Kwabase-Efesu 1:1-23
1 Mina Phawuli, umphostoli kaKhristu uJesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, ngibhalela abangcwele abase-Efesu, abathembekileyo futhi abamanyene loKhristu uJesu:
2 Umusa omkhulu lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu kanye laseNkosini uJesu Khristu kakube kini.
3 Kadunyiswe uNkulunkulu, uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, ngoba ngomoya wakhe ongcwele usiphe zonke izibusiso ezulwini ngenxa yokuthi simanyene loKhristu,
4 njengoba wasikhetha umhlaba* ungakasungulwa, ukuthi sibe munye laye* ukuze sibe lothando, sibe ngcwele futhi singabi lasici phambi kwakhe.
5 Wayevele wakhetha ukuthi sizakuba ngamadodana akhe ngoJesu Khristu, ngokuvumelana lentando yakhe kanye lalokho okumthokozisayo,
6 ukuze adunyiswe ngenxa yomusa wakhe omkhulu futhi okhazimulayo asenzele wona ngesihle esebenzisa lowo amthandayo.
7 Siyakhululwa ngenhlawulo yendodana yakhe eyasihlawulela ngegazi layo, okutsho ukuthi siyathethelelwa iziphambeko zethu ngomusa wakhe omkhulu.
8 Wasithululela umusa lo omkhulu lakho konke ukuhlakanipha kanye lokuzwisisa konke,
9 ngokwenza ukuthi siyazi imfihlo engcwele yentando yakhe. Imfihlo le ivumelana lalokho okumthokozisayo ayekuhlosile,
10 ukuthi ahlele izinto ekupheleni kwezikhathi ezibekiweyo, ukuze aqoqele zonke izinto kuKhristu, izinto ezisemazulwini lezinto ezisemhlabeni. Zizaqoqelwa kuye sibili
11 lowo esimanyene laye njalo esabekwa ukuthi sibe yizindlalifa kanye laye. Savele sakhethwa ngokuvumelana lenhloso yalowo owenza konke akhetha ukukwenza, okuhambelana lentando yakhe,
12 ukuze adunyiswe futhi akhazinyuliswe ngathi thina esibe ngabokuqala ukuba lethemba kuKhristu.
13 Kodwa lani lathemba kuKhristu ngemva kokuzwa ilizwi leqiniso eliyizindaba ezinhle ezimayelana lensindiso yenu. Lathi selikholiwe, labekwa uphawu ngomoya ongcwele elaliwuthenjisiwe, futhi lokhu kwenziwa ngaye.
14 Umoya lo usenza sibe leqiniso lokuthi sizathola ilifa lethu,* ukuze kukhululwe okungokukaNkulunkulu kusetshenziswa inhlawulo, abesedunyiswa njalo akhazinyuliswe.
15 Sengizwile ngokholo elilalo eNkosini uJesu langendlela elibathanda ngayo bonke abangcwele, yikho lami
16 ngingayekeli ukulibongela kuNkulunkulu. Ngiqhubeka ngilithandazela
17 ngicela ukuthi uBaba wenkazimulo, uNkulunkulu weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, aliphe umoya wokuhlakanipha lowokuzwisisa izinto azembulayo mayelana lolwazi oluqondileyo oluphathelane laye.
18 Uwakhanyisele amehlo ezinhliziyo zenu ukuze lazi ukuthi yiliphi ithemba alibizele kulo, lokuthi yiphi inotho ekhazimulayo elilifa aligcinele abangcwele,
19 kanye lokuthi makhulu okumangalisayo amandla awasebenzisayo kithi thina abakholwayo. Ubukhulu bamandla la bakhanya
20 lapho evusa uKhristu kwabafileyo futhi emhlalisa esandleni sakhe sokudla ezindaweni zasezulwini,
21 phezu kwabo bonke ohulumende lababusi leziphathamandla kanye lamakhosi, laphezu kwawo wonke amabizo akhona kulo umumo wezinto* kanye lakulowo ozayo.
22 Waphinda wabeka izinto zonke ngaphansi kwenyawo zakhe futhi wamenza waba yinhloko phezu kwakho konke ebandleni.
23 Ibandla lelo lingumzimba wakhe njalo ligcwaliswe ngaye yena ogcwalisa zonke izinto kukho konke.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Lapha kutshiwo abantwana baka-Adamu lo-Eva.
^ Lapha kutshiwo uKhristu.
^ Kumbe, “uyisibambiso selifa lethu.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
