1 KuThimothi 3
1 Lithembekile ilizwielithi: Uba umuntu efisa isikhundla sombonisi, ufisa umsebenzi omuhle;
This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer 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 therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 angabi yisidakwa, angabi ngothanda ukulwa, anganxwaneli inzuzo embi, kodwa abe mnene, angabi ngothanda ukuxabana, angabi ngothanda imali;
not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 ephatha kuhle owakhe umuzi, elabantwana abalalela ngenhlonipho yonke,
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 ngoba uba umuntu engakwazi ukuphatha owakhe umuzi, angaligcina njani ibandla likaNkulunkulu?
(for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)
6 Kangabi ngosanda ukukholwa, hlezi ngokukhukhunyezwa awele ekulahlweni kukadiyabhola.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 Kumele futhi ukuthi abe lobufakazi obuhle kwabangaphandle, hlezi awele ekuthukweni lemjibileni kadiyabhola.
Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Ngokunjalo abadikoni bahlonipheke, bangabi ndimimbili, bangananzi iwayini elinengi, bangafisi inzuzo embi,
Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,
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.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 Ngokunjalo omkabo babe ngabahloniphekayo, abanganyeyiyo, abazithintayo, bethembekile ezintweni zonke.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
12 Abadikoni kababe ngamadoda amfazi munye, aphatha kuhle abantwana leyawo imizi.
Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 Ngoba abakhonze kuhle bazizuzela isimilo esihle, lesibindi esikhulu ekholweni olukuKristu Jesu.
For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 Lezizinto ngikubhalela zona, ngithemba ukuza kuwe masinyane;
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,
15 kodwa uba ngibambeka, ukuze wazi ukuthi kufanele uziphathe njani endlini kaNkulunkulu, elibandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo, insika lesisekelo seqiniso.
but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground 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.
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
