1 Ngakho-ke bazalwane bami, lina engilithandayo lengilikhumbulayo, liyintokozo yami lomqhele wami, kumele liqine kanjalo eNkosini bangane abathandekayo!

2 Ngiyamncenga uYuwodiya loSintikhe ukuba bavumelane eNkosini. 3 Ngiyakucela mhlobo wami oqotho, siza abesifazane labo abasebenza lami kanzima ngenxa yevangeli, kanye loKlementi labanye engisebenza labo, abalamabizo abo asencwadini yokuphila.

4 Thokozani eNkosini kokuphela. Ngiyatsho futhi ngithi: Thokozani! 5 Ukuthobeka kwenu kakubonakale kubo bonke. INkosi isiseduze. 6 Lingakhathazeki kodwa ngazo zonke izikhathi bikani izicelo zenu kuNkulunkulu ngokukhuleka, ngokuncenga langokubonga. 7 Ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu okudlula ukuqedisisa konke kuzabusa inhliziyo zenu lezingqondo zenu kuKhristu uJesu.

8 Okokucina bazalwane, konke okuliqiniso, lokulesithunzi, lokulungileyo, lokuhlambulukileyo, lokuhle, lokubukekayo, nxa ulutho luluhle kakhulu loba lubongeka, cabangani ngezinto ezinje. 9 Loba kuyini elikufundileyo loba elikwamukeleyo loba elikuzwileyo kuvela kimi, loba elikubonileyo kimi, kwenzeni. UNkulunkulu wokuthula uzakuba lani.

10 Ngiyathokoza kakhulu eNkosini ngokuthi khathesi selize lavuselela ukungikhathalela kwenu. Impela kade likhathazeka kodwa lingelalo ithuba lokukubonakalisa. 11 Kangitsho lokhu ngenxa yokuthi ngiyaswela ngoba sengafunda ukwaneliseka kuyo yonke imimo. 12 Ngiyakwazi ukuba ukuswela kuyini njalo ngiyakwazi ukuba kuyini ukuba lokunengi. Sengafunda imfihlo yokwaneliseka kuzozonke izimo, langabe ngiyasutha loba ngilambile, loba ngilokunengi kumbe ngiswela. 13 Ngingazenza zonke izinto ngaye onginika amandla.

14 Kodwa kwakukuhle ukuthi lihlanganyele lami ekuhluphekeni kwami. 15 Phezu kwalokho, lina bantu baseFiliphi liyakwazi ukuthi ensukwini elaqala ngazo ukwazi ivangeli ngesikhathi ngisuka eMasedoniya, akukho lalinye ibandla elahlanganyela lami endabeni yokupha lokwamukela ngaphandle kwenu kuphela; 16 ngoba langesikhathi ngiseThesalonika langithumela usizo kanengi lapho ngidinga uncedo. 17 Akusikuthi ngifuna isipho kodwa ngifuna okuzakuba yinzuzo kini. 18 Sengamukele umvuzo ogcweleyo lodlulisileyo; ngiphiwe okwaneleyo njengoba khathesi sengamukele ku-Ephafrodithusi izipho elazithumelayo. Zingumnikelo wephunga elimnandi, umhlatshelo owamukelekayo lothokozisa uNkulunkulu. 19 UNkulunkulu wami uzakugcwalisa konke ukuswela kwenu ngenkazimulo yenotho yakhe kuKhristu uJesu.

20 Udumo kalube kuNkulunkulu uBaba kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni.

21 Bingelelani bonke abangcwele abakuKhristu.

Abazalwane abalami bayalibingelela.

22 Abangcwele bonke bayalibingelela, ikakhulu labo abangabendlu kaKhesari.

23 Umusa weNkosi uJesu Khristu kawube lomoya wenu.

<- AbaseFiliphi 3