1 KuThimothi 3

1 Lithembekile ilizwielithi: Uba umuntu efisa isikhundla sombonisi, ufisa umsebenzi omuhle;

The word [is] faithful: if any one aspires to exercise oversight, he desires a good work.

2 ngakho kumele ukuthi umbonisi abe ngongasolekiyo, indoda yomfazi munye, ozithintayo, oqondileyo, oziphatha ngokufaneleyo, ophatha kuhle izihambi, olelisu lokufundisa;

The overseer then must be irreproachable, husband of one wife, sober, discreet, decorous, hospitable, apt to teach;

3 angabi yisidakwa, angabi ngothanda ukulwa, anganxwaneli inzuzo embi, kodwa abe mnene, angabi ngothanda ukuxabana, angabi ngothanda imali;

not given to excesses from wine, not a striker, but mild, not addicted to contention, not fond of money,

4 ephatha kuhle owakhe umuzi, elabantwana abalalela ngenhlonipho yonke,

conducting his own house well, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity;

5 ngoba uba umuntu engakwazi ukuphatha owakhe umuzi, angaligcina njani ibandla likaNkulunkulu?

(but if one does not know how to conduct his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of God?)

6 Kangabi ngosanda ukukholwa, hlezi ngokukhukhunyezwa awele ekulahlweni kukadiyabhola.

not a novice, that he may not, being inflated, fall into [the] fault of the devil.

7 Kumele futhi ukuthi abe lobufakazi obuhle kwabangaphandle, hlezi awele ekuthukweni lemjibileni kadiyabhola.

But it is necessary that he should have also a good testimony from those without, that he may fall not into reproach and [the] snare of the devil.

8 Ngokunjalo abadikoni bahlonipheke, bangabi ndimimbili, bangananzi iwayini elinengi, bangafisi inzuzo embi,

Ministers, in like manner, grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not seeking gain by base means,

9 babambe imfihlo yokholo esazeleni esimhlophe.

holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

10 Laba-ke kabaqale bahlolwe, okulandelayo kabakhonze uba bengasoleki.

And let these be first proved, then let them minister, being without charge [against them].

11 Ngokunjalo omkabo babe ngabahloniphekayo, abanganyeyiyo, abazithintayo, bethembekile ezintweni zonke.

[The] women in like manner grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

12 Abadikoni kababe ngamadoda amfazi munye, aphatha kuhle abantwana leyawo imizi.

Let [the] ministers be husbands of one wife, conducting [their] children and their own houses well:

13 Ngoba abakhonze kuhle bazizuzela isimilo esihle, lesibindi esikhulu ekholweni olukuKristu Jesu.

for those who shall have ministered well obtain for themselves a good degree, and much boldness in faith which [is] in Christ Jesus.

14 Lezizinto ngikubhalela zona, ngithemba ukuza kuwe masinyane;

These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee more quickly;

15 kodwa uba ngibambeka, ukuze wazi ukuthi kufanele uziphathe njani endlini kaNkulunkulu, elibandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo, insika lesisekelo seqiniso.

but if I delay, in order that thou mayest know how one ought to conduct oneself in God's house, which is [the] assembly of [the] living God, [the] pillar and base of the truth.

16 Kuyavunywa-ke ukuthi yinkulu imfihlo yokukhonza uNkulunkulu: UNkulunkulu wabonakaliswa enyameni, wathiwa ulungile kuMoya, wabonwa zingilosi, watshunyayelwa ezizweni, wakholeka emhlabeni, wenyuselwa ebukhosini.

And confessedly the mystery of piety is great. God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in [the] Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among [the] nations, has been believed on in [the] world, has been received up in glory.