Kwabase-Efesu 4

1 Ngakho ngiyalincenga, mina isibotshwa eNkosini, ukuthi lihambe ngokufanele ubizo elabizwa ngalo,

I, the prisoner of the LORD, then call on you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

2 kanye lokuthobeka konke lobumnene, lokubekezela, libekezelelane ethandweni,

with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,

3 likhuthale ukugcina ukuhlangana koMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.

being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;

4 Munye umzimba njalo munye uMoya, njengalokhu lani labizwa ethembeni linye lobizo lwenu;

one body and one Spirit, according as you were also called in one hope of your calling;

5 yinye iNkosi, lunye ukholo, lunye ubhabhathizo,

one Lord, one faith, one immersion,

6 munye uNkulunkulu loYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke, langabo bonke, lakini lonke.

one God and Father of all, who [is] over all, and through all, and in you all,

7 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa njengokwesilinganiso sesipho sikaKristu.

and to each one of you was given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,

8 Ngakho uthi: Ekwenyukeleni kwakhe phezulu wathumba ukuthunjwa, wanika abantu izipho.

for this reason, it says, “Having gone up on high He led captive captivity, and gave gifts to men.”

9 Lokhu-ke ukuthi: Wenyuka, kuyini ngaphandle kokuthi laye wehlela kuqala kungxenye ezingaphansi zomhlaba?

And that, He went up, what is it except that He also went down first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 Owehlayo, nguye owenyukela futhi khatshana ngaphezulu kwamazulu wonke, ukuze agcwalise izinto zonke.

He who went down is the same who also went up far above all the heavens, that He may fill all things—

11 Yena wasenika abanye babe ngabaphostoli, labanye babe ngabaprofethi, labanye babe ngabavangeli, labanye babe ngabelusi labafundisi,

and He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] proclaimers of good news, and some [as] shepherds and teachers,

12 ekuphelelisweni kwabangcwele, emsebenzini wenkonzo, ekwakhiweni komzimba kaKristu;

to the perfecting of the holy ones, for a work of ministry, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

13 size sifike sonke ebunyeni bokholo, lobolwazi lweNdodana kaNkulunkulu, endodeni epheleleyo, esilinganisweni sesimo sokugcwala kukaKristu;

until we may all come to the unity of faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fullness of the Christ,

14 ukuze singabe sisaba zinsane, ezizuliswa ngamagagasi njalo ezithwalelwa le lale yiwo wonke umoya wemfundiso, ngenkohliso yabantu, ngobuqili becebo lokuphambuka;

that we may no longer be children, being tossed by waves and being carried around by every wind of the teaching, in the cunning of men, in craftiness, to the scheming of leading astray,

15 kodwa sikhulume iqiniso ethandweni sikhule kukho konke kuye, oyinhloko, uKristu,

and [speaking] truth in love, we may increase to Him [in] all things, who is the head—the Christ;

16 okuvela kuye umzimba wonke, ohlanganiswe kuhle njalo ubambene, ngokwelekelelana kwalo lonke ilunga, njengokusebenza esilinganisweni saleso laleso isitho, wenza ukukhula komzimba ekuzakheni kwawo ethandweni.

from whom the whole body, being fitly joined together and united, through the supply of every joint, according to the working in the measure of each single part, the increase of the body makes for the building up of itself in love.

17 Ngakho ngitsho lokho ngifakaza eNkosini, ukuthi lingabe lisahamba lanjengabanye abezizwe behamba ebuzeni bengqondo yabo,

This, then, I say, and I testify in the LORD: you are no longer to walk, as also the other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 befiphaziwe engqondweni, benziwe abemzini empilweni kaNkulunkulu ngokungazi okukibo, ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo;

being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

19 abathi sebentunyile, bazinikela emanyaleni, ekwenzeni kokungcola konke ngomhawu.

who, having ceased to feel, gave themselves up to the licentiousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;

20 Kodwa lina kalimfundanga ngokunjalo uKristu,

and you did not so learn the Christ,

21 uba-ke limzwile lafundiswa kuye, njengoba iqiniso likuJesu;

if [it] so be [that] you heard Him, and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus;

22 ukuthi lilahle mayelana lohambo lokuqala, umuntu omdala, owonakala mayelana lezifiso zenkohliso;

concerning the former behavior you are to put off the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,

23 njalo lenziwe batsha emoyeni wengqondo yenu,

and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 njalo lembathe umuntu omutsha, odalwe njengokukaNkulunkulu ekulungeni lebungcweleni beqiniso.

and to put on the new man, which, according to God, was created in righteousness and kindness of the truth.

25 Ngakho lilahla amanga, khulumani iqiniso ngulowo lalowo lomakhelwane wakhe; ngoba siyizitho omunye komunye.

For this reason, putting away the lying, each speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another;

26 Thukuthelani lingoni; ilanga kalingatshoni phezu kolaka lwenu;

be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

27 futhi lingamniki indawo udiyabhola.

neither give place to the Devil;

28 Owebayo kangabe eseba; kodwa kulalokhu kakhuthale, asebenze okuhle ngezandla zakhe, ukuze abe lakho ukwabela olenswelo.

whoever is stealing let him no longer steal, but rather let him labor, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need.

29 Kakungaphumi emlonyeni wenu lalinye ilizwi elibolileyo, kodwa kuphela okuhle okulungele ukwakha njengokufaneleyo, ukuze kunike umusa kubo abezwayo.

Let no corrupt word go forth out of your mouth, but what is good to the necessary building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

30 Njalo lingamdabukisi uMoya oyiNgcwele kaNkulunkulu, elaphawulwa ngaye kuze kube lusuku lohlengo.

and do not make the Holy Spirit of God sorrowful, in which you were sealed to [the] day of redemption.

31 Konke ukubaba lentukuthelo lolaka lomsindo lokunyeya kakususwe kini, kanye layo yonke inzondo;

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice,

32 kodwa libe mnene omunye komunye, lilesihawu, lithethelelane, njengalokhu uNkulunkulu laye walithethelela kuKristu.

and become kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as God also forgave you in Christ.