1 KUTIMOTI 3
Abakhokeli bebandla
1Liyinene eli lizwi lithi: “Ukunqwenela ukuba yinkokheli ziinjongo ezibalulekileyo.” 2Ngoko ke inkokheli mayibe ngumntu ongenabala; mayibe ngumntu onomfazi omnye, ozinzileyo ngengqondo, oyingcathu; abe ngonocwangco, onobubele ekhaya, okwaziyo ukufundisa; 3engelilo inxila, okanye ocaphuka msinya, kodwa onobulali, ethanda inzolo; mayingabi ngoyinyolukeleyo imali. 4Kufuneka ibe ngumntu okwaziyo ukulawula usapho lwakhe, ethotyelwa ngabantwana bakhe, umntu ovunyiweyo ngesimilo. 5Kaloku umntu owoyiswayo kukulawula usapho lwakhe, angalilawula njani ibandla labantu bakaThixo? 6Kufuneka ingabi ngumntu osandul' ukuguquka, hleze athiwe lwale likratshi, aze agwetywe njengoSathana. 7Makabe ngumntu ohlonitshwayo ngabangakholwayo, ukuze angabi sesichengeni sehlazo, eyele kwimigibe kaSathana.
Abancedisi
8Nabo abancedisi mababe ngabantu abasimilo sihle, benyanisekile; bengengawo amanxila okanye izinyolunyolu zemali. 9Kufuneka babe ngamadoda azinikele ngokupheleleyo kwinyaniso yokholo, engenasazela nganto. 10Nabo kwanjengabakhokeli, mabaphicothwe kuqala; ukuba ke abanabala bangeniswe emsebenzini. 11Nabafazi babo mababe ngabazimilo zihle, bengahlebi; abazinzileyo ngengqondo, bethembekile ngeendlela zonke. 12Umncedisi makabe nomfazi omnye kuphela, akwazi ukubaqeqesha abantwana bakhe, ayilawule nendlu yakhe iphela. 13Abancedisi abawenza ngokufanelekileyo umsebenzi wabo, bazuza iwonga nelungelo lokuthetha ngesibindi kwimicimbi kaKrestu Yesu.
Imfihlelo enkulu
14Le leta ndiyibhala ndinethemba lokuza kukubona kamsinya. 15Kodwa ke ukuba ndibambezelekile woyifunda kule leta indlela abafanele ukuziphatha ngayo abantu endlwini kaThixo, ibandla likaThixo ophilayo, intsika exhasa inyaniso. 16Inkulu ngokungenambaliso imfihlelo yonqulo lwethu. Kaloku uKrestu Yesu:
Wavela ngesimo sobuntu
waza wangqinelwa nguMoya,
wabonwa zizithunywa zezulu.
Washunyayelwa ezizweni,
wamkelwa lihlabathi,
waza wawongwa ezulwini.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
