Ukulotjhisa
1UPowula ompostoli kaJesu Krestu ngokwentando kaZimu, noThimothi umfowethu, 2kibo abazalwana abacwengileko nabathembekileko kuKrestu abaseKolose:
Sengathi ningaba nomusa nokuthula okuvela kuZimu uBaba wethu.
Umthandazo wokuthokoza
3Sihlala simthokoza njalo uZimu, uYise weKosethu uJesu Krestu, nasinithandazelako, 4ngombana sizwile ngokukholwa kwenu kuKrestu Jesu, nangethando eninalo kibo boke abacwengileko, 5ngebanga lethemba enibekelwe lona ezulwini. Senikhe nezwa ngalelithemba ngaphambilini elizwini leqiniso, okutjho ivangeli, 6iye, lona lelo esele lifikile kini. Njengombana lithela iinthelo begodu landa nephasi loke, ngokunjalo lithela iinthelo naphakathi kwenu soloko kwamhla nalizwako nabe nazi nomusa kaZimu ngeqiniso. 7Lokhu nakufunda ku-Ephafrasi othandekako noyinceku kanye nathi. Usisebenzi sakaKrestu esithembekileko ngebanga lenu 8begodu nguye osazise ngethando eninalo ngoMoya.
9Ngalokho-ke nathi solo kwamhlana sizwa ngalo, azange silise ukunithandazela, sinibawela bona nizaliswe ngelwazi lentando kaZimu kikho koke ukuhlakanipha kanye nelemuko elivela kuMoya. 10Siyanithandazela bona niphile ipilo efanele iKosi, beniyithabise ngakho koke, nithele iinthelo kiwo woke umsebenzi omuhle, nikhule nekumazini uZimu, 11niqiniswe ngawo woke amandla emandlenakhe amakhulu ukuze nibe nokudzimelela okukhulu kanye nokubekezela. Ngethabo 12nithokoze uBaba owanenza bona nifanelwe sisabelo elifeni labacwengileko embusweni wokukhanya. 13Wasikhupha emandleni wobumnyama, wasibeka embusweni weNdodanakhe ethandekako, 14esinokuhlengwa nokulitjalelwa kwezono zethu kiyo.
Ubuntu bakaKrestu kanye nomsebenzakhe
15UKrestu umfanekiso wakaZimu ongabonakaliko,
ulizibulo lakho koke okubunjiweko
16ngombana koke kwabunjwa ngaye:
okusezulwini nephasinapha,
okubonakalako nokungabonakaliko,
kungaba mibuso namkha ubukhosi
namkha ababusi neemphathimandla.
Koke kwabunjwa ngaye, kwabunjelwa yena.
17Yena ngokwakhe waba khona koke kungakabikhona
begodu koke kudzimelele ngaye.
18Uyihloko yomzimba, okulibandla;
usithomo, izibulo labavuswa ekufeni,
ukuze abe ngewokuthoma kikho koke.
19Yeke kwamthabisa uZimu
bona ubuyena obupheleleko bakhe
buhlale ngaphakathi kwakhe
20ukuze kuthi ngaye abuyisele koke kuye
nanyana kungaba ngokusephasini
namkha okusezulwini,
ngokwenza ukuthula ngeengazi zakhe
ezathululwa esiphambanweni.
21Nani ebegade nikude noZimu, nimanaba emikhumbulweni yenu ngebanga lezinto ezimbi ebenizenza, 22nokho sele abuyisene nani ngomzimba kaKrestu wenyama, ngokufa kwakhe ukuze aniveze nicwengile, nimsulwa begodu ningasoleki phambi kwakhe. 23Lokho kwenzeka kwaphela nakube nani nihlala nidzimelele benikakarele esisekelweni sokukholwa, ngaphandle kokutjhida ethembeni elathenjiswa livangeli enalizwako nelatjhunyayelwa kikho koke okudaliweko ngaphasi komthunzi welanga, mina Powula engaba sisebenzi salo.
Umsebenzi kaPowula ebandleni
24Nje-ke ngiyathaba ekuhluphekeni kwami ngenca yenu, begodu emzimbenami ngiphelelisa lokho okutlhayeleko ekuhluphekeni kwakaKrestu ngebanga lomzimbakhe, okutjho ibandla. 25Ngenziwe isikhonzi salo ngokomsebenzi kaZimu enganikelwa wona ngani, ukuzwakalisa ilizwi lakaZimu ngokupheleleko, 26ekuyifihlakalo ebeyifihliwe kiso soke isikhathi sekadeni kanye neenzukulwaneni, kodwana gadesi sele yambulelwe abacwengileko bakhe. 27UZimu waqunta bona kwazeke kibo bonyana umnono wephazimulo yefihlakalwakhe le mkhulu kangangani hlangana nabatjhili; ifihlakalo leyo inguKrestu okini nolithemba lephazimulo. 28Nje-ke nguye esimtjhumayelako, siyelelise woke umuntu besibafundise koke ukuhlakanipha kwakhe ukuze silethe woke umuntu aphelele kuKrestu. 29Iye, ngikho lokhu engikusebenzelako, ngitjhabatjheka ngawo woke umfutho awuvusa ngamandla ngaphakathi kwami.
