1 UPawulu, inceku kaNkulunkulu nomphostoli kaJesu Kristu ngokokukholwa kwabakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu nangokokwazi iqiniso elingokokukhonza uNkulunkulu,
2 ethembeni lokuphila okuphakade uNkulunkulu ongaqambi amanga akwethembisa phambi kwezikhathi zaphakade,
3 kepha ngesikhathi esifaneleyo ubonakalisile izwi lakhe entshumayelweni engayiphathiswayo ngokomyalo kaNkulunkulu uMsindisi wethu,
4 kuThithu, umntanami ngempela ngokokukholwa esikuhlanganyele sonke: Makube kuwe umusa nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba nakuKristu Jesu uMsindisi wethu.
5 Ngakushiya eKrethe ngenxa yalokhu ukuba uhlele okusaseleyo, umise amalunga emizini yonke, njengokuba ngakuyala,
6 uma kukhona ongasolekiyo, indoda emfazi munye, enabantwana abakholwayo abangenakusolwa ngokushinga nabangalaleliyo.
7 Ngokuba umbonisi umelwe ukuba abe ngongasolekiyo njengomphathimuzi kaNkulunkulu, ongaziqhenyi, ongesiso isififane, ongesiso isiphuzi, ongesiso isilwi, ongesiye ohahela inzuzo embi,
8 kepha ophatha kahle izihambi, othanda okuhle, oqondileyo, olungileyo, ongcwele, ozithibayo,
9 obambelele ezwini elithembekileyo ngokwesifundiso, aze abe nakho nokuyala ngesifundiso esiphilileyo nokwahlula abaphikayo.
10 Ngokuba baningi abangalaleliyo abakhuluma ize, nabakhohlisayo, ikakhulu abokusoka,
11 abamelwe ukuthuliswa, abachitha indlu iphela, befundisa okungafanele ngenxa yenzuzo embi.
12 Omunye kubona, umprofethi wakubo, washo wathi:“AbaseKrethe bangabaqambimanga njalo,izilwane ezimbi,iziminzi ezivilaphayo.”
13 Lobo bufakazi buqinisile. Ngalokho-ke ubayalisise, ukuze baphile ekukholweni,
14 benganaki izinganekwane zabaJuda nemiyalo yabantu abafulathela iqiniso.
15 Kwabahlanzekileyo konke kuhlanzekile; kepha kwabangcolileyo nabangakholwayo akukho lutho oluhlanzekileyo, kodwa kungcole ingqondo yabo nonembeza wabo.
16 Bavuma ukuthi bayamazi uNkulunkulu, kepha bayamphika ngemisebenzi yabo bengabenyanyekayo, nabangalaleliyo, nasemisebenzini yonke emihle kabasizi lutho.