1 Korinte

15 Manje, bazalwane, nginazisa izindaba+ ezinhle engazimemezela kini,+ enazamukela nani, futhi enimi kuzo,+ 2 enisindiswa+ ngazo futhi, ngenkulumo engamemezela ngayo izindaba ezinhle kini, uma nizibambe naqinisa, ngaphandle-ke, uma naba amakholwa ngokungenanjongo.+

3 Ngoba ngadlulisela kini, phakathi kwezinto zokuqala, lokho nami engakwamukela,+ ukuthi ngokwemiBhalo uKristu wafela izono zethu;+ 4 nokuthi wangcwatshwa,+ yebo, ukuthi ngokwemiBhalo+ uvusiwe+ ngosuku lwesithathu;+ 5 nokuthi wabonakala kuKhefase,+ kwase kuba kwabayishumi nambili.+ 6 Ngemva kwalokho wabonakala kubazalwane abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngesikhathi esisodwa, abaningi kubo abasekhona namanje,+ kodwa abanye sebelele. 7 Ngemva kwalokho wabonakala kuJakobe,+ kwase kuba kubo bonke abaphostoli;+ 8 kodwa ekugcineni kwabo bonke wabonakala nakimi+ njengokungathi kozelwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi.

9 Ngoba ngingomncane+ kunabo bonke abaphostoli, futhi angifaneleki ukubizwa ngomphostoli, ngenxa yokuthi ngashushisa+ ibandla likaNkulunkulu. 10 Kodwa ngomusa ongafanelwe+ kaNkulunkulu ngiyilokhu engiyikho. Futhi umusa wakhe ongafanelwe ngakimi awuzange ube yize,+ kodwa ngashikashikeka ukubadlula bonke,+ nokho kungemina kodwa kuwumusa ongafanelwe kaNkulunkulu okimi.+ 11 Nokho, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yimi noma yibo, thina sishumayela kanjalo, nani niye nakholwa kanjalo.+

12 Uma kushunyayelwa ngoKristu ukuthi uvusiwe kwabafileyo,+ basho kanjani abanye phakathi kwenu ukuthi alukho uvuko lwabafileyo?+ 13 Uma ngempela lungekho uvuko lwabafileyo, noKristu akavuswanga.+ 14 Kodwa uma uKristu engavuswanga, ukushumayela kwethu ngokuqinisekile kuyize, nokholo lwethu luyize.+ 15 Ngaphezu kwalokho, sitholakala singofakazi bakaNkulunkulu bamanga,+ ngoba sifakazile+ ngoNkulunkulu ukuthi wamvusa uKristu,+ kodwa angamvusanga uma ngempela abafileyo bengeke bavuswe.+ 16 Ngoba uma abafileyo bengeke bavuswe, noKristu akazange avuswe. 17 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma uKristu engavuswanga, ukholo lwenu alunamsebenzi; nisesezonweni zenu.+ 18 Eqinisweni, nalabo abalala bemunye+ noKristu babhubha.+ 19 Uma siye sathembela kuKristu kulokhu kuphila kuphela,+ singabokudatshukelwa kakhulu kunabantu bonke.

20 Nokho, uKristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo,+ ulibo+ lwalabo asebalala.+ 21 Ngoba njengoba ukufa+ kweza ngomuntu, novuko+ lwabafileyo luza ngomuntu. 22 Ngoba njengoba nje bonke befa ku-Adamu,+ kanjalo nakuKristu bonke bayokwenziwa baphile.+ 23 Kodwa yilowo nalowo esigabeni sakhe siqu: UKristu ulibo,+ kamuva kube yilabo abangabakaKristu phakathi nokuba khona kwakhe.+ 24 Ngokulandelayo, kube ukuphela, lapho enikela umbuso kuNkulunkulu wakhe noYise, lapho esebenzé ize bonke ohulumeni nalo lonke igunya namandla.+ 25 Ngoba kumelwe abuse njengenkosi kuze kube yilapho uNkulunkulu esebeke zonke izitha ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe.+ 26 Njengesitha sokugcina, ukufa kuzokwenziwa ize.+ 27 Ngoba uNkulunkulu “wabeka zonke izinto ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe.”+ Kodwa uma ethi ‘zonke izinto zibekwe ngaphansi,’+ kusobala ukuthi akahlanganisiwe yena obeke zonke izinto ngaphansi kwakhe.+ 28 Kodwa lapho zonke izinto sezibekwe ngaphansi kwakhe,+ khona-ke neNdodana ngokwayo iyozithoba kuLowo+ owabeka zonke izinto ngaphansi kwayo, ukuze uNkulunkulu abe yikho konke kuwo wonke umuntu.+

29 Uma kungenjalo, bayokwenzenjani labo ababhapathizwa ngenjongo yokuba abafileyo?+ Uma abafileyo bengeke bavuswe nhlobo,+ kungani futhi bebhapathizwa+ ngenjongo yokuba ngabanjalo? 30 Kungani futhi sisengozini mahora+ onke? 31 Nsuku zonke ngibhekana nokufa.+ Bazalwane, lokhu ngikuqinisekisa ngokwethaba+ enginakho ngani kuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu. 32 Uma, njengabantu, ngiye ngalwa nezilo zasendle e-Efesu,+ kunabuhle buni kimi? Uma abafileyo bengeke bavuswe, “masidle siphuze, ngoba kusasa sizokufa.”+ 33 Ningadukiswa. Ukuzihlanganisa nababi konakalisa imikhuba emihle.+ 34 Phaphamani nisanguluke+ ngendlela elungile, ningasenzi isono, ngoba abanye abanalwazi ngoNkulunkulu.+ Ngikhuluma ukuze nginibangele amahloni.+

35 Noma kunjalo, omunye uzothi: “Abafileyo bayovuswa kanjani? Yebo, beza ngaluhlobo luni lomzimba?”+ 36 Wena muntu ongenangqondo! Lokho okuhlwanyelayo akwenziwa kuphile ngaphandle kokuba kufe kuqala;+ 37 futhi mayelana nalokho okuhlwanyelayo, awuhlwanyeli umzimba ozokhula, kodwa uhlamvu oluze,+ kungase kube olukakolweni noma olwanoma ikuphi okunye; 38 kodwa uNkulunkulu ulunika umzimba+ njengoba nje kuthandekile kuye,+ nembewu ngayinye uyinika umzimba wayo siqu. 39 Inyama yonke ayifani, kodwa kukhona eyabantu, kukhona nenye inyama yezinkomo, nenye inyama yezinyoni, nenye yezinhlanzi.+ 40 Futhi kukhona imizimba yasezulwini,+ nemizimba+ yasemhlabeni; kodwa inkazimulo+ yemizimba yasezulwini ingolunye uhlobo, neyemizimba yasemhlabeni ingeyohlobo oluhlukile. 41 Inkazimulo yelanga+ ingolunye uhlobo, nenkazimulo yenyanga+ ingolunye, nenkazimulo yezinkanyezi ingolunye; eqinisweni, inkanyezi+ iyahluka kwenye inkanyezi ngenkazimulo.

42 Lunjalo novuko lwabafileyo.+ Kuhlwanyelwa kunokonakala, kuvuswa kunokungonakali.+ 43 Kuhlwanyelwa kusehlazweni,+ kuvuselwa enkazimulweni.+ Kuhlwanyelwa kubuthakathaka,+ kuvuswa kunamandla.+ 44 Kuhlwanyelwa kuwumzimba+ wenyama, kuvuswa kuwumzimba womoya.+ Uma ukhona umzimba wenyama, ukhona nowomoya. 45 Kulotshiwe ngisho nakanje: “Umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu waba ngumphefumulo ophilayo.”+ U-Adamu wokugcina waba umoya+ onika ukuphila.+ 46 Noma kunjalo, okokuqala akukhona lokho okungokomoya, kodwa yilokho okungokwenyama, kamuva kube yilokho okungokomoya.+ 47 Umuntu wokuqala uvela emhlabeni futhi wenziwe ngothuli;+ umuntu wesibili uvela ezulwini.+ 48 Njengoba lowo owenziwe ngothuli+ enjalo, nalabo abenziwe ngothuli banjalo; futhi njengoba lowo owasezulwini+ enjalo, nalabo+ abangabasezulwini banjalo. 49 Futhi njengoba nje siye saba nomfanekiso+ walowo owenziwe ngothuli, siyoba nawo futhi nomfanekiso+ walowo ongowasezulwini.

50 Nokho, lokhu ngiyakusho, bazalwane, ukuthi inyama negazi akukwazi ukuzuza ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu,+ nokonakala akukwazi ukuzuza ifa lokungonakali.+ 51 Bhekani! Nginitshela imfihlo engcwele: Ngeke silale sonke, kodwa sonke siyoshintshwa,+ 52 ngomzuzwana, ngokuphazima kweso, phakathi necilongo lokugcina. Ngoba icilongo+ liyokhala, futhi abafileyo bayovuswa benokungonakali, futhi thina siyoshintshwa. 53 Ngoba lokhu okonakalayo kumelwe kugqoke ukungonakali,+ nalokhu okufayo+ kumelwe kugqoke ukungafi. 54 Kodwa lapho lokhu okonakalayo kugqoka ukungonakali nalokhu okufayo kwembatha ukungafi, khona-ke kuyokwenzeka izwi elilotshiwe elithi: “UkuFa+ kugwinyiwe kuze kube phakade.”+ 55 “KuFa, kuphi ukunqoba kwakho? KuFa, luphi udosi lwakho?”+ 56 Udosi+ oluveza ukufa yisono, kodwa amandla esono uMthetho.+ 57 Kodwa sibonga uNkulunkulu, ngoba usinikeza ukunqoba ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu!+

58 Ngenxa yalokho, bazalwane abathandekayo, yibani ngabagxilile,+ abangenakunyakaziswa, ngaso sonke isikhathi ninokuningi kokukwenza emsebenzini weNkosi,+ nazi ukuthi umshikashika wenu awulona ize+ eNkosini.