Thithu ISAHLUKO 1 1 UPawulu, inceku kaNkulunkulu, nomphostoli kaJesu Kristu, ngokokholo lwabakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu, nokulazi iqiniso elingokokumesaba uNkulunkulu; 2 ethembeni lokuphila okuphakade, uNkulunkulu ongenakuqamba amanga akuthembisa kungakabikho umhlaba; 3 kodwa ngesikhathi esifaneleyo ubonakalisile ilizwi lakhe ngentshumayelo engiphathiswe yona ngokomlayo kaNkulunkulu uMsindisi wethu; 4 kuThithu, indodana yami uqobo ngokukholwa esihlanganyela ngakho: Makube umusa, nesihawu, nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba naseNkosini uJesu Kristu uMsindisi wethu. 5 Ngaleso sizathu ngakushiya eKrethe, ukuze ulungise okusilelayo, umise amalunga emizini yonke, njengokuba ngakuyala; 6 uba ekhona ongasolekiyo, indoda emfazi munye, elabantwana abathembekileyo abangabekwa icala lokungalaleli kumbe abangalaleliyo. 7 Ngokuba umbhishobhi umelwe ukuba ngongasolekiyo, njengomphathi kaNkulunkulu; ongesiye othanda ubugovu, ongasheshi ukuthukuthela, ongadakwa, ongashayi, ongesiye inzuzo embi; 8 kodwa ophatha kuhle izihambi, othanda okuhle, ozithibileyo, olungileyo, ongcwele, ozithibileyo; 9 ebambelele ezwini elithembekileyo njengalokho efundisiwe, ukuze abe-namandla okuyala ngesifundiso esiphilileyo, nokuqinisekisa abaphikayo. 10 Ngoba banengi abangalaleliyo, abakhuluma okuyize labakhohlisayo, ikakhulu abokusoka; 11 abamelwe ukuvalwa umlomo, abachitha izindlu ziphela, befundisa okungafanele ngenxa yenzuzo embi. 12 Omunye wabo, umprofethi wakubo, wathi: AmaKrete ahlala eqamba amanga, izilo ezimbi, izisu eziphuzayo; 13 Ubufakazi lobu buqinisile. Ngakho-ke bakhuze kabukhali, ukuze baphile ekukholweni; 14 bangalaleli izinganekwane zamaJuda, nemiyalo yabantu abafulathela iqiniso. 15 Kwabahlanzekile zonke izinto zihlanzekile, kodwa kwabangcolileyo nabangakholwayo akukho okuhlanzekileyo; kodwa ngisho ingqondo nonembeza wabo kungcolile. 16 Bavuma ukuthi bayamazi uNkulunkulu; kodwa bayamphika ngemisebenzi, benengekayo, nabangalaleliyo, nakuyo yonke imisebenzi emihle bengaboshiwe. ISAHLUKO 2 1 Kepha wena khuluma izinto ezifanele isifundiso esiphilileyo; 2 ukuthi amadoda amadala abe ahluzekile, ahlonipheke, ahluzekile, aphilile ekukholweni, othandweni, nasekubekezeleni. 3 ngokunjalo nabesifazane asebekhulile baziphathe ngendlela efanele ubungcwele, bangabi ngabahlebi, bangabi yizigqila zewayini eliningi, babe abafundisi bokuhle; 4 ukuze bafundise abesifazana abasakhulayo ukuthi bahluze, bathande amadoda abo, bathande abantwana babo; 5 babe ngabaqondayo, abamhlophe, abagcina ikhaya, abalungile, abathobela amadoda abo, ukuze izwi likaNkulunkulu lingahlanjalazwa. 6 Ngokufanayo izinsizwa zikhuthaze ukuba zihluze.
7 Ezintweni zonke zibonakalise wena uyisibonelo semisebenzi emihle: emfundisweni ubonakalisa ukungonakali, ukuqina, ubuqotho, 8 Inkulumo ephilileyo, engalahlwa; ukuze ophambeneyo abe namahloni, engenalutho olubi angalusho ngani. 9 Khuthaza izinceku ukuthi zilalele amakhosi azo, zibathokozise ezintweni zonke; angaphenduli futhi; 10 lingazenzisi, kodwa litshengise konke ukuthembeka okuhle; ukuze bahlotshise imfundiso kaNkulunkulu uMsindisi wethu ezintweni zonke. 11 Ngokuba umusa kaNkulunkulu oletha ukusindiswa ubonakalisiwe kubantu bonke; 12 lisifundisa ukuba sidele ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu nezinkanuko zezwe, siphile ngokuqonda, nangokulunga, nangokumesaba uNkulunkulu kulesi sikhathi samanje; 13 sibheke ithemba elibusisiweyo, nokubonakala kwenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu omkhulu noMsindisi wethu uJesu Kristu; 14 owazinikela ngenxa yethu, ukuze asihlenge kubo bonke ububi, futhi azihlanzele isizwe esiyisizwe, esishisekela imisebenzi emihle. 15 Khuluma lezi zinto, uyale, ukhuze ngawo wonke amandla. Makungabikho muntu okudelelayo. ISAHLUKO 3 1 Bakhumbuze ukuba bathobele izikhulu namandla, balalele izinduna, balungele yonke imisebenzi emihle; 2 bangakhulumi kubi ngomuntu, bangabi yizingxabano, kodwa babe mnene, bebonisa ubumnene bonke kubantu bonke. 3 Ngoba nathi kade sasiyiziwula, singalaleli, sikhohliswa, sikhonza izinkanuko nezinjabulo ezihlukahlukene, siphila ebubini nasemoneni, sizondwa, sizondana. 4 Kepha emva kwalokho kwabonakala umusa nothando lukaNkulunkulu uMsindisi wethu kubantu. 5 kungeyisikho ngemisebenzi yokulunga esayenzayo thina, kodwa ngokwesihawu sakhe wasisindisa, ngokugeziswa kokuzalwa kutsha lokwenziwa batsha ngoMoya oNgcwele; 6 owalithululela phezu kwethu ngokuchichimayo ngoJesu Kristu uMsindisi wethu; 7 ukuze kuthi sesilungisisiwe ngomusa wakhe, sibe yizindlalifa ngokwethemba lokuphila okuphakade. 8 Likholekile leli zwi, futhi lezizinto ngithanda ukuba uziqinise njalo, ukuze abakholwa nguNkulunkulu baqaphele ukugcina imisebenzi emihle. Lezi zinto zinhle futhi zinenzuzo kubantu. 9 Kepha gwema imibuzo yobuwula, nezindaba zozalo, nokubanga, nokubanga ngomthetho; ngoba azisizi futhi ziyize. 10 Umuntu ongumhlubuki emva kokuyalwa kokuqala nokwesibili umlahle; 11 lisazi ukuthi onjalo uphambukisiwe, njalo uyona, ezilahlile yena. 12 Lapho ngithuma u-Artemase kuwe, noma uThikhiku, khuthala ukuza kimi eNikopholi, ngokuba nginqume ukuhlala khona ebusika. 13 Khuthalela uhambise uZena, isazimthetho, no-Apholo, ukuze bangasweli lutho. 14 Nabethu mabafunde ukugcina imisebenzi emihle ngokuswela, ukuze bangabi abangatheli. 15 Bonke abalami bayakhonza kuwe. Bingelela abasithandayo ekukholweni. Umusa mawube nani nonke. Amen. (Lalotshelwa uThithu, owagcotshwa umbhishobhi wokuqala webandla lamaKrethe, waseNikopoli yaseMakedoniya.)