Ukuhamba Okungcwele
1Ngakho-ke ngiyanincenga bazalwane, ngobubele bukaNkulunkulu ukuba ninikele imizimba yenu ibe ngumnikelo ophilileyo, ongcwele, othandekayo kuNkulunkulu; kube ngukukhonza kwenu ngokomoya. 2Ningalingisi leli lizwe, kodwa niguqulwe isimo ngokwenziwa ibe yintsha ingqondo yenu ukuze nikwazi ukuhlolisisa okuyintando kaNkulunkulu, okuhle, okuthandekayo, nokupheleleyo.
Ukuthobeka
3Ngokuba ngomusa engiwuphiweyo ngithi kulowo nalowo kini akangazicabangi ukuthi mkhulu, kunalokho afanele ukukucabanga; kodwa acabange kube ngokuqonda, njengalokhu uNkulunkulu abele yilowo nalowo isilinganiso sokukholwa. 4Njengalokhu sinezitho eziningi emzimbeni munye, kepha izitho zonke azenzi msebenzi munye, 5kanjalo nathi esibaningi, nokho simzimba munye kuKhristu, kepha ngabanye siyizitho, omunye esomunye. 6Sinezipho zomusa ezahlukeneyo ngokomusa esiwuphiweyo: uma kungesokuphrofetha, asiphrofethe ngesilinganiso sokukholwa. 7Uma kungesokukhonza, kube sekukhonzeni; esokufundisa, kube sekufundiseni; 8esokugqugquzela, kube sekukhuthazeni; esokuphana, aphane ngokukhululeka; esokuhola, ahole ngenkuthalo; kanye nesesihe, akwenze ngentokozo.
Uthando Nokuphathana Kahle
9Uthando malungabi nakuzenzisa; nyanyani okubi, nibambelele kokuhle. 10Thandanani ngokujulile ngothando lobuzalwane; nindulelane ekuhloniphaneni, 11ekukhuthaleni, ningabi ngamavila; nivuthe emoyeni, nikhonze iNkosi; 12ethembeni nithokoze, osizini nibekezele, nasekukhulekeni ningaphezi, 13nifune njalo ukuhlanganyela ekusweleni kwabangcwele, nisize nabayizihambi.
14Babusiseni abanihluphayo; busisani, ningaqalekisi. 15Thokozani nabathokozayo, nikhale nabakhalayo. 16Nibe mqondo munye, nicabangelane ngokufanayo; ningazikhukhumezi, kodwa zihlanganiseni nabathobekileyo. Ningazishayi abahlakaniphileyo. 17Ningaphindisi okubi ngokubi, khuthalelani ukwenza okuhle phambi kwabantu bonke. 18Uma kungenzeka, hlalani ngokuthula nabantu bonke. 19Bathandekayo, ningaphindiseli, kodwa dedelani ulaka lukaNkulunkulu, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Ingeyami impindiselo,
ngiyakuphindisela,” kusho iNkosi.
20Kepha-ke:
“Uma isitha sakho silambile, siphe sidle;
uma somile, siphuzise,
ngokuba ngokwenza lokho,
uyakube ufumbela amalahle avuthayo ekhanda laso.”
21Unganqotshwa ngokubi, kodwa nqoba okubi ngokuhle.
