Eyokuqala EkaPhetro

4 Njengoba uKhristu wahlupheka enyameni,+ lani hlomani ngesimo sengqondo* esinjengesakhe* ngoba umuntu osehlupheke enyameni usezilahlile izono+ 2 ukuze okwesikhathi esiseleyo esaphila enyameni angaqhubeki ephilela izifiso zabantu+ kodwa aphilele ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu.+ 3 Ngesikhathi esadlulayo laba lesikhathi eseneleyo sokwenza intando yabantu bomhlaba,+ liphatheka ezenzweni zokuxhwala,* lasezinkanukweni ezedlulisa amalawulo, lasekunatheni kakhulu, lasemadilini* axokozelayo, lasemibuthanweni yokubhudla utshwala kanye lasekukhonzeni izithombe okwenyanyekayo.*+ 4 Kuyabamangalisa kakhulu ukuthi kaliqhubeki ligijima labo endleleni yabo yokuziphatha okwenyanyekayo, yikho bekhuluma kubi ngani.+ 5 Kodwa abantu laba bazalandisa kulowo olungele ukwahlulela abaphilayo labafileyo.+ 6 Yikho phela izindaba ezinhle zatshunyayelwa lakwabafileyo+ ukuze kuthi lanxa besahlulelwa enyameni ngokubona kwabantu, baphile ngendlela evumelana lomoya ngokubona kukaNkulunkulu.

7 Kodwa ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekuseduze. Ngakho zisebenziseni kuhle ingqondo zenu,+ lihlale lilungele* ukuthandaza.+ 8 Phezu kwakho konke thandanani kakhulu+ ngoba uthando lusibekela izono ezinengi.+ 9 Yamukelanani* kungela kukhonona.+ 10 Kusiya ngesipho ngamunye asamukeleyo kasisebenzise ukuncedisa abanye njengoba lingabaphathi abahle bomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu obonakaliswa ngezindlela ezehlukeneyo.+ 11 Okhulumayo kakhulume angathi ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu, onceda abanye kakwenze lokho angathi uthembele emandleni avela kuNkulunkulu+ ukuze uNkulunkulu akhazinyuliswe ezintweni zonke+ ngoJesu Khristu. Inkazimulo lamandla ngokwakhe kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni.

12 Bathandekayo, lingamangaliswa yibunzima obunjengomlilo eliphakathi kwabo,+ angathi lehlelwe yizilingo ezingajayelekanga. 13 Kodwa qhubekani lithokoza+ ngenxa yokuthi lani liyahlanganyela kuzo inhlupho zikaKhristu+ ukuze lithabe njalo lithokoze kakhulu lasekwembulweni kwenkazimulo yakhe.+ 14 Liyathokoza+ nxa lithethiswa ngenxa yebizo likaKhristu ngoba umoya wenkazimulo, wona umoya kaNkulunkulu uhlezi phezu kwenu.

15 Lanxa kunjalo, akungabi lamuntu phakathi kwenu ohlupheka ngenxa yokuba ngumbulali loba ukuba lisela loba ukwenza okubi kumbe ukuthanda ukungenela indaba zabantu.+ 16 Nxa ekhona ohlupheka ngenxa yokuthi ungumKhristu, akungamyangisi lokho+ kodwa kaqhubeke ekhazimulisa uNkulunkulu, ebizwa ngebizo lakhe 17 ngoba sekuyisikhathi esibekiweyo sokuthi ukwahlulela kuqalise endlini kaNkulunkulu.+ Nxa kuqalisa ngathi,+ pho bazaphetha ngani abangazilaleliyo izindaba ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu?+ 18 “Nxa kunzima ukuthi umuntu olungileyo asindiswe, kuzakwenzakalani emuntwini ongamesabiyo uNkulunkulu lakulowo oyisoni?”+ 19 Ngakho labo abahlupheka ngenxa yokwenza intando kaNkulunkulu kabaqhubeke bebeka impilo zabo* ezandleni zoMdali othembekileyo, ngapha besenza okuhle.+