Kwebe-Efesu 5:1-33
5 Ngalokho lingisani uZimu+ njengabantwana abathandekako,
2 ragelani phambili nikhamba ethandweni+ njengombana noKrestu asithanda*+ bewazinikela ngebanga lethu* bona abe mhlatjelo, iphunga elimnandi kuZimu.+
3 Ukuziphatha kumbi ngokomseme* nayo yoke imihlobo yokusilaphala namkha ukuba marhamaru akungaphathwa nokuphathwa hlangana nani+ njengombana kufanele abantu abacwengileko+
4 namkha ukuziphatha okuhlazisako namkha ikulumo ebudlhadlha namkha amahlaya asilapheleko,+ izinto ezingakafaneli, kunalokho akuthokozwe uZimu.+
5 Ngombana niyakwazi lokhu, nikulemukile ngokwenu ukuthi akunamuntu oziphatha kumbi ngokomseme*+ namkha umuntu osilapheleko namkha umuntu omarhamaru,+ okutjho ukulotjha iinthombe, ozokuzuza ilifa emBusweni kaKrestu noZimu.+
6 Ningavumeli muntu anikhohlise ngamezwi angatjho litho ngombana ngebanga lezinto ezinjalo ilaka lakaZimu liyeza phezu kwabangalaleliko.
7 Ngalokho ningabi bahlanganyeli nabo
8 ngombana benibumnyama kodwana nje nikukhanya+ malungana neKosi.+ Ragelani phambili nikhamba njengabantwana bokukhanya
9 ngombana iinthelo zokukhanya zihlanganisa yoke imihlobo yobuhle, yokulunga neyeqiniso.+
10 Ragelani phambili niqiniseka ukuthi khuyini okwamukelekako+ eKosini;
11 nilise ukuhlanganyela emisebenzini engatheliko engeyobumnyama;+ kunalokho yembulani lokho engikho.
12 Ngombana izinto azenza emsitheleni ziyahlazisa ngitjho nokukhuluma ngazo.
13 Nje-ke zoke izinto ezambulwako* zenziwa zibonakale ngomkhanyo ngombana zoke izinto ezenziwa zibonakale, zikukhanya.
14 Ngalokho, kuthiwa: “Vuka, wena oleleko, uvuke kwabafileko+ noKrestu uzokuphazimula phezu kwakho.”+
15 Nje-ke tjhejisisani bona indlela enikhamba ngayo ayisinjengeyabantu abangakahlakaniphi kodwana injengeyabahlakaniphileko,
16 nisisebenzise kuhle isikhathi* senu+ ngombana amalanga esiphila kiwo la mambi.
17 Ngebanga lalokhu, lisani ukuba ngabanganangqondo kodwana ragelani phambili nilemuka lokho okuyintando kaJehova.*+
18 Godu ningadakwa liwayini+ ngombana kilo kunamanyala kodwana ragelani phambili nizaliswa ngommoya.
19 Khulumisanani ngamarhubo, ngeendumiso kuZimu nangeengoma zokulotjha uZimu, bhinani+ nidumise uJehova* ngombhino+ eenhliziyweni zenu,+
20 nithokoze+ uZimethu uBaba ngaso soke isikhathi ngazo zoke izinto ngegama leKosethu uJesu Krestu.+
21 Zithobeni komunye nomunye+ ekusabeni uKrestu.
22 Abafazi abazithobe emadodenabo+ njengokungathi bazithoba eKosini
23 ngombana indoda iyihloko yomkayo+ njengombana noKrestu ayihloko yebandla,+ okunguye umsindisi womzimba lo.
24 Eqinisweni njengombana ibandla lizithoba kuKrestu, abafazi nabo kufuze bazithobe emadodenabo kikho koke.
25 Madoda, ragelani phambili nithanda abafazi benu+ njengombana noKrestu alithanda ibandla bewazinikela ngebanga lalo+
26 ukuthi alicwengise ngokulihlanza ngamanzi welizwi+
27 bona athule ibandla kuye lisephazimulweni yalo, linganabala namkha ukutjhwabana namkha okhunye okunjalo+ kodwana licwengile begodu limsulwa.+
28 Ngendlela efanako amadoda kufuze athande abafazi bawo njengemizimbawo. Indoda ethanda umkayo izithanda yona
29 ngombana akakho umuntu owakhe wazonda umzimbakhe,* kunalokho uyawondla begodu awuthande njengombana noKrestu enza kilo ibandla
30 ngombana simalunga womzimbakhe.+
31 “Ngalokho indoda izokutjhiya uyise nonina inamathele kumkayo* begodu ababilaba bazokuba yinyama yinye.”+
32 Ifihlo ecwengileko le+ yikulu. Nje ngikhuluma ngoKrestu nangebandla.+
33 Nanyana kunjalo, ngamunye wenu kufuze athande umkakhe+ njengombana azithanda yena; ngakwelinye ihlangothi, umfazi kufuze ayihloniphe khulu indodakhe.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha kungenzeka “anithanda.”
^ Namkha kungenzeka “lenu.”
^ NgesiGirigi, yi-por·nei′a. Qala Ihlathululo.
^ Qala Ihlathululo, “Izenzo zomseme ezisisono.”
^ Namkha “ezisolwako.”
^ NgesiGirigi, “nizithengele isikhathi.”
^ NgesiGirigi, “inyamakhe.”
^ Namkha “ihlale nomkayo.”
