EkaJakobe 4

4 ¹Zivelaphi izimpi nokulwa phakathi kwenu? Akuzona yini izinkanuko zenu ezilwayo ngaphakathi kwenu? ²Niyafisa kodwa aninakho—niyabulala. Niyakhanuka kodwa anikwazi ukukuthola—niyaxabana nilwe. Aninakho ngoba aniceli. ³Niyacela kodwa anamukeli, ngoba nicela ngendlela engalungile, ukuze nikuchithe ezinjabulweni zenu. ⁴Nina baphingi! Anazi yini ukuthi ubungane nezwe buwubutha kuBaba wethu? Noma ngubani okhetha ukuba umngane walo uba yisitha sikaBaba wethu. ⁵Noma umBhalo ukhuluma ngeze yini, uthi umoya awubeke kithi ulangazelela ngomhawu? ⁶Kodwa unikeza umusa owengeziwe. Yingakho umBhalo uthi: “uBaba wethu umelana nabazidlayo kodwa anikeze abathobekileyo umusa.”

⁷Ngakho zithobeni kuBaba wethu. Melanani nodeveli, uyonibalekela. ⁸Sondelani kuBaba wethu, naye uyosondela kini. Hlanzani izandla zenu, nina zoni; nihlambulule izinhliziyo zenu, nina eninezingqondo ezimbili. ⁹Dabukani, lilani, nikhale. Guqulani ukuhleka kwenu kube ukulila nenjabulo yenu ibe usizi. ¹⁰Zithobeni phambi kukaBaba wethu, uyoniphakamisa.

¹¹Ningakhulumi okubi omunye ngomunye, bazalwane. Noma ngubani okhuluma kabi ngomzalwane, noma amehlulele, ukhuluma kabi ngomthetho futhi awehlulele. Kodwa uma wehlulela umthetho, awuwugcini—uyawehlulela. ¹²Munye kuphela onikeza umthetho nowehlulelayo—onamandla okusindisa nokubhubhisa. Ungubani wena ozokwehlulela umakhelwane wakho?

Ningaziqhayisi Ngakusasa

¹³Wozani-ke, nina enithi: “Namuhla noma kusasa sizoya kuleli noma kuleliya dolobha, sichithe unyaka khona, sihwebe, senze inzuzo.” ¹⁴Anazi ukuthi kusasa luletha ini. Kuyini ukuphila kwenu? Ngokuba niyinkungu ebonakala isikhashana, bese inyamalala. ¹⁵Esikhundleni salokho kufanele nithi: “Uma uBaba wethu ethanda, sizophila senze lokhu noma lokhuya.” ¹⁶Kodwa manje niyaziqhayisa ngokuzidla kwenu. Konke ukuziqhayisa okunjalo kubi. ¹⁷Ngakho noma ngubani owazi okuhle okumele akwenze kodwa angakwenzi, kuyisono kuye.