Ephesians

1

1 UPawuli, umphostoli kaJesu Kristu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, kubo abangcwele abaseEfesu, labathembekileyo kuKristu Jesu:

2 Umusa kawube kini lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu leNkosini uJesu Kristu.

3 Ubusisiwe uNkulunkulu loYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, osibusisileyo ngaso sonke isibusiso somoya ezintweni zezulwini kuKristu;

4 njengoba wasikhetha kuye ngaphambi kokusekelwa komhlaba, ukuthi sibe ngcwele, njalo singasoleki phambi kwakhe ethandweni,

5 esesimisele ngaphambili ekumeni kwabantwana kuye ngoJesu Kristu, njengokufisa okuhle kwentando yakhe,

6 kube ludumo lobukhosi bomusa wakhe, asiphe ngawo umusa koThandiweyo;

7 esilohlengo kuye ngegazi lakhe, uthethelelo lweziphambeko, njengokwenotho yomusa wakhe,

8 awengezelele kithi kuyo yonke inhlakanipho lokuqonda,

9 esesazisile imfihlo yentando yakhe, njengokufisa kwakhe okuhle, akumisa kuye ngokwakhe,

10 ukuze, ekuphatheni kokugcwaliseka kwezikhathi, ahlanganise ndawonye izinto zonke kuKristu, zombili ezisemazulwini lezisemhlabeni;

11 ngitsho kuye, lathi esabelwa ilifa kuye, esamiselwa ngaphambili njengokwesimiso sakhe owenzayo izinto zonke njengokwecebo lentando yakhe,

12 ukuze sibe ngabodumo lobukhosi bakhe, esathemba kuKristu kuqala;

13 eselithemba kuye lani, selizwile ilizwi leqiniso, ivangeli losindiso lwenu, kuye selikholiwe lani laphawulwa nguMoya oNgcwele wesithembiso,

14 oyisibambiso selifa lethu, ehlengweni lokuzuziweyo, kudumo lobukhosi bakhe.

15 Ngenxa yalokho lami sengizwile ngokholo lwenu eNkosini uJesu lothando kubo bonke abangcwele,

16 kangiyekeli ukulibongela, ngiliphatha emikhulekweni yami;

17 ukuze uNkulunkulu weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, uYise wodumo, alinike umoya wenhlakanipho lowesembulo elwazini lwakhe;

18 amehlo engqondo yenu akhanyiswe, ukuze lazi ukuthi liyini ithemba lobizo lwakhe, lokuthi iyini inotho yodumo lwelifa lakhe kwabangcwele,

19 lokuthi buyini ubukhulu bamandla akhe obudlula amalawulo kithi esikholwa njengokusebenza kobuninimandla bamandla akhe,

20 awasebenzisa kuKristu, ngokumvusa kwabafileyo, njalo emhlalisa ngakwesokunene sakhe endaweni zezulu,

21 engqongeni yakho konke ukubusa lobukhulu lamandla lobukhosi, lebizo lonke elibizwayo, kungeyisikho kulesisikhathi kuphela, kodwa lakwesizayo;

22 wasebeka konke ngaphansi kwenyawo zakhe, wamnikela ukuba yinhloko phezu kwakho konke kulo ibandla,

23 elingumzimba wakhe, ukugcwala kwalowo ogcwalisa konke kukho konke.

2

1 Lina-ke walivusa elalifile ngeziphambeko langezono,

2 elalikade lihamba kuzo njengokwendlela yalumhlaba, njengokombusi wamandla omkhathi, awomoya osebenzayo khathesi phakathi kwabantwana bokungalaleli;

3 lathi sonke esake sahamba phakathi kwabo enkanukweni zenyama yethu, sisenza intando zenyama lezemicabango, njalo ngokwemvelo sasingabantwana bolaka, njengabanye labo;

4 kodwa uNkulunkulu, enothile esihawini, ngenxa yothando lwakhe olukhulu asithanda ngalo,

5 lanxa sasifile ngeziphambeko, wasiphilisa kanye loKristu (ngomusa lisindisiwe)

6 njalo wasivusa kanye laye, wasesihlalisa kanye laye endaweni zezulwini kuKristu Jesu;

7 ukuze abonakalise ezikhathini ezizayo inotho yomusa wakhe edlula amalawulo ngobubele kithi kuKristu Jesu;

8 ngoba ngomusa lisindisiwe ngokholo, lalokhu kakuveli kini; yisipho sikaNkulunkulu;

9 kakuveli emisebenzini, ukuze kungabi khona ozincomayo.

10 Ngoba singumsebenzi wakhe, kuKristu Jesu sadalelwa imisebenzi emihle, uNkulunkulu ayilungisela ngaphambili, ukuze sihambe kiyo.

11 Ngakho khumbulani ukuthi lina lake laba ngabezizwe enyameni, ababizwa ngokuthi yikungasoki ngalokhu okuthiwa yikusoka enyameni okwenziwe ngezandla,

12 ukuthi ngalesosikhathi lalingelaye uKristu, abemzini kubusakhamuzi bakoIsrayeli, njalo abezizwe kuzivumelwano zesithembiso, lalingelathemba, njalo lingelaye uNkulunkulu emhlabeni.

13 Kodwa khathesi-ke kuKristu Jesu lina elalikade likhatshana, seliseduze ngegazi likaKristu.

14 Ngoba yena uyikuthula kwethu, owenza kokubili kwaba kunye, lowabhidliza umduli ophakathi owesehlukaniso,

15 echithile ubutha enyameni yakhe, umlayo wemithetho ezimisweni, ukuze kuye labo ababili abadale babe ngumuntu munye omutsha, enze ukuthula,

16 njalo enze ukuthi bobabili babuyisane loNkulunkulu emzimbeni munye ngesiphambano, esebulele ubutha ngaso;

17 njalo weza watshumayela ukuthula kini elalikhatshana, lakulabo ababeseduze;

18 ngoba ngaye sobabili silokungena ngoMoya munye kuBaba.

19 Ngakho-ke kaliseyibo abemzini lezihambi, kodwa izakhamizi kanye labangcwele njalo abendlu kaNkulunkulu,

20 lakhiwe phezu kwesisekelo sabaphostoli labaprofethi, uJesu Kristu uqobo eyilitshe eliyinhloko yengonsi,

21 okuhlanganiselwe kuye isakhiwo sonke sikhule sibe lithempeli elingcwele eNkosini,

22 elakhiwa kuye lani kanye labanye libe yindlu yokuhlala kaNkulunkulu kuMoya.

3

1 Ngenxa yalokhu mina Pawuli, isibotshwa sikaKristu Jesu ngani abezizwe,

2 uba kambe selizwile ngokuphathwa komusa kaNkulunkulu engawuphiwelwa lina,

3 ukuthi njengesambulelo wangazisa imfihlo, njengalokhu ngabhala ngaphambili ngamafitshane,

4 okungalokhu, nxa lifunda, lingazi ulwazi lwami emfihlweni kaKristu;

5 yona engaziswanga ezizukulwaneni ezinye ebantwaneni babantu, njengalokhu isiyembuliwe khathesi kubaphostoli bakhe abangcwele labaprofethi ngoMoya;

6 ukuthi abezizwe babe yizindlalifa abahlanganyeli lomzimba ofananayo labahlanganyeli besithembiso sakhe kuKristu, ngevangeli,

7 engenziwa ngalo isikhonzi njengokwesipho somusa kaNkulunkulu engiwuphiwe ngokusebenza kwamandla akhe.

8 Kimi, engimncinyane kulomncinyane wabo bonke abangcwele, lowomusa ngawuphiwa, ukuthi ngitshumayele kwabezizwe ivangeli lenotho kaKristu engelakulinganiswa,

9 lokukhanyisela bonke ukuthi buyini ubudlelwano bemfihlo ebifihliwe kusukela endulo kuNkulunkulu owadala izinto zonke ngoJesu Kristu,

10 ukuze khathesi emibusweni lemandleni endaweni zezulu yaziswe libandla inhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu ezinhlobonhlobo,

11 njengokwecebo laphakade alenza ngoKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu;

12 esilesibindi kuye lokungena ngethemba, ngokholo lwakhe.

13 Ngakho ngiyacela ukuthi lingalahli ithemba enhluphekweni zami ngani, eziludumo lwenu.

14 Ngenxa yalokhu ngiguqa ngamadolo kuYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu,

15 okubizwa ngaye usendo lonke olusemazulwini lolusemhlabeni,

16 ukuze alinike, njengokwenotho yobukhosi bakhe, liqiniswe ngamandla ngoMoya wakhe emuntwini ongaphakathi,

17 ukuze uKristu ahlale ngokholo enhliziyweni zenu; ligxilile lisekelwe ethandweni,

18 ukuze libe lamandla sibili okuqedisisa kanye labo bonke abangcwele, ukuthi kuyini ububanzi lobude lokutshona lokuphakama,

19 lokwazi uthando lukaKristu olwedlula ulwazi, ukuze ligcwaliswe ngokugcwala konke kukaNkulunkulu.

20 Njalo kuye, olamandla phezu kwakho konke okwenza okwedlula ngokwengezelelweyo kwesikucelayo kumbe esikunakanayo, njengamandla asebenza kithi,

21 kuye kakube udumo ebandleni kuKristu Jesu, ezizukulwaneni zonke zaphakade laphakade. Ameni.

4

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

2 kanye lokuthobeka konke lobumnene, lokubekezela, libekezelelane ethandweni,

3 likhuthale ukugcina ukuhlangana koMoya ngesibopho sokuthula.

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

5 yinye iNkosi, lunye ukholo, lunye ubhabhathizo,

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

7 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo wethu waphiwa umusa njengokwesilinganiso sesipho sikaKristu.

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

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

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

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

12 ekuphelelisweni kwabangcwele, emsebenzini wenkonzo, ekwakhiweni komzimba kaKristu;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 Kodwa lina kalimfundanga ngokunjalo uKristu,

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

22 ukuthi lilahle, mayelana lohambo lokuqala, umuntu omdala, owonakaliswa yizifiso zenkohliso;

23 njalo lenziwe batsha emoyeni wengqondo yenu,

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

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

26 Thukuthelani lingoni; ilanga kalingatshoni phezu kolaka lwenu;

27 futhi lingamniki indawo uSathane.

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

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

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

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

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

5

1 Ngakho banini ngabalandeli bakaNkulunkulu, njengabantwana abathandekayo;

2 njalo lihambe ethandweni, njengalokhu uKristu laye wasithanda, wazinikelela thina abe ngumnikelo lomhlatshelo kuNkulunkulu ukuba luqhatshi olumnandi.

3 Kodwa ubufebe lakho konke ukungcola kumbe umhawu kakungaphathwa lakanye phakathi kwenu, njengoba kufanele abangcwele;

4 lamanyala, lokukhuluma okuyize, kumbe ukusoma okulenhlamba, okuyizinto ezingafanelanga; kodwa kulalokhu ukubonga.

5 Ngoba lokhu liyakwazi, ukuthi sonke isifebe, kumbe ongcolileyo, kumbe olomhawu, ongumkhonzi wezithombe, kalalifa embusweni kaKristu lokaNkulunkulu.

6 Kakungabi lamuntu olikhohlisayo ngamazwi ayize; ngoba ngenxa yalezizinto ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luyehlela phezu kwabantwana bokungalaleli.

7 Ngakho lingabi ngabahlanganyeli labo.

8 Ngoba lake laba ngumnyama, kodwa khathesi liyikukhanya eNkosini; hambani njengabantwana bokukhanya,

9 ngoba isithelo sikaMoya sikubo bonke ubuhle lokulunga leqiniso,

10 lihlolisise okuthokozisayo eNkosini;

11 njalo lingahlanganyeli lemisebenzi yobumnyama engelazithelo, kodwa-ke kulalokho solani;

12 ngoba izinto ezenziwa yibo ekusithekeni kuthelela inhloni ngitsho ukukhuluma ngazo.

13 Kodwa konke okusolwayo yikukhanya kuyabonakaliswa; ngoba konke okubonakaliswayo kuyikukhanya,

14 ngakho uthi: Phaphama wena oleleyo uvuke kwabafileyo, njalo uKristu uzakukhanyisela.

15 Ngakho qaphelani ukuthi lihamba njani ngonanzelelo, kungabi njengezithutha, kodwa njengabahlakaniphileyo,

16 lihlenga isikhathi, ngoba insuku zimbi.

17 Ngakho lingabi yizithutha, kodwa liqedisisa okuyintando yeNkosi.

18 Njalo lingadakwa liwayini, okukulo umsindo, kodwa gcwaliswani nguMoya,

19 likhulumisana ngezihlabelelo langamahubo okudumisa langezingoma zomoya, lihlabelele licule eNkosini enhliziyweni yenu,

20 limbonga njalo uNkulunkulu loBaba ngazo zonke izinto ebizweni leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu,

21 lizehlisela ngaphansi omunye komunye ekumesabeni uNkulunkulu.

22 Bafazi, zehliseleni ngaphansi kwawenu amadoda, njengeNkosini,

23 ngoba indoda iyinhloko yomfazi, njengoba uKristu laye eyinhloko yebandla, njalo yena unguMsindisi womzimba.

24 Kodwa njengoba-ke ibandla lehliselwe ngaphansi kukaKristu, ngokunjalo labafazi kwawabo amadoda kuyo yonke into.

25 Madoda, thandani abenu abafazi, njengoKristu laye walithanda ibandla, wasezinikelela lona;

26 ukuze azingcwelisele lona, eselihlambulule ngesihlambo samanzi ngelizwi,

27 ukuze azimisele lona lilenkazimulo, ibandla elingelachatha, kumbe umxhele kumbe okunye nje, kodwa ukuze libe ngcwele lingelacala.

28 Ngokunjalo amadoda afanele ukuthanda abawo abafazi njengeyawo imizimba. Othanda owakhe umfazi, uyazithanda yena;

29 ngoba kakho owake wazonda eyakhe inyama, kodwa uyayondla ayiphathe kuhle, njengalokhu leNkosi isenza kubandla;

30 ngoba siyizitho zomzimba wakhe, okwenyama yakhe lokwamathambo akhe.

31 Ngenxa yalokhu umuntu uzatshiya uyise lonina uzanamathela kumkakhe, njalo laba ababili bazakuba nyamanye.

32 Inkulu le imfihlo; kodwa mina ngikhuluma ngoKristu lebandla.

33 Ngalokho lonke ngokukhethekileyo lani-ke, ngulowo lalowo kathande ngokunjalo owakhe umfazi njengaye; lomfazi ukuze ahloniphe indoda.

6

1 Bantwana, lalelani abazali benu eNkosini; ngoba lokhu kulungile.

2 Hlonipha uyihlo lonyoko, okungumlayo wokuqala olesithembiso,

3 ukuze kube kuhle kuwe, njalo uphile isikhathi eside emhlabeni.

4 Lani bobaba, lingabathukuthelisi abantwana benu, kodwa libondle emlayweni lemfundisweni yeNkosi.

5 Zisebenzi, lalelani amakhosi enu ngokwenyama, ngokwesaba langokuthuthumela, ebuqothweni benhliziyo zenu, njengakuKristu;

6 kungeyisikho njengokukhonza amehlo njengabathokozisa abantu, kodwa njengezisebenzi zikaKristu, zisenza intando kaNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo,

7 lisebenza ngenhliziyo enhle kungathi kuseNkosini njalo kungeyisikho kubantu;

8 lisazi ukuthi loba yini enhle ngulowo lalowo angayenza, okunjalo uzakwemukela eNkosini, loba eyisigqili, loba engokhululekileyo.

9 Lani makhosi, yenzani izinto ezifananayo kuzo, liyekele ukuzisongela; lisazi ukuthi leyenu iNkosi isemazulwini, njalo ukubandlulula umuntu kakukho kuyo.

10 Elokucina, bazalwane bami, qinani eNkosini, lebuninimandleni bamandla ayo.

11 Hlomani izikhali zonke zikaNkulunkulu, ukuze libe lamandla okumelana lobuqili bukaSathane;

12 ngoba kasibindani legazi lenyama, kodwa lemibuso, lamandla, lababusi balumhlaba wobumnyama balesisikhathi, labomoya ababi endaweni zezulu.

13 Ngakho hlomani izikhali zonke zikaNkulunkulu, ukuze libe lamandla okugxila esukwini olubi, lokuze kuthi lapho seliqede konke lime.

14 Ngakho manini, inkalo zenu zibotshiwe ngeqiniso, lifakile isivikelo sesifuba sokulunga,

15 njalo ligqokise inyawo zenu ngokulunga kwevangeli lokuthula;

16 phezu kwakho konke selithethe isihlangu sokholo, elizakuba lamandla okucitsha ngaso yonke imitshoko evuthayo yomubi.

17 Njalo thathani ikhowa losindiso, lenkemba kaMoya, eyilizwi likaNkulunkulu,

18 ngawo wonke umkhuleko lonxuso likhuleka isikhathi sonke kuMoya, lakulokhu lilinde ngesineke sonke lonxuso ngabangcwele bonke,

19 langami, ukuze ngiphiwe ilizwi ekuvuleni umlomo wami ngesibindi ukuze ngazise imfihlo yevangeli,

20 engiyisithunywa ngalo esisemaketaneni, ukuze ngikhulume ngesibindi kulo, njengoba kungifanele ukuthi ngikhulume.

21 Kodwa ukuze lani lazi izinto eziqondana lami, engikwenzayo, uzalitshela konke uTikiko umzalwane othandekayo lesikhonzi esithembekileyo eNkosini;

22 engimthuma kini ngakhona lokhu, ukuze lazi izinto eziqondana lathi, lokuthi aduduze inhliziyo zenu.

23 Ukuthula kakube kubazalwane, lothando kanye lokholo oluvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba leNkosini uJesu Kristu.

24 Umusa kawube kubo bonke abathanda iNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ngokungonakaliyo. Ameni.

AMAZING GRACE BIBLE INSTITUTE