KwabaseRoma 13:1-14
13 Wonke umuntu kazehlise* kuziphathamandla ngoba akulamandla angaveli kuNkulunkulu. Iziphathamandla ezikhona zibekwe nguNkulunkulu ezikhundleni ezitshiyeneyo.
2 Yikho-ke loba ngubani ophikisana leziphathamandla uphikisana lalokho okuhlelwe nguNkulunkulu. Labo abaphikisana lakuhlelileyo bazazilethela ukwahlulelwa
3 ngoba ababusi laba besatshwa ngabenza okubi kodwa abenza okuhle kababesabi. Uyafuna yini ukuhlala ukhululekile ungesabi iziphathamandla? Qhubeka usenza okuhle zizakuncoma,
4 ngenxa yokuthi ziyizinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezikuncedayo. Kodwa nxa usenza okubi, yesaba ngoba kulesizatho esenza zithwale inkemba. Ziyizinceku zikaNkulunkulu eziphindiselayo, zisehlisela ulaka* kulowo ohlala esenza okubi.
5 Ngakho kulesizatho esikhulu sokuthi lizehlise, hatshi nje ngenxa yolaka lolu kodwa langenxa yemizwangedwa yenu.
6 Yikho futhi libhadala imithelo ngoba iziphathamandla ziyizinceku zikaNkulunkulu zomphakathi ezihlala zisenza lowomsebenzi.
7 Nikani bonke okubafaneleyo: lowo ofuna umthelo mnikeni umthelo, ofuna imbadalo mnikeni imbadalo, ofuna ukwesatshwa mesabeni, lalowo ofuna ukuhlonitshwa mhlonipheni.
8 Lingabi lesikwelede saloba yini kuloba ngubani ngaphandle kwesikwelede sokuthandana ngoba lowo othanda omunye usewugcwalisile umthetho.
9 Phela imithetho ethi: “Ungaphingi, ungabulali, ungantshontshi, ungahawukeli,” layo yonke eminye imilayo ekhona, ihlanganisiwe emazwini la athi: “Kumele uthande umakhelwane wakho ngendlela ozithanda ngayo.”
10 Umuntu olothando kamenzeli okubi umakhelwane wakhe. Ngakho uthando lugcwalisa umthetho.
11 Kwenzeni lokhu ngoba liyasazi isikhathi esesikuso, sekuyisikhathi sokuthi livuke ebuthongweni. Ukusindiswa kwethu sekuseduze kakhulu kulangesikhathi sisiba ngamakholwa.
12 Sesiside isikhathi kusebusuku, sekuzakusa. Yikho-ke kasilahleni imisebenzi yobumnyama sihlome ngezikhali zokukhanya.
13 Kasiziphatheni kuhle njengasemini, hatshi ngokuya emadilini* axokozelayo, lokudakwa, lokuziphatha okubi kwezemacansini, lokuxhwala,* lokuxabana kanye lokuba lomhawu.
14 Kodwa gqokani iNkosi uJesu Khristu njalo lingabumbi amacebo okusuthisa izifiso zenyama.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “Yonke imiphefumulo kayizehlise.”
^ Kumbe, “isijeziso.”
^ Kumbe, “emaphathini.”
^ Kumbe, “lokuziphatha okulihlazo.” Kusetshenziswe ibala lesiGrikhi elisebunengini elithi a·selʹgei·a. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
