Galati
3 Owu maGalati angenangqiqo, ngubani na onifake impembelelo embi,+ nina enanikwa inkcazelo ecacileyo ngokubethelelwa+ kukaYesu Kristu? 2 Inye nje into endifuna ukuyiqonda kuni: Ngaba nawamkela umoya+ ngenxa yemisebenzi yomthetho+ okanye ngenxa yokuva+ ngokholo? 3 Ngaba aninangqiqo kangako na? Nisakuba niqale emoyeni+ ngaba ngoku nigqibela enyameni na?+ 4 Ngaba neva iimbandezelo ezininzi kangaka ngokungenanjongo na?+ Ukuba phofu ngokwenene kwakungokungenanjongo. 5 Lowo, ke ngoko, unibonelela ngomoya+ nowenza imisebenzi yamandla+ phakathi kwenu, ngaba ukwenza oko ngenxa yemisebenzi yomthetho okanye ngenxa yokuva ngokholo? 6 Kunjengokuba kanye uAbraham “wakholwayo kuYehova, kwaza oko kwabalelwa kuye njengobulungisa.”+
7 Ngokuqinisekileyo niyazi ukuba abo babambelela elukholweni+ ngabo abangoonyana baka-Abraham.+ 8 Ke kaloku iSibhalo, sibona kwangaphambili ukuba uThixo wayeya kubavakalisa abantu beentlanga bengamalungisa ngenxa yokholo, sazivakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo kwangaphambili kuAbraham, ezizezi: “Ziya kusikelelwa ngawe zonke iintlanga.”+ 9 Ngenxa yoko abo babambelela elukholweni basikelelwa+ kunye noAbraham+ okholiweyo.
10 Kuba bonke abo baxhomekeke kwimisebenzi yomthetho baphantsi kwesiqalekiso; kuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Uqalekisiwe wonke ubani ongazigciniyo zonke izinto ezibhaliweyo kumsongo woMthetho aze azenze.”+ 11 Ngaphezu koko, kuyabonakala ukuba akukho bani uvakaliswa elilungisa+ kuThixo ngawo umthetho, kuba “lowo ulilungisa uya kuphila ngenxa yokholo.”+ 12 Ke kaloku uMthetho lo wona awubambeleli lukholweni, kodwa “lowo uzenzayo ezo zinto uya kuphila ngazo.”+ 13 Ngokusithenga uKristu+ wasikhulula+ kwisiqalekiso soMthetho ngokuthi abe sisiqalekiso+ esikhundleni sethu, ngenxa yokuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Uqalekisiwe wonke umntu oxhonywa esibondeni.”+ 14 Injongo yayikukuba intsikelelo ka-Abraham kuzo iintlanga ibe ngoYesu Kristu,+ ukuze ngalo ukholo lwethu+ samkele umoya othenjisiweyo.+
15 Bazalwana, ndithetha ngomzekeliso wabantu: Umnqophiso oqinisekisiweyo, nakuba ungowomntu, akukho bani uwutshitshisayo okanye ongeze kuwo.+ 16 Ke kaloku izithembiso zenziwa kuAbraham+ nakwimbewu yakhe.+ Akuthiwa: “Nakwiimbewu,” njengakwimeko yezininzi, kodwa njengakwimeko yenye kuthiwa:+ “Nakwimbewu yakho,”+ enguKristu.+ 17 Ngokubhekele phaya, ndithi: Umnqophiso owaqinisekiswayo ngaphambili nguThixo,+ awunakutshitshiswa nguMthetho ofike emva kwamakhulu amane anamashumi amathathu eminyaka,+ ungenako nokusibhangisa isithembiso.+ 18 Kuba ukuba ilifa lixhomekeke emthethweni, oko kuthetha ukuba alizuzwa ngokwesithembiso;+ kanti ke uThixo uye ngobubele walinika uAbraham ngesithembiso.+
19 Kuthekani, ke ngoko, ngoMthetho? Wongezwa ukuze ukunxaxha kubonakaliswe,+ de ifike imbewu+ ekwakwenziwe kuyo isithembiso; yaye wadluliselwa ngeengelosi+ ngesandla somlamli.+ 20 Ke kaloku akakho umlamli apho emnye kuphela umntu ochaphazelekayo, kodwa uThixo mnye kuphela.+ 21 Ngaba uMthetho, ke ngoko, unxamnye nezithembiso zikaThixo?+ Nakanye! Kuba ukuba kwakuye kwanikelwa umthetho owawunokunika ubomi,+ okunene ubulungisa bebuya kuba ngawo umthetho.+ 22 Kodwa iSibhalo+ sibalela zonke izinto ekuthini ziphantsi kwesono,+ ngoko ke isithembiso sizuzwa ngokukholwa kuYesu Kristu yaye sinikelwa kwabo babonisa ukholo.+
23 Noko ke, ngaphambi kokufika kokholo,+ sasilindwa siphantsi komthetho,+ siseluvalelweni, sikhangele kukholo olwalumiselwe ukutyhilwa.+ 24 Ngenxa yoko uMthetho uye waba ngumkhapheli wethu osikhokelela kuKristu,+ ukuze sivakaliswe singamalungisa+ ngenxa yokholo. 25 Kodwa ngoku ekubeni ukholo lufikile,+ asisekho phantsi komkhapheli.+
26 Nonke, enyanisweni, ningoonyana+ bakaThixo ngalo ukholo lwenu kuKristu Yesu. 27 Kuba nonke nina enabhaptizelwa kuKristu+ niye namambatha uKristu.+ 28 Akukho mYuda namGrike,+ akukho khoboka nokhululekileyo,+ akukho ndoda nabhinqa;+ kuba nonke ningumntu omnye ngokumanyene noKristu Yesu.+ 29 Ngaphezu koko, ukuba ningabakaKristu, ngokwenene niyimbewu ka-Abraham,+ iindlalifa ngokwesithembiso.+