1 Ukuba ke ngoko kukho usizo kuKristu, ukuba kukho ukhuzo lothando, ukuba kukho ubudlelane boMoya, ukuba kukho imfesane neemfefe,
2 luzaliseni uvuyo lwam, ukuze nicinge ntonye, ninaluthando lunye, ninamphefumlo mnye, nicinga nto-nye;
3 ningenzi nanye into ngokweyelenqe, nangokozuko olulambathayo. Yithini ngokuthobeka kwentliziyo omnye ambalele omnye ekuthini nguyena wongamileyo kunaye.
4 Makangathi elowo axunele kwezakhe izinto zodwa, elowo makaxunele nakwezabanye.
5 Yibani nale ngcinga kuni, wayenayo kuye uKristu Yesu:
6 yena wàthi, esebumeni bukaThixo, akathi ukulingana kwakhe oku noThixo kulixhoba;
7 usuke wazihluba, wathabatha ubume bomkhonzi, enziwe wafana nabantu;
8 wathi ngemo efunyenwe enjengomntu, wazithoba, waba ngolulamileyo, wada wesa ekufeni, ukufa ke kwasemnqamlezweni.
9 Kungoko athe uThixo wamphakamisa kakhulu, wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo onke amagama;
10 ukuze ngegama likaYesu onke amadolo agobe, awabasemazulwini, nawabasemhlabeni, nawabaphantsi komhlaba;
11 zithi zonke iilwimi zixele ukuba uYesu Kristu uyiNkosi, kuze kuzukiswe uThixo uYise.
12 Ngoko ke, zintánda zam, njengokuba nahlala ninokuva, lusebenzeni nilufeze olwenu usindiso, ninokuzoyikela nokungcangcazela; ningangi nenjenjalo xa ndikhoyo kodwa, manibe kukhona nenjenjalo xa ndingekhoyo.
13 Kuba nguThixo okusebenzayo ngaphakathi kwenu ukuthanda oko, kwanokusebenza oko, ngenxa yenkolelo yakhe.
14 Izinto zonke zenzeni ningenakukrokra, ningenakuthandabuza,
15 ukuze nibe ngabangenakusoleka, abangenabuqhinga; nibe ngabantwana bakaThixo abangenakubekwa bala esazulwini sesizukulwana esigoso, esigwenxa; enithi phakathi kwabo nibonakale ninjengezikhanyiso ehlabathini,
16 nibambelele elizwini lobomi; nibe liqhayiya lam, nide nise kwimini kaKristu, ukuba andifumananga ndabaleka, kanjako andifumananga ndabulaleka.
17 Ewe, nokuba ndiyathululwa ngokomnikelo phezu kombingelelo nombuso wokholo lwenu, ndiyavuya, ndivuyisana nani nonke.
18 Yithini ke ngokoko nani nivuye, nivuyisane nam.
19 Ke kaloku ndithembele eNkosini uYesu, ukuba ndonithumela uTimoti kamsinya, ukuze nam ndonwabe, ndakuzazi iindawo ezingani.
20 Kuba andinamntu wumbi, umphefumlo uvana nowam, owothi ayikhathalele ngokwenyaniso imicimbi engani.
21 Kuba bonke bafuna ezabo izinto, zingezizo ezikaYesu Kristu.
22 Ukucikideka ke kwakhe niyakwazi: ukuba wathi, njengomntwana kuyise, wakhonza kunye nam kuzo iindaba ezilungileyo.
23 Lowo ke ngoko ndithembé ukumthuma kwaoko, xa ndithe ndayiqonda imicimbi engam.
24 Ke ndikholose ngeNkosi, ukuba nam ngokwam ndoza kamsinya.
25 Kodwa ke ndibé kuyafuneka ukuba ndinithumele uEpafrodito, umzalwana wam osebenza nam, umphumi-mkhosi nam, umthunywa wenu ke, umlungiseleli wam kwiintswelo zam;
26 ekubeni ke ebenilangazelela nina nonke, edandatheka, ngenxa enokuba nevayo ukuba wayesifa.
27 Kuba okunene wayesifa, ephantse ukufa. Ke uThixo wamenzela inceba; akenzela yena yedwa, wenzela nam lo, ukuze ndingabi buhlungu, ndibuhlungu kade.
28 Kukhona ngoko ndimthuma ngokukhawuleza, ukuze nithi nakumbona nibuye nivuye, kuthi nokwam ukuba buhlungu kudambe.
29 Mamkeleni ke ngokwaseNkosini, ninovuyo lonke;
30 nibabeke abo banjalo; ngokuba, ngenxa yomsebenzi kaKristu, wada waphantsa ukufa, ebenza isichenge ubomi bakhe, ukuze enzelelele ukusilela kwenu ekundilungiseleleni.