1 Ke kaloku, bazalwana, ndiyanazisa iindaba ezilungileyo, ezo ndazishumayela kuni, nazamkelayo nokuzamkela, nimiyo nokuma kuzo,
2 nisindiswayo nokusindiswa ngazo, ukuba nizibambile ngelizwi endazishumayela ngalo kuni; ukuba anithe nafumana nakholwa.
3 Kuba ndaninikela kweziyintloko izinto oko ndakwamkelayo nokukwamkela: okokuba uKristu wazifela izono zethu ngokwezibhalo,
4 nokokuba wangcwatywa, nokokuba uvukile ngomhla wesithathu ngokwezibhalo;
5 nokokuba wabonwa nguKefas, emva koko ngabalishumi elinababini.
6 Emveni kuko wabonwa ngaxesha linye ngabazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu, abasahleliyo nangoku abona baninzi kubo; inxenye ke yalala ukufa.
7 Emva koko wabonwa nguYakobi, kamva ngabo bonke abapostile.
8 Ekugqibeleni ke kwabo bonke, kwanga kukwinto ezelwe lingekabi lilixa layo, wabonwa nandim.
9 Kuba mna ndingoyena mncinanana kubapostile, endingafanele kubizwa ngokuba ngumpostile, ngenxa enokuba ndalitshutshisa ibandla likaThixo.
10 Ke ngobabalo lukaThixo ndiyinto endiyiyo, nobabalo lwakhe kum alubanga nakulambatha; ndesuka ndabagqitha bonke ngokubulaleka; ingendim ke, ilubabalo lukaThixo olunam.
11 Ke ngoko, nokuba ndim, nokuba ngabo, senjenjalo thina ukushumayela; nenjenjalo ke nina ukukholwa.
12 Ke, ukuba uKristu uyashunyayelwa ukuba uvukile kwabafileyo, batsho ngani na abathile phakathi kwenu ukuthi, akukho luvuko lwabafileyo?
13 Ke, ukuba akukho luvuko lwabafileyo, woba akavukanga noKristu;
14 ukuba ke uKristu akavukanga, koba akunto ukushumayela kwethu, loba luyalambatha nokholo lwenu.
15 Sofunyanwa ke singawo namangqina amxokayo uThixo, ngokuba sangqinayo ngoThixo ukuba wamvusa uKristu: angamvusanga, ukuba ke kanti abafileyo abavuki.
16 Kuba, ukuba abafileyo abavuki, noKristu woba akavukanga.
17 Ukuba ke uKristu akavukanga, loba luyinto engeyanto ukholo lwenu, noba nisesezonweni zenu;
18 ngoko nabalele ukufa bekuKristu, boba batshabalele.
19 Ukuba singabathembele kuKristu kobu bomi bodwa, soba sizezona ntsizana kubantu bonke.
20 UKristu yena kunje uvukile kwabafileyo, waba yintlahlela yabalele ukufa.
21 Kuba ekubeni kaloku kungomntu ukufa, kukwangomntu ukuvuka kwabafileyo.
22 Kuba, njengokuba kuye uAdam bafa bonke, ngokunjalo nakuye uKristu baya kudliswa ubomi bonke:
23 elowo ke kolwakhe uluhlu; intlahlela inguKristu, kamva abakaKristu ekufikeni kwakhe;
24 kwandule ke ukubakho isiphelo, xa athe wabunikela ubukumkani kuye uThixo uYise, xa athe wabubhangisa bonke ubulawuli, nalo lonke igunya, namandla.
25 Kuba umelwe yena kukuthi alawule, ade azibeke phantsi kweenyawo zakhe zonke iintshaba.
26 Olokugqibela utshaba oluya kubhangiswa kukufa;
27 kuba izinto zonke wazithobela phantsi kweenyawo zakhe. Ke xa athi, Izinto zonke zithotyiwe, kuyabonakala ukuba akabalwa lowo wazithobela phantsi kwakhe zonke izinto.
28 Xa ke zithe zathotyelwa phantsi kwakhe zonke izinto, uya kwandula noNyana ngokwakhe athotyelwe phantsi kwalowo wazithobela phantsi kwakhe zonke izinto, ukuze uThixo abe zizinto zonke kubo bonke.
29 Okanye baya kwenza ntoni na abo babhaptizelwa abafileyo, ukuba abafileyo abaze bavuke? Yini na ukuba babhaptizelwe nokubhaptizelwa abafileyo?
30 Nathi, yini na ukuba sibe semngciphekweni amaxa onke?
31 Ndisekufeni imihla ngemihla; qondani ngokuzingca kwam ngani, endinako ndikuKristu Yesu, iNkosi yethu.
32 Ukuba ndithe ngokwabantu ndalwa namarhamncwa e-Efese, kundinceda ntoni na? Ukuba abafileyo abavuki, masesisidla, sisela, kuba ngomso siya kufa.
33 Musani ukulahlekiswa. Incoko embi yonakalisa izimilo ezilungileyo.
34 Qabukani kakuhle, ningoni; kuba inxenye inentswela-kumazi uThixo; nditsho kuni ukuba nidane.
35 Wosuka ubani athi, Bathini na ukuvuka abafileyo? Beza benamzimba unjani na?
36 Msweli-kuqonda wena, into oyihlwayelayo ayenziwa iphile, ukuba ayikhanga ife.
37 Kanjalo loo nto uyihlwayelayo, akuhlwayeli sona isiqu sento esiya kubakho; uhlwayela ukhozo nje, lungathi lube lolwengqolowa, nokuba lolwezinye iintlobo;
38 uThixo ke ulunika isiqu, njengoko athandileyo; iyileyo imbewu uyinika esisesayo isiqu.
39 Yonke inyama ayinyama-nye; enye yinyama yabantu, enye yinyama yeenkomo, enye yeyeentlanzi, enye yeyeentaka.
40 Kukho iziqu ezisezulwini, neziqu ezisemhlabeni; bubodwa ubuqaqawuli bezasezulwini, bubodwa obezasemhlabeni.
41 Bubodwa ubuqaqawuli belanga, bubodwa ubuqaqawuli benyanga, bubodwa ubuqaqawuli beenkwenkwezi; kuba inkwenkwezi iyahluka kwenye inkwenkwezi ngobuqaqawuli.
42 Lunjalo ke kanye novuko lwabafileyo. Umzimba uhlwayelwa unokonakala, uvuka ungenakonakala.
43 Uhlwayelwa uswele imbeko, uvuka unobuqaqawuli; uhlwayelwa uswele amandla, uvuka unamandla;
44 kuhlwayelwa umzimba ongowemvelo, kuvuka umzimba ongowomoya. Kukho umzimba ongowemvelo, kukho nomzimba ongowomoya.
45 Ngokunjalo kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Owokuqala umntu uAdam waba ngumphefumlo odla ubomi; owokugqibela uAdam waba ngumoya odlisa ubomi.
46 Ke akuqali okomoya; kuqala okwemvelo, kwandule ukuza okomoya.
47 Owokuqala umntu uphume emhlabeni, ungowomhlaba; owesibini umntu, iNkosi, uphume emazulwini.
48 Into ayiyo owomhlaba, bakwayiyo abomhlaba; kanjalo nento ayiyo osemazulwini, bakwayiyo abasemazulwini;
49 njengokuba sawambathayo umfanekiselo wowomhlaba, siya kuwambatha nomfanekiselo wosemazulwini.
50 Ke, bazalwana, nditsho ukuthi, inyama negazi azinako ukubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo; nokonakala akunakukudla ilifa ukungonakali.
51 Yabonani, ndinixelela imfihlelo: Okunene asiyi kulala ukufa sonke; kodwa siya kwenziwa ngakumbi sonke,
52 ngesiquphe, ngephanyazo, ngexilongo lokugqibela. Kuba liya kulila ixilongo, bavuke abafileyo bengenakonakala, senziwe ngakumbi ke thina.
53 Kuba kumele oku konakalayo ukwambatha ukungonakali, noku kufayo ukwambatha ukungafi.
54 Xa ke oku konakalayo kuthe kwambatha ukungonakali, noku kufayo kuthe kwambatha ukungafi, liya kwandula ukwenzeka ilizwi elibhaliweyo lokuthi, Ukufa kufincelwe eloyisweni.
55 Luphi na, kufa, ulwamvila lwakho? Luphi na, Hadesi, uloyiso lwakho?
56 Ulwamvila lokufa sisono; amandla esono ngumthetho.
57 Makubulelwe ke kuThixo osinikayo uloyiso olo, ngayo iNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.
58 Ngoko ke, bazalwana bam abaziintanda, qinani, ningabi nakushukuma; nihlale niphuphuma umsebenzi weNkosi, nisazi nje ukuba ukubulaleka kwenu akulambathi eNkosini.