1 KwabaseKhorinte 1:1-31
1 Mina Phawuli ngabizwa ukuthi ngibe ngumphostoli kaKhristu uJesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu. NgiloSosithene umfowethu,
2 njalo ngiyalibhalela lina elisebandleni likaNkulunkulu eliseKhorinte, elangcweliswa laba munye loKhristu uJesu futhi elabizelwa ukuthi libe ngabangcwele, lani lonke elikuyo yonke indawo elibiza ibizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, oyiNkosi yabo aphinde abe yiNkosi yethu:
3 Umusa omkhulu lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu kanye laseNkosini uJesu Khristu kakube kini.
4 Ngihlala ngimbonga uNkulunkulu wami ngenxa yomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu eliwuphiweyo ngoKhristu uJesu,
5 ngoba ngoKhristu selenziwe lanotha kukho konke, lenelisa ukukhuluma futhi lathola ulwazi lonke,
6 njengoba nje ubufakazi ngoKhristu sebuqinisiwe phakathi kwenu,
7 ukuze lingasweli loba yisiphi isipho lisalindele ngabomvu ukwembulwa kweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu.
8 Uzaphinda aliqinise kuze kube sekucineni ukuze lingabi lecala ngosuku lweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu.
9 Uthembekile uNkulunkulu owalibiza ukuthi libe ndawonye* leNdodana yakhe, uJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu.
10 Ngiyalincenga-ke bafowethu ngebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu ukuthi lonke livumelane kwelikukhulumayo njalo kungabi lokwehlukana phakathi kwenu, kodwa limanyane ngokupheleleyo, libe lengqondo yinye futhi licabange ngendlela efananayo.
11 Kulabanye abemuli kaKlowe abangitshele ngani bafowethu, bathi kulezingxabano phakathi kwenu.
12 Engikutshoyo yikuthi omunye uyathi: “Mina ngingokaPhawuli,” omunye athi, “Mina ngingoka-Apholo,” omunye athi, “Mina ngingokaKhefasi,”* kodwa omunye athi, “Mina ngingokaKhristu.”
13 UKhristu wehlukene yini? Kanti uPhawuli wake wabulawa ngokubethelwa esigodweni ngenxa yenu? Kumbe labhabhathizwa ebizweni likaPhawuli yini?
14 Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu ngokuthi phakathi kwenu kakho engambhabhathizayo ngaphandle kukaKhrispu loGayu,
15 ukuze kungabi lomuntu othi labhabhathizwa ebizweni lami.
16 Abanye engababhabhathizayo ngabahlala loStefana. Kodwa kwabanye laba, angazi kumbe ukhona engambhabhathizayo,
17 ngoba uKhristu kangithumanga ukuthi ngibhabhathize. Wangithuma ukuthi ngitshumayele izindaba ezinhle, kodwa ngingakwenzi ngamazwi alokuhlakanipha ukuze isigodo sokuhlutshwa* sikaKhristu singabi yinto engelancedo.
18 Imfundiso yesigodo sokuhlutshwa* iyibuthutha kulabo ababhubhayo, kodwa kithi esisindiswayo, ingamandla kaNkulunkulu
19 ngoba kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Ngizakwenza ukuhlakanipha kwabantu abahlakaniphileyo kutshabalale, lokukhalipha kwabafundileyo ngizakulahla.”*
20 Ungaphi umuntu ohlakaniphileyo? Ungaphi umbhali?* Ungaphi othanda impikiswano kulo umumo wezinto?* Kanti uNkulunkulu kakwenzanga kwaba yibuthutha yini ukuhlakanipha komhlaba lo?
21 Ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kukhanya ngokuthi lanxa umhlaba ungazange umazi ngokuhlakanipha kwawo, yena kwamthokozisa ukusebenzisa ubuthutha balokho okutshunyayelwayo ukuze asindise abakholwayo.
22 AmaJuda ayazicela izibonakaliso, lamaGrikhi ayakucela ukuhlakanipha.
23 Kodwa thina sitshumayela ngoKhristu owabulawa ngokubethelwa esigodweni, futhi lokhu kubangela ukuthi amaJuda akhubeke njalo kuyibuthutha kwabezizweni.
24 Lanxa kunjalo, uKhristu ungamandla kaNkulunkulu lokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kulabo ababizwayo, abangamaJuda labangamaGrikhi,
25 ngoba lokho okuyibuthutha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kuhlakaniphile kulabantu, lalokho okubuthakathaka okuvela kuNkulunkulu kulamandla kulabantu.
26 Lani bafowethu liyazibonela ukuthi ekubizweni kwenu, kababanengi abahlakaniphileyo ngokubona kwabantu, kababanengi abalamandla futhi kababanengi abazalelwe esikhosini.*
27 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto zomhlaba eziyibuthutha ukuze ayangise abantu abahlakaniphileyo; njalo uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto zomhlaba ezibuthakathaka ukuze ayangise izinto ezilamandla.
28 UNkulunkulu wakhetha lezinto zomhlaba ezingaqakathekanga, lezinto ezikhangelelwa phansi kanye lezinto ezingancediyo ukuze achithe izinto ezincedayo.
29 Lokhu wakwenza ukuze kungabi lomuntu* ozitshaya isifuba phambi kwakhe.
30 Kodwa ngenxa yakhe selimanyene loKhristu uJesu, osebe yikuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kithi, lokulunga, lokungcweliswa kanye lokukhululwa ngenhlawulo,
31 ukuze kube njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Ozigqajayo kazigqaje ngoJehova.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “lihlanganyele.”
^ Obizwa langokuthi nguPhetro.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “ngizakufuqela eceleni.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo isazi soMthetho.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “abavela ezimulini eziqakathekileyo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “lenyama.”
