Eyokuqala Eya KwabaseKorinte
1 Mna Pawulos owabizwa nguYesu Kristu ngokokuthanda kukaThixo ukuba ndibe ngumpostile,+ kunye noSosithene umzalwana wethu, 2 sibhalela ibandla likaThixo eliseKorinte,+ nina eniye nenziwa ngcwele ukuze nibe ngabalandeli bakaKristu uYesu,+ nakhethwa ukuba nibe ngabangcwele, kunye nabantu bazo zonke iindawo ababiza egameni leNkosi yethu sonke, uYesu Kristu:+
3 Kwanga uThixo onguTata wethu neNkosi uYesu Kristu banganenzela ububele* baze baninike uxolo.
4 Ndisoloko ndimbulela uThixo ngani ngenxa yobubele* awanenzela bona ngoKristu Yesu; 5 kuba uye wanityebisa kuyo yonke into esebenzisa uKristu, waninika amandla okuthetha nolwazi oluninzi,+ 6 kanye njengokuba niye nandiva ndishumayela ngoKristu+ naza nomelela, 7 ukuze kungabikho sipho ningenaso, ngoxa nikulinde ngamehlo abomvu ukutyhilwa kweNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.+ 8 Uza kuniqinisa de kube sekugqibeleni, ukuze ningamangaleleki ngemini yeNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.+ 9 UThixo owanibiza ukuba nimanyane* noNyana wakhe uYesu Kristu iNkosi yethu, nguThixo othembekileyo.+
10 Ndiyanicela bazalwana egameni leNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu, ukuba nonke nivumelane ngento eniyithethayo, kungabikho nto inixabanisayo,+ kodwa nicinge ngendlela efanayo.+ 11 Kuba amanye amalungu osapho lukaKlowe aye andixelela ngani, esithi niyaxabana apho. 12 Ndithetha ngento yokuba nisithi: “Mna ndingokaPawulos,” “Mna ndingoka-Apolo,”+ “Mna ndingokaKefas,”* “Mna ndingokaKristu.” 13 Wahlulelene na uKristu? Andithi ayingoPawulos owabethelelwa esibondeni ngenxa yenu? Okanye ngaba nabhaptizwa egameni likaPawulos? 14 Ndiyambulela uThixo kuba kungekho mntu ndimbhaptizileyo kuni ngaphandle kukaKrispo+ noGayo,+ 15 ukuze kungabikho mntu kuni othi ubhaptizwe egameni lam. 16 Ewe kona, ndabhaptiza nendlu kaStefana.+ Ngaphandle kwaba, andikhumbuli ndibhaptiza omnye umntu. 17 Kuba uKristu akazange andithume ukuba ndihambe ndibhaptiza, kodwa wandithuma ukuba ndihambe ndishumayela iindaba ezilungileyo,+ ndingathethi ngobuciko, ukuze isibonda sokungcungcutheka* sikaKristu singenziwa singabi namsebenzi.
18 Kuba imfundiso engesibonda sokungcungcutheka* ibubudenge kubantu abaza kutshabalala,+ kodwa kuthi basindiswayo ingamandla kaThixo.+ 19 Kuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Ndiza kubuphelisa ubulumko bezilumko, ndingabamkeli* nobukrelekrele babantu abakrelekrele.”+ 20 Siphi na isilumko? Uphi umbhali?* Uphi na umntu othanda ukuphikisa weli hlabathi?* Akabujikanga na uThixo ubulumko beli hlabathi baba bubudenge? 21 Kuba ekubeni uThixo enobulumko, ubulumko behlabathi+ abuzange bulincede limazi.+ UThixo wabona kulungile ukuba asindise abo bakholwayo esebenzisa umyalezo obonakala ububudenge+ ehlabathini.
22 Kaloku amaYuda afuna ukubona imimangaliso,+ wona amaGrike akhangela ubulumko; 23 kodwa thina sishumayela ngokubethelelwa kukaKristu esibondeni, nto leyo ewakhubekisayo amaYuda kodwa ebubudenge ezintlangeni.+ 24 Noko ke, kwabo bakhethiweyo, abangamaYuda nabangamaGrike, amandla kaThixo nobulumko bakhe abonakala kuKristu.+ 25 Kaloku into ebubudenge kaThixo inobulumko kunabantu, yaye into engenamandla kaThixo inamandla kunabantu.+
26 Niyabona bazalwana ukuba xa wayenikhetha, abaninzi kuni babengezozilumko ebantwini,+ bengenamandla, bengazalwa ngabantu ababalulekileyo,*+ 27 kodwa uThixo wakhetha izinto ezibubudenge zehlabathi ukuze ahlazise izilumko, yaye wakhetha izinto ezingomelelanga zehlabathi ukuze ahlazise izinto ezomeleleyo;+ 28 yaye uThixo wakhetha izinto ezingenamsebenzi zehlabathi nezinto ezijongelwa phantsi, izinto ezingekhoyo, ukuze atshabalalise ezo zikhoyo,+ 29 ukuze kungabikho mntu uqhayisayo phambi koThixo. 30 Kodwa kungenxa yakhe le nto niye namanyana noKristu Yesu, oye wasibonisa ubulumko nobulungisa+ bukaThixo, wasenza saba ngcwele+ waza wasikhulula ngokusihlawulela,+ 31 ukuze kube njengokuba kanye kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Lowo uqhayisayo, makaqhayise ngoYehova.”*+