1 KwabaseThesalonika

3 Kuthe sekunzima ukuthi sikubekezelele lokho, sabona kungcono ukuthi siqhubeke sisodwa e-Athene; 2 njalo sathuma uThimothi umfowethu oyisikhonzi sikaNkulunkulu* sezindaba ezinhle eziphathelane loKhristu, ukuthi azoliqinisa futhi aliduduze ukuze ukholo lwenu luqine, 3 kungabi lomuntu onganyikinywa* zinhlupho lezi. Phela lina liyakwazi ukuthi ngeke sikubalekele ukuhlupheka lokhu,* 4 ngoba siseselani sasihlala silitshela ukuthi sizahlupheka, njalo yikho osekwenzakele njengoba lisazi. 5 Ngenxa yalokho kwathi sekunzima ukuthi ngibekezele, ngamthuma kini ukuze ngizwe ngokuthembeka kwenu, ngisesabela ukuthi uMlingi wayengabe eselilingile, umsebenzi wethu onzima waphelela emoyeni.

6 Kodwa uThimothi usanda kufika kithi evela kini futhi usesitshele izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana lokuthembeka kwenu lothando elilalo, ukuthi liqhubeka lisikhumbula kakhulu njalo liyafisa sibili ukusibona, ngendlela lathi esifisa ngayo ukulibona. 7 Yikho bafowethu, lanxa sihlupheka* kangaka futhi sithwele nzima, siyaduduzeka ngenxa yenu langenxa yokuthi litshengisa ukuthi lithembekile, 8 ngoba thina siyavuselelwa* nxa lina limi liqinile eNkosini. 9 Kambe singamtshengisa njani uNkulunkulu ukuthi siyambonga ngani lonke langokuthi siyathokoza kakhulu phambi kwakhe ngenxa yenu? 10 Sithandaza ebusuku lemini sincenga ngenhliziyo yonke ukuthi silibone ngawethu* futhi sengezelele lokho okusilelayo ekukholweni kwenu.

11 Sengathi uNkulunkulu wethu uBaba kanye leNkosi yethu uJesu bangasivulela indlela yokuthi size kini. 12 Kanti njalo kwangathi iNkosi ingandisa uthando lwenu, lithandane kakhulu futhi libathande kakhulu bonke, njengoba lathi silithanda, 13 ukuze iqinise izinhliziyo zenu, zingasoleki futhi zibe ngcwele phambi kukaNkulunkulu uBaba ngesikhathi sokuba khona kweNkosi uJesu ilabo bonke abangcwele bayo.