Efesu 4:1-32
4 Ngakho-ke, mina siboshwa+ eNkosini, ngiyanincenga ukuba nihambe ngokufanele+ ukubizwa enabizwa ngakho,+
2 ngokuthobeka kwengqondo+ okuphelele nobumnene, ngokubekezela,+ nibekezelelana ngothando,+
3 nizama ngenkuthalo ukugcina ubunye bomoya esibophweni esihlanganisayo sokuthula.+
4 Kukhona umzimba owodwa,+ nomoya owodwa,+ njengoba nje nabizelwa kuleli themba+ elilodwa enabizelwa kulo;
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 ongafanelwe+ ngokwendlela uKristu asilinganisa ngayo lesi sipho sesihle.+
8 Ngakho-ke uthi: “Lapho enyukela phezulu wathumba izithunjwa; waphana ngezipho ezingabantu.”+
9 Isho ukuthini inkulumo ethi “wanyuka,”+ uma kungekhona ukuthi wehlela futhi ezindaweni eziphansi, okuwukuthi, emhlabeni?+
10 Yena kanye owehla nguye futhi owanyukela+ ngaphezulu kakhulu kunawo wonke amazulu,+ ukuze anikeze ukugcwala+ kuzo zonke izinto.
11 Futhi waphana ngabanye njengabaphostoli,+ abanye njengabaprofethi,+ abanye njengabavangeli,+ abanye njengabelusi nanjengabafundisi,+
12 enombono wokulungiswa+ kwabangcwele, ngenjongo yomsebenzi wokukhonza, ngenjongo yokwakhiwa komzimba kaKristu,+
13 kuze kube yilapho sonke sesifinyelele ubunye okholweni nasolwazini olunembile ngeNdodana kaNkulunkulu, ekubeni yindoda ekhule ngokugcwele,+ esilinganisweni sobukhulu esingesokugcwala kukaKristu;+
14 ukuze singabe sisaba yizingane sijikijeleka ngapha nangapha+ sengathi sijikijelwa amagagasi futhi siyiswa lé nalé yiyo yonke imimoya yemfundiso+ ngokukhohlisa+ kwabantu, ekuklameni isiphambeko ngobuqili.
15 Kodwa sikhuluma iqiniso,+ masikhule+ ngothando kuzo zonke izinto sikhulele kuye oyinhloko,+ uKristu.
16 Wonke umzimba ubangela ukukhula komzimba usuka kuye ukuze uzakhe othandweni,+ ngokuhlanganiswa ndawonye ngokuvumelanayo nangokwenziwa ukuba ubambisane ngawo wonke amalunga anikeza lokho okudingekayo, ngokokusebenza kwelungu ngalinye ngokuhluka kwalo ngesilinganiso esifanele.+
17 Ngakho-ke, lokhu ngikusho futhi ngikufakazele eNkosini, ukuthi ningabe nisaqhubeka nihamba njengoba nje izizwe+ zihamba ebuzeni bezingqondo zazo,+
18 lapho zisebumnyameni ngengqondo,+ futhi zihlukanisiwe+ nokuphila okungokukaNkulunkulu, ngenxa yokungazi+ okukuzo, ngenxa yokungazweli+ kwezinhliziyo zazo.
19 Njengoba zazingasenawo nhlobo umuzwa wokuziphatha okuhle,+ zazinikela ekuziphatheni okubi+ ukuze zenze zonke izinhlobo zokungcola+ ngokuhaha.+
20 Kodwa nina anifundanga ukuthi uKristu unjalo,+
21 uma kodwa, impela, nimzwile futhi nifundisiwe ngaye,+ njengoba nje iqiniso+ likuJesu,
22 ukuthi kufanele nilahle ubuntu obudala+ obuvumelana nenkambo yenu yokuziphatha yangaphambili futhi obonakaliswayo+ ngokwezifiso zabo zenkohliso;+
23 kodwa ukuthi kufanele nenziwe basha emandleni ashukumisa ingqondo yenu,+
24 futhi nigqoke+ ubuntu+ obusha obadalwa+ ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu ngokulunga kweqiniso+ nokuthembeka.
25 Ngakho-ke, njengoba seniwalahlile amanga,+ yilowo nalowo kini makakhulume iqiniso nomakhelwane wakhe,+ ngoba singamalungu elinye nelinye.+
26 Thukuthelani, kodwa ningoni;+ ilanga malingashoni nisesimweni sokucasuka,+
27 futhi ningamniki uDeveli indawo.+
28 Owebayo makangabe eseba,+ kodwa kunalokho makasebenze kanzima, enze umsebenzi omuhle ngezandla zakhe,+ ukuze abe nokuthile kokwabela umuntu oswele.+
29 Makungaphumi lizwi elibolile emilonyeni yenu,+ kodwa noma yiliphi izwi elakhayo kuye ngokwesidingo, ukuze lidlulisele okuhle kwabezwayo.+
30 Futhi, ningawenzi lusizi umoya ongcwele+ kaNkulunkulu, okungawo niye naphawulelwa+ usuku lokukhululwa ngesihlengo.+
31 Makususwe kini konke ukufutheka okubi+ nentukuthelo nolaka nokuklabalasa nokuhlambalaza+ kanye nabo bonke ububi.+
32 Kodwa yibani nomusa+ komunye nomunye, ninobubele besisa,+ nithethelelane ngokukhululekile njengoba nje noNkulunkulu anithethelela ngokukhululekile ngoKristu.+
