Kwabase-Efesu 5
1 Ngakho banini ngabalandeli bakaNkulunkulu, njengabantwana abathandekayo;
So then, imitate God since you're his much-loved children.
2 njalo lihambe ethandweni, njengalokhu uKristu laye wasithanda, wazinikelela thina abe ngumnikelo lomhlatshelo kuNkulunkulu ukuba luqhatshi olumnandi.
Live in love, just as Christ loved you. He gave himself for us, a gift and sacrificial offering to God like a sweet-smelling perfume.
3 Kodwa ubufebe lakho konke ukungcola kumbe umhawu kakungaphathwa lakanye phakathi kwenu, njengoba kufanele abangcwele;
Sexual immorality or any kind of indecency or greed should never be mentioned concerning you, as God's people should not be doing such things.
4 lamanyala, lokukhuluma okuyize, kumbe ukusoma okulenhlamba, okuyizinto ezingafanelanga; kodwa kulalokhu, ukubonga.
Obscene talk, stupid chatter, and coarse jokes are totally inappropriate—instead you should be thanking God.
5 Ngoba lokhu liyakwazi, ukuthi sonke isifebe, kumbe ongcolileyo, kumbe olomhawu, ongumkhonzi wezithombe, kalalifa embusweni kaKristu lokaNkulunkulu.
You know it's absolutely sure that no-one who is sexually immoral, or commits indecency, or who is greedy, or is an idol-worshiper will inherit anything in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Kakungabi lamuntu olikhohlisayo ngamazwi ayize; ngoba ngenxa yalezizinto ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luyehlela phezu kwabantwana bokungalaleli.
Don't let anyone fool you with lying words, for it's because of such things that God's judgment is passed on the children of disobedience.
7 Ngakho lingabi ngabahlanganyeli labo.
So don't partner with them in this.
8 Ngoba lake laba ngumnyama, kodwa khathesi liyikukhanya eNkosini; hambani njengabantwana bokukhanya,
At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. You are to live as children of light
9 ngoba isithelo sikaMoya sikubo bonke ubuhle lokulunga leqiniso,
(and the fruit of light is everything that's good and right and true),
10 lihlolisise okuthokozisayo eNkosini;
demonstrating what the Lord really appreciates.
11 njalo lingahlanganyeli lemisebenzi yobumnyama engelazithelo, kodwa-ke kulalokho solani;
Don't have anything to do with the pointless things that darkness produces—instead expose them.
12 ngoba kuthelela inhloni lokukhuluma ngezinto ezenziwa yibo ekusithekeni.
It's shameful even to speak about the things such people do secretly,
13 Kodwa konke okusolwayo yikukhanya kuyabonakaliswa; ngoba konke okubonakaliswayo kuyikukhanya,
but when anything is exposed by the light then it's revealed as it is. Light makes everything visible.
14 ngakho uthi: Phaphama wena oleleyo uvuke kwabafileyo, njalo uKristu uzakukhanyisela.
That's why it's said, “Wake up, those of you who are sleeping, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Ngakho qaphelani ukuthi lihamba njani ngonanzelelo, kungabi njengezithutha, kodwa njengabahlakaniphileyo,
So be careful how you live your life, not foolishly, but wisely,
16 lihlenga isikhathi, ngoba insuku zimbi.
making the best use of opportunities because the days are evil.
17 Ngakho lingabi yizithutha, kodwa liqedisisa okuyintando yeNkosi.
So don't be ignorant—find out what the Lord's will is.
18 Njalo lingadakwa liwayini, okukulo umsindo, kodwa gcwaliswani nguMoya,
Don't get drunk on wine which will wreck your life, but be filled with the Spirit.
19 likhulumisana ngezihlabelelo langamahubo okudumisa langezingoma zomoya, lihlabelele licule eNkosini enhliziyweni yenu,
Share together with one another, using psalms and hymns and sacred songs, singing and making music to the Lord to express what you feel.
20 limbonga njalo uNkulunkulu loBaba ngazo zonke izinto ebizweni leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu,
Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 lizehlisela ngaphansi omunye komunye ekumesabeni uNkulunkulu.
Each of you should be willing to accept what others tell you to do out of reverence for Christ.
22 Bafazi, zehliseleni ngaphansi kwawenu amadoda, njengeNkosini,
Wives, do what your own husbands tell you to do, as you would if the Lord told you.
23 ngoba indoda iyinhloko yomfazi, njengoba uKristu laye eyinhloko yebandla, njalo yena unguMsindisi womzimba.
The husband is head of the wife in the same way as Christ is head of the church—his body and its savior.
24 Kodwa njengoba-ke ibandla lehliselwe ngaphansi kukaKristu, ngokunjalo labafazi kwawabo amadoda kuyo yonke into.
In the same way that the church does what Christ says, wives should do what their husbands tell them in all things.
25 Madoda, thandani abenu abafazi, njengoKristu laye walithanda ibandla, wasezinikelela lona;
Husbands, you should love your wives in the same way as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.
26 ukuze azingcwelisele lona, eselihlambulule ngesihlambo samanzi ngelizwi,
He made it holy, he made it clean by washing in the water of the word,
27 ukuze azimisele lona, ibandla elilenkazimulo, elingelachatha, kumbe umxhele kumbe okunye nje, kodwa ukuze libe ngcwele lingelacala.
so that he could make the church his own, with no flaw or blemish or any kind of fault, but holy and blameless.
28 Ngokunjalo amadoda afanele ukuthanda abawo abafazi njengeyawo imizimba. Othanda owakhe umfazi, uyazithanda yena;
Husbands should love their wives just like this, as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself—
29 ngoba kakho owake wazonda eyakhe inyama, kodwa uyayondla ayiphathe kuhle, njengalokhu leNkosi isenza kubandla;
for no one ever hated his own body, but feeds it and looks after it, just as Christ does for the church,
30 ngoba siyizitho zomzimba wakhe, okwenyama yakhe lokwamathambo akhe.
for we are parts of his body.
31 Ngenxa yalokhu umuntu uzatshiya uyise lonina anamathele kumkakhe, njalo laba ababili bazakuba nyamanye.
“This is why a man leaves his father and mother, and is joined to his wife, and the two are united in one.”
32 Inkulu le imfihlo; kodwa mina ngikhuluma ngoKristu lebandla.
This is a deep hidden truth—but I'm talking about Christ and the church.
33 Ngalokho lonke ngokukhethekileyo lani-ke, ngulowo lalowo kathande ngokunjalo owakhe umfazi njengaye; lomfazi ukuze ahloniphe indoda.
However, each husband should love his own wife as he does himself, and the wife should respect her husband.
