Imibono kaPawulos; uviko enyameni
1Ukuqhayisa okunene akundilungele; kuba ndiza kuza kwimibono nezityhilelo zeNkosi.
2Ndazi umntu okuKristu, ekusekuyiminyaka elishumi elinaminé (nokuba ubesemzimbeni na andazi, nokuba ubengekho na emzimbeni, andazi; kwaziwa nguThixo), ethe lowo waxwilwa, wada wasiwa nakwelesithathu izulu. 3Ndiyamazi ke umntu onjalo (nokuba ubesemzimbeni na, nokuba ubengekho na emzimbeni, andazi; kwaziwa nguThixo), 4okokuba waxwilwa wasiwa eParadisi,• weva amazwi angenakuthethwa, ekungavumelekileyo ukuba umntu awathethe. 5Onjalo ke ndiya kuqhayisa ngaye, kodwa andiyi kuqhayisa ngokwam nganto ikum; ingaba kungokuswela kwam amandla kodwa.
6Kuba xa bendingáthi ndithande ukuqhayisa, bendingayi kuba ndiswele ukuqonda, kuba bendiya kuba ndithetha inyaniso; kodwa ndiyayeka, ukuze kungabikho bani ucinga ngam ngaphezu koko abona ndikuko, athi mhlawumbi akuve kum. 7Kwathi, ukuze ndingaziphakamisi ngokungaphezulu ngenxa yezityhilelo eziyincamisa, ndanikwa uviko enyameni, isithunywa sikaSathana, ukuze sindintlithe, ukuze ndingaziphakamisi ngokungaphezulu. 8Ndayibongoza kathathu iNkosi ngaso isithunywa eso, ukuba sisuke kum. 9Ithe yona kum, Ubabalo lwam lukwanele; kuba amandla am azalisekiswa ekuswelekeni kwamandla.
Ngoko kokukhona sendiya kuqhayisa kamnandi kakhulu ngokuswela kwam amandla, ukuze ahlale phezu kwam amandla kaKristu. 10Kungoko ndikholisiweyo kukuswela amandla, kukuphathwa kakubi, ziingxakeko, ziintshutshiso, ziingxinano, ngenxa kaKristu; kuba xa sukuba ndiswele amandla, kuxa ndinamandla.
UPawulos ucacisa ukuziqhayisa kwakhe
11Sendisuke ndaba ngoswele ukuqonda ngokuqhayisa; ndinyanzelwe nini. Kuba mna ndibe ndifanele ukuyalezwa nini; kuba andisilelanga nganto kubapostile• abo baziincamisa, nakuba ndingento yanto. 12Imiqondiso yokuba ngumpostile, inene, yasetyenzwa phakathi kwenu ngokunyamezela konke, ngemiqondiso, nezimanga, nemisebenzi yamandla. 13Kuba yintoni na enasilela ngayo kwamanye amabandla kaThixo, ingekukuba mna ngokwam ndingabanga mthwalo kuni? Ndixoleleni oko kungalungisi.
14Yabonani, sendilungele ukuza kuni okwesithathu; ndaye ndingayi kuba mthwalo kuni; kuba andifuni zinto zenu, ndifuna nina. Kuba asingabantwana abafanele ukuqwebela abazali, ngabazali abafanele ukuqwebela abantwana. 15Mna ke, kuya kuba mnandi kakhulu ukuba ndichithe, ndidleke kuphele, ngenxa yemiphefumlo yenu; nakuba okukhona ndinithandayo kakhulu, kokukhona ndithandwa kancinane. 16Kungade kube kunjalo, mna kambe andibanga mthwalo kuni; mandibe, ndinobuqhetseba nje, ndisuké ndanibambisa ngenkohliso.
17Kukho mntu na ke kwabo ndabathumayo kuni, endanidlayo ngaye? 18Ndamyala uTito, ndathuma umzalwana lowo kunye naye. Wanidla na ke uTito? Asihambanga moyeni mnye, yini na? Asihambanga mkhondo mnye, yini na?
19Niyawaseniba siyaziphendulela kusini na kuni? Sithetha phambi kukaThixo, sikuKristu; sizithetha zonke ke izinto ezo, zintánda, ngenxa yokwakheka kwenu. 20Kuba ndiyoyika, hleze ndithi ndakufika, ndinifumane ningènjengendikuthandayo, nam ndifunyanwe nini ndingènjengenikuthandayo; hleze kubekho iinkani, amakhwele, imisindo, amayelenqe, iintlebendwane, iintsebezo, iinkukhumalo, iziphithiphithi; 21hleze ndithi, ndakufika kunjalo, andíthobe uThixo wam phakathi kwenu, ndize ndikhedame ngenxa yabaninzi ababesebonile, àbaguquka ekungcoleni, nasembulweni, naseburheletyweni ababenzáyo.
