Intobeko nobukhulu bukaKrestu
1Njengoko kobu bomi bethu, simanywe noKrestu, kukho inkuthazo, kukho nokuvuseleleka kothando, nokudlelana koMoya, kukho nobubele novelwano, 2ngoko ke ndaneliseni nindivuyise ngokuba nibe banye ngezimvo nangothando, nibanye ngengqondo, nizamela ukuba nibe yimbumba yamanyama. 3Musani ukusunduzana. Izinto sanukuzenza ngokuzigwagwisa nangokuqhayisa. Ndaweni yaloo nto zithobeni, nibaphakamise kunani abanye abantu. 4Izinto abanomdla kuzo abanye zixabiseni nazo, ningakhathaleli izinto eninomdla kuzo kuphela. 5Njengoko nimanywe noYesu Krestu izimvo zenu mazifane nezakhe; kuba kaloku:
6Nakuba ubume bakhe babunguThixo ngenkqu,
ukulingana noThixo akakubawelanga
kangangokude afune ukusunduzana naye.
7Ndaweni yaloo nto waziqongqotha ubuyena,
wathatha isimo sesicaka,
waba ngumntu ncakasana.
Engumntu ebantwini,
8wazambesa intobeko,
ntobeko leyo yamsa ekufeni –
ukufa kwasemnqamlezweni.
9Kungoko ke athe uThixo wamphakamisa kakhulu,
wamthi jize ngelona gama lingaphezu kwawo onke amanye amagama,
10ukuze bonke abaphilayo,
ezulwini, emhlabeni, naphantsi komhlaba,
bagobe amadolo benika imbeko kwigama likaYesu;
11bathi bebonke bavume bengafihlisi
ukuba uYesu Krestu yiNkosi,
bebonakalisa ubungangamsha bukaThixo onguBawo.
Ukufezekisa injongo kaThixo ngosindiso lwethu
12Nani ke, zihlobo zam, njengoko nihlala nimthobela uThixo xa ndilapho, nangoku ke kubaluleke ngakumbi ukuba nimthobele nokuba ndikude. Lufezekiseni usindiso enilunikwe nguThixo, ninembeko nentlonipho. 13Kuba kaloku nguThixo ngokwakhe oninika amandla okuzimisela nokusebenza, ukuze nithobele injongo yakhe.
14Yonke into enimelwe kukuyenza yenzeni ngaphandle kokukhalaza nokuxambulisana, 15niziphathe nyulu ningenagxeke, njengosapho lukaThixo olungabekwa bala phakathi kwabantu abakhohlakeleyo beli phakade.Khanyani phakathi kwabo njengeenkwenkwezi zikhanya esibhakabhakeni, 16nibanika iindaba zobomi. Xa nenjenjalo ke, noba libhongo lam ngaloo Mini kaKrestu, kuba kaloku kobonakala ukuba andifumananga ndabulaleka elugqatsweni nasemsebenzini.
17Kodwa nokuba kutheni ndingavuya, nokuba igazi lam lingade liphalazwe njengomnikelo ngenxa yokholo lwenu – kholo olo lulidini enilinikela kuThixo. Ndiyavuya, kunjalonje nani vuyani. 18Kwakhona ndithi vuyani, nam nindonwabise.
UTimoti noEpafrodito
19INkosi ivuma, ndinethemba lokuba kwakamsinya ndoba nako ukumthuma kuni uTimoti, khon' ukuze ndihlaziyeke ziindaba ezivela kuni. 20Kaloku uTimoti lo kuphela komntu ozimvo zinjengezam; yaye unomdla ngokwenene kuni. 21Bonke abanye aba baxakeke zizinto zabo, bengayinanze nganto ekaKrestu imicimbi. 22UTimoti yena nimazi kakuhle. Niyazi ukuba wayesoloko ejikeleza kunye nam ekuhambiseni iindaba ezimnandi, kanye oku konyana ethene nca noyise. 23Ndiza kumthuma kuni ke kamsinya, ndakuba ndiyiqondile imeko yokuhamba kwezinto ngakum; 24ndaye ndinethemba lokuba emandleni eNkosi nam ngokwam ndiza kuza kungekudala.
25Ndiyabona ukuba uwethu uEpafrodito, ongumncedisi nogxa wam, enanimthumele kum, mandimthumele kwakuni. 26Ubesoloko enikhumbula gqitha, yaye uva intw' embi kuba nivile ukuba ubegula. 27Kambe wayegulela ukungabikho, kodwa uThixo wamenzela inceba, nam wandivela ngokundikhulula kusizi olungaphezu kolu ndinalo. 28Ngenxa yaloo nto ke ndikungxamele ngakumbi ukumthumela, ukuze nivuye kwakhona nakumbona, nam ndiphumle elusizini. 29Mamkeleni ke ngezandla ezingenamkhinkqi ebudlelaneni eninabo neNkosi. Bonke abantu abanjengaye nje benzeleni imbeko, 30kuba yena obakhe ubomi uphantse ukwahlukana nabo ngenxa yemicimbi kaKrestu, ebubeke esichengeni ukuze andincede apho beningenakundinceda khona nina.
