Eyokuqala EkaPhetro 3:1-22
3 Lani makhosikazi, zehliseni kubomkenu+ ukwenzela ukuthi nxa bekhona abangalilaleliyo ilizwi, bacine sebekholwa ngenxa yokuziphatha kwamakhosikazi abo kungelalizwi elikhulunyiweyo+
2 ngoba sebezibonele ngawabo ukuziphatha kwenu okumsulwa+ lokuthi liyahlonipha kakhulu.
3 Ukuceca kwenu akungabi ngokwangaphandle, okokweluka inwele lokokugqoka izinto ezenziwe ngegolide+ kumbe izigqoko ezinhle
4 kodwa akube ngokomuntu ofihlakeleyo wenhliziyo, oceciswe ngezinto ezingonakaliyo eziyikuthula lomoya omnene.+ Lokho yikho okuqakatheke kakhulu phambi kukaNkulunkulu
5 ngoba abesifazana basendulo ababengcwele futhi bethembele kuNkulunkulu babejayele ukuceca ngalindlela, bezehlisa kubomkabo,
6 njengoSara owayelalela u-Abrahama, embiza ngokuthi nkosi.+ Nxa lina liqhubeka lisenza okuhle njalo lingakhulelwa yikwesaba,+ liba ngabantwabakhe.
7 Lani madoda qhubekani lihlala labo ngokwazi.* Baqakathekiseni* abesifazana+ njengezitsha ezibuthakathaka kulani, njengoba labo bezindlalifa kanye lani+ zomusa omkhulu wokuphila. Lokhu kuzakwenza ukuthi imithandazo yenu ingavinjwa.
8 Okokucina, lonke kufanele libe ngqondonye,*+ libe lesisa esikhulu, lithande abazalwane ngenhliziyo yonke, libe lozwelo kakhulu+ futhi lithobeke.+
9 Lingabuyiseli okubi ngokubi+ kumbe ukuthethisa ngokuthethisa.+ Kodwa buyiselani ngokubusisa+ ngoba labizelwa endleleni le ukuze lithole ilifa eliyisibusiso.
10 Phela “loba ngubani othanda ukuphila futhi ofuna ukubona amalanga amahle, kumele abambe ulimi lwakhe lungakhulumi okubi+ njalo angaqili abanye ngomlomo wakhe.
11 Kafulathele okubi+ enze okuhle,+ adinge ukuthula futhi azimisele ukukulondoloza+
12 ngoba amehlo kaJehova* akhangele abalungileyo, lendlebe zakhe ziyabalalela nxa bethandaza bencenga+ kodwa uJehova* uyabazonda labo abenza okubi.”+
13 Kambe ukhona yini ongalilimaza nxa litshisekela okuhle?+
14 Liyathokoza lanxa lingaze lihlupheke ngenxa yokwenza okulungileyo.+ Loba kunjalo, lingakwesabi lokho abakwesabayo* njalo lingakhathazeki.+
15 Vumani ezinhliziyweni zenu ukuthi uKhristu uyiNkosi lokuthi ungcwele, lihlale lilungele ukuzivikela phambi komuntu wonke ofuna ngenkani ukuthi limtshele isizatho sethemba elilalo, kodwa lokho likwenze ngobumnene+ langenhlonipho enkulu.+
16 Hlalani lilomzwangedwa omuhle,+ ukwenzela ukuthi nxa kukhulunywa loba yini embi ngani, labo abakhuluma kubi ngani bayangeke+ ngenxa yokuziphatha kwenu okuhle okutshengisa ukuthi lingabalandeli bakaKhristu.+
17 Phela kungcono ukuthi lihluphekele ukuthi lenza okuhle+ nxa kuyintando kaNkulunkulu ukuthi akuvumele, kulokuhluphekela ukuthi lenza okubi.+
18 UKhristu wafela izono kwaba kanye kuphela,+ umuntu olungileyo efela abangalunganga+ ukuze alikhokhele alise kuNkulunkulu.+ Wabulawa elomzimba wenyama+ kodwa wavuswa eselomzimba womoya.+
19 Wathi ekulesosimo wahamba wayatshumayeza imimoya ejele,+
20 leyo eyayingazange imlalele uNkulunkulu ngesikhathi elindile futhi ebekezela* ngosuku lukaNowa+ kusakhiwa umkhumbi,+ lapho abantu abalutshwana, okutsho imiphefumulo engu-8,* abasinda khona bavikelwa emanzini.+
21 Lokhu kumela ubhabhathizo olulisindisa ngokuvuswa kukaJesu Khristu (hatshi ngokususa ukungcola okusenyameni, kodwa ngokucela umzwangedwa omuhle kuNkulunkulu).+
22 UJesu usesandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu.+ Phela waya ezulwini njalo izingilosi leziphathamandla kanye lamandla kwabekwa ngaphansi kwakhe.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “qhubekani litshengisa ukuthi lilendaba labo; qhubekani libazwisisa.”
^ Kumbe, “Bahlonipheni.”
^ Kumbe, “livumelane emcabangweni.”
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-A5.
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-A5.
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “lingakwesabi ukusongela kwabo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ukubekezela kukaNkulunkulu kulindile.”
^ Kumbe, “abantu abangu-8.”
