Efese
5 Ngoko ke, yibani ngabaxelisa uThixo,+ njengabantwana abaziintanda, 2 nize niqhubeke nihamba eluthandweni,+ kanye njengokuba noKRISTU wanithandayo+ waza wazinikela ngenxa yenu njengomnikelo+ nombingelelo wevumba elimnandi kuThixo.+
3 Uhenyuzo+ nako konke ukungahlambuluki nokubawa+ makungakhe kukhankanywe kwaukukhankanywa phakathi kwenu,+ kanye njengoko kubafaneleyo abantu abangcwele;+ 4 kwanehambo elihlazo+ nentetho yobudenge nokuqhula okungamanyala,+ zinto ezo ezingafanelekanga, kodwa kunoko hlalani nibulela.+ 5 Kuba niyakwazi oku, niqonda ngokwenu, ukuba akukho mhenyuzi+ namntu ungahlambulukanga namntu ubawayo+—okuthetha ukuba ngumnquli-zithixo—unelifa ebukumkanini bukaKRISTU noThixo.+
6 Makungabikho mntu unikhohlisayo ngamazwi alambathayo,+ kuba iza ngenxa yezo zinto ingqumbo kaThixo koonyana bokungathobeli.+ 7 Ngoko ke musani ukuba nesabelo kunye nabo;+ 8 kuba nanikhe nabubumnyama,+ kodwa ngoku nikukukhanya+ eNkosini. Qhubekani nihamba njengabantwana bokukhanya, 9 kuba sona isiqhamo sokukhanya sikuko konke ukulunga nobulungisa nenyaniso.+ 10 Qhubekani niqinisekisa ngoko kwamkelekileyo+ eNkosini; 11 yaye musani ukwabelana+ nabo kwimisebenzi yobumnyama+ engenasiqhamo, kunoko, bohlwayeni,+ 12 kuba izinto abazenzayo emfihlekweni kuziintloni nokuzibalisa.+ 13 Ke kaloku zonke izinto ezohlwaywayo+ zibonakaliswa kukukhanya, kuba yonk’ into ebonakaliswayo+ ikukukhanya. 14 Ngoko ke uthi: “Vuka,+ wena uleleyo, uvuke kwabafileyo,+ yaye uKRISTU uya kukukhanyisela.”+
15 Ngoko hlalani nikuphaphele ngokungqongqo ukuba indlela enihamba ngayo+ ingabi njengeyabantu abangezozilumko kodwa ibe njengeyezilumko, 16 nizongele ixesha,+ ngenxa yokuba imihla ingendawo.+ 17 Ngenxa yoku musani ukuba ngabangenangqiqo, kodwa qhubekani+ nikuqonda into okuyiyo ukuthanda+ kukaYehova. 18 Kanjalo, musani ukunxila+ yiwayini, ekukho kuko uburheletyo,+ kodwa hlalani nizaliswa ngumoya,+ 19 nithetha omnye komnye ngeendumiso+ nemibongo+ kuThixo nangeengoma zokomoya, nivumela+ yaye nidlalela uYehova umculo+ ezintliziyweni zenu, 20 nisoloko nibulela+ ngazo zonke izinto kuye uThixo noBawo wethu egameni leNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.
21 Thobelanani+ ngokoyika uKristu. 22 Abafazi mabathobele+ amadoda abo njengakuyo iNkosi, 23 ngenxa yokuba indoda iyintloko yomfazi+ wayo njengokuba noKRISTU eyintloko yebandla,+ njengoko yena engumsindisi walo mzimba. 24 Enyanisweni, njengoko ibandla limthobela uKRISTU, ngoko mabenjenjalo nabafazi kumadoda abo kuyo yonk’ into.+ 25 Madoda, qhubekani nibathanda abafazi+ benu, kanye njengokuba noKRISTU walithandayo ibandla waza wazinikela ngenxa yalo,+ 26 ukuze alingcwalise,+ alihlambulule ngokuhlamba kwamanzi ngelizwi,+ 27 ukuze alizise kuye ibandla limbejembeje,+ lingenabala okanye mibimbi okanye nayiphi na yezinto ezinjalo, kodwa ukuze libe ngcwele yaye lingabi nasiphako.+
28 Ngale ndlela amadoda afanele abathande abafazi bawo njengemizimba yawo. Lowo umthandayo umfazi wakhe uyazithanda, 29 kuba akukho mntu wakha wayithiya eyakhe inyama; kodwa uyayondla aze ayiphathe ngononophelo,+ njengoko noKRISTU esenjenjalo kulo ibandla, 30 kuba singamalungu omzimba wakhe.+ 31 “Ngenxa yesi sizathu indoda iya kumshiya uyise nonina yaye iya kunamathela emfazini wayo, baze abo babini babe nyama-nye.”+ 32 Le mfihlelo engcwele+ inkulu. Ke kaloku ndithetha ngokuphathelele uKristu kunye nebandla.+ 33 Ngoko ke, ngamnye wenu makamthande umfazi wakhe+ njengoko ezithanda; ke yena umfazi, makabe nentlonelo enzulu+ ngendoda yakhe.