1 Kubhala mna Pawulos kunye noTimoti, izicaka zikaKrestu. Sibhalela usapho lukaThixo olumanywe noKrestu, lungabemi eFilipi, ndawonye nabakhokeli bebandla kunye nabancedisi.
2 Sithi: Wanga uThixo uBawo wethu neNkosi uYesu Krestu anganenzela isisa, aniphe uxolo.
3 Ndisoloko ndimbulela qho uThixo wam xa ndinicinga.
4 Naxa ndinikhumbulayo emthandazweni, ndinithandazela nonke ngovuyo,
5 ngenxa yendlela enasebenzisana ngayo nam kwamhla-mnene kumsebenzi wam wokuhambisa iindaba ezimnandi, kude kube ngoku.
6 Yaye ndiqinisekile ngale ndawo yokuba lo msebenzi mhle awuqalileyo uThixo kuni, uya kude awuqabelise ngeMini kaKrestu uYesu.
7 Nina kum nihlala nisenyongweni; yiyo ke le nto ndinyanzelekile ukuba ndinithathe ngolu hlobo. Kaloku nani niyixhamle inyhweba endiyinikwe nguThixo, ngoku kanye ndisentolongweni, naxa iindaba ezingoKrestu ndizilwelayo ndizimela kananjalo.
8 UThixo uyazi ukuba ndinyanisile xa ndithi ndinilangazelela kanye ngale ndlela uKrestu anilangazelela ngayo.
9 Umthandazo wam kukuba ze niye nikhula ngokukhula eluthandweni naselwazini oluphangaleleyo, nibe nombono onzulu,
10 ukuze nibe nokukwazi ukuzicalu-calula izinto. Xa kunjalo ke iMini kaKrestu yofika ningenasiphako, nimsulwa,
11 ubomi benu buqhelezela sisidima esinokuveliswa nguKrestu kuphela, ukuze uThixo abongwe adunyiswe.
12 Ndifuna nazi, mawethu, ukuba izinto ezandihlelayo zanceda ekuziqhubeleni phambili, endaweni yokuzidodobalisa, iindaba ezingoKrestu.
13 Ngenxa yaloo nto ke bonke abalindi bebhotwe, kunye nabo bonke abanye abalapha, bayazi ukuba ndisentolongweni nje kungenxa yokuba ndisisicaka sikaKrestu.
14 Loo nto ke ibangela ukuba amakholwa ayithembe iNkosi, athathe unyawo ukulishumayela oku ilizwi likaThixo.
15 Kanti ke abanye uKrestu bamshumayela ngomona nangolunya, bambi ke bona bamshumayela ngomoya omhle.
16-17 Abo ke baqhutywa luthando, kuba bayazi ukuba uThixo undiphathise umsebenzi wokukhusela udaba olungoKrestu. Kodwa abanye aba bona uKrestu abamshumayeli benyanisekile, koko bamshumayela ngomoya wokuzigwagwisa, becinga ukuba bangandivusela inkathazo engaphezulu ngoku ndibanjiweyo kakade.
18 Akukhathaliseki! Nokuba bamshumayela ngomoya ombi okanye benyanisekile, oko nje eshunyayelwa uKrestu, ndiyavuya mna, ndaye ke ndisaya kuvuya.
19 Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba ngemithandazo yenu, nangoncedo loMoya kaYesu Krestu ndiya kusinda.
20 Umnqweno nethemba lam kukuba ndinganikezeli, kodwa ngamaxesha onke, ingakumbi ngoku, ndikhuthale, ukuze ubume bam bonke bunike isidima kuKrestu, ndiphila okanye ndifile.
21 Kambe ke, ukudla ubomi, kum kukuthobela uKrestu. Ukufa ke kona kuzisa lukhulu.
22 Kodwa ke ukuba ukudla kwam ubomi kululutho, ndingakhetha ndithini?
23 Ndixakiwe. Ndiyakulangazelela ukufuduka ndiye kuKrestu, nto leyo ibhetele kakhulu.
24 Kodwa ngenxa yenu kubalulekile ngaphezulu ukuba ndidle ubomi.
25 Ngale yona into ndiqinisekile, futhi ndiyazi ukuba ndisaza kuphila. Ndisaza kuhlala ndinincede, niqhubele phambili, lukhule uvuyo nokholo lwenu.
26 Xa ndiphinde ndafika ke apho kuni noba nebhongo ngakumbi ngoYesu Krestu ngenxa yobukho bam.
27 Ngoko ke ziphatheni ngendlela engqinelana neendaba ezingoKrestu. Nokuba ndizile ndanibona, okanye ndiyeva nje ngani, mandive ukuba nimi ngxishi moyeni mnye, ninenjongo enye yokuncedisana, nisilwela ukuthotyelwa kweendaba ezingoKrestu.
28 Musani ukoyikiswa ziintshaba zenu. Loo nto iya kuzenza ziqonde ukuba ziya kwantshabalalo, nina niya elusindisweni, ibe ke uloyiso luvela kuThixo.
29 Kuba kaloku ilungelo lenu njengabamanywe noKrestu alipheleli ekukholweni kuye kuphela, koko lifikelela nasekubeni nive ubunzima ngenxa yakhe.
30 Nina nam sisedabini elinye. Nakha nandibona ndikulo, futhi ikwaleli nivayo ukuba nangoku ndisekulo.