1 UTHIMOTHI 3
Okufunekako ebaphathini bebandla
1Liqinisile ilizwi elithi: Nangabe umuntu ulangazelela ukuba mbonisi, usuke athanda umsebenzi omuhle. 2Nje-ke umbonisi akabe ngongasolekiko, onomfazi munye, onommoya ophasi, ovuthiweko, ohloniphekako, ophatha kuhle iinkhambi nonekghono lokufundisa. 3Angabi sidakwa nesilwi, kodwana abe ngozothileko nongananturhu, angabi ngothanda imali. 4Abe ngowazi ukuphatha umzakhe kuhle nabantwana bakhe balawuleke babe nehlonipho. 5Nangabe umuntu akakwazi ukuphatha umzakhe kuhle, alo, angaliphatha njani ibandla lakaZimu na? 6Akungabi mumuntu osanda ukuphenduka, nakanjalo angahle azikhukhumeze bese uwela esigwebeni sinye noSathana. 7Kufanele abe mumuntu onebizo elihle kabangaphandle, khona angazukuhlazeka abanjwe sisifu sakaSathana.
Ukuziphatha kwamadikoni
8Ngokunjalo namadikoni. Nawo kufanele ahlonipheke, angabi mamenemene, azinikelele ewayinini elinengi namkha abe marhamaru ngemalini; 9kufuze akakarele efihlakalweni yokukholwa ngesazelo esimsulwa. 10Akahlolisiswe ntangi, kuthi nangasolekiko avunyelwe ukuba magosa. 11Ngokunjalo-ke nabafazi kufanele bahlonipheke, bangabi ngabahlebako kodwana babe nommoya ophasi, bathembeke kikho koke. 12Amadikoni akabe nomfazi oyedwa, akwazi ukuphatha kuhle abantwana nemizi yawo. 13Labo abasebenze kuhle njengamadikoni, bazizuzela ubujamo obuhle nesibindi esikhulu ekukholweni kuKrestu Jesu.
Ifihlo yokukholwa kwethu
14Ngethemba ukuza kuwe msinyana kodwana ngikutlolela imiyalo le ukuze kuthi 15nakungenzeka ngiriyade, wazi bona umuntu kufuze aziphathe njani endlini kaZimu, okulibandla lakaZimu ophilako noyisika nesisekelo seqiniso. 16Ngaphandle kokuzaza, yikulu ifihlo yokukholwa kwethu ethi:
Owazibonakalisa enyameni,
walungisiswa ngoMoya,
wabonwa ziingilozi,
wamenyezelwa hlangana nabatjhili,
ephasini abantu bakholwa kuye,
wenyuselwa ephazimulweni.
© Bible Society of South Africa 2012. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
