Kwabase-Efesu 1:1-23
1 UPawulu, umphostoli kaKristu Jesu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, kwabangcwele abase-Efesu + nabathembekile abamunye noKristu Jesu:
2 Kwangathi ningathola umusa omkhulu* nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu naseNkosini uJesu Kristu.
3 Makadunyiswe uNkulunkulu noYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, ngoba usibusise ngazo zonke izibusiso ezingokomoya ezindaweni zasezulwini simunye noKristu, +
4 njengoba asikhetha ukuba sibe munye naye* ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwezwe, ukuze sibonise uthando, sibe ngcwele futhi singabi nabala + phambi kwakhe.
5 Ngoba wakhetha kusengaphambili + ukuba sithathwe sibe ngamadodana akhe + ngoJesu Kristu, ngokufisa kwakhe nangentando yakhe, +
6 ukuze kudunyiswe umusa wakhe omkhulu okhazimulayo + asibonisa wona ngesihe esebenzisa lowo amthandayo. +
7 Ngaye sithole ukukhululwa ngesihlengo ngegazi lakhe, + yebo, ukuthethelelwa kweziphambeko zethu, + ngokuchichima komusa wakhe omkhulu.
8 Lo musa omkhulu wasinika wona ngokuchichimayo ngakho konke ukuhlakanipha nokuqonda,*
9 ngokusazisa imfihlo engcwele yentando yakhe. + Lokhu kuvumelana nentando yakhe yena ngokwakhe ayeyihlosile
10 yokuba kube nesimiso sokuqondisa* izinto lapho isikhathi esimisiwe siphela, ukuze ahlanganisele ndawonye kuKristu zonke izinto ezisezulwini nezisemhlabeni. + Yebo, kuye
11 esimunye naye nesabelwa njengezindlalifa kanye naye, + njengoba samiselwa kusengaphambili ngokwenjongo yalowo ofeza zonke izinto ngokwentando yakhe,
12 ukuze ngathi esibe ngabokuqala ukuba sithembele kuKristu, uNkulunkulu adunyiswe futhi akhazinyuliswe.
13 Kodwa nani nathembela kuye ngemva kokuba senizwe izwi leqiniso, izindaba ezinhle mayelana nensindiso yenu. Ngemva kokuba senikholiwe, nabekwa uphawu + ngaye ngomoya ongcwele othenjisiwe,
14 oluyisiqinisekiso esinikezwa kusengaphambili* sefa lethu, + ngenjongo yokukhulula ngesihlengo + impahla kaNkulunkulu, + ukuze adunyiswe futhi akhazinyuliswe.
15 Yingakho nami, njengoba ngizwile ngokholo eninalo eNkosini uJesu nangothando enilubonisa bonke abangcwele,
16 ngingayeki ukubonga ngenxa yenu. Ngiyaqhubeka nginibeka emithandazweni yami,
17 ukuba uNkulunkulu weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, uBaba wenkazimulo, aninike umoya wokuhlakanipha nowokwambulelwa ulwazi olunembile ngaye. +
18 Ukhanyise amehlo enhliziyo yenu, ukuze nazi ukuthi wanibizela kuliphi ithemba, ukuthi iyini ingcebo ekhazimulayo ayigcine njengefa labangcwele, +
19 nokuthi amandla akhe adlulele awabonisa kithi thina makholwa makhulu kangakanani. + Kuvumelana nokusebenza kwamandla akhe amakhulu,
20 awasebenzisa kuKristu lapho emvusa kwabafile futhi emhlalisa ngakwesokudla sakhe + ezindaweni zasezulwini,
21 ngaphezulu kakhulu kwabo bonke ohulumeni namagunya namandla nobukhosi nawo wonke amagama aqanjiwe, + hhayi nje kulesi simiso sezinto* kuphela, kodwa nakwesizayo.
22 Wabeka nazo zonke izinto ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe, + wamenza inhloko phezu kwazo zonke izinto eziphathelene nebandla, +
23 eliwumzimba wakhe, + eligcwele zonke izinto eziphathelene naye, yena ophelelisa zonke izinto.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “umusa ongafanelwe.”
^ Okuwukuthi, noKristu.
^ Noma, “nokuqonda okuhle.”
^ Noma, “yokuba aqondise.”
^ Noma, “oluyinkokhelo yokubambisa (imali yokuqinisekisa); isiqinisekiso (isifungo) sokuzoza.”
^ Noma, “kule nkathi.”
