Kwabase-Efesu
4 Ngakho-ke, mina siboshwa + eNkosini, ngiyanincenga ukuba nihambe ngendlela efanele + ukubizwa enabizwa ngakho, 2 ngokuthobeka *+ okuphelele nobumnene, ngokubekezela, + nibekezelelana ngothando, + 3 nizama ngenkuthalo ukugcina ubunye bomoya esibophweni esihlanganisayo sokuthula. + 4 Kukhona umzimba owodwa, + nomoya owodwa, + njengoba nje nabizelwa ethembeni + elilodwa lokubizwa kwenu; 5 iNkosi eyodwa, + ukholo olulodwa, ubhapathizo olulodwa; 6 uNkulunkulu oyedwa futhi onguYise wabo bonke abantu, ophezu kwabo bonke, okubo bonke futhi ophakathi kwabo bonke.
7 Yilowo nalowo kithi waphiwa umusa omkhulu ngokwendlela uKristu asinikeza ngayo lesi sipho samahhala. + 8 Ngoba imiBhalo ithi: “Lapho enyukela phezulu wathumba izithunjwa; waphana ngezipho ezingabantu.” + 9 Pho isho ukuthini inkulumo ethi “wanyuka”? Isho ukuthi wayekade ehlele ezindaweni eziphansi, okuwukuthi, emhlabeni. 10 Yena kanye owehla nguye futhi owanyukela ngaphezulu + kakhulu kunawo wonke amazulu, + ukuze ngaye zonke izinto zigcwale.
11 Wamisa abanye njengabaphostoli, + abanye njengabaprofethi, + abanye njengabavangeli, *+ abanye njengabelusi nanjengabafundisi, + 12 enombono wokuqeqeshwa* kwabangcwele, ukuze benze umsebenzi wokukhonza, ukuze kwakhiwe umzimba kaKristu, + 13 kuze kube yilapho sonke sesimunye okholweni nasolwazini olunembile ngeNdodana kaNkulunkulu, sibe amadoda akhule* ngokugcwele, + esilinganisweni sobukhulu esingesokugcwala kukaKristu. 14 Ngakho akusafanele sibe yizingane, sijikijeleke ngapha nangapha sengathi sijikijelwa amagagasi futhi siyiswe le nale yizo zonke izinhlobo zemfundiso *+ ngokukhohlisa kwabantu, ngamanga aklanywe ngobuqili. 15 Kodwa sikhuluma iqiniso, masikhule ngothando kuzo zonke izinto sikhulele kuye oyinhloko, uKristu. + 16 Ngaye, wonke umzimba + uhlanganiswa ndawonye ngokuvumelanayo futhi wenziwa ukuba ubambisane ngawo wonke amalunga anikeza lokho okudingekayo. Lapho ilunga ngalinye lisebenza kahle, lokhu kwenezela ekukhuleni komzimba njengoba uzakha othandweni. +
17 Ngakho yilokhu engikushoyo nengikufakazelayo eNkosini, ukuthi ningabe nisaqhubeka nihamba njengoba izizwe zihamba + ekucabangeni kwazo okuyize. *+ 18 Zisebumnyameni ngengqondo futhi zihlukanisiwe nokuphila okungokukaNkulunkulu, ngenxa yokungazi kwazo, ngenxa yokungazweli* kwezinhliziyo zazo. 19 Njengoba zazingasenawo nhlobo umuzwa wokuziphatha okuhle, zazinikela ekuziphatheni kabi okuhambisana nendelelo *+ ukuze zenze zonke izinhlobo zokungcola ngokuhaha.
20 Kodwa nina anifundanga ukuthi uKristu unjalo, 21 uma ngempela nimzwile futhi nifundisiwe ngaye, njengoba nje iqiniso likuJesu. 22 Nafundiswa ukuba nilahle ubuntu obudala + obuvumelana nenkambo yenu yokuziphatha yangaphambili futhi obonakaliswa yizifiso ezikhohlisayo. + 23 Qhubekani nenziwa basha endleleni yenu yokucabanga, *+ 24 futhi nigqoke ubuntu obusha + obadalwa ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu ngokulunga kweqiniso nokuthembeka.
25 Ngakho-ke, njengoba senikuyekile ukukhohlisa, yilowo nalowo kini makakhulume iqiniso nomakhelwane wakhe, + ngoba singamalungu ahlanganiswe ndawonye. *+ 26 Thukuthelani kodwa ningoni; + ilanga malingashoni nisacasukile; + 27 ningamniki uDeveli ithuba. *+ 28 Owebayo makangabe eseba; kunalokho makasebenze kanzima, enze umsebenzi omuhle ngezandla zakhe, + ukuze abe nokuthile kokupha umuntu oswele. + 29 Makungaphumi izwi elibolile emilonyeni yenu, + kodwa izwi elakhayo kuphela, kuye ngokwesidingo, ukuze lidlulisele okuzuzisayo kwabezwayo. + 30 Futhi, ningawenzi lusizi* umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, + enaphawulwa ngawo + kuze kube usuku lokukhululwa ngesihlengo. +
31 Susani kini yonke inhlobo yenzondo, + intukuthelo, ulaka, ukuklabalasa nenkulumo elimazayo + nayo yonke into elimazayo. + 32 Kodwa bonisanani umusa, nibe nobubele, + nithethelelane ngokukhululekile njengoba nje noNkulunkulu anithethelela ngokukhululekile ngoKristu. +