1 Mna ke okwam, ndagqiba kweli lokuba ndingabuyi ndize kuni ndibuhlungu.
2 Kuba mna ukuba ndinenza buhlungu, kusekho bani na ke ondenza ndibe nemihlali, ongenguye lowo wenziwe wabuhlungu kwandim?
3 Ndanibhalela ke kwakona oku, ukuze ndakufika ndingabi buhlungu ngabo bendimelwe kukuvuya ngabo; ndikholosile ngani nonke, ukuba uvuyo lwam ikwalolwenu nonke.
4 Kuba ndanibhalela ekubandezelekeni nasekuxinezelekeni okukhulu kwentliziyo yam, ndineenyembezi ezininzi; ndingenzeli ukuze nenziwe buhlungu, ndisenzela ukuze nilwazi uthando endinithanda ngalo ngokugqithiseleyo.
5 Ke ukuba ubani wenze kwabuhlungu, akenze kwabuhlungu mna, wenze ngenxenye nina nonke; nditsho ukuze ndingamcinezeli.
6 Kumanele lowo unjalo oko kumkhalimela kwabona baninzi kuni;
7 ngokokude nithi kanye senimxolela, nimthuthuzele, hleze lowo unjalo aselesuka edliwa kukuba buhlungu ngokugqithiseleyo.
8 Kungoko ndiniyalayo, ndithi, luzinziseni uthando kuye;
9 kuba ndabhalela kona oku, ukuze ndikwazi ukucikideka kwenu, ukuba ningabevayo na ezintweni zonke.
10 Enimxolelayo ke into, ndiyamxolela nam; kuba nam, ukuba ndixolele into endiyixoleleyo, ndenze ngenxa yenu, phambi kukaKristu;
11 ukuze singabonelelwa nguye uSathana; kuba amaqhinga akhe siyawazi.
12 Ke kaloku, ndathi ndakufika eTrowa ngenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo zikaKristu, ndakuba ndiwuvulelwe nomnyango eNkosini,
13 andibanga nakonwaba emoyeni wam, ngokungamfumani uTito, umzalwana wam; ndesuka ndababulisa, ndanduluka ndava kwelaseMakedoni.
14 Makubulelwe ke kuThixo, ohlala eduma ngathi sikuKristu, elibonakalalisa ngathi ivumba lokwaziwa kwakhe ezindaweni zonke.
15 Ngokuba kuye uThixo silivumba elimnandi likaKristu, phakathi kwabasindiswayo naphakathi kwabatshabalalayo.
16 Kwabanye silivumba lokufa elisa ekufeni; kwabanye silivumba lobomi elisa ebomini. Ngubani na ke ozilingeneyo ezo zinto?
17 Kuba asithi, njengabaninzi abo, silingxengelele ilizwi likaThixo; sisuka ngokwabokungcwengeka, sisuka ngokwabakwaThixo, sithethe phambi kwamehlo kaThixo, sikuKristu.