1 Kuba nikwazi ngokwenu, bazalwana, ukuba ukungena kwethu kuni akulambathanga;
2 sesuka, nakuba besive ubunzima ngenxa engaphambili, siphethwe kakubi eFilipi, njengoko naziyo, asafihlisa, sikuye uThixo wethu, ukuzithetha kuni iindaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo, sinomzamo omkhulu.
3 Kuba uvuselelo lwethu aluphumi kulahlekiseni, lungaphumi nasekungcoleni, lungekhona nasenkohlisweni.
4 Sithi, njengoko sicikidiweyo nguThixo, ukuba siphathiswe iindaba ezilungileyo, senjenjalo ukuthetha; singangi sikholisa abantu, kuba sikholisa uThixo ozicikidayo iintliziyo zethu.
5 Kuba kananjalo, njengoko naziyo, asizanga sibe nantetho yakucengacenga, namkhusane wakubawa, uThixo ulingqina;
6 singafuni nokufuna luzuko bantwini, nokuba kukuni, nokuba kukwabanye; nakuba besinokuba ngumthwalo ngokwabapostile bakaKristu.
7 Thina ke sisuke sathantamisa phakathi kwenu njengomdlezana osukuba ebagcinile abakhe abantwana;
8 ngokunjalo sinilangazelela nje, kwakholeka kuthi ukuba singaneli kunabela iindaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo nje kodwa, sinabele nobomi bethu, ngenxa enokuba naba ziintanda kuthi.
9 Kuba niyakukhumbula, bazalwana, ukubulaleka kwethu nemigu yethu; kuba sazivakalisa kuni iindaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo, sisebenza ubusuku nemini, ukuze singabi mthwalo nakubani kuni.
10 Ningamangqina nina kwanoThixo, ukuba saba njani na ukuba ngcwele, nokuba nobulungisa, nokungabi nakusoleka kuni bakholwayo;
11 kwanjengoko naziyo nonke ngabanye, ukuba besixelisa uyise kubantwana bakhe, siniyala, sinikhuza, siniqononondisa,
12 ukuba nihambe ngokumfaneleyo uThixo, onibizelayo kobakhe ubukumkani nobuqaqawuli.
13 Ngenxa yoko, nathi siyabulela kuye uThixo singayeki, okokuba nathi, ukulamkela ilizwi likaThixo lodaba kuthi, analamkela lililizwi labantu; nalamkela, njengokuba kunjalo okwenyaniso, lililizwi likaThixo elisebenzayo nokusebenza kuni bakholwayo.
14 Kuba nina, bazalwana, naba ngabaxelisa amabandla kaThixo akwelakwaYuda, akuKristu Yesu; ngokuba neva kwaobo bunzima nani ngabesizwe sakowenu, babuvayo nabo ngokwabo kuwe amaYuda;
15 wona ayibulalayo iNkosi uYesu kwanabawo abaprofeti, asitshutshisa nathi, engamkholosi uThixo, echasene nabantu bonke;
16 esalela thina ukuba sithethe kuzo iintlanga, ukuze zisindiswe, esenzela ukuba azalise izono zawo ngamaxesha onke. Iwafikele ke ingqumbo, kwada kwasekupheleni.
17 Thina ke, bazalwana, sanihluthwayo nje ixesha elifutshane ngesiqu, kungengantliziyo, sakhuthalela ngokugqithiseleyo ukububona ubuso benu, sinqwena kakhulu.
18 Kungoko sathandayo ukuza kuni, mna Pawulos lo, kwakanye nakabini; wesuka uSathana wasibambezela.
19 Kuba liyintoni na ithemba lethu, novuyo lwethu, nesithsaba sethu soqhayiso? Asinini aba na, phambi kweNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu ekufikeni kwayo?
20 Inene, nini uzuko novuyo lwethu. |