1 kuThimothi 3
Timphawu tebabonisi ebandleni
1Licinisile lelivi lelitsi: Nangabe umuntfu afisa umsebenti wekuba ngumbonisi, ufisa umsebenti lomuhle. 2Umbonisi kufanele kube yindvodza lengasoleki, lenemfati munye, letibambako, lezitsile, lehloniphekile, lephatsa kahle tihambi, lenemasu ekufundzisa, 3lengesiso sidzakwa, lengatitsatseli etulu tintfo, kodvwa lemnene, lengenalo luchweba, lengayitsandzi imali. 4Umbonisi kufanele abe ngulophetse kahle umuti wakhe, afundzise ngekuhlonipheka konkhe kutsi bantfwabakhe batfobeke. 5Kodvwa nangabe indvodza yehluleka kuphatsa umuti wayo, pho, ingaliphatsa kanjani libandla laNkulunkulu? 6Umbonisi akukafaneli kube ngumuntfu losandza kuphendvuka funa atigcabhe, bese-ke Sathane uyamwisa. 7Ngetulu kwaloko kufanele abe nebufakazi lobuhle kubangephandle, funa awele ehlazweni naselugibeni lwaSathane.
Timphawu tebadikhoni ebandleni
8Ngalokufananako futsi nebadikhoni kufanele bazitse, bangabi nalo lulwimi lolumphacambili; bangabi tigcili talokudzakisanako, bangahaheli inzuzo lembi. 9Emaciniso lembulekile ekukholwa kufanele bawaphatse nganembeza lomhlophe. 10Laba kufanele bavivinywe kucala, bese-ke bangena emsebentini webudikhoni, nabangasoleki. 11Kanjalo futsi nalabasikati bafanele kuzitsa, bangahlebi, batitsibe, betsembeke kuko konkhe. 12Umdikhoni kufanele abe yindvodza lenemfati munye, lephetse kahle bantfwabayo nemuti wayo. 13Ngobe labo labake bawenta kahle lomsebenti webudikhoni batizuzela ludvumo loluhle nesibindzi lesikhulu ekukholweni kuKhristu Jesu.
Imfihlakalo lenkhulu ngelibandla laNkulunkulu
14Nome ngikubhalela ngaletintfo nje, ngiyetsemba kutsi ngitawufika lapho kuwe masinyane. 15Kodvwa nakwenteka ngephuta, umelwe kwati kutsi umuntfu kufanele atiphatse kanjani endlini yaNkulunkulu, lekulibandla laNkulunkulu lophilako, leliyinsika nesisekelo seliciniso. 16Siyavuma kutsi yinkhulu kakhulu imfihlakalo yenkholo yetfu yekutsi:
Wabonakaliswa angumuntfu,
wafakazelwa nguMoya,
wabonwa tingilosi,
washunyayelwa kubetive,
wakholeka emhlabeni,
wenyukela enkhatimulweni.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
