1 Thimothewu
3:1 Liqinisile izwi elithi: Uma umuntu efisa isikhundla sombhishobhi, uya
ufisa umsebenzi omuhle.
3:2 Ngakho umbhishobhi umelwe ukuba ngongasolekiyo, indoda emfazi munye, eqaphile,
abaqondileyo, abaziphatha kahle, abangenisa izihambi, benekhono lokufundisa;
3:3 ongeyena odakwa yiwayini, ongashayi, ongahaheli inzuzo embi; kodwa uyabekezela,
angabi ngoxabanayo, angabi ngohaha;
3:4 Lowo ophethe kahle eyakhe indlu, futhi ethobela abantwana bakhe
nawo wonke amandla adonsela phansi;
3:5 (Ngokuba uma umuntu engakwazi ukuphatha eyakhe indlu, uyakuyinakekela kanjani na?
webandla likaNkulunkulu?)
3:6 Hhayi osaqalayo, funa ngokuzikhukhumeza awele phakathi
ukulahlwa kukaSathane.
3:7 Ngaphezu kwalokho, umelwe ukuba abe nobufakazi obuhle kwabangaphandle; hlezi yena
welani esithukweni nasogibeni lukaSathane.
3:8 Ngokufanayo, amadiyakoni kumelwe abe nesizotha, hhayi ndimimbili, hhayi isiphiwo kakhulu
iwayini, hhayi ukuhahela inzuzo embi;
3:9 bebambe imfihlakalo yokukholwa kunembeza omhlophe.
3:10 Nalaba mabaqale bahlolwe; bese besebenzisa ihhovisi lika-a
idikoni, efunyanwa engenasici.
3:11 Kanjalo omkabo bafanele ukuba abangcwele, bangabi abahlebi, abahluzekile, abathembekile
zonke izinto.
3:12 Amadiyakoni mawabe ngamadoda amfazi munye, abusa abantwana bawo, futhi
izindlu zabo kahle.
3:13 Ngoba labo abaye basebenzise isikhundla idikoni kahle ukuthenga
bazi izinga elihle, nesibindi esikhulu ekukholweni okukuyo
UJesu Kristu.
3:14 Lezizinto ngizibhalela kuwe, ngethemba lokuza kuwe masinyane.
3:15 Kodwa uma ngilibala, ukuze wazi ukuthi kufanele uziphathe kanjani
wena endlini kaNkulunkulu, eyibandla likaNkulunkulu ophilayo
insika nesisekelo seqiniso.
3:16 Futhi ngokungangabazeki inkulu imfihlakalo yokumesaba uNkulunkulu: UNkulunkulu wayekhona
ebonakaliswe enyameni, elungisiswa ngoMoya, ebonwa yizingelosi, eshunyayelwa
kwabezizwe, okwakholeka kubo emhlabeni, benyuselwa enkazimulweni.