Kwabase-Efesu 2

1 Lina-kewalivusa elalifile ngeziphambeko langezono,

And you were once dead in your sins and offenses,

2 elalikade lihamba kuzo njengokwendlela yalumhlaba, njengokombusi wamandla omkhathi, awomoya osebenzayo khathesi phakathi kwabantwana bokungalaleli; (aiōn g165)

in which you walked in times past, according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the power of this sky, the spirit who now works in the sons of distrust. (aiōn g165)

3 lathi sonke sake sahamba phakathi kwabo enkanukweni zenyama yethu, sisenza intando zenyama lezemicabango, njalo ngokwemvelo sasingabantwana bolaka, njengabanye labo;

And we too were all conversant in these things, in times past, by the desires of our flesh, acting according to the will of the flesh and according to our own thoughts. And so we were, by nature, sons of wrath, even like the others.

4 kodwa uNkulunkulu, enothile esihawini, ngenxa yothando lwakhe olukhulu asithanda ngalo,

Yet still, God, who is rich in mercy, for the sake of his exceedingly great charity with which he loved us,

5 lanxa sasifile ngeziphambeko, wasiphilisa kanye loKristu (ngomusa lisindisiwe),

even when we were dead in our sins, has enlivened us together in Christ, by whose grace you have been saved.

6 njalo wasivusa kanye laye, wasesihlalisa kanye laye endaweni zezulwini kuKristu Jesu;

And he has raised us up together, and he has caused us to sit down together in the heavens, in Christ Jesus,

7 ukuze abonakalise ezikhathini ezizayo inotho yomusa wakhe edlula amalawulo ngobubele kithi kuKristu Jesu; (aiōn g165)

so that he may display, in the ages soon to arrive, the abundant wealth of his grace, by his goodness toward us in Christ Jesus. (aiōn g165)

8 ngoba ngomusa lisindisiwe ngokholo, lalokhu kakuveli kini; yisipho sikaNkulunkulu;

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves, for it is a gift of God.

9 kakuveli emisebenzini, ukuze kungabi khona ozincomayo.

And this is not of works, so that no one may glory.

10 Ngoba singumsebenzi wakhe, kuKristu Jesu sadalelwa imisebenzi emihle, uNkulunkulu ayilungisela ngaphambili, ukuze sihambe kiyo.

For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has prepared and in which we should walk.

11 Ngakho khumbulani ukuthi lina lake laba ngabezizwe enyameni, ababizwa ngokuthi yikungasoki ngalokhu okuthiwa yikusoka enyameni okwenziwe ngezandla,

Because of this, be mindful that, in times past, you were Gentiles in the flesh, and that you were called uncircumcised by those who are called circumcised in the flesh, something done by man,

12 ukuthi ngalesosikhathi lalingelaye uKristu, abemzini kubusakhamuzi bakoIsrayeli, njalo abezizwe kuzivumelwano zesithembiso, lalingelathemba, njalo lingelaye uNkulunkulu emhlabeni.

and that you were, in that time, without Christ, being foreign to the way of life of Israel, being visitors to the testament, having no hope of the promise, and being without God in this world.

13 Kodwa khathesi-ke kuKristu Jesu lina elalikade likhatshana, seliseduze ngegazi likaKristu.

But now, in Christ Jesus, you, who were in times past far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 Ngoba yena uyikuthula kwethu, owenza kokubili kwaba kunye, lowabhidliza umduli ophakathi owesehlukaniso,

For he is our peace. He made the two into one, by dissolving the intermediate wall of separation, of opposition, by his flesh,

15 echithile ubutha enyameni yakhe, umlayo wemithetho ezimisweni, ukuze kuye labo ababili abadale babe ngumuntu munye omutsha, enze ukuthula,

emptying the law of commandments by decree, so that he might join these two, in himself, into one new man, making peace

16 njalo enze ukuthi bobabili babuyisane loNkulunkulu emzimbeni munye ngesiphambano, esebulele ubutha ngaso;

and reconciling both to God, in one body, through the cross, destroying this opposition in himself.

17 njalo weza watshumayela ukuthula kini elalikhatshana, lakulabo ababeseduze;

And upon arriving, he evangelized peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.

18 ngoba ngaye sobabili silokungena ngoMoya munye kuBaba.

For by him, we both have access, in the one Spirit, to the Father.

19 Ngakho-ke kaliseyibo abemzini lezihambi, kodwa izakhamizi kanye labangcwele njalo abendlu kaNkulunkulu,

Now, therefore, you are no longer visitors and new arrivals. Instead, you are citizens among the saints in the household of God,

20 lakhiwe phezu kwesisekelo sabaphostoli labaprofethi, uJesu Kristu uqobo eyilitshe eliyinhloko yengonsi,

having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the preeminent cornerstone.

21 okuhlanganiselwe kuye isakhiwo sonke sikhule sibe lithempeli elingcwele eNkosini,

In him, all that has been built is framed together, rising up into a holy temple in the Lord.

22 elakhiwa kuye lani kanye labanye libe yindlu yokuhlala kaNkulunkulu kuMoya.

In him, you also have been built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit.