2 Kwabasekhorinte 8

1 Sesilazisa, bazalwane, umusa kaNkulunkulu ophiwe emabandleni eMakedoniya;

2 ukuthi ekulingweni okukhulu kwenhlupho, ukwengezelelwa kwentokozo yabo lobuyanga babo obujulileyo bengezelela enothweni yokuphana kwabo.

3 Ngoba babekhululekile njengokwamandla abo, ngiyafakaza, langaphezu kwamandla abo,

4 ngesicelo esikhulu basincenga, ukuthi semukele isipho, lokuhlanganyela koncedo olungolwabangcwele;

5 njalo kakubanga njengoba sathemba, kodwa bazinikela kuqala eNkosini, lakithi ngentando kaNkulunkulu.

6 Kwaze kwathi sakhuthaza uTitosi ukuthi, njengalokhu wayeseqalile phambili, ngokunjalo awuqede futhi kini lumusa.

7 Kodwa njengalokhu lisengezelela kukho konke, ekholweni, lelizwini, lelwazini, lekukhuthaleni konke, lethandweni lwenu kithi, ukuze lakulumusa lengezelele.

8 Kangikhulumi njengokulawula, kodwa ngokutshiseka kwabanye, njalo ngihlola ubuqotho bothando lwenu.

9 Ngoba liyawazi umusa weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, ukuthi lanxa wayenothile, waba ngumyanga ngenxa yenu, ukuze ngobuyanga bakhe lina linothe.

10 Lakulokhu ngipha umbono; ngoba lokhu kuluncedo kini, abaqala phambili nyakenye, kungeyisikwenza kuphela, kodwa lokufisa;

11 kodwa khathesi-ke qedani futhi ukwenza, ukuze, njengalokhu kukhona ukukhuthalela ukufisa, ngokunjalo kukhona lokuqedisa ngalokho elilakho.

12 Ngoba uba kukhona ukufisa, umuntu uyemukeleka ngalokho alakho, kungeyisikho ngalokho angelakho.

13 Ngoba kungeyisikuthi abanye babe lenkululeko, lina-ke libe lohlupho; kodwa ngokulingana, okwalesisikhathi isengezo senu sibe ngesenswelo yabo,

14 ukuze kuthi lesengezo sabo sibe ngesenswelo yenu, ukuze kube khona ukulingana,

15 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Owabutha okunengi, kabanga lokusalayo; lowabutha okuncinyane kasilelanga.

16 Kodwa kabongwe uNkulunkulu ofaka inkuthalo efananayo ngani enhliziyweni kaTitosi,

17 ukuthi isibili wemukela isikhuthazo, kodwa etshiseka kakhulu, wasuka waya kini ngesifiso sakhe.

18 Njalo sithuma kanye laye umzalwane, odumo lwakhe evangelini ludabule emabandleni wonke;

19 kungeyisilokhu kuphela, kodwa ukhethiwe futhi ngamabandla ukuthi asiphelekezele lalo umusa owasetshenzwa yithi kube ludumo lwale iNkosi, lekubonakalisweni kokukhuthala kwenu;

20 sivikela lokhu, hlezi umuntu asisole kulesisengezo esisetshenzwe yithi;

21 sinakekela okuhle kungekho phambi kweNkosi kuphela kodwa laphambi kwabantu.

22 Sasesithuma kanye labo umzalwane wethu, esimfice ezintweni ezinengi kanengi ekhuthele, kodwa khathesi ukhuthele kakhulukazi ngenxa yokulithemba okukhulu.

23 Kumbe ngoTitosi, ungumhlanganyeli lesisebenzi kanye lami kini; loba abazalwane bethu, bayizithunywa zamabandla, bayinkazimulo kaKristu.

24 Ngakho bonakalisani kubo ubufakazi bothando lwenu labokuzincomela kwethu lina, laphambi kwamabandla.