UmTshumayeli 3:1-22
3 Yonke into ilesikhathi sayo,Kulesikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi owenziwa ngaphansi kwamazulu:
2 Kulesikhathi sokuzalwa lesikhathi sokufa,Kulesikhathi sokuhlanyela lesikhathi sokusiphuna okuhlanyeliweyo,
3 Kulesikhathi sokubulala lesikhathi sokusilisa,Kulesikhathi sokudiliza lesikhathi sokwakha,
4 Kulesikhathi sokukhala lesikhathi sokuhleka,Kulesikhathi sokulila lesikhathi sokugida,*
5 Kulesikhathi sokulahla amatshe lesikhathi sokuwabuthanisa,Kulesikhathi sokugona lesikhathi sokuyekela ukugona,
6 Kulesikhathi sokudinga lesikhathi sokudela osekulahlekile,Kulesikhathi sokugcina lesikhathi sokulahla,
7 Kulesikhathi sokudabula+ lesikhathi sokuthunga,Kulesikhathi sokuthula+ lesikhathi sokukhuluma,+
8 Kulesikhathi sokuthanda lesikhathi sokuzonda,+Kulesikhathi sempi lesikhathi sokuthula.
9 Isisebenzi sizuzani ngayo yonke imizamo yaso?+
10 Ngiwubonile umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awunike abantu ukuze bahlale bebhizi.
11 Wenze into yonke yabanhle* ngesikhathi sayo.+ Wenza lokuthi abantu babe lesifiso sokuphila kuze kube nini lanini kodwa abasoze bawuzwisise wonke umsebenzi owenziwe nguNkulunkulu weqiniso kusukela ekuqaliseni kuze kuyefika ekucineni.
12 Sengiphethe ngokuthi akulanto engcono kubo ngaphandle kokuthi bathokoze njalo benze okuhle besaphila,+
13 lokuthi wonke umuntu kumele adle anathe njalo awukholise wonke umsebenzi wakhe onzima. Lokhu kuyisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu.+
14 Sengizwisisa ukuthi yonke into eyenziwe nguNkulunkulu weqiniso izahlala kuze kube nini lanini. Akulalutho esingalungezelela kuyo futhi akulalutho esingaluphungula. UNkulunkulu weqiniso ukwenze ngalindlela ukuze abantu bamesabe.+
15 Loba yikuphi okwenzakalayo sekwake kwenzakala, lalokho okuzabuya sekwake kwaba khona+ kodwa uNkulunkulu weqiniso udinga lokho okugijinyiswa ngabantu.*
16 Nanku okunye esengikubonile ngaphansi kwelanga: Esikhundleni sokwahlulela kuhle kwakusenziwa okubi, lasesikhundleni sokulunga kwakusenziwa okubi.+
17 Ngasengisithi enhliziyweni yami: “UNkulunkulu weqiniso uzakwahlulela abalungileyo labenza okubi+ ngoba kulesikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi laso sonke isenzo.”
18 Ngaphinda ngathi enhliziyweni yami mayelana labantu, uNkulunkulu weqiniso uzabalinga abatshengise ukuthi bayazifananela nje lezinyamazana
19 ngoba abantu balesiphetho lenyamazana zilesiphetho, konke kulesiphetho esifananayo.+ Njengoba nje okunye kusifa lokunye lakho kuyafa, konke kulomoya ofananayo.+ Umuntu kangcono kulenyamazana ngoba yonke into kayincedi ngalutho.
20 Konke kuya endaweni efananayo.+ Konke kwavela ethulini+ njalo konke kubuyela ethulini.+
21 Ngubani okwaziyo sibili ukuthi umoya wabantu uya phezulu lokuthi umoya wezinyamazana wona wehlela phansi?+
22 Ngasengibona ukuthi akukho okungcono ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu akholise umsebenzi wakhe+ ngoba lo yiwo umvuzo wakhe,* phela kakho ongamtshengisa lokho okuzakwenzakala nxa engasekho.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “sokweqayeqa.”
^ Kumbe, “yahleleka; yafanela.”
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “okwadlulayo.”
^ Kumbe, “lesi yisabelo sakhe.”
