleleyo emuseni olethwe kini ekwembulweni kukaJesu Kristu;
Therefore concentrate your minds, with the strictest self-control, and fix your hopes on the blessing that is coming for you at the Appearing of Jesus Christ.
14 njengabantwana abalalelayo, lingahambelani lesimo sezinkanuko ezazikhona mandulo kokungazi kwenu,
Be like obedient children; do not let your lives be shaped by the passions which once swayed you in the days of your ignorance,
15 kodwa njengoba owalibizayo engcwele, lani banini ngcwele kukho konke ukuziphatha;
but in your whole life show yourselves to be holy, after the pattern of the Holy One from whom you received your Call.
16 ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Banini ngcwele, ngoba mina ngingcwele.
For Scripture says — ‘You shall be holy, because I am holy.’
17 Njalo uba libiza lithi: Baba, owahlulela ngulowo lalowo ngokomsebenzi wakhe engabandlululi, chithani isikhathi sokuba yizihambi kwenu ekwesabeni;
And since you call upon him as ‘Father,’ who judges every one impartially by what he has done, let reverence be the spirit of your lives during the time of your stay upon earth.
18 lisazi ukuthi kalihlengwanga ngezinto ezingabhubha, isiliva kumbe igolide, ekuhambeni kwenu okuyize elakwemukela kubobaba,
For you know that it was not by perishable things, such as silver and gold, that you were Ransomed from the aimless way of living which was handed down to you from your ancestors,
19 kodwa ngegazi likaKristu eliligugu kungathi ngelewundlu elingelasici lelingelabala.
but by precious blood, as it were of a lamb, unblemished and spotless, the Blood of Christ.
20 Isibili owamiswa ngaphambili phambi kwesisekelo somhlaba, kodwa wabonakaliswa ezikhathini zokucina ngenxa yenu,
Destined for this before the beginning of the world, he has been revealed in these last days for your sakes,
21 elikholwa ngaye kuNkulunkulu, owamvusa kwabafileyo, wasemnika ubukhosi, ukuze ukholo lethemba lenu kube kuNkulunkulu.
who, through him, are faithful to God who raised him from the dead and gave him honour, so that your faith and hope are now in God.
22 Selihlanze imiphefumulo yenu ekulaleleni kweqiniso ngoMoya ethandweni lwabazalwane ngokungazenzisi, thandanani ngokutshiseka okuvela enhliziyweni emhlophe;
Now that, by your obedience to the Truth, you have purified your lives, so that there is growing up among you a genuine brotherly affection, love one another earnestly with all your hearts;
23 selizelwe ngokutsha okungeyisikho okuvela enhlanyelweni engabola, kodwa engaboliyo, ngelizwi likaNkulunkulu eliphilayo lelimiyo ephakadeni. (aiōn g165)
since your new Life has come, not from perishable, but imperishable, seed, through the Message of the Everliving God. (aiōn g165)
24 Ngoba yonke inyama injengotshani, labo bonke ubukhosi bomuntu bunjengeluba lotshani. Utshani buyabuna, leluba labo liwohloke;
For — ‘All earthly life is but as grass, and all its splendour as the flower of grass. The grass fades, its flower falls,
