INCWADI YOKUTHOMA EYA KWEBETHESALONIKA

1 UPowula, uSilvanu*+ noThimothi,+ ebandleni lebeThesalonika elisebunyeni noZimu uBaba neKosi uJesu Krestu:

Kwanga ningaba nomusa omkhulu nokuthula.

2 Sihlala sithokoza uZimu nasikhuluma ngani noke emithandazwenethu+ 3 ngombana sihlala sikhumbula umsebenzenu wokuthembeka, ukuzikhandla kwenu kwethando nokukghodlhelela ngebanga lethemba lenu+ eKosinethu uJesu Krestu phambi kwakaZimethu, uBaba. 4 Ngombana siyakwazi, bafowethu abathandwa nguZimu, ukunikhetha kwakhe 5 ngombana iindaba ezimnandi esizitjhumayelako akhenge zize kini ngamezwi kwaphela kodwana nangamandla nommoya ocwengileko nangokuqiniseka okukhulu njengombana nazi ukuthi saba lihlobo elinjani labantu hlangana nani ngebanga lenu. 6 Nokuthi naba balingisi bethu+ nebeKosi+ njengombana namukele ilizwi ngaphasi kwesizi elikhulu+ ngethabo lommoya ocwengileko 7 kangangobana naba sibonelo kiwo woke amakholwa weMasedoniya ne-Akhaya.

8 Iqiniso kukuthi, ngebanga lenu ilizwi lakaJehova* alikazwakali eMasedoniya ne-Akhaya kwaphela kodwana ukukholwa kwenu kuZimu kurhatjheke eendaweni zoke,+ yeke akusatlhogeki sitjho litho. 9 Ngombana bona ngokwabo bahlala babika ngokuhlangana kwethu kokuthoma nani nendlela enitjhugulukele ngayo kuZimu, nasuka eenthombeni zenu+ naba ziingqila zakaZimu ophilako noweqiniso 10 nokulinda iNdodanakhe evela ezulwini,+ leyo ayivusa kwabafileko, okunguJesu, ositjhaphulula elakeni elizako.+

2 Ngokuqinisekileko, niyazi bafowethu ukuthi ukunivakatjhela kwethu akhenge kube lilize.+ 2 Njengombana nazi ukuthi nanyana kokuthoma satlhaga begodu saphathwa kumbi eFilipi,+ ngesizo lakaZimethu saba nesibindi sokunitjela iindaba ezimnandi zakaZimu+ naphezu kokuphikiswa okukhulu.* 3 Ngombana isiyalo esisinikelako asiveli emtjhaphweni namkha ekusilaphaleni namkha ngokukhohlisa 4 njengombana sivunyelwe nguZimu ukuthi siphathiswe iindaba ezimnandi, asikhulumeli ukuthabisa abantu kodwana bona sithabise uZimu ohlola iinhliziyo zethu.+

5 Eqinisweni, niyazi ukuthi akhenge sinitshime namkha senze ngasuthi sibabantu abahle ngeenhloso zokuba marhamaru,+ uZimu ngufakazi walokho. 6 Akhenge sifune nedumo ebantwini, kungaba kini namkha kwabanye abantu nanyana besingaba mthwalo ngokunibangela iindleko ezikulu njengabapostoli bakaKrestu.+ 7 Kunalokho, sanitjheja njengomma omunyisako atlhogomela ngethando abantwabakhe. 8 Njengombana besinithanda, sazimisela* ukungadluliseli kini iindaba ezimnandi zakaZimu kwaphela kodwana nokunikela ukuphila kwethu+ bona sinisize ngombana sanithanda khulu.+

9 Ngokuqinisekileko niyakukhumbula bafowethu ukusebenza budisi nokuzikhandla kwethu. Besisebenza ubusuku nemini bona singathwesi nanyana ngubani wenu umthwalo weendleko ezikulu+ nasitjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi zakaZimu kini. 10 Nina nibofakazi noZimu ngufakazi wendlela esibe ngabathembekileko ngayo, abalungileko nabamsulwa kini makholwa. 11 Nazi kuhle bona besisolo siniyala, siniduduza begodu sinikela ubufakazi komunye nomunye wenu+ njengombana ubaba+ enza ebantwaneni bakhe 12 bona niragele phambili nikhamba ngokufaneleko kuZimu,+ onibizela emBusweni+ nephazimulwenakhe.+

13 Kungebangeli nathi sithokoza uZimu ngaso soke isikhathi+ ngombana nanamukela ilizwi lakaZimu enalizwa kithi, akhenge nilamukele njengelizwi labantu kodwana njengelizwi lakaZimu njengombana eqinisweni lingilo, okungilo elisebenza nakini makholwa. 14 Ngombana nina bafowethu, nilingise amabandla kaZimu aseJudiya amunye noKrestu Jesu ngombana natlhaga ezandleni zabantu benarhenenu+ ngezinto ezifana nalezi nabo abatlhaga ngazo ezandleni zamaJuda, 15 abulala ngitjho neKosi uJesu+ nabaphorofidi begodu asihlunguphaza nathi.+ Ngaphezu kwalokho awamthabisi uZimu, alwisana nalokho okuzuzisa boke abantu 16 njengombana alinga ukusikhandela ekukhulumeni nabantu beentjhaba ukuthi basindiswe.+ Ngalokhu ahlala azalise isilinganiso sezono zawo. Kodwana ekugcineni ilaka lakhe libafikele.+

17 Bafowethu, ngesikhathi sihlukaniswe nani isikhatjhana (ngesiqu, ingasi eenhliziyweni zethu) ngebanga lesifiso sethu esinamandla, senza yoke imizamo yokunibona ubuso nobuso. 18 Kungebangeli besifuna ukuza kini, mina Powula ngalinga ingasi kanye kodwana kabili kodwana uSathana wavala indlelethu. 19 Ngombana liyini ithemba lethu namkha ithabo namkha isihlohlo sethabo phambi kweKosethu uJesu ekubeni khona kwayo? Kghani akusingini?+ 20 Eqinisweni niyiphazimulo nethabo lethu.

3 Nje-ke kwathi nasingasakghoni ukukghodlhelela ukunihlulukela, sabona kungcono bona sisale sodwa e-Athene;+ 2 sathumela uThimothi,+ umfowethu osisebenzi sakaZimu* seendaba ezimnandi ezimalungana noKrestu bona aniqinise bekaniduduze ekukholweni kwenu 3 ukuthi kungabi namunye ozokusikinywa matshwenyeko la. Ngombana nina ngokwenu niyazi ukuthi angekhe sakubalekela ukutlhagiswa zizinto ezinjalo.+ 4 Lokha sisesenani, besinitjela kusesengaphambili ukuthi sizokutlhagiswa matshwenyeko, ngilokho-ke okwenzekileko njengombana nazi.+ 5 Kungakho, kwathi nangingasakghoni ukukukghodlhelelela, ngathumela uThimothi kini bona ngizwe ngokuthembeka kwenu+ ukuthi kungenzeka na ngendlela ethileko uMlingi+ unilingile begodu umsebenzethu sele uphenduke ilize.

6 Kodwana uThimothi uqeda ukufika ubuya kini+ begodu usibikele iindaba ezimnandi ngokuthembeka nethando lenu bona nihlala nisikhumbula ngethando nokuthi nisihlulukele ngendlela esinihlulukele ngayo. 7 Kungakho bafowethu, kikho koke ukutlhuwa nesizi lethu, siduduzekile ngebanga lenu nokuthembeka enikutjengisako.+ 8 Ngombana siyavuseleleka* nanidzimelele eKosini. 9 Alo-ke singakutjengisa njani ukuthokoza kwethu kuZimu malungana nani ngebanga lethabo elikhulu esilizwako phambi kwakaZimethu ngebanga lenu? 10 Ubusuku nemini sirabhela ngokuzimisela ngendlela esingakghona ngayo ukuthi sinibone ubuso nobuso bona siniphe lokho enitlhayela ngakho ekukholweni kwenu.+

11 Nje-ke kwanga uZimu uBabethu neKosethu uJesu Krestu angasenzela indlela yokuza kini. 12 Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwanga iKosi inganenza nande, iye, niphuphume ekuthandaneni+ nekuthandeni boke njengombana nathi sinithanda 13 bona yenze iinhliziyo zenu ziqine, zibe msulwa ekucwengekeni phambi kwakaZimu+ uBabethu, ekubeni khona kweKosethu uJesu+ nabo boke abacwengileko bakhe.

4 Emaswapheleni, bafowethu njengombana nifumene isinqophiso kithi malungana nokuthi kufuze nikhambe njani bona nithabise uZimu,+ eqinisweni njengombana nikhamba, siyanibawa begodu siyanincenga ngeKosi uJesu bona niragele phambili nikwenza ngokungeziweko khulu. 2 Ngombana niyazazi iinqophiso* esininikele zona ngeKosi uJesu.

3 Ngombana lokhu kuyintando kaZimu ukuthi kufuze nicwengeke+ benigegede ukuziphatha kumbi ngokomseme.*+ 4 Ngamunye wenu kufuze azi indlela yokulawula umzimbakhe*+ ngokucwengeka+ nangokuhlonipheka, 5 ingasi ngekanuko yomseme engalawulwako,+ eragwa kukuba marhamaru efana neyeentjhaba ezingamaziko uZimu.+ 6 Akekho okufuze eqe imikhawulo efaneleko, alimaze nomfowabo kilokhu ngombana uJehova* ukhupha isijeziso kikho koke lokhu njengombana sanitjela ngaphambilini begodu saniyelelisa ngokuqinileko. 7 Ngombana uZimu akakasibizeli ukusilaphala kodwana usibizele ukucwengeka.+ 8 Nje-ke, umuntu ongahloniphi lokhu akadeleli umuntu kodwana udelela uZimu,+ onipha ummoyakhe ocwengileko.+

9 Nanyana kunjalo, malungana nokuthandana njengamalunga womndeni,+ anitlhogi bona sinitlolele ngombana nina ngokwenu nifundiswa nguZimu bona nithandane.+ 10 Eqinisweni, ngilokho enikwenzako kibo boke abafowethu eMasedoniya yoke. Kodwana siyanikhuthaza, bafowethu bona niragele phambili nokwenza lokhu ngesilinganiso esizeleko. 11 Kwenzeni umnqophwenu ukuphila ngokuthula+ nokutjheja iindaba zenu kwaphela+ begodu nisebenze ngezandla zenu+ njengombana saninqophisa 12 bona nikhambe ngokuhlelekileko emehlweni wabantu abangaphandle,+ ningatlhogi litho.

13 Ukungezelela kilokho bafowethu, asifuni ningabi nelwazi* ngalabo abalele ekufeni+ bona ningatlhuwi njengombana kwenza boke abanganathemba.+ 14 Ngombana nangabe siyakholwa ukuthi uJesu wafa bewavuswa godu+ ngokufanako uZimu uzobaletha naye labo abalele ekufeni ngoJesu.+ 15 Ngombana ngilokhu esinitjela khona ngelizwi lakaJehova* ukuthi labo hlangana nathi abazabe baphila phakathi nokuba khona kweKosi, angekhe babakhambele phambili labo abalele ekufeni 16 ngombana iKosi ngokwayo izokwehla ivela ezulwini ngelizwi lokuyala nangelizwi lengilozi ekulu+ nangebhorompita kaZimu kuthi labo abahlongakeleko abasebunyeni noKrestu bazokuvuka qangi.+ 17 Ngemva kwalokho thina esisaphilako esisaseleko kunye nabo, sizokuthathwa ngamafu+ bona sihlangane neKosi+ emoyeni begodu sizokuhlala sineKosi.+ 18 Nje-ke ragelani phambili niduduzana ngamezwi la.

5 Nje-ke malungana neenkhathi namalanga, bafowethu, anitlhogi ukutlolelwa litho. 2 Ngombana nina ngokwenu nazi kuhle ukuthi ilanga lakaJehova*+ liza patsi njengokuza kwesela ebusuku.+ 3 Nanyana kunini nabathi, “Ukuthula nokuvikeleka!” Khonokho ukutjhatjalaliswa kuzobafikela bangakalindeli,+ njengemirhelo efikela umfazi osidisi, angekhe baphunyurhe. 4 Kodwana nina bafowethu, anisisebumnyameni, nje-ke ilangelo angekhe linifikele ningakalindeli njengokukhanya kwemini okufikela isela lingakalindeli 5 ngombana noke nimadodana wokukhanya namadodana wemini.+ Asisingebebusuku namkha bobumnyama.+

6 Nje-ke, asingalali njengombana abanye benza+ kodwana asihlaleni siphapheme+ begodu sihlale siqaqulukile.+ 7 Ngombana labo abalalako, balala ebusuku nalabo abadakwako badakwa ebusuku.+ 8 Kodwana thina esingebemini, asihlaleni siqaqulukile, simbathe isivikelo sesifuba sokukholwa nethando nethemba lesindiso njengesikoporo*+ 9 ngombana uZimu akafuni siqalane nelaka lakhe kodwana ufuna sisindiswe+ ngeKosethu uJesu Krestu. 10 Yasifela+ ukuthi nanyana sihlala siphapheme namkha silele,* siphile kunye nayo.+ 11 Yeke, hlalani nikhuthazana* begodu nakhana+ njengombana kuhlekuhle nenza.

12 Siyanibawa bafowethu bona nibahloniphe labo abasebenza budisi hlangana nani nabanengameleko eKosini begodu baniyala; 13 nibacabangele begodu nibathande ngaphezu kokujayelekileko ngebanga lomsebenzabo.+ Hlalisanani ngokuthula.+ 14 Ngakwelinye ihlangothi, siyanikhuthaza, bafowethu bona niyelelise* abangakahleleki,+ nikhulume ngokududuzako nalabo abagandelelekileko,* nisekele ababogabogako, nibekezelele boke.+ 15 Qinisekani bona kungabi nobuyisela ukulinyazwa ngokulimaza kunanyana ngubani+ kodwana ngaso soke isikhathi lwelani ukwenza okuhle komunye nomunye nakibo boke abanye.+

16 Thabani ngaso soke isikhathi.+ 17 Thandazani qobe.+ 18 Thokozani ngakho koke.+ Lokhu kuyintando kaZimu ngani kuKrestu Jesu. 19 Ningawucimi umlilo wommoya.+ 20 Ningazideleli iimphorofido.+ 21 Qinisekani ngazo zoke izinto;+ kakarelani kokuhle. 22 Gegedani yoke imihlobo yobumbi.+

23 Kwanga uZimu wokuthula anganicwengisa ngokupheleleko. Kwanga ummoya nomphefumulo* nomzimbenu bafowethu, kungalondolozwa kumsulwa begodu kuphelele ngazo zoke iindlela ekubeni khona kweKosethu uJesu Krestu.+ 24 Loyo onibizako uthembekile begodu ngokuqinisekileko uzokwenza lokho.

25 Bafowethu, hlalani nisithandazela.+

26 Lotjhisani boke abafowethu ngokumanga okucwengileko.

27 Nginibeka ngaphasi kwesibopho esiqinileko ngeKosi ukuthi incwadi le niyifundele boke abafowethu.+

28 Umusa omkhulu weKosethu uJesu Krestu ube nani.