Kwabase-Efesu 1
1 UPawuli, umphostoli kaJesu Kristu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, kubo abangcwele abaseEfesu, labathembekileyo kuKristu Jesu:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Umusa kawube kini lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu laseNkosini uJesu Kristu.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Ubusisiwe uNkulunkulu loYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, osibusisileyo ngaso sonke isibusiso somoya ezintweni zezulwini kuKristu;
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
4 njengoba wasikhetha kuye ngaphambi kokusekelwa komhlaba, ukuthi sibe ngcwele, njalo singasoleki phambi kwakhe ethandweni,
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
5 esesimisele ngaphambili ukuma kwabantwana kuye ngoJesu Kristu, njengokufisa okuhle kwentando yakhe,
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 kube ludumo lobukhosi bomusa wakhe, asiphe wona ngesihle ngaye oThandiweyo;
to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
7 esilohlengo kuye ngegazi lakhe, uthethelelo lweziphambeko, njengokwenotho yomusa wakhe,
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 awengezelele kithi kuyo yonke inhlakanipho lokuqonda,
that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 esesazisile imfihlo yentando yakhe, njengokufisa kwakhe okuhle, akumisa kuye ngokwakhe,
And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
10 ukuze, ekuphatheni kokugcwaliseka kwezikhathi, ahlanganise ndawonye izinto zonke kuKristu, zombili ezisemazulwini lezisemhlabeni;
as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
11 ngitsho kuye, lathi esabelwa ilifa kuye, esamiselwa ngaphambili njengokwesimiso sakhe owenzayo izinto zonke njengokwecebo lentando yakhe,
In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
12 ukuze sibe ngabodumo lobukhosi bakhe, esathemba kuKristu kuqala;
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
13 eselithemba kuye lani, selizwile ilizwi leqiniso, ivangeli losindiso lwenu; kuye selikholiwe lani laphawulwa nguMoya oNgcwele wesithembiso,
And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 oyisibambiso selifa lethu, kube yikuhlengwa okuzuziweyo, kudumo lobukhosi bakhe.
who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
15 Ngenxa yalokho lami sengizwile ngokholo lwenu eNkosini uJesu lothando kubo bonke abangcwele,
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 kangiyekeli ukulibongela, ngiliphatha emikhulekweni yami;
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17 ukuze uNkulunkulu weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, uYise wodumo, alinike umoya wenhlakanipho lowesambulo elwazini lwakhe;
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
18 amehlo engqondo yenu akhanyiswe, ukuze lazi ukuthi liyini ithemba lobizo lwakhe, lokuthi iyini inotho yodumo lwelifa lakhe kwabangcwele,
I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 lokuthi buyini ubukhulu bamandla akhe obudlula amalawulo kithi esikholwa njengokusebenza kobuninimandla bamandla akhe,
and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,
20 awasebenzisa kuKristu, emvusa kwabafileyo, njalo emhlalisa ngakwesokunene sakhe endaweni zezulu,
which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 phezulu kakhulu kwakho konke ukubusa lobukhulu lamandla lobukhosi, lebizo lonke elibizwayo, kungeyisikho kulesisikhathi kuphela, kodwa lakwesizayo; (aiōn g165)
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (aiōn g165)
22 wasebeka konke ngaphansi kwenyawo zakhe, wamnikela ukuba yinhloko phezu kwakho konke kulo ibandla,
And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
23 elingumzimba wakhe, ukugcwala kwalowo ogcwalisa konke kukho konke.
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
