Ephesians 4
1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
Njengesibotshwa seNkosi, ngiyalincenga ukuba liphile impilo efanele ubizo elalwamukelayo.
2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Wobani ngabathobekileyo labamnene ngokupheleleyo; bekezelani, libekezelelane omunye komunye ethandweni.
3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Zamani ngamandla wonke ukugcina ukumanyana kukaMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling,
Kulomzimba munye loMoya munye; njengalokhu labizelwa ethembeni linye ekubizweni kwenu,
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
iNkosi yinye, lokholo lunye, ubhaphathizo lunye;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all.
uNkulunkulu munye uYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke njalo okubo bonke.
7 But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Kodwa yilowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa ngokwaba kukaKhristu.
8 Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”
Yikho-nje umbhalo usithi: “Ekwenyukeleni kwakhe phezulu, wahola abathunjiweyo abanengi njalo wanika izipho ebantwini bakhe.”
9 Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
(Ukuthi “wenyuka” kutshoni ngaphandle kokuthi njalo wehlela lezigabeni zangaphansi komhlaba na?
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
Yena lowo owehlela phansi nguye kanye owenyukela phezulu kakhulu kulamazulu wonke ukuze agcwale izindawo zonke emhlabeni lasezulwini.)
11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
UKhristu nguye owanika abanye ukuba babe ngabapostoli, abanye babe ngabaphrofethi, abanye babe ngabavangeli, abanye babe ngabaphathi labanye babe ngabafundisi,
12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,
ukuba balungisele abantu bakaNkulunkulu imisebenzi yenkonzo, ukuze umzimba kaKhristu wakhiwe
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
sonke size sifinyelele ekumanyaneni, ekukholweni lasekwazini iNdodana kaNkulunkulu sikhule ngokupheleleyo, sithole isilinganiso sokuphelela okufunyanwa kuKhristu.
14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
Ngakho kasisayikuba zingane, siphoswa emuva laphambili ngamagagasi, siphetshulwa lapha lalaphaya yimimoya yonke yemfundiso kanye lokuhlakanipha lobuqili babantu ngamazwi abo enkohliso.
15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,
Kodwa-ke, sikhuluma iqiniso ngothando, sizakhula ezintweni zonke kuye yena oyiNhloko, yena enguKhristu.
16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.
Kusukela kuye umzimba wonke ohlanganiswe wabanjaniswa yimisipha yonke ewusekelayo uyakhula uzakhe ngothando, isitho sinye ngasinye sisenza umsebenzi waso.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
Ngakho-ke, ngilitshela lokhu, ngikugcizelela eNkosini, ukuba akumelanga liphile njengabeZizweni emicabangweni yabo eyize.
18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.
Kubamnyama ekuqedisiseni kwabo njalo behlukene lokuphila kukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokungazi kwabo okungenxa yobulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo.
19 They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Sebelahlekelwe ngunembeza wonke, sebezinikele ekuthokoziseni inyama ukuze benze inhlobo zonke zokuxhwala, inkanuko iqhubeka ifuna okunengi.
20 But you didn’t learn Christ that way,
Kodwa lina uKhristu kalimazanga ngaleyondlela.
21 if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
Impela lezwa njalo lafundiswa ngaye ngokweqiniso elikuJesu.
22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit,
Lafundiswa mayelana lendlela yenu yakuqala yokuphila ukuba lilahle uqobo lwenu oludala, olonakaliswa yizinkanuko zalo zenkohliso;
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
ukuba lenziwe libe batsha esimeni sengqondo zenu;
24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
lifake uqobo lomzimba olutsha, oludalelwe ukuba njengoNkulunkulu ekulungeni okuqotho lobungcwele.
25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Ngakho-ke, yilowo lalowo wenu kumele alahle amanga akhulume iqiniso kumakhelwane wakhe ngoba sonke siyizitho zomzimba munye.
26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
“Ekuthukutheleni kwenu lingoni”: Ilanga kalingatshoni lilokhu lithukuthele
27 and don’t give place to the devil.
njalo lingamniki indawo yokugxila uSathane.
28 Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.
Lowo obekade entshontsha kangantshontshi futhi kodwa kumele asebenze, enze ulutho oluhle ngezandla zakhe ukuze abe langakwabela abaswelayo.
29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Akungabi lenkulumo embi ephuma emilonyeni yenu kodwa okusizayo ekwakheni abanye ngokwezinswelo zabo, ukuba kusize labo abalalelayo.
30 Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Njalo lingamdabukisi uMoya oNgcwele kaNkulunkulu elabekwa ngaye uphawu lwelanga lokuhlengwa.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.
Susani yonke inzondo, ulaka lokuthukuthela, ingxabano lesinyeyo, kanye lobubi bonke.
32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
Wobani lomusa kanye lozwelo komunye lomunye wenu njalo lithethelelane njengalokhu uNkulunkulu walithethelela ngoKhristu.
