1 KuThimothewu 5

5 ¹Ungamkhuzi kabuhlungu owesilisa osekhulile, kodwa mnxuse njengoyihlo, nabesilisa abasebasha njengabafowenu, ²abesifazane abadala njengonyoko, nabesifazane abasebancane njengodadewenu, ngako konke ukuhlanzeka.

³Hlonipha abafelokazi abangabafelokazi ngempela. ⁴Kodwa uma umfelokazi enabantwana noma abazukulu, kufanele baqale bafunde ukubonakalisa ukuzinikela kowakwabo umndeni, bebuyisela kubazali babo—lokhu kuyamthokozisa uBaba wethu. ⁵Umfelokazi oyiqiniso, oshiywe eyedwa, ubeka ithemba lakhe kuBaba wethu, eqhubeka ubusuku nemini ngokunxusa nangemithandazo. ⁶Kodwa umfelokazi ophilela ukuzitika ufile noma esaphila. ⁷Yala lokhu nakho, ukuze bangabi nasici. ⁸Uma umuntu engondli abakwakhe—ikakhulukazi abendlu yakhe—uluphikile ukholo futhi mubi kunongakholwayo.

⁹Bhalisa umfelokazi kuphela uma eneminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha nokuthi ube qotho kumyeni oyedwa, ¹⁰ofakazelwa ngemisebenzi emihle: uma ekhulise abantwana, wamukela izihambi, wageza izinyawo zabangcwele, wasiza abahluphekayo, futhi waphishekela wonke umsebenzi omuhle.

¹¹Kodwa yenqaba ukubhalisa abafelokazi abasebancane; lapho izifiso zabo zibadonsa zibasusa kuKhristu, bafuna ukwenda, ¹²ngakho bazilethela ukwahlulelwa ngenxa yokubeka eceleni isithembiso sabo sokuqala. ^a a v12 “Isithembiso sabo sokuqala” sibhekisela ekuzibophezeleni abakwenza kokukhonza uKhristu nebandla ngesikhathi bebhaliswa ohlwini lwabafelokazi. ¹³Baphinde bafunde ukuvilapha, behamba bezula izindlu ngezindlu—hhayi nje ukuvilapha kuphela, kodwa bayizinhlebi nabagaxekayo ezindabeni zabanye, bekhuluma lokho okungafanele. ¹⁴Ngakho ngifuna abafelokazi abasebancane bende, bazale abantwana, baphathe imizi, bangamniki isitha ithuba lokunyundela. ¹⁵Ngokuba abanye sebephambukile ukuba balandele uSathane. ¹⁶Uma owesifazane okholwayo enabafelokazi phakathi kwezihlobo zakhe, kufanele abasize, angalithwesi umthwalo ibandla, ukuze likwazi ukusiza abafelokazi bangempela.

¹⁷Abadala abahola kahle bafanelwe ukuhlonishwa kabili, ikakhulukazi labo abakhuthalela ukushumayela nokufundisa. ¹⁸Ngokuba umBhalo uthi: “Ungayifaki isayeke inkabi lapho ibhula amabele,” futhi uthi: “Isisebenzi sifanelwe inkokhelo yaso.”

¹⁹Ungalwamukeli icala elibekwa omdala ngaphandle kobufakazi bofakazi ababili noma abathathu. ²⁰Ngalabo abaphikelela esonweni, bakhuze phambi kwabo bonke, ukuze abanye besabe.

²¹Ngikuyala ngokuqinisekileyo phambi kukaBaba wethu, noKhristu uJesu, nezingelosi ezikhethiweyo: gcina le miyalo ngaphandle kokucwasa, ungenzi lutho ngokubandlulula. ²²Ungabeki izandla phezu kwamuntu ngokushesha, futhi ungahlanganyeli ezonweni zabanye—zigcine uhlanzekile.

²³Ungabe usaphuza amanzi kuphela—phuza iwayini elincane ngenxa yesisu sakho nangenxa yokugula kwakho okuvamile.

²⁴Izono zabanye abantu zisobala, zihamba phambili ziya ekwahlulelweni; izono zabanye zilandela emuva. ²⁵Ngokunjalo, imisebenzi emihle isobala, naleyo engenjalo ayinakufihleka.