KwabaseFilipi
3 Okokugqibela bazalwana bam, hlalani nivuya ngenxa yeNkosi.+ Ayindikhathazi into yokuba ndinibhalela into enye, kuba ndenzela ukukhusela nina.
2 Zilumkeleni izinja, balumkeleni abo benzakalisayo, balumkeleni abo basika inyama.+ 3 Kuba abona bantu boluke nyhani sithi,+ thina benza umsebenzi ongcwele sixhaswa ngumoya kaThixo yaye siqhayisa ngoKristu Yesu,+ singathembeli enyameni, 4 nangona mna ndingoyena mntu unezizathu zokuthembela enyameni.
Ukuba kukho nawuphi na omnye umntu ocinga ukuba unezizathu zokuthembela enyameni, mna ndinazo ngaphezu kwakhe: 5 ndoluka ngosuku lwesibhozo,+ ndingowohlanga lwakwaSirayeli, kwisizwe sakwaBhenjamin, ndingumHebhere ozelwe ngamaHebhere;+ ngokomthetho ndingumFarisi;+ 6 ndalitshutshisa ngokuzimisela ibandla,+ ndililungisa ngokutsho komthetho yaye ndimsulwa. 7 Kodwa izinto ebezibalulekile kum, ndiye ndazilahla* ngenxa kaKristu.+ 8 Ngaphezu koko, zonke izinto ndizibona zingenaxabiso xa ndizithelekisa nolwazi oluxabisekileyo olungoKristu Yesu iNkosi yam. Kuba ngenxa yakhe ndiye ndazishiya zonke izinto, yaye ndizijonga njengenkunkuma eninzi, ukuze ndifumane uKristu 9 ndize ndimanyane naye, kungekhona ngobulungisa bam bokulandela uMthetho, kodwa ngenxa yobulungisa obufumaneka ngokuba nokholo+ kuKristu,+ ubulungisa obuvela kuThixo ngenxa yokholo.+ 10 Ndifuna ukumazi yena namandla alowo wamvusayo.+ Ndifuna ukuva ubunzima njengaye,+ ndife njengaye,+ 11 ukuze ukuba kunokwenzeka, ndibe phakathi kwabo bavuswa kuqala ekufeni.+
12 Anditsho ukuba sele ndiwufumene loo mvuzo okanye sele ndenziwe ndagqibelela, kodwa ndityhalela phambili+ ukuze ndibone ukuba andinakuyifumana na loo nto uKristu Yesu andikhethele yona.+ 13 Bazalwana andizijongi njengosele ewufumene; kodwa ndiqiniseke ngento enye: Ndiyazilibala izinto ezingasemva+ ndize ndityhalele kwizinto ezingaphambili,+ 14 ndisebenzela ukuba ndifumane umvuzo+ wobizo lwasezulwini+ asinika wona uThixo ngoKristu Yesu. 15 Ngoko ke, sonke thina baqolileyo,+ masicinge ngale ndlela, yaye ukuba kukho enye indlela enicinga ngayo, uThixo uza kuninceda nicinge ngendlela efanelekileyo. 16 Noko ke, ngokwenqanaba esele sihambele phambili ngalo, masiqhubeke sihamba ngaloo ndlela.
17 Bazalwana manyanani ekundilinganiseni,+ nihlale nibabukela abo benza izinto belandela umzekelo esanibekela wona. 18 Kuba baninzi abantu endandidla ngokuthetha ngabo, kodwa ngoku ndithetha ngabo ndilila, kuba baziintshaba zesibonda sokungcungcutheka* sikaKristu. 19 Isiphelo sabo yintshabalalo, uthixo wabo zizisu zabo, le nto bathi luzuko lihlazo, bahlala becinga ngezinto zasemhlabeni kuphela.+ 20 Thina ke, singabasezulwini,+ yaye siyilinde ngamehlo abomvu iNkosi uYesu Kristu,+ umsindisi wethu osuka khona, 21 oza kuwutshintsha umzimba wethu obuthathaka ube njengalo wakhe uzukileyo,+ esebenzisa amandla akhe amenza akwazi ukuba negunya phezu kwezinto zonke.+