< 1 Peter 1 >

1 I, Peter, who [have been appointed by] Jesus Christ {one whom Jesus Christ [has appointed]} to be an apostle, [am writing this letter] to you believers whom God has chosen to belong to him. [You are living] in [the Roman provinces of] Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. [Just like the Jews who lived in Israel long ago were] scattered [to other countries far from their homes] [MET], you now live [far from] heaven, which is [your true home].
UPhethro, umpostoli kaJesu Khristu, Kwabakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu, lasezihambini emhlabeni labahlakazekileyo kulolonke elasePhontusi, laseGalathiya, laseKhaphadokhiya, lase-Ezhiya kanye laseBhithiniya,
2 God our Father previously chose you, and his Spirit has set you apart in order that you would obey Jesus Christ. He did that in order that [just like Moses] sprinkled [the Israelites with blood when God established the old covenant] [MET], [Jesus would establish his new covenant with you] with the blood [that flowed from his body when he died]. May God act very kindly to you, and may he give you much [inner] peace.
abakhethwe ngokumayelana lokwazi mandulo kukaNkulunkulu uBaba, ngomsebenzi ongcwelisayo kaMoya, ngokulalela uJesu Khristu langokuchelwa ngegazi lakhe: Umusa lokuthula kakube ngokwenu ngokwandileyo.
3 Praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because he has been very merciful to [us, he has given us new life] [MET]. Because he has caused Jesus Christ to become alive again after he died, he has enabled us to live very confidently; that is, to fully expect to receive the things [that God/he has promised to give us].
Udumo kalube kuNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu! Ngenxa yesihawu sakhe esikhulu usinike ukuzalwa kutsha ethembeni eliphilayo ngokuvuka kwabafileyo kukaJesu Khristu,
4 He has enabled us to expect to receive an absolutely imperishable/indestructible [TRI] inheritance that has been {that [God] has} preserved in heaven for us.
kanye laselifeni elingasoze libole, lonakale loba libune njalo eliligcinelweyo ezulwini.
5 God, by his mighty power, is guarding you as you trust in Jesus. [He is keeping you safe so] that he may, at the end of the time in which we now live (OR, when Jesus returns), completely deliver you [from Satan’s power].
Ngokukholwa livikelwe ngamandla kaNkulunkulu kuze kufike ukusindiswa okulungiselwe ukubonakaliswa ngesikhathi sokucina.
6 You rejoice because of what will happen then, but now you are grieving for a short time while [God is allowing] you to be tested {[various things to] test you [MET]}, [as precious metals are tested] {[someone tests precious metals]} [to see if they are pure]. [These trials that you are experiencing are necessary]
Liyathokoza kakhulu ngalokhu lanxa like lahlupheka okwesikhatshana ngezinsizi zezinhlobo zonke zezilingo.
7 to prove that you really do trust in Jesus. His proving that will be more valuable than gold, [which does not last forever even] though it is purified [by being put] {someone tries to make it pure by [putting it]} [in a hot] fire. As a result of your passing the test [and proving that you really do trust in Jesus], God will honor you very highly [TRI] when Jesus Christ comes again.
Zifikile ukuze ukukholwa kwenu okulinganisiweyo, okuqakatheke kakhulu kulegolide, elonakalayo lanxa licengwe ngomlilo kubonakaliswe kuqotho njalo kulethe ukubonga, lenkazimulo kanye lodumo lapho uJesu Khristu esebonakaliswa.
8 You love [Jesus], although you have not seen him. Although you do not see him now, you rejoice very much [DOU]
Lanxa lingambonanga, liyamthanda; njalo lanxa lingamboni khathesi, liyakholwa kuye njalo ligcwele intokozo engakhulumekiyo lemangalisayo,
9 because you are experiencing the result of your believing in him; that is, [God] is saving you [SYN] [from the guilt of your sins].
ngoba lamukela umvuzo wokukholwa kwenu, ukusindiswa kwemiphefumulo yenu.
10 As for those who [long ago] spoke messages that God had revealed to them about how God would act kindly toward you in ways which you did not deserve, they (investigated very carefully/tried very hard to learn) [DOU] about how God would save you.
Mayelana lokusindiswa lokhu, abaphrofethi abakhuluma ngomusa owawuzakuza kini, badingisisa ngesineke esikhulu,
11 They wanted to know whom the Spirit of Christ that was in them was referring to, and what time he was talking about, when he told beforehand that the Messiah would suffer [and die], and that glorious/wonderful things would happen [to him and to us] afterwards.
bezama ukwazi isikhathi lomumo okwakutshiwo nguMoya kaKhristu owayekubo lapho atsho mandulo ngezinhlupheko zikaKhristu lenkazimulo eyayizalandela.
12 It was revealed to {[God] told} them that it was not for their own sake that he was revealing these things to them, but that it was for your sake. It was these things that were proclaimed to you by those who told you the message [about Christ {that those who told you the message about Christ proclaimed to you]}. They proclaimed these things to you because the Holy Spirit whom [God] sent from heaven [enabled them to do that]. And even angels would like to know more about these [truths about how God saves us].
Kwabonakaliswa kubo ukuthi bona babengazisebenzeli kodwa besebenzela lina lapho babekhuluma ngezinto khathesi eselizitshelwe yilabo abatshumayele ivangeli kini ngoMoya oNgcwele owathunywa evela ezulwini. Lezingilosi ziyafisa ukuzibona lezizinto.
13 Therefore, [prepare your minds] [MET] [as people] fasten their belts around their waists [to prepare to work]. [What I mean is that] you should (discipline your minds/control what you think about), and by doing that conduct your lives fully and confidently expecting to receive the good things that [God will] kindly [do for you] when Jesus Christ returns [from heaven].
Ngakho-ke, lungiselani ingqondo zenu okungenziwa; zithibeni; bekani ithemba lenu ngokupheleleyo emuseni elizawuthola lapho uJesu Khristu esebonakaliswa.
14 [And because you should obey your heavenly Father] [SIM], as children [ought to] obey their fathers [here on earth], do not do the evil things that you used to desire to do when you did not know [God’s truth].
Njengabantwana abalalelayo lingavumeli izinkanuko ezimbi elalilazo lingakazi.
15 Instead, just like God, the one who chose you [to belong to him], is (holy/separate from evil), you also must be (holy/separate from evil) in everything that you do,
Kodwa njengoba lowo owalibizayo engcwele, ngakho wobani ngcwele kukho konke elikwenzayo;
16 because it is {[someone/Moses] has} written [in the Scriptures that God said], “You must be (holy/separate from evil) because I am (holy/separate from evil).”
ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Wobani ngcwele ngoba mina ngingcwele.”
17 God is the one who (impartially/without favoritism) judges what each person does. Since you call him ‘Father’, live (reverently/with great respect for him) during the time that you are living here on earth. [While you are living here, you are] like exiles/foreigners [MET] [because you are away from heaven, which is your true home].
Njengoba likhuleka kuYihlo owahlulela imisebenzi yomuntu ngamunye kungekho bandlululo, philani impilo yenu lapha njengezihambi ngokuhlonipha.
18 [Live reverently] because you know that it was not with things that will not last forever, things like gold and silver, that [God] bought you to free you from your useless life-style that you learned from your ancestors.
Ngoba liyakwazi ukuthi kalihlengwanga ngezinto ezifayo ezinjengegolide lesiliva endleleni yokuphila eyize elakutshiyelwa ngokhokho benu,
19 Instead, [it was] with the precious blood of Christ [that flowed from his body when he died that God bought you. Christ’s death was a perfect sacrifice for us] [MET], [like] the lambs that [the Jewish priests sacrificed were] perfect, without any blemishes/defects/flaws or spots [DOU].
kodwa ngegazi eliligugu likaKhristu imvana engelacala loba isici.
20 Christ was chosen [by God] {[God] chose Christ} before the world was created {[he] created the world}. But it was not until now, when the time [in which we are living will soon] end, that he was revealed for your sake.
Wakhethwa umhlaba ungakadalwa, kodwa wabonakaliswa ngalezi izikhathi zokucina ngenxa yenu.
21 Because of what Christ has done, you are trusting in God, who caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and greatly honored him. As a result, God is the one in whom you are trusting and confidently expecting [that he will do great things for you].
Ngaye liyakholwa kuNkulunkulu, owamvusa kwabafileyo wamnika inkazimulo, ngakho ukukholwa kwenu lethemba kukuNkulunkulu.
22 Because you have been made pure by obeying the truth, with the result that you sincerely love your fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely/wholeheartedly.
Njengoba khathesi selizihlambulule ngokulalela iqiniso ukuze libe lothando oluqotho kubazalwane benu, thandanani kakhulu, kusuka enhliziyweni.
23 [I ask you to do this, because you now have] a new life [MET]. It was not [by means of] something that will perish that you received this new life. Instead, it was [by means of] something that will last forever; that is, by believing the life-giving and enduring message of God. (aiōn g165)
Ngoba selizelwe kutsha, kungasikho ngenhlanyelo ebolayo, kodwa ngengaboliyo, ngelizwi eliphilayo eliqinileyo likaNkulunkulu. (aiōn g165)
24 [We know that this is true] because, [as the prophet Isaiah wrote], All people [will die] [SIM], like grass [dies]. And all the greatness/honor that people have [will not last forever], like the flowers [SIM] [that grow up] in the grass [do not last long]. The grass withers and the flowers die,
Ngoba, “Abantu bonke banjengotshani, bonke ubukhosi babo bunjengamaluba eganga; utshani buyabuna njalo amaluba ayakhithika,
25 but God’s message endures/lasts forever. This message [that endures/lasts] is the message [about Christ] that was proclaimed to you. (aiōn g165)
kodwa ilizwi leNkosi limi kuze kube nini lanini.” Njalo leli yilo ilizwi elatshunyayelwa kini. (aiōn g165)

< 1 Peter 1 >