1 KuThimothi 3
1 Lithembekile ilizwielithi: Uba umuntu efisa isikhundla sombonisi, ufisa umsebenzi omuhle;
Faithful is the saying, If any man aspires to supervision, he desires a good work.
2 ngakho kumele ukuthi umbonisi abe ngongasolekiyo, indoda yomfazi munye, ozithintayo, oqondileyo, oziphatha ngokufaneleyo, ophatha kuhle izihambi, olelisu lokufundisa;
The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,
3 angabi yisidakwa, angabi ngothanda ukulwa, anganxwaneli inzuzo embi, kodwa abe mnene, angabi ngothanda ukuxabana, angabi ngothanda imali;
no drunkard, not a fighter, not greedy of base gain, but gentle, noncontentious, no lover of money,
4 ephatha kuhle owakhe umuzi, elabantwana abalalela ngenhlonipho yonke,
a man who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all propriety
5 ngoba uba umuntu engakwazi ukuphatha owakhe umuzi, angaligcina njani ibandla likaNkulunkulu?
(but if any man knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of a congregation of God?),
6 Kangabi ngosanda ukukholwa, hlezi ngokukhukhunyezwa awele ekulahlweni kukadiyabhola.
not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Kumele futhi ukuthi abe lobufakazi obuhle kwabangaphandle, hlezi awele ekuthukweni lemjibileni kadiyabhola.
And he must also have good testimony from those outside, lest he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Ngokunjalo abadikoni bahlonipheke, bangabi ndimimbili, bangananzi iwayini elinengi, bangafisi inzuzo embi,
Helpers likewise, be honorable, not double-tongued, not attending to much wine, not greedy of base gain,
9 babambe imfihlo yokholo esazeleni esimhlophe.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 Laba-ke kabaqale bahlolwe, okulandelayo kabakhonze uba bengasoleki.
And let these also first be proven, then being blameless, let them serve.
11 Ngokunjalo omkabo babe ngabahloniphekayo, abanganyeyiyo, abazithintayo, bethembekile ezintweni zonke.
The wives likewise, be honorable, not slanderous, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Abadikoni kababe ngamadoda amfazi munye, aphatha kuhle abantwana leyawo imizi.
Let helpers be husbands of one wife, ruling children and their own houses well.
13 Ngoba abakhonze kuhle bazizuzela isimilo esihle, lesibindi esikhulu ekholweni olukuKristu Jesu.
For those who serve well will acquire to themselves a good standing, and much boldness in the faith in Christ Jesus.
14 Lezizinto ngikubhalela zona, ngithemba ukuza kuwe masinyane;
These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee sooner,
15 kodwa uba ngibambeka, ukuze wazi ukuthi kufanele uziphathe njani endlini kaNkulunkulu, elibandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo, insika lesisekelo seqiniso.
but if I delay, that thou may know how it is necessary to live in a house of God, which is a congregation of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
16 Kuyavunywa-ke ukuthi yinkulu imfihlo yokukhonza uNkulunkulu: UNkulunkulu wabonakaliswa enyameni, wathiwa ulungile kuMoya, wabonwa zingilosi, watshunyayelwa ezizweni, wakholeka emhlabeni, wenyuselwa ebukhosini.
And without controversy great is the mystery of piety. God was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by agents, proclaimed among nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory.
