Ukuvuselela ubunye nolulamo
1Ukuba ke ngoko kukho usizo kuKristu, ukuba kukho ukhuzo lothando, ukuba kukho ubudlelane boMoya, ukuba kukho imfesane neemfefe, 2luzaliseni uvuyo lwam, ukuze nicinge ntonye, ninaluthando lunye, ninamphefumlo mnye, nicinga nto-nye; 3ningenzi nanye into ngokweyelenqe, nangokozuko olulambathayo. Yithini ngokuthobeka kwentliziyo omnye ambalele omnye ekuthini nguyena wongamileyo kunaye. 4Makangathi elowo axunele kwezakhe izinto zodwa, elowo makaxunele nakwezabanye.
Umzekelo wolulamo nokuzincama kukaYesu
5Yibani nale ngcinga kuni, wayenayo kuye uKristu Yesu: 6yena wàthi, esebumeni bukaThixo, akathi ukulingana kwakhe oku noThixo kulixhoba; 7usuke wazihluba, wathabatha ubume bomkhonzi, enziwe wafana nabantu; 8wathi ngemo efunyenwe enjengomntu, wazithoba, waba ngolulamileyo, wada wesa ekufeni, ukufa ke kwasemnqamlezweni.
9Kungoko athe uThixo wamphakamisa kakhulu, wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo onke amagama; 10ukuze ngegama likaYesu onke amadolo agobe, awabasemazulwini, nawabasemhlabeni, nawabaphantsi komhlaba; 11zithi zonke iilwimi zixele ukuba uYesu Kristu uyiNkosi, kuze kuzukiswe uThixo uYise.
Usindiso malusetyenzwe lufezwe esimilweni
12Ngoko ke, zintánda zam, njengokuba nahlala ninokuva, lusebenzeni nilufeze olwenu usindiso, ninokuzoyikela nokungcangcazela; ningangi nenjenjalo xa ndikhoyo kodwa, manibe kukhona nenjenjalo xa ndingekhoyo. 13Kuba nguThixo okusebenzayo ngaphakathi kwenu ukuthanda oko, kwanokusebenza oko, ngenxa yenkolelo yakhe.
14Izinto zonke zenzeni ningenakukrokra, ningenakuthandabuza, 15ukuze nibe ngabangenakusoleka, abangenabuqhinga; nibe ngabantwana bakaThixo abangenakubekwa bala esazulwini sesizukulwana esigoso, esigwenxa; enithi phakathi kwabo nibonakale ninjengezikhanyiso ehlabathini, 16nibambelele elizwini lobomi; nibe liqhayiya lam, nide nise kwimini kaKristu, ukuba andifumananga ndabaleka, kanjako andifumananga ndabulaleka.
17Ewe, nokuba ndiyathululwa ngokomnikelo phezu kombingelelo nombuso wokholo lwenu, ndiyavuya, ndivuyisana nani nonke. 18Yithini ke ngokoko nani nivuye, nivuyisane nam.
UTimoti
19Ke kaloku ndithembele eNkosini uYesu, ukuba ndonithumela uTimoti kamsinya, ukuze nam ndonwabe, ndakuzazi iindawo ezingani. 20Kuba andinamntu wumbi, umphefumlo uvana nowam, owothi ayikhathalele ngokwenyaniso imicimbi engani. 21Kuba bonke bafuna ezabo izinto, zingezizo ezikaYesu Kristu. 22Ukucikideka ke kwakhe niyakwazi: ukuba wathi, njengomntwana kuyise, wakhonza kunye nam kuzo iindaba ezilungileyo. 23Lowo ke ngoko ndithembé ukumthuma kwaoko, xa ndithe ndayiqonda imicimbi engam. 24Ke ndikholose ngeNkosi, ukuba nam ngokwam ndoza kamsinya.
UEpafrodito
25Kodwa ke ndibé kuyafuneka ukuba ndinithumele uEpafrodito, umzalwana wam osebenza nam, umphumi-mkhosi nam, umthunywa wenu ke, umlungiseleli wam kwiintswelo zam; 26ekubeni ke ebenilangazelela nina nonke, edandatheka, ngenxa enokuba nevayo ukuba wayesifa. 27Kuba okunene wayesifa, ephantse ukufa. Ke uThixo wamenzela inceba; akenzela yena yedwa, wenzela nam lo, ukuze ndingabi buhlungu, ndibuhlungu kade. 28Kukhona ngoko ndimthuma ngokukhawuleza, ukuze nithi nakumbona nibuye nivuye, kuthi nokwam ukuba buhlungu kudambe. 29Mamkeleni ke ngokwaseNkosini, ninovuyo lonke; 30nibabeke abo banjalo; ngokuba, ngenxa yomsebenzi kaKristu, wada waphantsa ukufa, ebenza isichenge ubomi bakhe, ukuze enzelelele ukusilela kwenu ekundilungiseleleni.
