KwabaseRoma 13
1 Wonke umphefumulo awuzehlisele ngaphansi kwamandla aphezulu; ngoba kakukho amandla ngaphandle kwavela kuNkulunkulu; lamandla akhona amiswe nguNkulunkulu.
Every person must be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
2 Ngakho omelana lamandla, umelana lesimiso sikaNkulunkulu; lalabo abamelana lawo bazazithathela ukulahlwa.
So then, whoever resists authority opposes what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 Ngoba ababusi kabesabeki emisebenzini emihle, kodwa kwemibi. Njalo uyathanda yini ukungesabi amandla? Yenza okuhle, njalo uzakuba lodumo kuwo;
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil works. Do yoʋ wish to have no fear of the one in authority? Do what is good, and yoʋ will have praise from him.
4 ngoba uyinceku kaNkulunkulu ukuze kube kuhle kuwe. Kodwa nxa usenza okubi, yesaba; ngoba inkemba kayiphatheli ize. Ngoba uyinceku kaNkulunkulu, ungumphindiseli wolaka kulowo owenza okubi.
For he is God's servant for your good. But if yoʋ do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. As God's servant, he is an avenger who executes wrath on the one who does evil.
5 Ngakho kumele ukuthi uzehlise, kungabi ngenxa yolaka kuphela, kodwa langenxa yesazela.
Therefore it is necessary to be subject to authority, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience.
6 Ngoba ngenxa yalokho lithela lomthelo; ngoba bayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu, ezikhuthalela khona lokho.
That is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are servants of God, attending continually to this work.
7 Ngakho phanini bonke okufaneleyo; umthelo kofanele umthelo; inkokhelo kofanele inkokhelo; ukwesatshwa kofanele ukwesatshwa; udumo kofanele udumo.
Therefore render to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.
8 Lingabi lamlandu kumuntu, ngaphandle kowokuthandana; ngoba othanda omunye, ugcwalisile umlayo.
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for he who loves others has fulfilled the law.
9 Ngoba lokhu ukuthi: Ungafebi, ungabulali, ungebi, ungafakazi amanga, ungabi lomhawu; loba-ke kukhona lawuphi umlayo, kuhlanganiswa kulelilizwi, kulokhu: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena.
For the commandments, “Yoʋ shall not commit adultery, Yoʋ shall not murder, Yoʋ shall not steal, Yoʋ shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Yoʋ shall love yoʋr neighbor as yoʋrself.”
10 Uthando kalwenzi okubi kumakhelwane; ngakho uthando luyikugcwaliseka komlayo.
Love does no harm to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Njalo lokhu, lisazi isikhathi, ukuthi sekulihola lokuthi sivuke ebuthongweni; ngoba usindiso selusondele kithi kulesikhathi esakholwa ngaso.
And do this, knowing that the hour has now come for us to be awakened from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 Ubusuku budlulile, usuku selusondele; ngakho asikhuphe imisebenzi yobumnyama, sihlome izikhali zokukhanya.
The night is nearly over, and the day is almost here. So let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Asihambe ngokufaneleyo, njengasemini, kungabi ngokuminza langokudakwa, kungabi semacansini lokungcola, kungabi ngokuxabana langomona.
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelries and drinking bouts, not in illicit affairs and sensual indulgences, not in strife and jealousy.
14 Kodwa yembathani iNkosi uJesu Kristu, linganakekeli inyama, ngezinkanuko.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
