1 UPhetro 4

1 Njengoba uKristu wasihluphekela enyameni, hlomani lani ngengqondo efananayo, ngoba ohlupheke enyameni, useyekele isono,

2 ukuze isikhathi esiseleyo enyameni lingabe lisaphilela inkanuko zabantu, kodwa intando kaNkulunkulu.

3 Ngoba kwanele kithi ukuthi isikhathi sempilo esedlulileyo siqhube intando yabezizwe, lapho sasihamba emanyaleni, ezinkanukweni, ekudakweni, ekuminzeni, ekunatheni, lekukhonzeni izithombe okuyangisayo;

4 abamangala kukho, nxa lingagijimi ndawonye kulokhukuthululeka kwamanyala, belihlambaza;

5 abazaziphendulela kulowo olungele ukwahlulela abaphilayo labafileyo.

6 Ngoba ngenxa yalokhu ivangeli latshunyayelwa lakwabafileyo, ukuze bahlulelwe ngokwabantu enyameni, kodwa baphile ngokukaNkulunkulu emoyeni.

7 Kodwa ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekusondele; ngakho qondani lilinde lisemikhulekweni;

8 kodwa phambi kwakho konke banini lothando oluvuthayo omunye komunye, ngoba uthando luzasibekela inkithinkithi yezono;

9 phathanani kuhle ekwethekelaneni, ngaphandle kokusola;

10 ngulowo lalowo njengesiphiwo asemukeleyo, kasisebenze omunye komunye, njengabaphathi abalungileyo bomusa kaNkulunkulu ozinhlobonhlobo;

11 uba umuntu ekhuluma, kakhulume njengamazwi kaNkulunkulu; uba umuntu esebenza, kasebenze njengokuvela emandleni uNkulunkulu awanikayo; ukuze uNkulunkulu adunyiswe kuzo zonke izinto ngoJesu Kristu, okukuye ubukhosi lamandla kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni. (aiōn g165)

12 Bathandekayo, lingamangali ngesilingo esitshisayo esiphezu kwenu esilihlolayo, ngokungathi lehlelwe yinto engaziwayo;

13 kodwa njengoba lihlanganyela inhlupheko zikaKristu, thokozani, ukuze kuthi lekwembulweni kwenkazimulo yakhe lithokoze lijabule kakhulu.

14 Uba lithukwa ngenxa yebizo likaKristu, libusisiwe; ngoba uMoya wenkazimulo lokaNkulunkulu uhlezi phezu kwenu; ngabo-ke uyathukwa, kodwa ngani uyadunyiswa.

15 Kodwa kakungabi khona owakini ohlupheka njengombulali, loba isela, loba umenzi wokubi, loba njengozigaxa endabeni zabanye;

16 kodwa uba ehlupheka njengomKristu, kangabi lanhloni, kodwa kadumise uNkulunkulu ngenxa yalokhu.

17 Ngoba sekuyisikhathi sokuthi ukwahlulela kuqale endlini kaNkulunkulu; njalo uba kuqala kithi, kuzakuba yini ukuphela kwalabo abangalalelanga ivangeli likaNkulunkulu?

18 Uba-ke olungileyo esindiswa ngobulukhuni, oweyisa uNkulunkulu lesoni uzabonakala ngaphi?

19 Ngakho-ke labo abahluphekayo ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu, njengakuMdali othembekileyo kabanikele eyabo imiphefumulo ekwenzeni okuhle.