Kwabase-Efese 1:1-23
1 UPawulos ongumpostile kaKristu Yesu ngenxa yokuthanda kukaThixo, ubhalela abangcwele abase-Efese+ nabathembekileyo abamanyene noKristu Yesu, esithi:
2 Kwanga uThixo onguTata wethu neNkosi uYesu Kristu, banganenzela ububele,* baninike noxolo.
3 Makadunyiswe uThixo noTata weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu, oye wasebenzisa umoya oyingcwele ukuze asinike zonke iintsikelelo ezisemazulwini ngokumanyene noKristu,+
4 wasikhetha ukuba simanyane noKristu ngaphambi kokusekwa kwehlabathi,* ukuze sibe ngcwele, yaye singabi nabala+ phambi kwakhe ngenxa yokuba simthanda.
5 Kuba wasikhetha kwangaphambili+ ukuba sibe ngoonyana bakhe+ esebenzisa uYesu Kristu, kuba ethanda njalo yaye efuna,+
6 ukuze adunyiswe ngenxa yobubele*+ asenzele bona esebenzisa uNyana wakhe amthandayo.+
7 Ngenxa yoNyana wakhe sikhululwe, sahlawulelwa ngegazi lakhe,+ saxolelwa nezono zethu+ ngenxa yobubele* bukaThixo obuninzi.
8 UThixo wasenzela obu bubele* waza wasinika bonke ubulumko nokuqonda*
9 ngokusazisa imfihlelo engcwele+ yokuthanda kwakhe. Yona ivumelana nokuthanda kwakhe
10 ukuze amisele indlela yokulawula izinto xa kuphela ixesha alibekileyo, ukuze aziqokelelele kuKristu zonke izinto, izinto ezisemazulwini nezinto ezisemhlabeni.+ Ewe, ziqokelelelwe kulowo
11 simanyene naye saza sakhethwa ukuba sibe ziindlalifa,+ ekubeni sakhethwa kwangaphambili ngokuvumelana nenjongo yalowo wenza zonke izinto agqibe ukuba uza kuzenza ngokokuthanda kwakhe,
12 ukuze thina bangabokuqala ukuthembela kuKristu sisebenzele ukuba uThixo adunyiswe.
13 Kodwa nani nathembela kuye emva kokuba nilivile ilizwi lenyaniso, iindaba ezilungileyo ezingokusindiswa kwenu. Emva kokuba nikholiwe, nabekwa isitampu+ ngaye ngomoya oyingcwele owawuthenjisiwe,
14 osisiqinisekiso selifa lethu,+ ukuze akhulule abantu bakaThixo+ ngokubahlawulela,+ kuze kudunyiswe indlela azuke ngayo.
15 Yiloo nto nam ndithe ndakuva ngokholo eninalo kwiNkosi uYesu, nendlela enibonise ngayo ukuba niyabathanda bonke abangcwele,
16 andayeka ukubulela ngenxa yenu. Ndihlala ndinibeka kwimithandazo yam,
17 ndithandazela ukuba uThixo weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu, uTata ozukileyo, aninike ubulumko nolwazi oluchanileyo ngaye.+
18 Uye wazivula iingqondo zenu,* ukuze nibone nize nazi ukuba leliphi ithemba anibizele kulo, nokuba bubuphi ubutyebi ababekele bona njengelifa abo bangcwele,+
19 nibone nendlela awabonisa ngayo kuthi makholwa amandla akhe angenakulinganiswa nanto.+ Loo mandla abonakala kwimisebenzi yakhe.
20 Wawasebenzisa kuKristu xa wamvusa ekufeni waza wamhlalisa ngasekunene kwakhe+ ezulwini,
21 wambeka wangaphezulu kwabo bonke oorhulumente, amagunya, abo banamandla, abalawuli nawo onke amagama abizwayo,+ hayi kuphela kweli xesha* kodwa nakwelizayo.
22 Wazithobela phantsi kweenyawo zakhe zonke izinto,+ waza wamenza intloko yezinto zonke ebandleni,+
23 bandla elo lingumzimba wakhe,+ nelizaliswe zizo zonke izinto ngaye, yena mntu uzizalisekisayo zonke izinto.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “ububele obunganifanelanga.”
^ Oko kukuthi, ngaphambi kokuzalwa kwabantwana baka-Adam noEva.
^ Okanye “yobubele obungasifanelanga.”
^ Okanye “ububele obungasifanelanga.”
^ Okanye “bubele bungasifanelanga.”
^ Okanye “nokukwazi ukusebenzisa ingqondo.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “wawavula amehlo eentliziyo zenu.”
^ Okanye “kule nkqubo yezinto.” Funda Ingcaciso Yamagama.
