1 kuThimothewu 4
UPawulu ufundisa uThimothewu ukuba alwe nabahlubuka ekukholweni
1Kepha uMoya usho ngokuchachileyo ukuthi ngezikhathi zokugcina abanye bayakuhlubuka ekukholweni, benaka omoya abadukisayo nezifundiso zamademoni, 2ngokuzenzisa kwabaqamba amanga abashiswe uphawu kunembeza wabo, 3benqabela ukuganana, bethi akuzilwe ukudla akudalayo uNkulunkulu ukuba kwamukelwe ngokubonga yibo abakholwayo nabalaziyo iqiniso. 4Ngokuba konke okudalwe nguNkulunkulu kuhle; akulahlwa lutho, uma kwamukelwa ngokubonga, 5ngokuba kungcweliswa ngezwi likaNkulunkulu nomkhuleko.
6Nxa ubeka lezo zinto kubazalwane, uyakuba yisikhonzi esihle sikaKristu Jesu, wondliwa ngamazwi okukholwa nesifundiso esihle osilandeleyo; 7kepha wale izinganekwane ezingcolileyo nezezalukazi. Kepha zijwayeze ekumesabeni uNkulunkulu. 8Ngokuba ukujwayeza umzimba kusiza ingcosana, kepha ukumesaba uNkulunkulu kusiza ezintweni zonke, kunesithembiso salokhu kuphila nalokho okuzayo.
9Likholekile leli zwi, lifanele impela ukwamukelwa, 10ngokuba sikhandlekela lokho, siyashikashikeka, ngokuba sithembele kuNkulunkulu ophilayo onguMsindisi wabantu bonke, ikakhulu wabakholwayo.
11Woyala ngalezo zinto, ufundise ngazo.
UPawulu ululeka uThimothewu abe yisibonelo, athembeke enkonzweni
12Makungabikho muntu odelela ubusha bakho, kepha yiba yisibonelo kwabakholwayo ngezwi, nangenkambo, nangothando, nangokukholwa, nangokuhlanzeka. 13Nakekela ukufunda, nokuyala, nokufundisa, ngize ngifike. 14Ungasidebeseli isiphiwo esikuwe, owasiphiwa ngezwi lokuprofetha nangokubekwa izandla ngamalunga.
15Nakekela lezo zinto, ume kuzo, ukuze ukuqhubeka kwakho kuqhame kubo bonke. 16Ziqaphele wena kanye nesifundiso, ume kulezo zinto; ngokuba ngokwenza lokho uyakuzisindisa wena nabakuzwayo.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1959, 1997. Used with permission. All rights reserved.