KWABASEKHOLOSE

1 Mina Phawuli engingumphostoli kaKhristu uJesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu kanye loThimothi+ umfowethu, 2 kini lina abangcwele labafowethu abathembekileyo abaseKholose abamanyene loKhristu:

Umusa omkhulu lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu akube kini.

3 Nxa silithandazela sihlala simbonga uNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, 4 njengoba sezwa ngokholo lwenu kuKhristu uJesu langothando elibathanda ngalo bonke abangcwele, 5 ngenxa yokuthi lilethemba lokwamukela elikugcinelweyo ezulwini.+ Ithemba leli lezwa ngalo ngesikhathi lisizwa iqiniso elimayelana lezindaba ezinhle 6 esezifike kini. Njengoba nje izindaba ezinhle ziqhubeka zithela izithelo futhi zisabalala emhlabeni wonke,+ bezisenza njalo lakini kusukela ngosuku elezwa ngalo ngomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu futhi lakwazi mhlophe ukuthi utshoni sibili. 7 Lokhu yikho elakufundiswa ngu-Ephafrasi+ inceku ethandekayo esebenza lathi, eyisikhonzi esithembekileyo sikaKhristu esimele thina. 8 Wasitshela langothando elilalo ngenxa yomoya kaNkulunkulu.

9 Yikho singazange siyekele ukulithandazela+ kusukela ngelanga esakuzwa ngalo lokhu, sicela ukuthi libe lolwazi* oluqondileyo+ olumayelana lentando yakhe futhi lithole ukuhlakanipha lokuzwisisa elikuphiwa ngumoya kaNkulunkulu.+ 10 Lokhu kuzalenza liziphathe* ngendlela efaneleyo phambi kukaJehova* ukuze limthokozise kukho konke, njengoba liqhubeka lithela izithelo kuyo yonke imisebenzi emihle njalo likhula elwazini oluqondileyo ngoNkulunkulu.+ 11 Sengathi lingaqiniswa ngamandla wonke avela emandleni akhe akhazimulayo+ ukuze liqinisele kukho konke, libekezela futhi lithokoza, 12 limbonga uBaba owalenza lafanela ukuthi lani lithole ilifa labangcwele+ abasekukhanyeni.

13 Wasihlenga emandleni obumnyama+ wasisa embusweni weNdodana yakhe ayithandayo, 14 eyaba yinhlawulo eyenza sikhululwe njalo sithethelelwe izono zethu.+ 15 Ingumfanekiso kaNkulunkulu ongabonakaliyo+ futhi ilizibulo kukho konke okwadalwayo+ 16 ngoba kwasetshenziswa yona ukudala zonke ezinye izinto ezisezulwini lezisemhlabeni, izinto ezibonakalayo lezingabonakaliyo,+ kungaba yizihlalo zobukhosi loba ubukhosi loba ohulumende loba iziphathamandla. Zonke ezinye izinto zadalwa ngayo+ futhi zadalelwa yona. 17 Kanti njalo yaba khona zonke ezinye izinto zingakabi khona+ futhi zonke ezinye izinto zenziwa zabakhona ngayo 18 njalo iyinhloko yomzimba, ibandla.+ Iyikuqala kwakho konke futhi yaba lizibulo ekuvusweni kwabafileyo+ ukuze ibe ngeyokuqala kukho konke 19 ngoba uNkulunkulu wathokoza ngokuthi konke ukugcwala kuhlale kuyo+ 20 njalo ngayo abuyisane lazo zonke ezinye izinto+ ngokwenza ukuthi kube lokuthula ngegazi+ eyalichitha esigodweni sokuhlutshwa,* kungaba yizinto ezisemhlabeni kumbe ezisezulwini.

21 Lina sibili elalehlukaniswe loNkulunkulu futhi liyizitha ngenxa yokuthi ingqondo zenu zazicabanga imisebenzi emibi, 22 usebuyisane lani ngokufa kwalowo owanikela ngomzimba wakhe wenyama ukuze alethule lingcwele, lingelasici njalo lingelacala phambi kwakhe,+ 23 nxa nje liqhubeka lilokholo,+ limi liqinile phezu kwesisekelo,+ linganyikinyeki+ njalo lingasuswa ethembeni lalezozindaba ezinhle elazizwayo futhi ezatshunyayelwa kukho konke okudaliweyo okungaphansi kwezulu.+ Mina Phawuli ngaba yisikhonzi esitshumayela lezozindaba ezinhle.+

24 Khathesi ngiyathokoza lanxa ngilihluphekela.+ Ngiphakathi kokuhlupheka okunjengokukaKhristu njalo ngisazohlupheka enyameni yami ngenxa yomzimba wakhe+ olibandla.+ 25 Ngaba yisikhonzi sebandla leli ngoba uNkulunkulu wanginika umsebenzi wokuba ngumphathi+ ukuze lina lincedakale. Yikho ngitshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu ngokupheleleyo, 26 imfihlo engcwele+ eyayifihliwe kusukela ezikhathini* zakudala+ lakuzizukulwane ezadlulayo kodwa khathesi esivezelwe abangcwele bakhe,+ 27 labo uNkulunkulu okwamthokozisayo ukubenza bayazi phakathi kwezizwe inotho ekhazimulayo yemfihlo le engcwele.+ Imfihlo le nguKhristu elimanyene laye, okutsho ukuthi lilethemba lokukhazinyuliswa laye.+ 28 Nguye esitshumayela ngaye sixwayisa bonke abantu njalo sifundisa bonke ngokuhlakanipha konke ukuze wonke umuntu omanyene loKhristu simethule ephelele.+ 29 Ngenxa yalokho ngisebenza nzima njalo ngilwisa ngawo wonke amandla ami ngincediswa ngamandla akhe asebenza phakathi kwami.+

2 Ngifuna libone ukuthi ngilwisa nzima ngenxa yenu langenxa yalabo abaseLawodikheya+ kanye labo bonke abangakaze bangibone ngawabo.* 2 Lokhu ngikwenzela ukuthi inhliziyo zabo ziduduzeke+ futhi bamanyaniswe ethandweni.+ Ngaleyondlela bazathola yonke inotho njengoba belizwisisa kuhle iqiniso ukuze bathole ulwazi oluqondileyo lwemfihlo engcwele kaNkulunkulu njalo leyomfihlo nguKhristu.+ 3 Wonke amagugu okuhlakanipha lawolwazi afihlwe kuye.+ 4 Ngikhuluma lokhu ukuze kungabi lomuntu olidukisa ngamazwi obuqili. 5 Lanxa ngingekho khonangapho, umoya wami ulani futhi kuyangithokozisa ukubona ukuhleleka kwenu okuhle+ kanye lokuthi ukholo lwenu kuKhristu luqinile.+

6 Ngakho-ke, njengoba selamukele uKhristu uJesu iNkosi, qhubekani lihamba limanyene laye, 7 ligxile kuye njengempande, lisakhelwa kuye+ futhi liqiniswa ekukholweni+ njengoba nje lafundiswa njalo liphuphuma ngokubonga.+

8 Nanzelelani kungabi lomuntu olithumba ngokuhlakanipha komhlaba lo* langobuqili obuyize,+ okusekelwe emasikweni abantu lasezintweni eziqakathekiswayo zomhlaba lo hatshi kuKhristu 9 ngoba bonke ubuntu bukaNkulunkulu bugcwele kuye ngokupheleleyo.+ 10 Yikho-ke seligcwalisiwe ngaye, yena oyinhloko yabo bonke ohulumende leziphathamandla.+ 11 Lasokwa ngokuba lobudlelwano laye, ukusoka okungenziwanga ngezandla kodwa okwenziwa ngokuhlubula umzimba olesono,+ ukusoka okungokukaKhristu+ 12 ngoba langcwatshwa laye ngobhabhathizo+ olunjengolwakhe njalo ngokuba lobudlelwano laye lavuswa+ laye ngokuwukholwa umsebenzi wamandla kaNkulunkulu, yena owamvusa kwabafileyo.+

13 Phezu kwalokho, lanxa lalifile ngenxa yeziphambeko zenu langenxa yenyama yenu engasokwanga, uNkulunkulu walenza laphila laba munye loKhristu.+ Wasithethelela ngomusa zonke iziphambeko zethu+ 14 njalo wacitsha* umthetho owawubhalwe ngesandla,+ owawulemilayo+ futhi uphikisana lathi.+ Usewususile ngokuwubethela esigodweni sokuhlutshwa.*+ 15 Ngaso* usebahlubule basala benqunu ohulumende leziphathamandla njalo ukunqotshwa kwabo ukubukise phambi kwabantu bonke,+ ebaqhuba njengalabo abanqotshwe empini.

16 Ngakho lingavumeli muntu elahlulela ngalokho elikudlayo lelikunathayo+ kumbe ngokuthakazelela umkhosi othile kumbe ukuthwasa kwenyanga+ kumbe isabatha.+ 17 Izinto lezo ziyisithunzi sezinto ezizayo+ kodwa okoqobo ngokukaKhristu.+ 18 Akungabi lomuntu olenza lehluleke ukuthola umvuzo+ futhi othanda ukuzithoba kwamanga lendlela yokukhonza yezingilosi, “omi”* ezintweni asezibonile. Indlela acabanga ngayo ngeyabantu abalesono* njalo yiyo eyenza ukuthi azikhukhumeze kungelasizatho esifaneleyo 19 futhi kabambelelanga kulowo oyinhloko,+ onika umzimba wonke lokho okufunayo njalo owubambanisa ngamalunga lemisipha yawo, awenze ukhule ngokukhula okuvela kuNkulunkulu.+

20 Nxa lafa loKhristu ezintweni eziqakathekiswayo zomhlaba lo,+ manje kungani liphila angathi lilokhu lingabomhlaba ngokuqhubeka lizibeka ngaphansi kwemilayo le+ ethi: 21 “Ungabambi, unganambithi futhi ungathinti”? 22 Phela izinto lezi ziyasetshenziswa zitshabalale njalo ziyimilayo yabantu lezimfundiso zabo.+ 23 Izinto lezo zikhanya angathi zilokuhlakanipha futhi abazenzayo bakhonza ngendlela abayifunayo, balokuthobeka kwamanga njalo bahlukuluza imizimba yabo.+ Lanxa kunjalo, kazimncedi umuntu ukuthi alwisane lezifiso zenyama.

3 Ngakho nxa lavuswa loKhristu,+ qhubekani lifuna izinto zaphezulu lapho uKhristu ahlezi khona esandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu.+ 2 Gcinani ingqondo zenu zinamathele ezintweni zaphezulu+ hatshi ezintweni zasemhlabeni+ 3 ngoba lina lifile futhi impilo yenu ifihlwe loKhristu* ngokuvumelana loNkulunkulu. 4 Lapho uKhristu oyikuphila kwethu+ ebonakala, lani lizabonakaliswa laye enkazimulweni.+

5 Ngakho bulalani izitho zemizimba yenu+ yasemhlabeni okuvela kuzo ukufeba,* lokungcola, lokubuswa zinkanuko zemacansini,+ lezifiso ezimbi kanye lobuhwaba, okuyikukhonza izithombe. 6 Ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luyeza ngenxa yezinto lezo. 7 Le yiyo indlela elaliziphatha* ngayo empilweni elaliyiphila kuqala.*+ 8 Kodwa kufanele likulahle konke lokhu: ukuthukuthela, lokuzonda, lezenzo ezimbi,+ lokuthethisa+ njalo inkulumo ebolileyo+ akufanelanga iphume emilonyeni yenu. 9 Lingaqambelani amanga.+ Hlubulani ubuntu obudala+ lezenzo zabo, 10 ligqoke ubuntu obutsha+ obenziwa bube butsha ngolwazi oluqondileyo ngokuvumelana lomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu owabudalayo.+ 11 Lapho akulamGrikhi kumbe umJuda, akulakusoka kumbe ukungasoki, akula owezizweni, akula umSikhethiya,* isigqili kumbe okhululekileyo kodwa uKhristu uyikho konke kukho konke.+

12 Njengoba lingabantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiweyo,+ abangcwele labathandwayo, gqokani uzwelo olukhulu,+ lomusa, lokuthobeka,*+ lobumnene+ kanye lokubekezela.+ 13 Qhubekani libekezelelana futhi lithethelelana ngenhliziyo yonke+ lanxa umuntu engabe elesizatho sokusola omunye.+ Njengoba nje uJehova* walithethelela ngenhliziyo yonke, lani kufanele lenze njalo.+ 14 Phezu kwakho konke lokhu, gqokani uthando+ ngoba lwenza limanyane ngokupheleleyo.+

15 Kanti njalo ukuthula kukaKhristu akubuse ezinhliziyweni zenu+ ngoba labizelwa kukho ukuze libe ngumzimba owodwa. Tshengisani ukuthi lingabantu ababongayo. 16 Ilizwi likaKhristu kalihlale kini ngokupheleleyo, libe ngabantu abalokuhlakanipha konke. Qhubekani lifundisana njalo likhuthazana* ngamahubo,+ langezingoma zokudumisa uNkulunkulu langokuhlabela izingoma zokukhonza lezokubonga, futhi lihlabelele uJehova* ngezinhliziyo* zenu.+ 17 Loba kuyini elikwenzayo, kungaba ngelizwi kumbe ngesenzo, konke kwenzeni ngebizo leNkosi uJesu, libonga uNkulunkulu uBaba ngayo.+

18 Bafazi, zehliseni kubomkenu+ ngoba lokhu kuhle eNkosini. 19 Madoda, qhubekani lithanda omkenu+ njalo lingabi lesihluku kubo.*+ 20 Bantwana, lalelani abazali benu kukho konke+ ngoba lokhu kuyayithokozisa iNkosi. 21 Bobaba, lingabazondisi* abantwabenu+ ukuze bangadani.* 22 Lina zigqili, walaleleni kukho konke amakhosi enu asemhlabeni,+ hatshi nxa elikhangele kuphela angathi lithokozisa abantu, kodwa kwenzeni ngenhliziyo eqotho langokwesaba uJehova.* 23 Loba kuyini elikwenzayo kwenzeni ngomphefumulo* wonke, angathi lisebenzela uJehova*+ hatshi abantu 24 ngoba liyakwazi ukuthi lizakwamukela umvuzo olilifa elivela kuJehova.*+ Kufanele libe yizigqili zeNkosi uKhristu. 25 Owenza okubi uzajeziswa sibili ngenxa yobubi abenzileyo+ njalo akusoze kube lobandlululo.+

4 Makhosi, phathani izigqili zenu ngendlela elungileyo lefaneleyo, lisazi ukuthi lani lilayo iNkosi ezulwini.+

2 Phikelelani emthandazweni,+ lihlale likuphaphemele ukuthandaza futhi libe ngababongayo.+ 3 Kanti njalo lisithandazele lathi+ ukuze uNkulunkulu avulele ilizwi lakhe umnyango ukwenzela ukuthi sitshumayele imfihlo le engcwele ephathelane loKhristu, engiyisibotshwa ngenxa yayo+ 4 lokuthi ngiyitshumayele ngendlela ecacileyo njengoba kufanele ngenze njalo.

5 Qhubekani liphila* ngendlela elokuhlakanipha phakathi kwalabo abangayisiwo malunga ebandla, lisisebenzise kuhle kakhulu isikhathi senu.*+ 6 Amazwi enu kawahlale elomusa, efakwe isawudo+ ukuze likwazi ukuthi kumele limphendule njani umuntu ngamunye.+

7 UThikhikhu+ umfowethu engimthandayo, oyisikhonzi esithembekileyo lenceku engisebenza layo eNkosini, uzalitshela zonke izindaba ezimayelana lami. 8 Ngimthuma kini ukuze likwazi ukuthi sinjani njalo ngifuna aduduze izinhliziyo zenu. 9 Uzabuya lo-Onesimu,+ umfowethu othembekileyo engimthandayo ovela kini. Bazalitshela konke okwenzakala lapha.

10 U-Aristakhu+ engibotshwe laye uyalibingelela, loMakho+ umzawakhe kaBhanabha uyalibingelela (uMakho lo nguye elatshelwa ukuthi limamukele+ nxa engafika kini), 11 loJesu okuthiwa nguJustu. Bonke laba badabuka kwabasokileyo njalo yibo kuphela engincedisana labo sisebenzela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu futhi bayangiduduza* kakhulu. 12 U-Ephafrasi+ ovela kini oyinceku kaKhristu uJesu uyalibingelela. Uhlala elithandazela ngenhliziyo yonke ukuze ekucineni libe ngabapheleleyo njalo liyikholwe ngokugcweleyo yonke intando kaNkulunkulu. 13 Ngiyamfakazela ukuthi ulisebenzela nzima lina lalabo abaseLawodikheya laseHirapholisi.

14 ULukha+ udokotela othandekayo loDemasi bayalibingelela.+ 15 Libingelele abafowethu abaseLawodikheya lodadewethu uNimfa kanye lebandla elisemzini wakhe.+ 16 Nxa incwadi le isibaliwe kini, hlelani ukuthi ibalwe+ lasebandleni laseLawodikheya, lokuthi lani libale leyo evela eLawodikheya. 17 Tshelani lo-Akhiphu+ lithi: “Yiqakathekise inkonzo owayamukela eNkosini ukuze uyenze yonke.”

18 Mina Phawuli ngiyalibingelela ngibhala ngesami isandla.+ Hlalani likhumbula ngokubotshwa kwami.+ Umusa omkhulu kawube lani.