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1 Thina esilamandla sifanele ukubekezelela ukwehluleka kwababuthakathaka, hatshi ukuba sizithokozise. 2 Lowo lalowo wethu kumele athokozise umakhelwane wakhe ngokuhle kuye, ukuze amakhe. 3 Ngoba loKhristu kazithokozisanga, kodwa njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Ukuthuka kwalabo abalithukayo kwehlele phezu kwami.”[a] 4 Ngoba konke okwalotshwa kudala kwalotshelwa ukusifundisa, ukuze kuthi ngokubekezela langokukhuthazwa yimibhalo sibe lethemba.

5 Sengathi uNkulunkulu onika ukubekezela lenkuthazo angalipha umoya wokumanyana phakathi kwenu lapho lilingisa uKhristu Jesu, 6 ukuze kuthi Nganhliziyonye langomlomo munye lidumise uNkulunkulu loYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu.

7 Ngakho yamukelani omunye lomunye njengalokhu uKhristu walamukela, ukuze kudunyiswe uNkulunkulu. 8 Ngoba ngiyalazisa ukuthi uKhristu waba yinceku yamaJuda emele iqiniso likaNkulunkulu, ukuba aqinise izithembiso ezenziwa kubokhokho, 9 ukuze abezizwe badumise uNkulunkulu ngenxa yomusa wakhe, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:

“Ngenxa yalesisizatho ngizakudumisa phakathi kwabeZizwe,
ngizahlabela amahubo ebizweni lakho.”[b]
10 Njalo, kuthi,
“Thokozani, lina beZizwe, labantu bakhe.”[c]
11 Njalo,
“Dumisani iNkosi, lonke lina beZizwe,
lihlabelele indumiso kuyo, lonke lina bantu.”[d]
12 Njalo, u-Isaya uthi,
“Impande kaJese izavela,
lowo ozavuka ukuba abuse izizwe;
abeZizwe bazathembela kuye.”[e]

13 Sengathi uNkulunkulu wethemba angaligcwalisa ngentokozo enkulu langokuthula ekumethembeni kwenu, ukuze libe lethemba elikhaphakayo ngamandla kaMoya oNgcwele.

UPhawuli Isikhonzi KwabeZizweni
14 Mina ngokwami ngiyakholwa bazalwane bami, ukuthi lina ngokwenu ligcwele ukulunga, lilokwazi okupheleleyo njalo liyenelisa ukufundisana. 15 Ngililobele ngesibindi mayelana leminye imicijo, njengokungathi ngilikhumbuza yona futhi, ngenxa yomusa uNkulunkulu angiphe wona 16 ukuba yisikhonzi sikaKhristu uJesu kwabeZizwe ngilomlandu wobuphristi wokutshumayela ivangeli likaNkulunkulu ukuze abeZizwe babe ngumnikelo owamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu, ongcweliswe nguMoya oNgcwele.

17 Ngakho ngiyaziqhenya kuKhristu uJesu emsebenzini wami kuNkulunkulu. 18 Kangiyikuba lesibindi sokukhuluma ngolunye ulutho ngaphandle kwalokho uKhristu asekufeze ngami ekukhokheleni abeZizwe ukuba balalele uNkulunkulu ngalokhu engakutshoyo lengakwenzayo, 19 ngamandla ezibonakaliso lezimangaliso, langamandla kaMoya kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho indlela yonke kusukela eJerusalema kusiya e-Ilirikhumu, sengilitshumayele ngokugcweleyo ivangeli likaKhristu. 20 Bekuhlezi kuyisifiso sami ukutshumayela ivangeli lapho uKhristu ayengaziwa khona, ukuze ngingakhi phezu kwesisekelo somunye. 21 Ikanti kulotshiwe ukuthi:

“Labo abangatshelwanga ngaye bazabona,
lalabo abangakezwa bazaqedisisa.”[f]
22 Yikho-nje kade ngixakeka ekubeni ngize kini.
Icebo LikaPhawuli Lokwethekelela ERoma
23 Kodwa khathesi njengoba kungaselandawo engingasebenza kuyo kulezizigaba, njalo njengoba bengifisa okweminyaka eminengi ukulibona, 24 ngiceba ukwenzanjalo lapho sengisiya eSpeyini. Ngithemba ngizalibona ngisedlula lokuba lingisize ngohambo lwami lokuya khonale, emva kokuba sengithokoze ukuba lani okwesikhatshana. 25 Kodwa khathesi ngisendleleni yokuya eJerusalema emsebenzini wabantu beNkosi khonale. 26 Ngoba abeMasedoniya labe-Akhayiya kwabathokozisa ukusiza abayanga phakathi kwabantu beNkosi eJerusalema. 27 Kwabathokozisa ukwenza lokho, njalo impela balomlandu walokho kubo. Ngoba nxa abeZizwe bahlanganyela ezibusisweni zakomoya zamaJuda, balomlandu kumaJuda wokuhlanganyela lawo ezibusisweni zokwenyama. 28 Ngakho emva kokuqeda umsebenzi lo, njalo sengibe leqiniso ukuthi sebesamukele isithelo lesi, ngizakuya eSpeyini njalo ngilethekelele ohanjweni lwami. 29 Ngiyakwazi ukuthi lapho ngisiza kini, ngizakuza ngilesibusiso esigcweleyo sikaKhristu.

30 Ngiyalincenga bazalwane, ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu langothando lukaMoya, ukuba lihlanganyele lami ekutshikatshikeni kwami ngokungikhulekela kuNkulunkulu. 31 Khulekelani ukuba ngihlengwe kwabangakholwayo eJudiya lokuthi umsebenzi wami eJerusalema wamukeleke ebantwini beNkosi khonale, 32 ukuze ngize kini ngentokozo kuthi ngentando kaNkulunkulu ngivuselelwe kanye lani. 33 UNkulunkulu wokuthula kabe lani lonke. Ameni.