Kwabase-Efesu 4

1 Ngakho ngiyalincenga, mina isibotshwa eNkosini, ukuthi lihambe ngokufanele ubizo elabizwa ngalo,

And so, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called:

2 kanye lokuthobeka konke lobumnene, lokubekezela, libekezelelane ethandweni,

with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity.

3 likhuthale ukugcina ukuhlangana koMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.

Be anxious to preserve the unity of the Spirit within the bonds of peace.

4 Munye umzimba njalo munye uMoya, njengalokhu lani labizwa ethembeni linye lobizo lwenu;

One body and one Spirit: to this you have been called by the one hope of your calling:

5 yinye iNkosi, lunye ukholo, lunye ubhabhathizo,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 munye uNkulunkulu loYise wabo bonke, ophezu kwabo bonke, langabo bonke, lakini lonke.

one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

7 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa njengokwesilinganiso sesipho sikaKristu.

Yet to each one of us there has been given grace according to the measure allotted by Christ.

8 Ngakho uthi: Ekwenyukeleni kwakhe phezulu wathumba ukuthunjwa, wanika abantu izipho.

Because of this, he says: “Ascending on high, he took captivity itself captive; he gave gifts to men.”

9 Lokhu-ke ukuthi: Wenyuka, kuyini ngaphandle kokuthi laye wehlela kuqala kungxenye ezingaphansi zomhlaba?

Now that he has ascended, what is left except for him also to descend, first to the lower parts of the earth?

10 Owehlayo, nguye owenyukela futhi khatshana ngaphezulu kwamazulu wonke, ukuze agcwalise izinto zonke.

He who descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens, so that he might fulfill everything.

11 Yena wasenika abanye babe ngabaphostoli, labanye babe ngabaprofethi, labanye babe ngabavangeli, labanye babe ngabelusi labafundisi,

And the same one granted that some would be Apostles, and some Prophets, yet truly others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers,

12 ekuphelelisweni kwabangcwele, emsebenzini wenkonzo, ekwakhiweni komzimba kaKristu;

for the sake of the perfection of the saints, by the work of the ministry, in the edification of the body of Christ,

13 size sifike sonke ebunyeni bokholo, lobolwazi lweNdodana kaNkulunkulu, endodeni epheleleyo, esilinganisweni sesimo sokugcwala kukaKristu;

until we all meet in the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as a perfect man, in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ.

14 ukuze singabe sisaba zinsane, ezizuliswa ngamagagasi njalo ezithwalelwa le lale yiwo wonke umoya wemfundiso, ngenkohliso yabantu, ngobuqili becebo lokuphambuka;

So may we then no longer be little children, disturbed and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, and by the craftiness which deceives unto error.

15 kodwa sikhulume iqiniso ethandweni sikhule kukho konke kuye, oyinhloko, uKristu,

Instead, acting according to truth in charity, we should increase in everything, in him who is the head, Christ himself.

16 okuvela kuye umzimba wonke, ohlanganiswe kuhle njalo ubambene, ngokwelekelelana kwalo lonke ilunga, njengokusebenza esilinganisweni saleso laleso isitho, wenza ukukhula komzimba ekuzakheni kwawo ethandweni.

For in him, the whole body is joined closely together, by every underlying joint, through the function allotted to each part, bringing improvement to the body, toward its edification in charity.

17 Ngakho ngitsho lokho ngifakaza eNkosini, ukuthi lingabe lisahamba lanjengabanye abezizwe behamba ebuzeni bengqondo yabo,

And so, I say this, and I testify in the Lord: that from now on you should walk, not as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 befiphaziwe engqondweni, benziwe abemzini empilweni kaNkulunkulu ngokungazi okukibo, ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo;

having their intellect obscured, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is within them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

19 abathi sebentunyile, bazinikela emanyaleni, ekwenzeni kokungcola konke ngomhawu.

Such as these, despairing, have given themselves over to sexual immorality, carrying out every impurity with rapacity.

20 Kodwa lina kalimfundanga ngokunjalo uKristu,

But this is not what you have learned in Christ.

21 uba-ke limzwile lafundiswa kuye, njengoba iqiniso likuJesu;

For certainly, you have listened to him, and you have been instructed in him, according to the truth that is in Jesus:

22 ukuthi lilahle mayelana lohambo lokuqala, umuntu omdala, owonakala mayelana lezifiso zenkohliso;

to set aside your earlier behavior, the former man, who was corrupted, by means of desire, unto error,

23 njalo lenziwe batsha emoyeni wengqondo yenu,

and so be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 njalo lembathe umuntu omutsha, odalwe njengokukaNkulunkulu ekulungeni lebungcweleni beqiniso.

and so put on the new man, who, in accord with God, is created in justice and in the holiness of truth.

25 Ngakho lilahla amanga, khulumani iqiniso ngulowo lalowo lomakhelwane wakhe; ngoba siyizitho omunye komunye.

Because of this, setting aside lying, speak the truth, each one with his neighbor. For we are all part of one another.

26 Thukuthelani lingoni; ilanga kalingatshoni phezu kolaka lwenu;

“Be angry, but do not be willing to sin.” Do not let the sun set over your anger.

27 futhi lingamniki indawo udiyabhola.

Provide no place for the devil.

28 Owebayo kangabe eseba; kodwa kulalokhu kakhuthale, asebenze okuhle ngezandla zakhe, ukuze abe lakho ukwabela olenswelo.

Whoever was stealing, let him now not steal, but rather let him labor, working with his hands, doing what is good, so that he may have something to distribute to those who suffer need.

29 Kakungaphumi emlonyeni wenu lalinye ilizwi elibolileyo, kodwa kuphela okuhle okulungele ukwakha njengokufaneleyo, ukuze kunike umusa kubo abezwayo.

Let no evil words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good, toward the edification of faith, so as to bestow grace upon those who listen.

30 Njalo lingamdabukisi uMoya oyiNgcwele kaNkulunkulu, elaphawulwa ngaye kuze kube lusuku lohlengo.

And do not be willing to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed, unto the day of redemption.

31 Konke ukubaba lentukuthelo lolaka lomsindo lokunyeya kakususwe kini, kanye layo yonke inzondo;

Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and outcry and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice.

32 kodwa libe mnene omunye komunye, lilesihawu, lithethelelane, njengalokhu uNkulunkulu laye walithethelela kuKristu.

And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.