1 UPhetro 3
1 Ngokunjalo, bafazi zehliseni kubomkenu ukuze kuthi lanxa abanye babo bengalikholwa ilizwi, baphenduke ngokuziphatha kwabomkabo kungekho kukhuluma,
You women [believers], just like [slaves should submit themselves to their masters], submit yourselves to your husbands. Do that in order that if any of them do not believe the message [about Christ], they may become believers without [it being necessary for] you to say anything to them [about their relationship to God].
2 lapho bebona ukuhlanzeka lenhlonipho yokuphila kwenu.
[They will believe in Christ] when they see that you respect them and that your way of life is pure.
3 Ubuhle benu kabungaveli ekuziceciseni kwangaphandle, okunjengenwele ezelukiweyo lokugqiza izigqizo zegolide kanye lokugqoka izigqoko ezinhle.
Do not be [trying to make] yourselves beautiful by decorating the outside [of your bodies], such as (by the way you comb your hair/by your hair [style]) or by wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes.
4 Kodwa kumele bube ngobangaphakathi kwenu, ubuhle obungapheliyo bomoya omnene lothuleyo, oligugu elikhulu emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.
Instead, make your (inner beings/hearts) [beautiful] with qualities/attitudes that will not fade away. Specifically, have a humble and quiet/calm attitude, which is something that God considers to be very valuable.
5 Ngoba le yiyo indlela abesifazane abangcwele bakudala ababethembe uNkulunkulu bejayele ukuzicola ngayo. Babezehlisa kubomkabo,
(The devout women/The women who habitually worshipped God) who lived long ago and who trusted in God made themselves beautiful [by having attitudes] like that, and by being submissive to their husbands.
6 njengoSara owalalela u-Abhrahama wambiza ngokuthi yinkosi yakhe. Lingamadodakazi kaSara nxa lisenza okulungileyo njalo lingavumeli ukwesaba.
Sarah, for example, obeyed [her husband] Abraham and called him ‘my master’. You will be [as though you are] [MET] her daughters if you do what is right and are not afraid [of what your husbands or anyone else may do to you because you are believers].
7 Ngokufanayo, madoda ekuphileni kwenu labomkenu wobani lozwelo, libaphathe ngenhlonipho njengababuthakathaka labazindlalifa kanye lani zesipho sokuphila esomusa, ukuze kungabi lalutho oluzavimbela imikhuleko yenu.
You men [who are believers], just like your wives should respect you, you should conduct your lives in an appropriate way with them. Treat them respectfully, realizing that they are [usually] weaker than you are, and realizing that (they share with you/both of you have) the gift [that God has kindly given to you, which is eternal] life. Do this so that nothing will hinder you from praying (OR, hinder [God] ([from answering/from doing what you ask for]) when you pray).
8 Okokucina lonke hlalisanani ngokuthula; wobani lozwelo, lithandane njengabazalwane, libe lesihawu kanye lokuthobeka.
To end [this part of my letter], [I say to] all of you, agree with each other [in what you think]. Be sympathetic [toward each other]. Love [each other as] members of the same family [should]. Act compassionately [toward each other]. Be humble.
9 Lingaphindiseli okubi ngokubi loba inhlamba ngenhlamba, kodwa ngesibusiso, ngoba labizelwa ukuze lizuze ilifa lokubusiswa.
[When people do] evil things to you or insult you, do not (retaliate/repay them by) doing evil things to them or insulting them. Instead, [ask God to] bless them, because that is what you have been chosen [by God] {what [God] called you} to do, in order that you may receive a blessing [from him].
10 Ngoba, “Lowo othanda ukuphila abone lensuku ezinhle kumele anqande ulimi lwakhe kokubi lezindebe zakhe ekukhulumeni inkohliso.
[Consider what the Psalmist wrote about the proper way of conducting our lives], As for those who want (to enjoy life/to live happily) and experience good [things happening to them every] day, they must not say [MTY] something that is evil or say [MTY] something that deceives others.
11 Kumele batshiye ububi benze okulungileyo; kumele bafune ukuthula njalo bakunxwanele.
They must continually turn away from [doing] anything that is evil, and must do things that are good [instead]. They must deeply desire to enable [people to act] peacefully toward each other; they must zealously [urge people to act in a] peaceful way,
12 Ngoba amehlo kaThixo akhangele abalungileyo lezindlebe zakhe ziyezwa, imikhuleko yabo, kodwa ubuso bukaJehova bumelana lalabo abenza okubi.”
because the Lord sees [MTY] what righteous people do [and he appreciates/likes what they do]. He listens to righteous people when they pray, [and he answers them]. But he is [MTY] opposed to those who do evil things.
13 Ngubani ozalilimaza nxa litshisekela ukwenza okulungileyo na?
If you (are eager/try very hard) to do good things, [most people] will not harm you. [RHQ]
14 Kodwa lanxa lingahlupheka ngenxa yokulungileyo, libusisekile. “Lingakwesabi lokho abakwesabayo; kalingethuswa.”
But even if you suffer because of [doing] what is right, [God] will bless you. [Do as Isaiah wrote]: “Do not be afraid of people who (threaten you/say things to cause you to be afraid of what they might do to you), and do not worry about [DOU] what they [might do to you].”
15 Kodwa yamukelani uKhristu ezinhliziyweni zenu njengeNkosi engcwele. Hlalani lilungele ukuphendula loba ngubani olibuza isizatho ngethemba elilalo.
Instead, acknowledge that Christ is the one who is in complete control [of your lives]. Always be ready to answer everyone who demands that you tell them about what you confidently expect [God to do for you].
16 Kodwa lokhu kwenzeni ngobumnene langenhlonipho, lilesazela esihle, ukuze kuthi labo abakhuluma okubi ngokuziphatha kwenu okuhle kuKhristu bayangeke ngokuhlambaza kwabo.
But answer them humbly and respectfully, and make sure that you (do/have done) nothing wrong, in order that those who say evil things about you may be ashamed when they see the good way in which you are conducting yourselves because of your relationship with Christ.
17 Ngoba kungcono nxa kuyintando kaNkulunkulu, ukuhlupheka ngenxa yokwenza okulungileyo kulokwenza okubi.
[It may be that God wants you] to suffer. But it is better to do good things, [even if you suffer for doing them], than to do evil things and suffer [for doing that].
18 Ngoba uKhristu wafela izono zenu kwaba kanye, olungileyo efela abangalunganga, ukuze alise kuNkulunkulu. Wabulawa emzimbeni, kodwa wavuswa nguMoya,
[I say that] because Christ died once for the sake of people who have sinned. He was a righteous person who died for unrighteous people. He died in order that (he might bring us to/we might begin an intimate relationship with) God. [During the time that he had] an ordinary body, he was killed {people killed him}, but [God’s] Spirit caused him to become alive again.
19 wahamba ngaye wayatshumayela emimoyeni eyayisentolongweni yona
The Spirit also helped him as he went to proclaim [God’s victory to the evil] spirits whom God had imprisoned [in the heavens] (OR, to the spirits of those who [had died, and who] were in the place where the spirits of dead people are).
20 engalalelanga kudala lapho uNkulunkulu alinda khona ngokubekezela ensukwini zikaNowa umkhumbi usakhiwa. Phakathi kwawo abantu abalutshwana nje kuphela, abayisificaminwembili bebonke, basindiswa ngamanzi,
Long ago, during the time that Noah was building a big boat, [those evil spirits] disobeyed God when he waited patiently [PRS] [to see if people would turn from their evil behavior]. Only a few people were saved {[God] saved only a few people} [in that boat]. Specifically, [God] brought only eight persons safely through the waters [of the flood], [while all the others drowned in it].
21 njalo amanzi la afanekisa umbhaphathizo osusilisa lani futhi, kungayisikho kususa ingcekeza emzimbeni kodwa kuyisibambiso sesazela esihle kuNkulunkulu. Siyalisilisa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo kukaJesu Khristu,
That water, [by means of which eight people were saved when God punished the other people] [MET], represents [the water in which we are] baptized [to show that God has] saved us [from being punished]. The water in which we are baptized does not remove dirt from our bodies. Instead, [it shows that] we are requesting [God to assure us] that he has removed our guilt [for having sinned]. And because Jesus Christ became alive again after he died, [we know that God accepted his sacrifice for us and because of that he was able to remove our guilt].
22 oseye ezulwini njalo usesandleni sokunene sikaNkulunkulu, lezingilosi, leziphathamandla kanye lezikhulu ekuzehliseni kuye.
Christ has gone into heaven and is ruling [MTY] in the place of highest honor (next to God/at God’s side), after [God] caused all the evil and powerful spirit beings [DOU] to be made subject to him.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
