Eyokuqala KwabaseKorinte
1 Mina Pawulu, owabizelwa ukuba umphostoli + kaKristu Jesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, kanye noSostene umfowethu, 2 ebandleni likaNkulunkulu eliseKorinte, + kini eningcweliswe ebunyeni noKristu Jesu, + nabizelwa ukuba nibe abangcwele, kanye nabo bonke ababiza igama leNkosi yethu, uJesu Kristu, + iNkosi yabo neyethu, yonke indawo:
3 Kwangathi ningaba nomusa omkhulu* nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu naseNkosini uJesu Kristu.
4 Ngimbonga ngaso sonke isikhathi uNkulunkulu wami ngomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu enawuphiwa kuKristu Jesu; 5 ngenxa yokuthi ezintweni zonke nicebile ngenxa yobuhlobo eninabo naye, ekhonweni lokukhuluma nasolwazini olugcwele, + 6 njengoba nje ubufakazi mayelana noKristu + benziwe baqina phakathi kwenu, 7 kangangokuthi anintuli nakancane kunoma yisiphi isipho, kuyilapho nilindele ngokulangazela ukwambulwa kweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu. + 8 Izoniqinisa kuze kube sekugcineni, ukuze nibe abangasoleki ngosuku lweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu. + 9 UNkulunkulu uthembekile, + lowo owanibiza ukuba nihlanganyele kanye neNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu.
10 Manje ngiyanincenga bazalwane, ngegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, ukuba nonke nikhulume ngokuvumelana, nokuba kungabi nakuhlukana phakathi kwenu, + kodwa ukuba nibe munye ngokuphelele emqondweni ofanayo nasendleleni efanayo yokucabanga. + 11 Ngoba abanye endlini kaKlowe bangitshelile ukuthi kukhona ukungezwani phakathi kwenu bafowethu. 12 Engikushoyo yilokhu, yilowo nalowo kini uthi: “Mina ngingokaPawulu,” “Mina ngingoka-Apholo,” + “Mina ngingokaKhefase,”* “Mina ngingokaKristu.” 13 Ingabe uKristu uhlukene phakathi? UPawulu akazange abulawelwe esigxotsheni ngenxa yenu, akunjalo? Noma, ingabe nabhapathizwa egameni likaPawulu? 14 Ngibonga uNkulunkulu ngokuthi angibhapathizanga noyedwa wenu ngaphandle kukaKrispu + noGayu, + 15 ukuze kungabi namuntu ongase athi nabhapathizwa egameni lami. 16 Yebo, ngabhapathiza nomndeni kaStefana + futhi. Mayelana nabo bonke abanye, angazi noma ukhona yini omunye engambhapathiza. 17 Ngoba uKristu akangithumanga ukuba ngiyobhapathiza, kodwa ukuba ngiyomemezela izindaba ezinhle; + kungabi ngenkulumo yokuhlakanipha, ukuze isigxobo sokuhlushwa* sikaKristu singenziwa into engenamsebenzi.
18 Ngoba inkulumo ephathelene nesigxobo sokuhlushwa* iwubuwula kwababhubhayo, + kodwa kithi esisindiswayo ingamandla kaNkulunkulu. + 19 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Ngizokwenza ukuhlakanipha kwabantu abahlakaniphile kushabalale, nokukhalipha kongqondongqondo ngizokwenqaba.” *+ 20 Uphi umuntu ohlakaniphile? Uphi umbhali?* Uphi umphikisi waleli zwe?* UNkulunkulu akazange yini akwenze ubuwula ukuhlakanipha kwezwe? 21 Ngoba, njengoba ekuhlakanipheni kukaNkulunkulu, izwe lingazange limazi uNkulunkulu + ngokuhlakanipha kwalo, + uNkulunkulu wajatshuliswa ukuthi ngobuwula + balokho okushunyayelwayo asindise abakholwayo.
22 Ngoba amaJuda acela izibonakaliso + namaGreki afuna ukuhlakanipha; 23 kodwa thina sishumayela ngoKristu owabulawelwa esigxotsheni, oyimbangela yokukhubeka kumaJuda kodwa owubuwula ezizweni. + 24 Nokho, kwababiziwe, kokubili amaJuda namaGreki, uKristu ungamandla kaNkulunkulu nokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu. + 25 Ngoba izinto zikaNkulunkulu abantu abazibheka njengeziwubuwula zihlakaniphile kunabantu, nezinto zikaNkulunkulu abantu abazibheka njengezibuthakathaka zinamandla kunabantu. +
26 Ukunibiza kwakhe niyakubona, bafowethu, ukuthi ababaningi abahlakaniphile ngendlela yenyama, *+ ababaningi abanamandla, ababaningi abazalwa yizicukuthwane, *+ 27 kodwa uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto eziwubuwula zezwe ukuze ahlazise abantu abahlakaniphile; uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto ezibuthakathaka zezwe ukuze ahlazise izinto ezinamandla; + 28 uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto ezingabalulekile zezwe nezinto ezibukelwa phansi, izinto ezingekho, ukuze enze izinto ezikhona zibe yize, + 29 ukuze kungabi bikho muntu oziqhayisayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 30 Kodwa kungenxa yakhe ukuthi nimunye noKristu Jesu, osewukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kithi, kanye nokulunga + nokungcweliswa + nokukhululwa ngesihlengo, + 31 ukuze kube njengoba nje kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Oziqhayisayo makaziqhayise ngoJehova.” *+