Eyokuqala KuThimothewu
3 La mazwi ayiqiniso: Uma umuntu ezama ukuba umbonisi, + ufisa umsebenzi omuhle. 2 Ngakho umbonisi kufanele angasoleki, kube yindoda enomfazi oyedwa, elinganiselayo, ehluzekile engqondweni, *+ ehlelekile, ethanda abantu, + ekwaziyo ukufundisa, + 3 engesona isidakwa, + engenalo udlame,* kodwa ecabangelayo, + engathandi izimpikiswano, + engathandi imali, + 4 indoda ewuhola* kahle umndeni wayo, enabantwana abazithoba ngokungazenzisi + 5 (ngoba uma umuntu engakwazi ukuhola* umndeni wakhe, uyolinakekela kanjani ibandla likaNkulunkulu?), 6 kungabi umuntu osanda kuguquka, + ngoba angase aqhoshe bese ethola isahlulelo esikhishelwe uDeveli. 7 Ngaphezu kwalokho, kufanele abe nedumela elihle* nakubantu bangaphandle, + ukuze angaweli ehlazweni* nasesicuphweni sikaDeveli.
8 Izinceku ezikhonzayo nazo kufanele zingathathi izinto kalula, zingabi ngamaphixiphixi,* zingaphuzi iwayini ngokweqile, zingafisi ukuthola inzuzo ngokungathembeki, + 9 ziphathe imfihlo engcwele yokholo ngonembeza omsulwa. +
10 Ngaphezu kwalokho, kufanele zihlolwe kuqala ukuthi ziyafaneleka yini; khona-ke zingakhonza njengezikhonzi uma zingasoleki. +
11 Abesifazane nabo akufanele bathathe izinto kalula, kufanele banganyundeli, + balinganisele, bathembeke ezintweni zonke. +
12 Izinceku ezikhonzayo kufanele zibe amadoda amfazi munye, aqondisa kahle abantwana bawo nemindeni yawo. 13 Ngoba amadoda akhonza kahle azitholela idumela elihle nenkululeko yokukhuluma ngokholo analo kuKristu Jesu.
14 Ngikubhalela lezi zinto, nakuba nginethemba lokuza kuwe maduzane, 15 ukuze uma kwenzeka ngibambezeleka, wazi ukuthi kufanele uziphathe kanjani endlini kaNkulunkulu, + eyibandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo elisekela nelivikela iqiniso. 16 Ngempela, kuyavunywa ukuthi inkulu imfihlo engcwele yalokhu kuzinikela kuNkulunkulu, ewukuthi: ‘UJesu wabonakaliswa enyameni, + kwathiwa ulungile emoyeni, + wabonakala ezingelosini, + kwashunyayelwa ngaye phakathi kwezizwe, + izwe lakholwa nguye, + wamukelwa phezulu ngenkazimulo.’