1 KuThimothi 5

1 Ungamkhalimeli omdala, kodwa meluleke njengoyihlo; abatsha njengabafowenu;

2 abesifazana abadala njengonyoko; abesifazana abatsha njengabodadewenu, ekuhlambulukeni konke.

3 Hlonipha abafelokazi abangabafelokazi isibili.

4 Kodwa uba umfelokazi othile elabantwana loba abazukulu, kabafunde kuqala ukuhlonipha indlu yakwabo, kabenanise umkhondo kubazali; ngoba lokhu kuhle kuyemukeleka phambi kukaNkulunkulu.

5 Lowo-ke ongumfelokazi isibili osele yedwa uthembele kuNkulunkulu, uhlala ekunxuseni lemikhulekweni ebusuku lemini.

6 Kanti lowo ozinikela ekuzithokoziseni, ufile ephila.

7 Laya-ke ngalezizinto, ukuze bangasoleki.

8 Kodwa uba umuntu engondli abakibo, ikakhulu abendlu yakhe, uluphikile ukholo, futhi mubi kulongakholwayo.

9 Kangabalwa umfelokazi ongaphansi kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha, umfazi owake wenda endodeni kanye,

10 onconywa ngemisebenzi emihle, uba ondle abantwana, uba engenise izihambi, uba egezise inyawo zabangcwele, uba esize abahluphekayo, uba ekhuthalele wonke umsebenzi omuhle.

11 Kodwa abafelokazi abatsha ubale; ngoba nxa sebelenkanuko ezimelana loKristu, bafuna ukwenda;

12 balokulahlwa, ngoba bachithile ukholo lwabo lokuqala.

13 Futhi-ke ngesikhathi esifananayo bafunda ukuvilapha bezula lezindlu, futhi bengavilaphi kuphela, kodwa babuye bahlebe bengena kokungeyisikho okwabo, bekhuluma okungafanelanga.

14 Ngakho ngifisa ukuthi abafelokazi abatsha bende, bazale abantwana, baphathe umuzi wabo, banganiki isitha lathuba lokuthuka.

15 Ngoba lakhathesi abanye sebephambuke balandela uSathane.

16 Uba okholwayo owesilisa kumbe okholwayo owesifazana elabafelokazi, kabasize, njalo ibandla lingathwaliswa nzima, ukuze lisize abangabafelokazi isibili.

17 Abadala abaphatha kuhle bafanele ukuhlonitshwa ngokuphindiweyo, ikakhulu labo abasebenza nzima elizwini lekufundiseni;

18 ngoba umbhalo uthi: Ungayifaki isayeke inkabi ebhulayo; futhi uthi: Isisebenzi sifanele iholo laso.

19 Ungalemukeli icala elimelana lomdala, ngaphandle phambi kwabafakazi ababili kumbe abathathu.

20 Abonayo basole phambi kwabo bonke, ukuze abanye labo babe lokwesaba.

21 Ngiyakulayisisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu leNkosi uJesu Kristu lengilosi ezikhethiweyo, ukuze uzigcine lezizinto ngokungaqumi ngaphambili, ungenzi lutho ngokubandlulula.

22 Ungaphangisi ukubeka izandla phezu komuntu, futhi ungahlanganyeli ezonweni zabanye; uzigcine wena umsulwa.

23 Ungabe usanatha amanzi wodwa, kodwa sebenzisa iwayini elilutshwana, ngenxa yesisu sakho lemikhuhlane yakho futhifuthi.

24 Izono zabanye abantu zisobala, zibaqalela ukuya ekugwetshweni; kanti ezabanye ziyalandela.

25 Ngokunjalo lemisebenzi emihle isobala; laleyo eyehlukileyo ingeke ifihlakale.