1 Kepha siyanazisa, bazalwane, ngomusa kaNkulunkulu awuphiweyo amabandla aseMakedoniya
2 ukuthi ekuvivinyweni okukhulu kosizi ukuthokoza kwawo okuvamileyo nobumpofu bawo obukhulu kwenza ukuba avame kakhulu ekuphaneni okupheleleyo;
3 ngokuba ngokwawo anikela njengamandla awo, yebo, ngiyafakaza ngithi, nangaphezu kwamandla awo;
4 asinxusa kakhulu ecela umusa wokuhlanganyela ekukhonzeni abangcwele;
5 futhi akubanga njengokwethemba kwethu kuphela, kepha bazinikela bona uqobo kuqala eNkosini nakithi futhi ngentando kaNkulunkulu,
6 saze samncenga uThithu ukuba, njengalokho wayeseqalile ngaphambili, kanjalo afeze futhi kini lowo msebenzi womusa.
7 Kepha njengalokho nivamile kukho konke: ukukholwa, namazwi, nokwazi, nokukhuthala konke, nothando enisithanda ngalo, manivame nakuwo lowo msebenzi womusa.
8 Angikusho njengomyalo, kodwa ukuze ngokukhuthala kwabanye ngivivinye ubuqotho bothando lwenu;
9 ngokuba niyawazi umusa weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ukuthi, nakuba ecebile, waba mpofu ngenxa yenu, ukuze ngobumpofu bakhe nicebe nina.
10 Kulokhu nginitshela ukubona kwami; ngokuba lokhu kulungele nina enaqala nyakenye, kungekwenza kuphela kepha nokuthanda;
11 kepha manje fezani nokwenza, ukuze njengalokho kwaba khona inhliziyo ethandayo, kanjalo kube khona nokufeza njengeninakho.
12 Ngokuba uma uthando lukhona, kwamukeleka njengalokho umuntu anakho, kungenjengalokho angenakho.
13 Ngokuba angikusho lokhu ukuba abanye bakhululeke, nina nikhathazeke, kodwa kube ngokulinganayo,
14 ukuze kuthi ngalesi sikhathi inala yenu isize bona ekusweleni kwabo ukuba nenala yabo isize nina ekusweleni kwenu, kube khona ukulingana,
15 njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:“Kowaba nokuningi kakusalanga,nowaba nokuncane kantulanga.”
16 Kepha makabongwe uNkulunkulu obeka enhliziyweni kaThithu le nkuthalo ngani,
17 ngokuba wamukela umyalo wethu, kepha naye ekhuthele kakhulu waphuma eza kini ngokuzithandela.
18 Sithumele kanye naye umzalwane oludumo lwakhe ngevangeli lwandile kuwo onke amabandla,
19 kungesikho lokho kuphela, kodwa ukhethiwe futhi yiwo amabandla ukuba ahambisane nathi ngendaba yalo mnikelo osetshenzwe yithi, kube ludumo kuyo iNkosi, kubonakalise ukukhuthala kwethu,
20 sigwemele lokhu ukuthi kungaba khona osisolayo ngalesi sipho esikhulu esisetshenzwe yithi;
21 ngokuba sinakekela okuhle, kungesemehlweni eNkosi kuphela kodwa nasemehlweni abantu.
22 Kepha sithumele kanye nabo umzalwane wethu esimfumene kaningi ekhuthele ezintweni eziningi, kepha manje ukhuthele kakhulu ngenxa yokunethemba kwakhe okukhulu.
23 Uma kubuzwa ngoThithu, yena ungumhlanganyeli nesisebenzi kanye nami kini; noma kubuzwa ngabazalwane bethu, bayizithunywa zamabandla, bayinkazimulo kaKristu.
24 Ngakho manibonakalise kubo phambi kwamabandla ubufakazi bothando lwenu nokuzincoma kwethu ngani.