1 kaPetru 4
Ekuhluphekeni amakholwa mawabekezele, akhuleke, abonge uNkulunkulu
1Njengokuba uKristu wahlupheka enyameni, hlomani nani ukuqonda okunjalo, ngokuba ohluphekile enyameni uyekile ukona, 2ukuze ngesikhathi esiseleyo nisesenyameni ningabe nisahlala ngezinkanuko zabantu kodwa ngentando kaNkulunkulu. 3Ngokuba isikhathi esidlulileyo sasanele ukwenza okuthandwa ngabezizwe ngokuhamba ngamanyala, nangezinkanuko, nangokudakwa, nangokuminza, nangokuxokozela, nangokukhonza izithombe okuyichilo. 4Bayamangala ngokungagijimeli kwenu kulowo msindo wokushinga kwabo, behlambalaza; 5bayakuziphendulela kulowo olungele ukwahlulela abahambayo nabafileyo. 6Ngokuba ngalokho ivangeli lashunyayelwa nakwabafileyo, ukuze bahlulelwe ngokwabantu enyameni kepha baphile ngokukaNkulunkulu emoyeni.
7Kepha ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekusondele. Ngakho zikhuzeni, nizithibe, ukuze nikhuleke; 8kunakho konke yibani nokuthandana okunganqamukiyo, ngokuba uthando lusibekela inqwaba yezono; 9anongenisana ngenjabulo, ningakhononi, 10nikhonzane, kube yilowo nalowo ngesipho asiphiweyo njengabaphathi abahle bomusa omninginingi kaNkulunkulu; 11uma umuntu ekhuluma, makakhulume njengokwamazwi kaNkulunkulu; uma umuntu ekhonza, makakhonze ngamandla awanikwa nguNkulunkulu, ukuze uNkulunkulu adunyiswe kukho konke ngoJesu Kristu okukuye inkazimulo namandla kuze kube phakade naphakade. Amen.
12Bathandekayo, ningamangali ngomlilo ophakathi kwenu enifikelwa yiwo ukuba nilingwe ngokungathi nehlelwe yinto engaziwayo, 13kodwa njengalokhu ningabahlanganyeli bezinhlupheko zikaKristu, thokozani, ukuze kuthi nasekwambulweni kwenkazimulo yakhe nithokoze, nethabe nokwethaba. 14Uma nithukwa ngenxa yegama likaKristu, nibusisiwe, ngokuba uMoya wenkazimulo nokaNkulunkulu uhlezi phezu kwenu. 15Ngokuba makungabikho kini ohlupheka ngokuba engumbulali, noma eyisela, noma engowenza okubi, noma engozigaxa ezindabeni zabanye; 16kepha uma ehlupheka ngokuba engumKristu, makangabi namahloni, kepha makadumise uNkulunkulu ngenxa yalelo gama. 17Ngokuba sekuyisikhathi sokuba ukwahlulela kuqale endlini kaNkulunkulu; kepha uma kuthathela kithina, kuyakuba yini ukuphela kwabangalaleli ivangeli likaNkulunkulu na? 18Uma olungileyo esindiswa kalukhuni, uyakubonakalaphi ongamesabi uNkulunkulu noyisoni na?
19Ngakho abahluphekayo ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu mababeke imiphefumulo yabo kuMdali othembekayo ngokwenza okuhle.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1959, 1997. Used with permission. All rights reserved.