Kwebe-Efesu 4:1-32
4 Nje-ke, mina sibotjhwa+ eKosini, ngiyanirabhela bona nikhambe ngokufanele+ ukubizwa enabizelwa khona,
2 ngakho koke ukuthobeka+ nommoya ophasi, ngesineke,+ nibekezelelana ngethando,+
3 nenze koke okusemandlenenu bona nihlale ebunyeni bommoya nesibopho esibumbanisako sokuthula.+
4 Kunomzimba munye+ nommoya munye,+ njengombana nabizelwa ethembeni linye+ lokubizwa kwenu;
5 kuneKosi yinye,+ ukukholwa kunye, ibhabhadiso linye;
6 kunoZimu munye onguYise wabo boke, ophezu kwabo boke, osebenza ngabo boke begodu okibo boke.
7 Nje-ke ngamunye wethu wanikelwa umusa omkhulu ngokwendlela uKrestu alinganise ngayo isipho sesihle.+
8 Ngombana umtlolo uthi: “Nakakhuphukela phezulu wathatha iinthunjwa; waphana ngezipho ezibabantu.”+
9 Nje-ke amezwi athi ‘wakhuphuka,’ atjho ukuthini? Atjho nokobana wehlela eendaweni eziphasi, okutjho ukuthi, ephasini.
10 Yena loyo owehlako nguye owakhuphukela+ ngaphezu kwalo loke izulu,+ bona enze zoke izinto zizaliseke.
11 Waphana ngabanye bona babe bapostoli,+ abanye babe baphorofidi,+ abanye babe bavangeli,*+ abanye babe belusi nabafundisi,+
12 ngehloso yokulungisa* abacwengileko bona benze umsebenzi wokuba yinceku, bakhe umzimba kaKrestu,+
13 bekube kulapho soke sifikelela ubunye bokukholwa nobelwazi elinembileko leNdodana kaZimu, ekubeni babantu abakhule ngokupheleleko,*+ sikhulele ekuvuthweni njengoKrestu.
14 Yeke singasaba bantwana, abaphetjhulwa magagasi begodu baphoselwa le nale nginanyana ngimuphi ummoya wefundiso+ yobuqili babantu, ngamaqhingabo wokukhohlisa.
15 Kodwana ngokukhuluma iqiniso, asikhuleni ngethando kizo zoke izinto kiloyo oyihloko, uKrestu.+
16 Ngaye umzimba woke+ uhlanganiswa ndawonye ngokuvumelana bewenziwe usebenzisane ngokuthi elinye nelinye ilunga linikele lokho okutlhogekako. Ilunga ngalinye nalisebenza kuhle, lokho kuba nomthelela ekukhuleni komzimba njengombana wona ngokwawo uzakha ethandweni.+
17 Yeke ngilokhu engikutjhoko nengifakaza ngakho eKosini ukuthi ningasakhamba njengombana iintjhaba zikhamba,+ ngokucabanga kwazo okungasizi ngalitho.+
18 Zisebumnyameni ngokwengqondo begodu zihlukaniswe nokuphila okuvela kuZimu ngebanga lokungafuni ukwazi uZimu nangebanga lokuqina kweenhliziyo zazo.
19 Njengombana bangasanawo namancani amazizo wokuziphatha okuhle, bazinikela ekwenzeni amanyala bangabi neenhloni*+ bona benze yoke imihlobo yokusilaphala ngokuba marhamaru.
20 Kodwana azange nifunde bona uKrestu unjalo,
21 nangabe kwamambala namuzwa begodu nafundiswa ngaye njengombana iqiniso likuJesu.
22 Nafundiswa bona nihlubule ubuntu obudala+ obuvumelana nendlela ebeniziphatha ngayo esikhathini esidlulileko begodu obonakaliswako ngokuvumelana neenkanuko zabo ezikhohlisako.+
23 Nokuthi kufuze niragele phambili nenziwe batjha emandleni alawula imikhumbulwenu*+
24 begodu kufuze nimbathe ubuntu obutjha+ obadalwa ngokuvumelana nentando kaZimu ngokulunga kwamambala nokuthembeka.
25 Nje-ke njengombana senihlubule ukukhohlisa, ngamunye wenu akakhulume iqiniso nomakhelwanakhe+ ngombana nimalunga womunye nomunye.+
26 Silingekani kodwana ningoni;+ ilanga lingatjhingi nisasilingekile;+
27 ningamnikeli uDeveli ithuba.*+
28 Owebako akalise ukweba; kunalokho, akasebenze budisi, enze umsebenzi omuhle ngezandla zakhe+ bona abe nokuthileko angakuhlanganyela nomuntu odududu.+
29 Kungaphumi ilizwi elibolileko emlonyenenu+ kodwana akuphume okuhle kwaphela ngomnqopho wokwakha kuye ngetlhogeko bona nidlulisele okuzuzisako kwabezwako.+
30 Godu ningawenzi ube lisizi ummoya ocwengileko kaZimu,+ ngawo enitshwayelwe+ ilanga lokutjhatjhululwa ngesihlengo.+
31 Hlubulani yoke imihlobo yehloyo elimazako,+ ukusilingeka, ilaka, ukuphudlhelana, ikulumo elimazako,+ nayo yoke into elimazako.+
32 Kodwana yibani nomusa komunye nomunye, nirhawukelane ngesisa,+ nilibalelane ngokutjhaphulukileko njengombana noZimu anilibalele ngokutjhaphulukileko ngoKrestu.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “bamemezeli beendaba ezimnandi.”
^ Namkha “yokubandula.”
^ Namkha “abavuthiweko.”
^ NgesiGirigi, a·sel′gei·a. Qala Ihlathululo.
^ NgesiGirigi, “emmoyeni womkhumbulwenu.”
^ Namkha “ningamnikeli uDeveli indawo.”
