KwabaseFiliphi 3
1 Elokucina, bazalwane bami, thokozani eNkosini. Ukulibhalela izinto ezifananayo, mina kakungidinisi, kodwa lina kuyaliqinisa.
In conclusion, my friends, may all joy be yours in your union with the Lord. To repeat what I have already written does not weary me, and is the safe course for you.
2 Nanzelelani izinja, linanzelele izisebenzi ezimbi, linanzelele ukusika;
Beware of those dogs! Beware of those mischievous workers! Beware of the men who mutilate themselves!
3 ngoba thina siyikusoka, esikhonza uNkulunkulu ngoMoya, siziqhenya kuKristu Jesu, njalo singathembeli enyameni;
For it is we who are the circumcised – we whose worship is prompted by the Spirit of God, who exult in Christ Jesus, and who do not rely on external privileges;
4 lanxa mina ngilethemba futhi enyameni; uba omunye ecabanga ukuthemba enyameni, mina kakhulu;
though I, if anyone, have cause to rely even on them. If anyone thinks he can rely on external privileges, far more can I!
5 ngasokwa ngosuku lwesificaminwembili, ngingowohlanga lukaIsrayeli, owesizwe sakoBhenjamini, umHebheru wamaHebheru, ngokomlayo umFarisi,
I was circumcised when eight days old; I am an Israelite by birth, and of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, and the child of Hebrews. As to the Law, I was a Pharisee;
6 ngokokukhuthala ngazingela ibandla, ngokokulunga okusemlayweni ngingasoleki.
as to zeal, I was a persecutor of the church; as to such righteousness as is due to Law, I proved myself blameless.
7 Kodwa izinto ezaziyinzuzo kimi, lezo ngazibala njengokulahlekelwa ngenxa kaKristu.
But all the things which I once held to be gains I have now, for the Christ’s sake, come to count as loss.
8 Yebo isibili, futhi ngikubala konke njengencithakalo ngenxa yobuhlekazi bolwazi lukaKristu Jesu iNkosi yami; okungenxa yakhe ngilahlekelwe yikho konke, njalo ngakuthatha njengezibi, ukuze ngizuze uKristu,
More than that, I count everything as loss, for the sake of the exceeding value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And for his sake I have lost everything, and count it as rubbish, if I may but gain Christ and be found in union with him;
9 njalo ngificwe kuye, ngingelakho okwami ukulunga okuvela emlayweni, kodwa lokho okungokholo lukaKristu, ukulunga okuvela kuNkulunkulu ngokholo;
any righteousness that I have being, not the righteousness that results from Law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ – the righteousness which is derived from God and is founded on faith.
10 ukuze ngimazi yena lamandla okuvuka kwakhe, lokuhlanganyela kwenhlupheko zakhe, ngenziwe ngifuze ukufa kwakhe,
Then indeed I will know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and all that it means to share his sufferings,
11 uba kungenzeka ngifinyelele ekuvukeni kwabafileyo.
in the hope that, if I become like him in death, I may possibly attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Kangitsho ukuthi sengikubambile, kumbe ukuthi sengiphelelisiwe; kodwa ngixotshana lakho, ukuthi futhi ngingakubambisisa lokho engabanjisiselwa khona nguKristu Jesu.
Not that I have already laid hold of it, or that I am already made perfect. But I press on, in the hope of actually laying hold of that for which indeed I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
13 Bazalwane, mina kangibali ukuthi mina uqobo sengikubambisisile; kodwa kunye engikwenzayo, ngikhohlwa okungemuva, ngizelulela kokungaphambili,
For I, friends, do not regard myself as having yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do – forgetting what lies behind, and straining every nerve for that which lies in front,
14 ngigijimela umzila ngokunxwanela emvuzweni wobizo lwaphezulu lukaNkulunkulu kuKristu Jesu.
I press on to the goal, to gain the prize of that heavenward call which God gave me through Christ Jesus.
15 Ngakho sonke esesiphelele, kasikhumbule lokhu; njalo uba licabanga ulutho olwehlukeneyo, lalokhu uNkulunkulu uzalembulela khona;
Let all of us, then, whose faith is mature, think this way. Then, if on any matter you think otherwise, God will make that also plain to you.
16 kodwa kulokhu esesifike kukho, kasihambeni ngesimiso sinye, sikhumbule intonye.
Only we are bound to order our lives by what we have already attained.
17 Banini ngabahlanganyeli abangabalingiseli bami, bazalwane, njalo baqaphelisiseni abahamba ngokunjalo, njengoba lilathi njengesibonelo.
My friends, unite in following my example, and fix your eyes on those who are living by the pattern which we have set you.
18 Ngoba abanengi bahamba, engalitshela kanengi ngabo, lakhathesi ngitsho ngezinyembezi ngithi, bayizitha zesiphambano sikaKristu;
For there are many – of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears – who are living in enmity to the cross of the Christ.
19 abakuphela kwabo kuyikubhujiswa, abankulunkulu wabo uyisisu, lodumo lwabo lusehlazweni labo, abacabanga izinto zomhlaba.
The end of such people is ruin; for their appetites are their God, and they glory in their shame; their minds are given up to earthly things.
20 Ngoba ikithi isemazulwini, lalapho esilindele ukuthi uMsindisi avele khona, iNkosi uJesu Kristu;
But we are citizens of heaven, and from heaven we expect a saviour to come, the Lord Jesus Christ.
21 ozaphendula umzimba wethu wobuphansi, ukuze ufanane lomzimba wakhe wenkazimulo, njengokusebenza elamandla ngitsho okwehlisela ngaphansi kwakhe zonke izinto.
By the exercise of his power to bring everything into subjection to himself, he will make our humble bodies like his glorious body.
