KwabaseRoma 13:1-14
13 Wonke umuntu kazehlise kuziphathamandla+ ngoba akulamandla angaveli kuNkulunkulu.+ Iziphathamandla ezikhona zivunyelwe nguNkulunkulu ukuthi zibe sezikhundleni zazo.+
2 Ngakho 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.+ Ungenza njalo 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 zisenzela abantu imisebenzi ebancedayo.
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: “Ungafebi,*+ ungabulali,+ ungatshontshi,+ 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, khathesi sekuzakusa. Yikho-ke asilahleni imisebenzi yobumnyama+ sihlome ngezikhali zokukhanya.+
13 Asiziphatheni kuhle+ njengasemini, singayi emadilini* axokozelayo, singadakwa, singafebi, singabi ngabantu abaxhwalileyo,*+ singaxabani labanye futhi singabi lomhawu.+
14 Kodwa gqokani iNkosi uJesu Khristu+ njalo lingabumbi amacebo okusuthisa izifiso zenyama.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “zijezisa lowo.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo umuntu otshadileyo olala lomuntu ongasimkakhe.
^ Kumbe, “emaphathini.”
^ Kumbe, “singenzi izinto ezilihlazo.” Lapha kusetshenziswe ibala lesiGrikhi elisebunengini elithi a·sel′gei·a. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
