Singeniso nekubonga Nkulunkulu
1Lencwadzi iphuma kuPawula, lowabitwa ngentsandvo yaNkulunkulu kutsi abe ngumphostoli waKhristu Jesu, kanye nakuSostene, umzalwane.
2Iya ebandleni laNkulunkulu leliseKhorinte, kubo labangcwelisiwe kuKhristu Jesu, babitelwa kuba ngulabangcwele kanye nabo bonkhe, etindzaweni tonkhe, labakhuleka egameni laJesu Khristu, loyiNkhosi yabo neyetfu.
3Akube kini umusa nekuthula lokuvela kuNkulunkulu longuBabe wetfu, naseNkhosini yetfu Jesu Khristu.
4Ngibonga Nkulunkulu wami ngato tonkhe tikhatsi. Ngimbonga ngani ngenca yemusa wakhe leniwuphiwe kuKhristu Jesu, 5kutsi nicetjiswe ngetindlela tonkhe kuye, ekukhulumeni konkhe naselwatini lonkhe. 6Ngisho nebufakazi ngaJesu Khristu baciniswa kini, 7khona ningetiwusilalelwa nangusinye sipho semusa ngesikhatsi nisemele kubonakaliswa kweNkhosi yetfu Jesu Khristu. 8Yena uyawunicinisa nani, kudzimate kube ngusekupheleni, nitfolakale nite licala mzukwana welilanga leNkhosi yetfu Jesu Khristu. 9Wetsembekile Nkulunkulu lowanibitela ebudlelwaneni neNdvodzana yakhe Khristu iNkhosi yetfu.
Kwehlukana lobekusebandleni laseKhorinte
10Bazalwane bami labatsandzekako, ngiyanincenga ngelibito leNkhosi yetfu Jesu Khristu kutsi nivumelane ngantfo yinye nonkhe; kubete kwehlukana emkhatsini wenu, kodvwa nipheleliswe emcondvweni munye nasembonweni munye. 11Loku ngikusho ngobe sengivile ngani, bazalwane bami, ngitjelwe bendlu yakaKlowe, kutsi kukhona siphitsiphitsi sekwehlukana emkhatsini wenu. 12Ngisho loku kwekutsi lomunye utsi: “Mine ngiwakaPawula,” lomunye atsi: “Mine ngiwaka-Apolosi,” nalomunye atsi: “Mine ngiwakaKhefase,” nalomunye atsi: “Mine ngiwakaKhristu.” 13Khristu wehlukene yini? NguPawula yini lowabetselwa ngenca yenu? Nabhajatiselwa egameni laPawula yini?
14Noko ngibonga Nkulunkulu nje kutsi angizange sengibhabhatise muntfu emkhatsini wenu, ngaphandle kwaKhrispu naGayusi; 15ngako kute longatsi nabhajatiselwa egameni lami. 16Labanye lengababhabhatisa bakaStefanasi. Ngaphandle kwalabo angisho kutsi ukhona lomunye lengambhabhatisa. 17Ngobe mine Khristu akangitfumelanga kona kuyawubhabhatisa, kodvwa wangitfumela kutsi ngiyewushumayela liVangeli, hhayi ngekuhlakanipha kwemavi, funa sentiwe lite siphambano sakhe.
Kuhlakanipha kwaNkulunkulu nekwelive
18Livi lesiphambano libulima kulababhubhako, kodvwa kitsi tsine lesisindziswako lingemandla aNkulunkulu. 19Ngobe kubhaliwe kutsi:
“Ngiyawucitsa kuhlakanipha
kwalabahlakaniphile,
nekucondza kwetati
ngikwente kube lite.”
20Siphi sihlakaniphi? Siphi sati semtsetfo? Uphi umphikisi walesikhatsi? Nkulunkulu akakwenti bulima yini kuhlakanipha kwalelive? 21Ngobe phela ekuhlakanipheni kwaNkulunkulu live alizange limati Nkulunkulu ngekuhlakanipha kwalo. Kwaba kuhle kuye kusindzisa labakholwako ngenshumayelo lebulima. 22Ngobe emaJuda afuna tibonakaliso, kantsi emaGriki wona afuna kuhlakanipha. 23Kodvwa tsine sishumayela Khristu abetselwe esiphambanweni, losikhubekiso kumaJuda nebulima kubetive. 24Kodvwa kulabo lababitiwe, kumaJuda nakumaGriki, sishumayela Khristu longemandla aNkulunkulu nekuhlakanipha kwaNkulunkulu. 25Ngobe bulima baNkulunkulu buhlakaniphile kunekuhlakanipha kwebantfu, nebutsakatsaka baNkulunkulu bunemandla kunemandla ebantfu.
26Bazalwane bami, khumbulani kubitwa kwenu, kutsi ababanyenti labahlakaniphile ngekwasemhlabeni, ababanyenti nalabanemandla, ababanyenti nalabahloniphekile ngekutalwa kwabo. 27Kodvwa Nkulunkulu wakhetsa lokubulima emhlabeni, kuze ajabhise labahlakaniphile, wakhetsa lokubutsakatsaka, kuze ajabhise lokunemandla. 28Nkulunkulu wakhetsa lokubukeleka phansi nalokwedzelelekile emhlabeni; wakhetsa netintfo letingekho, khona atewucitsa letikhona, 29kuze kubete muntfu lotibongako embikwaNkulunkulu. 30Yena ungumtfombo wemphilo yenu kuJesu Khristu, lamenta waba kuhlakanipha kwetfu, nekulunga, nekungcweliswa, kanye nekuhlengwa. 31Ngako-ke: “Lotibongako, akatibonge ngeNkhosi,” njengobe kusho umBhalo.
