Kwabase-Efesu 4

4 ¹Ngakho mina, engiyisiboshwa eNkosini, ngiyanincenga: hambani ngokufanele ukubizwa enabizwa ngakho, ²ngokuthobeka konke nangobumnene, ngokubekezela, nibekezelelana ngothando, ³nikhuthele ukulondoloza ubunye bukaMoya ngesibopho sokuthula. ⁴Munye umzimba, munye uMoya, njengoba nje nabizelwa ethembeni elilodwa elihamba nokubizwa kwenu. ⁵Yinye iNkosi, lunye ukholo, lunye ubhapathizo, ⁶munye uBaba wabo bonke, ophezu kwakho konke, nangakho konke, naphakathi kwakho konke.

⁷Kodwa yilowo nalowo kithi waphiwa umusa ngokwesilinganiso sesipho sikaKhristu. ⁸Ngakho kuthiwa: “Ekwenyukeni kwakhe waya phezulu, wathumba abathunjiweyo, wanika abantu izipho.” ^a a v8 UPawulu ucaphuna iHubo 68:18, ihubo lokunqoba elidumisa inkosi enqobayo. Ulisebenzisa ekwenyukeni kukaKhristu ngemva kokufa nokuvuka kwakhe.

⁹Manje elokuthi “wenyuka”—kusho ukuthini, ngaphandle kokuthi wehlela nasezingxenyeni ezingaphansi, umhlaba? ¹⁰Lowo owehlayo nguye kanye lowo owenyukela ngaphezulu kakhulu kwawo wonke amazulu, ukuze agcwalise zonke izinto.

¹¹Wanika abaphostoli, abaprofethi, abavangeli, abelusi nabafundisi, ¹²ukuze ahlomise abangcwele emsebenzini wenkonzo, ekwakhiweni komzimba kaKhristu, ¹³size sifinyelele sonke ebunyeni bokholo nasekwazini iNdodana kaBaba wethu, sibe ngumuntu ovuthiwe okhulile, sifinyelele esilinganisweni esipheleleyo sobukhulu nokugcwala kukaKhristu. ¹⁴ukuze singabe sisaba izingane, eziphonswa ngamagagasi nezithwalwa yiwo wonke umoya wemfundiso, ngobuqili babantu, ngamacebo obuqili okukhohlisa. ¹⁵Kunalokho, sikhuluma iqiniso ngothando, asikhuleni ngazo zonke izindlela kuye oyinhloko, uKhristu. ¹⁶Okuvela kuye umzimba wonke, uhlanganisiwe ubophelelwe ndawonye yiwo wonke amalunga asekelayo, ukhula njengoba ingxenye ngayinye isebenza ngendlela efaneleyo, ukuze umzimba uzakhe wona ngothando.

Yembathani Umuntu Omusha

¹⁷Ngakho ngisho lokhu, ngifakaze eNkosini: ningabe nisaphila njengabezizwe, ebuzeni bokucabanga kwabo. ¹⁸Benziwe mnyama ekuqondeni kwabo, baphunyukile ekuphileni kukaBaba wethu ngenxa yokungazi okukubo nangenxa yobulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo. ¹⁹Sebelahlekelwe yimizwa yonke, bazinikela ekwaneliseni inkanuko yenyama, benza ngokuhaha konke ukungcola. ²⁰Kodwa anifundanga uKhristu kanjalo, ²¹uma impela nezwa ngaye, nafundiswa kuye, njengoba iqiniso likuJesu, ²²ukuba nikhumule umuntu wenu omdala, oboshelwe endleleni yenu yakudala yokuphila, nowonakaliswa yizinkanuko ezikhohlisayo, ²³nokuba nenziwe basha emoyeni wezingqondo zenu, ²⁴nokuba nembathe umuntu omusha, odalwe efana noBaba wethu ekulungeni kweqiniso nasebungcweleni.

²⁵Ngakho lahlani amanga—yilowo nalowo wenu akhulume iqiniso nomakhelwane wakhe, ngokuba singamalunga omunye komunye. ²⁶Thukuthelani kodwa ningoni; ilanga malingashoni nisathukuthele, ²⁷ningamniki uDeveli ithuba. ²⁸Oyisela makayeke ukweba; kunalokho makasebenze kanzima ngezandla zakhe enza okuhle, ukuze abe nokuthile angakwabela abaswele. ²⁹Makungaphumi zwi elibolile emlonyeni wenu, kuphela lokho okusiza abanye bakhule, okufanele isikhathi, ukuze kuphe abezwayo umusa. ³⁰Ningamdabukisi uMoya oNgcwele kaBaba wethu, onibeke uphawu kuze kube usuku lokuhlengwa. ³¹Susani kini konke ukubaba, nolaka, nentukuthelo, nokumemeza, nokuhleba, kanye nabo bonke ububi. ³²Yibani nomusa omunye komunye, nibe nezinhliziyo ezinozwelo, nithethelelane, njengoba noBaba wethu anithethelela ngoKhristu.