1 Thimothi
3 Amezwi la athembekile: Nangabe umuntu ufuna ukuba mtlhogomeli webandla, ufisa umsebenzi omuhle. 2 Nje-ke umtlhogomeli webandla kufuze angasoleki, abe yindoda enomfazi munye, elinganiselako emikghwenayo, enokwahlulela okuhle,* ehlelekileko, eyamukela iimvakatjhi, efanelekela ukufundisa, 3 engasisidakwa, engasisisilwi,* enganakani, engathandi ukuphikisana, engathandi imali, 4 indoda eyengamele* umndenayo kuhle, enabantwana abazithobileko ngakho koke ukuzimisela 5 (ngombana nangabe umuntu akakwazi ukwengamela* umndenakhe, uzolitlhogomela njani ibandla lakaZimu?), 6 kungabi mumuntu osand’ ukutjhuguluka, ukwenzela bona angakhukhumali ngokuzigqaja, awele esahlulelweni esikhutjhelwe uDeveli. 7 Godu kufuze akhulunyelwe kuhle babantu bangaphandle, ukuze angahlaziseki begodu athiywe nguDeveli.
8 Iinceku ezisizako nazo kufuze zizimisele, zingakhohlisi, zingazinikeli ewayinini elinengi, zingabi nomrhobholo wokufumana inzuzo ngokungathembeki, 9 zibambe ifihlo ecwengileko yokukholwa ngonembeza ohlwengileko.
10 Godu, kufuze zihlolwe qangi bona ziyafaneleka na; ngemva kwalokho zingasebenza njengabasizi, njengombana kungekho ezimangalelwa ngakho.
11 Ngokunjalo nabafazi kufuze bazimisele, bangabi barhwayeli, balinganisele emikghwenabo, bathembeke ezintweni zoke.
12 Iinceku ezisizako kufuze zibe madoda anomfazi munye, zengamele abantwabazo nemindenazo ngendlela efaneleko. 13 Ngombana amadoda enza umsebenzi wawo ngendlela efaneleko azizuzela ubujamo obuhle netjhaphuluko ekulu yokukhuluma ekukholweni okukuKrestu Jesu.
14 Ngikutlolela izintwezi, nanyana nginethemba lokuza kuwe esikhathini esingaphelisi ihliziyo, 15 bona nakungenzeka ngiriyade, wazi indlela ekufuze uziphathe ngayo emndenini kaZimu, okulibandla lakaZimu ophilako, isika nesisekelo seqiniso. 16 Kwamambala, kuyavunywa bona ifihlo ecwengileko yokuzinikela kuZimu le yikulu: ‘Wabonakaliswa enyameni, kwathiwa ulungile emmoyeni, wabonakala eengilozini, kwatjhunyayelwa ngaye eentjhabeni, kwakholelwa kuye ephasini, wamukelwa phezulu ngephazimulo.’