Eyokuqala KuThimothi

5 Ungayikhuzi ngolaka indoda endala+ kodwa yincenge njengoyihlo, amajaha uwaphathe njengabafowenu, 2 abesifazana asebekhulile ubaphathe njengabonyoko, abesifazana abasesebatsha njengabodadewenu, ube msulwa kukho konke.

3 Ungabakhohlwa* abafelokazi abangabafelokazi sibili.*+ 4 Kodwa nxa umfelokazi elabantwana loba abazukulu, kabaqale ngokunakekela izimuli zangakibo betshengisa ukuthi bazinikele kuNkulunkulu.+ Kumele babuyisele kubazali babo lakubogogo labokhulu babo lokho okubafaneleyo+ ngoba lokhu kuyamukeleka kuNkulunkulu.+ 5 Owesifazana ongumfelokazi sibili, ongaselabani, ubeke ithemba lakhe kuNkulunkulu+ futhi uqhubeka ethandaza encenga njalo ekhuleka ubusuku lemini.+ 6 Kodwa umfelokazi ophilela ukusuthisa izifiso zakhe ufile lanxa ephila. 7 Ngakho qhubeka ubapha imilayo le ukuze babe ngabantu abangasolekiyo. 8 Nxa umuntu engabanakekeli abangabakhe ikakhulu labo abangamalunga emuli yakhe, uselulahlile ukholo futhi mubi kulomuntu ongakholwayo.+

9 Umfelokazi okufanele afakwe ehlelweni lokuncediswa ngoleminyaka engu-60 kusiya phezulu futhi owayelendoda eyodwa. 10 Kumele abe esaziwa ngokwenza okuhle,+ obakhulise kuhle abantwana,+ wamukela izivakatshi emzini wakhe,+ wagezisa inyawo zabangcwele,+ wanceda abahluphekayo+ njalo wazinikela kuyo yonke imisebenzi emihle.

11 Kodwa abafelokazi abasesebatsha ungabafaki ehlelweni lokuncediswa ngoba nxa izifiso zabo zemacansini sezibehlukanisa loKhristu, bayabe sebefuna ukutshada 12 njalo bazakwahlulelwa ngoba sebelahle indlela ababetshengise ngayo ekuqaleni ukuthi balokholo.* 13 Kanti njalo basuka babe lomkhuba wokutshona bengenzi lutho, benquma lemizi. Ayisikho ukuthi bayabe bengenzi lutho nje kuphela kodwa bayabe benyeya futhi bangenela indaba zabantu,+ bekhuluma ngezinto okungafanelanga bakhulume ngazo. 14 Yikho-ke ngifisa ukuthi abafelokazi abasesebatsha batshade,+ babe labantwana+ futhi banakekele imizi yabo ukuze banganiki umphikisi ithuba lokuchothoza. 15 Phela abanye kudala bephambukile balandela uSathane. 16 Nxa kulowesifazana okholwayo olezihlobo ezingabafelokazi kazincedise ukuze ibandla lingathwali nzima. Ibandla lona selingancedisa abafelokazi abangabafelokazi sibili.*+

17 Abadala abakhokhela kuhle+ kufanele bahlonitshwe ngokuphindiweyo,+ ikakhulu labo abasebenza nzima befundisa futhi bekhuluma+ 18 ngoba umbhalo uthi, “Ungayifaki isayeke inkunzi nxa ibhula amabele,”+ uphinde uthi, “Isisebenzi kusifanele ukuthola iholo laso.”+ 19 Ungemukeli icala eletheswa indoda endala* ngaphandle nxa kulobufakazi obulethwe ngofakazi ababili loba abathathu.+ 20 Abalomkhuba wokwenza isono+ bakhuze+ phambi kwabantu bonke ukuze kube yisixwayiso kwabanye.* 21 Ngiyakuqonqosela phambi kukaNkulunkulu loKhristu uJesu kanye lezingilosi ezikhethiweyo ukuthi ulalele imilayo le kungela kubandlulula loba ukukhetha.+

22 Ungaphangisi ukubeka izandla zakho kuloba ngubani*+ njalo ungahlanganyeli ezonweni zabanye, zigcine umsulwa.

23 Ungasawanathi amanzi* kodwa natha iwayini elincane ngenxa yesisu sakho kanye lokuhlala kwakho ugula.

24 Izono zabanye zisegcekeni futhi zaziwa ngabantu bonke njalo zihle zibase ekwahlulelweni kodwa ezabanye zivela ngemva kwesikhathi.+ 25 Zinjalo lezenzo ezinhle, zisegcekeni njalo zaziwa ngabantu bonke+ futhi lalezo ezingaziwayo kazisoze zihlale zifihlakele.+