Isicwangciso sikaBawo wethu ngomtshato
Ephendula imibuzo yabo ebhaliweyo ngomtshato: indoda nomfazi bakweletene imizimba yabo, amakholwa makanganikani incwadi yokumala iqabane elingakholwayo elivuma ukuhlala, kananjalo ngenxa yengxaki ekhoyo ngoku kuhle ukuhlala njengoko unjalo. Nokuba yimeko enjani na, hlala kuyo noBawo wethu.
7 1Ke kaloku, ngaloo nto nabhala ngayo: “Kuhle ukuba indoda ingamchukumisi umfazi.” 2Kodwa ukuphepha uhenyuzo, indoda nganye mayibe nomkayo, nomfazi ngamnye abe neyakhe indoda. 3Indoda mayimnike umkayo oko ikumkweleteyo, ngokunjalo nomfazi kuyo indoda yakhe. 4Umfazi akanalo igunya phezu komzimba wakhe, inalo indoda; ngokunjalo nendoda ayinalo igunya phezu komzimba wayo, unalo umfazi. 5Musani ukubandezelana, ngaphandle kokuvumelana umzuzu omisiweyo, ukuze nizinikele ekuthandazeni; nize nibuye nihlangane, ukuze uSathana angenihendi ngenxa yokuswela ukuzibamba kwenu. 6Nditsho le nto njengemvume, ingengommiselo. 7Akwaba bonke abantu bebenjengam. Kodwa ngamnye unesibabalo sakhe esivela kuBawo wethu, omnye ngolu hlobo, omnye ngolunye. 8Ndithi kwabangenandoda nakubahlolokazi: kuhle kubo ukuba bahlale njengam. 9Kodwa ukuba abanako ukuzibamba, mabazeke; kulungile ukuzeka kunokuvutha ngokukhanuka. 10Kwabo banamadoda ndiwisela umthetho — kungendim, yiNkosi — umfazi makangamshiyi indoda yakhe. 11Kodwa ukuba uthe wahlukana nayo, makahlale engenandoda, nokuba axolelaniswe nendoda yakhe — nendoda mayingamali umkayo.
12Kwabaseleyo ndithi (ndim, kungeyiyo iNkosi): ukuba umzalwana unomfazi ongakholwayo, oyivumayo ukuhlala naye, makangamali. 13Nomfazi ukuba unendoda engakholwayo, eyivumayo ukuhlala naye, makangayimali. 14Kuba indoda engakholwayo ingcwaliswa ngomfazi, nomfazi ongakholwayo ungcwaliswa ngomzalwana. Kungenjalo abantwana benu bebeya kuba ziinqambi, kodwa ngoku bangcwele. 15Ukuba lowo ungakholwayo uthe wahlukana, makahlukane; umzalwana nokuba ngudade abakho phantsi kobukhoboka kwizinto ezinjalo. UBawo wethu unibizele eluxolweni. 16Wazi phi na, wena mfazi, ukuba uya kuyisindisa na indoda yakho? Nokuba wazi phi na, wena ndoda, ukuba uya kumsindisa na umkakho?
17Kodwa ngamnye makahambe njengokuba iNkosi yammisela, njengokuba uBawo wethu wambiza. Lo ngumthetho endiwumisileyo kuwo onke amabandla. 18Ubani wabizwa aluswe na? Makangakuphenyi oko. Ubani wabizwa engalukanga na? Makangaluki. 19Ulwaluko alunto, nokungaluki akunto, kodwa into ebalulekileyo kukugcina imithetho kaBawo wethu. 20Ngamnye makahlale kuloo meko wayebizwe kuyo. 21Wabizwa ulikhoboka na? Oko makungakukhathazi. Kodwa ukuba unako ukuzuza inkululeko, yizuze. 22Kuba ikhoboka elibizelwe eNkosini likhululekile eNkosini; ngokunjalo nokhululekileyo obiziweyo lixhoba likaKrestu. 23Nathengwa ngexabiso; musani ukuba ngamakhoboka abantu. 24Bazalwana, loo meko wayekuyo ngamnye xa wayebizwa, makahlale kuyo enoBawo wethu.
25Ngabangazekwanga, andinawo umthetho ovela eNkosini, kodwa ndinika uluvo lwam njengalowo wenziwe wathembeka yinceba yeNkosi. 26Ndicinga ukuba kuhle, ngenxa yembandezelo ekhoyo, ukuba umntu ahlale njengoko anjalo. 27Ubotshelelwe kumfazi na? Musa ukufuna ukukhululwa. Ukhululekile kumfazi na? Musa ukufuna umfazi. 28Kodwa ukuba uthe wazeka, akonanga; nentombi ukuba ithe yazeka, ayonanga. Kodwa abanjalo baya kuba nembandezelo enyameni, ndanga ndingakunisindisa oko. 29Nditsho le nto, bazalwana: ixesha elimisiweyo lifinyele. Ukususela ngoku, abanabafazi mabahlale ngathi abanabo, 30nabalilayo ngathi abalili, nabavuyayo ngathi abavuyi, nabathengayo ngathi abanampahla, 31nabasebenzisa eli hlabathi ngathi abaxakekanga lilo — kuba isimo salo eli hlabathi siyadlula.
32Akwaba ningaba naxhala. Indoda engenamfazi ikhathalela izinto zeNkosi, indlela yokuyikholisa iNkosi. 33Kodwa indoda enomfazi ikhathazeka ngezinto zeli hlabathi, indlela yokumkholisa umkayo, 34yaye yahlukene. Umfazi ongenandoda nentombi bakhathalela izinto zeNkosi, ukuze babe ngcwele emzimbeni nasemoyeni; kodwa umfazi onendoda ukhathalela izinto zeli hlabathi, indlela yokuyikholisa indoda yakhe. 35Nditsho le nto ngenxa yenzuzo yenu, kungengakunibopha, kodwa ngenxa yehambo efanelekileyo nokunikela ngokupheleleyo eNkosini.
36Ukuba ubani uba uziphethe ngokungafanelekanga kwintombi amganelweyo, kuvutha amanqwenelo akhe, kumele ukuba kube njalo, makenze njengoko athandayo — mabazeke; akusono. 37Kodwa lowo umi eqinileyo entliziyweni yakhe, enganyanzelwe, kodwa enokuzibamba intando yakhe, egqibe entliziyweni yakhe ukuyigcina intombi amganelweyo, wenza kakuhle. 38Ngoko lowo uyizekayo intombi amganelweyo wenza kakuhle; lowo ungayizekiyo wenza ngcono.
39Umfazi ubotshelelwe kuyo indoda yakhe ngethuba ihleli; ukuba ithe yafa, ukhululekile ukuzeka nawuphi na amthandayo, kuphela eNkosini. 40Kodwa wonwabe ngakumbi, ngokoluvo lwam, ukuba uthe wahlala njengoko anjalo. Ndaye ndicinga ukuba nam ndinoMoya kaBawo wethu.