Kubase-Efesu 3
Umsebenti waPawula kubetive
1Ngalesizatfu ngiyanithandazela mine, Pawula, lengisiboshwa saKhristu Jesu ngenca yenu, nine betive. 2Empeleni senivile kutsi Nkulunkulu, ngemusa wakhe, unginike lomsebenti kutsi ngiwetfwale kuze nisitakale. 3Nkulunkulu wangatisa imfihlakalo ngekungembulela, njengobe sengike ngatsintsa nje ekubhaleni kwami. 4Nanifundza loku, nitawubona kwati kwami ngemfihlakalo yaKhristu. 5Bonkhe bantfu abazange bayatiswe etitukulwaneni letinye, njengaloku nyalo seyembulwe ngaMoya kubaphostoli bakhe labangcwele nakubaphrofethi. 6Imfihlakalo ngulokutsi betive nabo sebatindlalifa kanye natsi, nekutsi sebangumtimba munye kanye natsi, futsi sebabahlanganyeli besetsembiso kanye natsi kuJesu Khristu ngeliVangeli.
7Ngentiwa sisebenti seliVangeli ngesipho semusa waNkulunkulu, lengiwuphiwe ngekusebenta kwemandla akhe. 8Mine, nome ngingulomncane kunabo bonkhe labangcwele, ngaphiwa lowo musa wekushumayela kubetive liVangeli lemcebo waKhristu longenawuphenyeka. 9Ngaphiwa nekutsi ngibakhanyisele bonkhe bantfu kutsi lisebenta njani lisu lemfihlakalo, lebeyifihlakele kwaphakadze kuNkulunkulu lowadala tintfo tonkhe, 10kuze babusi nalabanemandla emazulwini batiswe nyalo ngelibandla kuhlakanipha lokukhulu kwaNkulunkulu. 11Loku wakwenta ngekwenjongo yaphakadze layifeza ngaKhristu Jesu iNkhosi yetfu. 12Ngaye sinekuciniseka nesibindzi sekusondzela kuNkulunkulu ngekukholwa kwetfu. 13Ngako-ke ngiyanincenga kutsi ningadzinwa kuhlupheka kwami ngenca yenu, lokungukona kuludvumo lwenu.
Pawula uthandazela libandla
14Ngenca yalesizatfu-ke, ngiguca ngemadvolo embikwaBabe, 15leyetsiwa ngaye yonkhe imindeni yasezulwini neyasemhlabeni, 16kuze ngekwengcebo yebukhosi bakhe aniphe kuciniseka emandleni kumuntfu wangekhatsi ngaMoya wakhe. 17Khristu akahlale etinhlitiyweni tenu ngekukholwa, kuze nisime, nisekeleke elutsandvweni, 18nibe nemandla ekucondzisisa kanye nalabangcwele bonkhe lokububanti, nebudze, nekuphakama, nekujula kwelutsandvo lwaKhristu, 19yebo, nekulwati lutsandvo lwakhe lolwendlula konkhe kwati, kuze ngigcwaliswe kube kuphelela konkhe kwaNkulunkulu.
20Kuye lonemandla ekwenta lokukhulu kakhulu kunako konkhe lesikucelako nome lesikucabangako, ngekwemandla lasebenta kitsi, 21akube ludvumo ebandleni nakuKhristu Jesu etitukulwaneni tonkhe, phakadze naphakadze. Amen.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.