Kwabase-Efesu 4
1 Ngakho ngiyalincenga, mina isibotshwa eNkosini, ukuthi lihambe ngokufanele ubizo elabizwa ngalo,
I, therefore, as the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthily of the calling by which you were called.
2 kanye lokuthobeka konke lobumnene, lokubekezela, libekezelelane ethandweni,
I urge you to live with great humility and gentleness and patience, putting up with one another in love.
3 likhuthale ukugcina ukuhlangana koMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.
Do your best 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;
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one certain hope of your calling.
5 yinye iNkosi, lunye ukholo, lunye ubhabhathizo,
And there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 munye uNkulunkulu loYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke, langabo bonke, lakini lonke.
and one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa njengokwesilinganiso sesipho sikaKristu.
To each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Ngakho uthi: Ekwenyukeleni kwakhe phezulu wathumba ukuthunjwa, wanika abantu izipho.
It is as scripture says: “When he ascended to the heights, he led the captives into captivity, and he gave gifts to the people.”
9 Lokhu-ke ukuthi: Wenyuka, kuyini ngaphandle kokuthi laye wehlela kuqala kungxenye ezingaphansi zomhlaba?
What is the meaning of “He ascended,” except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth?
10 Owehlayo, nguye owenyukela futhi khatshana ngaphezulu kwamazulu wonke, ukuze agcwalise izinto zonke.
He who descended is the same person who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11 Yena wasenika abanye babe ngabaphostoli, labanye babe ngabaprofethi, labanye babe ngabavangeli, labanye babe ngabelusi labafundisi,
Christ gave some to be apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.
12 ekuphelelisweni kwabangcwele, emsebenzini wenkonzo, ekwakhiweni komzimba kaKristu;
He gave these offices to equip the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ.
13 size sifike sonke ebunyeni bokholo, lobolwazi lweNdodana kaNkulunkulu, endodeni epheleleyo, esilinganisweni sesimo sokugcwala kukaKristu;
He continues to build up his body until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, and that we become mature and so reach the measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 ukuze singabe sisaba zinsane, ezizuliswa ngamagagasi njalo ezithwalelwa le lale yiwo wonke umoya wemfundiso, ngenkohliso yabantu, ngobuqili becebo lokuphambuka;
Christ builds us up so that we should no longer be children who are tossed back and forth by the waves, and carried away by every wind of teaching and by the trickery of people in their deceitful schemes.
15 kodwa sikhulume iqiniso ethandweni sikhule kukho konke kuye, oyinhloko, uKristu,
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, that is, 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.
Christ builds the whole body, and it is joined and held together by every supporting ligament, and when each part works together, that makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
17 Ngakho ngitsho lokho ngifakaza eNkosini, ukuthi lingabe lisahamba lanjengabanye abezizwe behamba ebuzeni bengqondo yabo,
Therefore, I say and insist on this in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.
18 befiphaziwe engqondweni, benziwe abemzini empilweni kaNkulunkulu ngokungazi okukibo, ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo;
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts.
19 abathi sebentunyile, bazinikela emanyaleni, ekwenzeni kokungcola konke ngomhawu.
They have no shame and have handed themselves over to sensuality, and they are continually practicing every kind of impurity.
20 Kodwa lina kalimfundanga ngokunjalo uKristu,
But that is not how you learned about Christ.
21 uba-ke limzwile lafundiswa kuye, njengoba iqiniso likuJesu;
I assume that you have heard about him, and that you were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.
22 ukuthi lilahle mayelana lohambo lokuqala, umuntu omdala, owonakala mayelana lezifiso zenkohliso;
You were taught to put off what belongs to your former manner of life, to put off the old man. It is the old man that is corrupt because of its deceitful desires.
23 njalo lenziwe batsha emoyeni wengqondo yenu,
You were taught to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 njalo lembathe umuntu omutsha, odalwe njengokukaNkulunkulu ekulungeni lebungcweleni beqiniso.
and to put on the new man that is created in the image of God—in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Ngakho lilahla amanga, khulumani iqiniso ngulowo lalowo lomakhelwane wakhe; ngoba siyizitho omunye komunye.
Therefore, get rid of lies, and let each one of you 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 anger.
27 futhi lingamniki indawo udiyabhola.
Do not give an opportunity to the devil.
28 Owebayo kangabe eseba; kodwa kulalokhu kakhuthale, asebenze okuhle ngezandla zakhe, ukuze abe lakho ukwabela olenswelo.
The one who had been stealing must steal no longer. He must labor, doing useful work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with those who are in need.
29 Kakungaphumi emlonyeni wenu lalinye ilizwi elibolileyo, kodwa kuphela okuhle okulungele ukwakha njengokufaneleyo, ukuze kunike umusa kubo abezwayo.
Do not let any filthy talk come out of your mouth. Use only words that are helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that your words would be helpful to those who hear you.
30 Njalo lingamdabukisi uMoya oyiNgcwele kaNkulunkulu, elaphawulwa ngaye kuze kube lusuku lohlengo.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, for it is by him that you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Konke ukubaba lentukuthelo lolaka lomsindo lokunyeya kakususwe kini, kanye layo yonke inzondo;
Put away all bitterness, rage, anger, quarreling, and insults, along with every kind of evil.
32 kodwa libe mnene omunye komunye, lilesihawu, lithethelelane, njengalokhu uNkulunkulu laye walithethelela kuKristu.
Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
