KwabaseFiliphi 1

1 UPawuli loTimothi, izinceku zikaJesu Kristu, kubo bonke abangcwele kuKristu Jesu abaseFiliphi, kanye lababonisi labadikoni:

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus: To all God's people in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the ministers of the Church and their assistants.

2 Umusa kawube kini lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu leNkosini uJesu Kristu.

May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu wami ekulikhumbuleni konke,

I thank my God at my every remembrance of you--

4 ngezikhathi zonke kuwo wonke umkhuleko wami ngani lonke ngincenga ngentokozo,

always when offering any prayer on behalf of you all, finding a joy in offering it.

5 ngokuhlanganyela kwenu evangelini, kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube khathesi;

I thank my God, I say, for your cooperation in spreading the Good News, from the time it first came to you even until now.

6 ngilethemba lakhona lokhu, ukuthi owaqalisa umsebenzi omuhle kini uzawuphelelisa kuze kube sosukwini lukaJesu Kristu;

For of this I am confident, that He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.

7 njengoba kulungile kimi ukuthi ngikhumbule lokhu ngani lonke, ngoba ngilani enhliziyweni, ukuthi lekubotshweni kwami, lekuvikeleni lekuqiniseleni ivangeli, lina lonke lingabahlanganyeli bomusa wami.

And I am justified in having this confidence about you all, because, both during my imprisonment and when I stand up in defence of the Good News or to confirm its truth, I have you in my heart, sharers as you all are in the same grace as myself.

8 Ngoba uNkulunkulu ungumfakazi wami, wokuthi ngililangatha kangakanani lonke emibilini kaJesu Kristu.

For God is my witness how I yearn over all of you with tender Christian affection.

9 Njalo ngikhuleka lokhu, ukuthi uthando lwenu luvame-ke lusanda ngokwanda elwazini lekuqedisiseni konke,

And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ,

10 ukuze lizivume izinto ezinhle kakhulu, ukuze lihlambuluke lingasoleki kuze kube sosukwini lukaKristu,

so that you may be men of transparent character, and may be blameless, in preparation for the day of Christ,

11 ligcwaliswe ngezithelo zokulunga ezingoJesu Kristu, ebukhosini lodumo lukaNkulunkulu.

being filled with these fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.

12 Kodwa ngithanda ukuthi lazi, bazalwane, ukuthi izinto ezangehlelayo zenza kakhulu ukuqhutshelwa phambili kwevangeli;

Now I would have you know, brethren, that what I have gone through has turned out to the furtherance of the Good News rather than otherwise.

13 zize izibopho zami kuKristu zibonakale esigodlweni sonke lakwabanye bonke,

And thus it has become notorious among all the Imperial Guards, and everywhere, that it is for the sake of Christ that I am a prisoner;

14 labazalwane abanengi eNkosini, beqiniswe ngezibopho zami, sebelesibindi esikhulu sokukhuluma ilizwi ngokungesabi.

and the greater part of the brethren, made confident in the Lord through my imprisonment, now speak of God's Message without fear, more boldly than ever.

15 Abanye kambe batshumayela uKristu ngomona langombango, labanye kambe ngenhliziyo enhle;

Some indeed actually preach Christ out of envy and contentiousness but there are also others who do it from good will.

16 laba batshumayela uKristu ngokuphikisana, bengelaqiniso, besithi baletha ukuhlupheka ekubotshweni kwami;

These latter preach Him from love to me, knowing that I am here for the defence of the Good News;

17 kodwa labo ngothando, besazi ukuthi ngimiselwe ukuvikela ivangeli.

while the others proclaim Him from motives of rivalry, and insincerely, supposing that by this they are embittering my imprisonment.

18 Kuyini pho? Loba kunjalo kuyo yonke indlela, loba ekuzenziseni, kumbe eqinisweni, uKristu uyatshunyayelwa; kulokhu-ke ngiyathokoza, yebo ngizathokoza futhi.

What does it matter, however? In any case Christ is preached--either perversely or in honest truth; and in that I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

19 Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuzaphendukela kimi esindisweni ngomkhuleko wenu, langokwelekelela kukaMoya kaJesu Kristu,

For I know that it will result in my salvation through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 njengokulindela okukhulu lethemba lami, ukuthi kangiyikuyangiswa ngalutho, kodwa ngesibindi sonke, njengesikhathi sonke, lakhathesi uKristu uzakhuliswa emzimbeni wami, loba ngempilo, kumbe ngokufa.

in fulfilment of my eager expectation and hope that I shall never have reason to feel ashamed, but that by my perfect freedom of speech Christ will be glorified in me, now as always, either by my life or by my death.

21 Ngoba kimi ukuphila kunguKristu, lokufa kuyinzuzo.

For, with me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

22 Kodwa uba ukuphila enyameni kuyisithelo somsebenzi kimi, lengizakukhetha kangikwazi.

But since to live means a longer stay on earth, that implies more labour for me--and not unsuccessful labour; and which I am to choose I cannot tell.

23 Ngoba ngiminyezelwe ngokubili; ngilesifiso sokusuka lokuba loKristu, okungcono kakhulukazi;

I am in a dilemma, my earnest desire being to depart and be with Christ, for that is far, far better.

24 kodwa ukuhlala enyameni kuyasweleka kakhulu ngenxa yenu.

But for your sakes it is more important that I should still remain in the body.

25 Njalo ngilalelithemba ngiyazi ukuthi ngizakuba khona, ngihlale lani lonke, ekuqhubekeni kwenu lentokozweni yokholo,

I am convinced of this, and I know that I shall remain, and shall go on working side by side with you all, to promote your progress and joy in the faith;

26 ukuze ukuzincoma kwenu ngami kwengezwe kuKristu Jesu kimi, ngobukhona bami kini futhi.

so that, as Christians, you may have additional reason for glorying about me as the result of my being with you again.

27 Kuphela hambani ngokufanele ivangeli likaKristu, kuze kuthi, loba ngifika ngilibona, loba ngingekho, ngizwe indaba zenu, zokuthi limi emoyeni munye, ngangqondonye lilwela ukholo lwevangeli ndawonye,

Only let the lives you live be worthy of the Good News of the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see you or, being absent, only hear of you, I may know that you are standing fast in one spirit and with one mind, fighting shoulder to shoulder for the faith of the Good News.

28 njalo lingethuswa ngalutho ngabaphikisayo; okuyisibonakaliso kubo sokubhubha, kodwa kini esosindiso, njalo lokhu kuvela kuNkulunkulu;

Never for a moment quail before your antagonists. Your fearlessness will be to them a sure token of impending destruction, but to you it will be a sure token of your salvation--a token coming from God.

29 ngoba lanikwa ngesihle esikhundleni sikaKristu, kungeyisikho ukukholwa kuye kuphela, kodwa lokumhluphekela;

For you have had the privilege granted you on behalf of Christ--not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf;

30 lilokulwa okufananayo njengalokho elakubona kimi, lelikuzwa kimi khathesi.

maintaining, as you do, the same kind of conflict that you once saw in me and which you still hear that I am engaged in.