To The Word – Day 176

₁UPawulu, umphostoli kaKristu Jesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu ngokwesithembiso sokuphila okukuKristu Jesu, ₂kuThimothewu, umntwana othandekayo: Makube kuwe umusa, nobubele, nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba nakuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.

₃Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu engimkhonzayo kusukela kokhokho ngonembeza omhlophe, njengalokhu ngikukhumbula ngokungaphezi emikhulekweni yami ubusuku nemini, ₄ngilangazelela ukukubona, ngikhumbula izinyembezi zakho, ukuze ngigcwaliswe ngentokozo, ₅ngikhunjuzwe ukukholwa okungenakuzenzisa okukuwe, okwahlala kuqala kunyokokhulu uLowisi nakunyoko uYunisi, yebo, ngiyethemba, nakuwena. ₆Ngaleso sizathu ngiyakukhumbuza ukuba uvuse isipho somusa sikaNkulunkulu esikhona kuwe ngokubeka izandla zami. ₇Ngokuba uNkulunkulu akasiphanga umoya wobugwala, kepha owamandla, nowothando, nowokuzikhuza.

₈Ngalokho ungabi namahloni ngobufakazi ngeNkosi yethu nangami, isiboshwa sayo, kodwa hlanganyela ukuhluphekela ivangeli ngamandla kaNkulunkulu ₉owasisindisa, wasibiza ngobizo olungcwele, kungengokwemisebenzi yethu kepha ngokwelakhe icebo nomusa, esawuphiwa kuKristu Jesu zingakabikho izikhathi, ₁₀kepha osubonakalisiwe manje ngokubonakala koMsindisi wethu uKristu Jesu, owachitha ukufa, walethela ekukhanyeni ukuphila nokungabhubhi ngevangeli, ₁₁engamiselwa lona ukuba ngibe ngummemezeli, nomphostoli, nomfundisi; ₁₂ngaleso sizathu ngiyahlupheka nangalokhu, kepha anginamahloni, ngokuba ngiyamazi engikholwa nguye, ngiyethemba ukuthi unamandla okulonda lokho engikubekile kuye, kuze kube yilolo suku.

₁₃Isibonelo samazwi aphilayo masibe yilawo owawezwa kimi ngokukholwa nangothando olukuKristu Jesu; ₁₄okuhle okubekiwe kuwe ukulonde ngoMoya oNgcwele ohlala kithi.

₁₅Uyazi lokhu ukuthi bonke abase-Asiya bangifulathele, abaphakathi kwabo ngoFigelu noHermogene.

₁₆INkosi mayinike indlu ka-Onesiforu umusa, ngokuba wangihlumelela kaningi, wayengenamahloni ngeketanga lami, ₁₇kepha esefikile eRoma wangifunisisa, wangifumana – ₁₈iNkosi mayimnike ukuba athole ububele eNkosini ngalolo suku – konke akhonza ngakho e-Efesu uyakwazi wena kakhulu.

₁Ngakho wena mntanami, yiba namandla emseni okuKristu Jesu; ₂lokho okuzwileyo kimi phambi kofakazi abaningi, lokho-ke kubeke kubantu abathembekileyo abazakuba namandla okufundisa nabanye. ₃Hlanganyela nami ukuhlupheka njengebutho elihle likaKristu. ₄Akakho osempini olibala izidingo zalokhu kuphila, aze akholeke kulowo abuthwe nguye. ₅Futhi nxa umuntu encintisana, kaqheliswa engancintisananga ngokomthetho. ₆Umlimi osebenzayo kufanele ukuba kwamukele yena izithelo kuqala. ₇Qonda engikushoyo; ngokuba iNkosi iyakukunika ukuqonda ngezinto zonke.

₈Khumbula uJesu Kristu ovukile kwabafileyo, wenzalo kaDavide ngokwevangeli lami, ₉engihlupheka ngalo kuze kube sekuboshweni njengeselelesi; kepha izwi likaNkulunkulu aliboshiwe. ₁₀Ngalokho ngiyakhuthazela kukho konke ngenxa yabakhethiweyo, ukuze nabo bazuze insindiso ekuKristu Jesu, kanye nenkazimulo yaphakade.

₁₁Likholekile leli zwi lokuthi: Ngokuba uma safa naye, siyakuphila naye futhi; ₁₂uma sikhuthazela, siyakubusa naye futhi; uma simphika, naye uyakusiphika; ₁₃uma singathembeki, yena uhlala ethembekile, ngokuba akanakuziphika.

₁₄Bakhumbuze ngalokho, ufakaze phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuba bangalwi ngamazwi, okungasizi lutho, okuyincithakalo kwabezwayo. ₁₅Khuthalela ukuba uziveze uthembekile kuNkulunkulu, isisebenzi esingenamahloni, esiqondisa kahle izwi leqiniso. ₁₆Kepha ukukhuluma kwezwe okuyize ukugweme; ngokuba bayakuqhubekela phambili ekungamesabini uNkulunkulu, ₁₇nezwi labo liyakubhibha njengesilonda esibhucukayo, abaphakathi kwabo ngoHimenewu noFiletu ₁₈abadukileyo mayelana neqiniso, bethi ukuvuka kwabafileyo sekudlulile, bechitha ukukholwa kwabanye. ₁₉Nokho isisekelo esiqinileyo sikaNkulunkulu simi, sinalolu phawu lokuthi: “INkosi iyabazi abangabayo,” nokuthi: “Yilowo nalowo ophatha igama likaKristu makadede kukho ukungalungi.”

₂₀Kepha endlini enkulu akukho izitsha zegolide nezesiliva kuphela kodwa nezemithi nezebumba, ezinye ezihloniphekayo, ezinye ezingahloniphekiyo; ₂₁ngalokho uma umuntu ezihlanza kulezo zinto, uyakuba yisitsha esihloniphekayo, esingcwelisiwe, esinosizo kumninindlu, esilungiselwe umsebenzi wonke omuhle.

₂₂Kepha balekela izinkanuko zobusha, ujonge ukulunga, nokukholwa, nothando, nokuthula kanye nabakhuleka eNkosini ngenhliziyo ehlambulukileyo. ₂₃Kepha ukuphikisana kobuwula nokokungazi ukunqabe, wazi ukuthi kuzala ukulwa; ₂₄inceku kaKristu ayifanele ukulwa, kodwa mayibe mnene kubo bonke, inesu lokufundisa, ibekezela, ₂₅ibalaya ngomoya omnene abamelene nayo, kumbe uNkulunkulu angabanika ukuphenduka, baze balazisise iqiniso, ₂₆basanguluke, baphume ogibeni lukaSathane ababanjwe nguye ukuba benze intando yakhe.

₁Kepha yazi lokhu ukuthi ezinsukwini zokugcina kuzakuvela izikhathi ezinzima; ₂ngokuba abantu bazakuba ngabazithandayo, nabathandimali, nabazigabisayo, nabazidlayo, nabahlambalazayo, nabangalaleli abazali, nabangabongiyo, nabahlazisayo, ₃nabangenaluthando, nabahlebi, nabangazithibi, nabangenabumnene, nabangathandi okuhle, ₄nabakhapheli, nabanamawala, nabakhukhumele, nabathanda injabulo kunokuthanda uNkulunkulu, ₅nabanesimo sokumesaba uNkulunkulu, kepha amandla akho bewaphika; labo-ke wobagwema.

₆Ngokuba kulabo kuvela abanyonyobela ezindlini bethumba abesifazane abasindwa yizono, beqhutshwa yizinkanuko eziyizinhlobonhlobo, ₇befunda njalo, kepha bengeke bakwazi ukufika ekulazini iqiniso. ₈NjengoJane noJambre bamelana noMose, kanjalo laba bamelana neqiniso, abantu abonakele ingqondo, abehluleka enkolweni. ₉Kepha abasayikuqhubekela phambili; ngokuba ubuwula babo buyakuba sobala kubo bonke, njengokuba kwaba njalo nobabo.

₁₀Kepha wena walandela isifundiso sami nokuziphatha, nomgomo, nenkolo, nokubheka kade, nothando, nokubekezela, ₁₁nokuzingelwa, nezinhlupheko ezangehlela e-Antiyokiya nase-Ikoniyu naseListra; ukuzingelwa okunje ngakhuthazela kukho, kepha iNkosi yangikhulula kukho konke. ₁₂Yebo, bonke abathanda ukuhamba ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu kuKristu Jesu bayakuzingelwa. ₁₃Kepha abantu ababi nabakhohlisi bazakuqhubekela phambili ebubini, bedukisa, bedukiswa. ₁₄Kepha wena yima kulokho okufundile nowaqiniseka kukho, wazi ukuthi ukufunde kobani, ₁₅nokuthi kusukela ebuntwaneni wazi imibhalo engcwele enamandla okukuhlakaniphisa, kube yinsindiso ngokukholwa kuKristu Jesu. ₁₆Yonke imibhalo iphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu ilungele ukufundisa, nokusola, nokuqondisa, nokuyala ekulungeni, ₁₇ukuze umuntu kaNkulunkulu aphelele, apheleliselwe yonke imisebenzi emihle.

₁Ngiyaqinisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu noKristu Jesu oyakwahlulela abaphilayo nabafileyo nangokubonakala kwakhe nombuso wakhe, ngithi: ₂Shumayela izwi, uqinise, noma kuyisikhathi noma kungesiso; sola, ukhuze, uyale ngakho konke ukubekezela nokufundisa. ₃Ngokuba kuyakuba khona isikhathi abangayikuvuma ngaso isifundiso esiphilayo, kepha ngokwezinkanuko zabo bayakuzibuthela abafundisi njengokubatshwa kwezindlebe zabo, ₄bafulathelise izindlebe zabo eqinisweni, baphambukele ezinganekwaneni. ₅Kepha wena, qonda ezintweni zonke, ubekezele ekuhluphekeni, wenze umsebenzi womvangeli, ufeze ukukhonza kwakho.

₆Ngokuba mina sengiyanikelwa, nesikhathi sokumuka kwami sesifikile. ₇Ngikulwile ukulwa okuhle, ngiqedile ibanga, ngigcinile ukukholwa; ₈sengibekelwe umqhele wokulunga eyakungipha wona ngalolo suku iNkosi, umahluleli olungileyo, kungeyimi ngedwa, kepha bonke abathandile ukubonakala kwayo.

₉Shesha uze kimi masinyane. ₁₀Ngokuba uDema wangishiya ethanda leli zwe lamanje, waya eThesalonika; uKreste waya eGalathiya, uThithu eDalmathiya; ₁₁nguLuka yedwa onami. Thatha uMarku, uze naye, ngokuba unosizo kimi ekukhonzeni. ₁₂UThikhiku sengamthuma e-Efesu. ₁₃Ijazi engalishiya eTrowa kuKarpu woliphatha, nxa uza, nezincwadi, ikakhulu ezesikhumba.

₁₄U-Aleksandru, umkhandi wethusi wenza okubi okuningi kimi; iNkosi iyakumbuyisela ngokwemisebenzi yakhe; ₁₅umxwaye nawe, ngokuba wamelana kakhulu namazwi ethu.

₁₆Ekuziphenduleleni kwami kokuqala kwakungekho muntu ongimelayo, kepha bonke bangishiya; makungabalelwa kubo lokho; ₁₇kodwa iNkosi yangimela, yangipha amandla ukuba intshumayelo ipheleliswe ngami, nabezizwe bonke bezwe; ngase ngikhululwa emlonyeni wengonyama. ₁₈INkosi iyakungikhulula kuyo yonke imisebenzi emibi, ingisindise, ngize ngifike embusweni wayo osezulwini; makube kuyo inkazimulo kuze kube phakade naphakade. Amen.

₁₉Khonza koPriska no-Akwila nendlu ka-Onesiforu. ₂₀U-Erastu wasala eKorinte, kepha uTrofimu ngamshiya eMilethu egula. ₂₁Shesha ufike, kungakangeni ubusika. Bakhonza kuwe o-Evubulu, noPhude, noLinu, noKlawudiya, nabo bonke abazalwane.

₂₂INkosi mayibe nomoya wakho. Umusa mawube nani.