1 Bazalwane bami, njengabakholwayo eNkosini yethu elenkazimulo uJesu Khristu, lingabandlululi. 2 Kasithi umuntu ufika emhlanganweni wenu egqize indandatho yegolide, egqoke lezigqoko ezinhle, besekungena umyanga egqoke izigqoko ezinithizelayo. 3 Nxa limnaka kakhulu lowo ogqoke izigqoko ezinhle lithi kuye, “Nansi isihlalo esingcono,” kodwa kongumyanga lithi, “Wena mana laphayana,” kumbe lithi, “Hlala phansi eduze kwezinyawo zami,” 4 Kambe kalibandlululanga njalo laba ngabahluleli abalemicabango emibi na?

5 Lalelani, bazalwane bami abathandekayo: Kanti uNkulunkulu kabakhethanga yini labo abangabayanga emehlweni omhlaba ukuba babengabanothileyo ekukholweni kanye lokudla ilifa lombuso awuthembisa labo abamthandayo na? 6 Kodwa lina libathukile abayanga. Abanothileyo akusibo yini abadinga inzuzo ngani? Akusibo yini abalihudulela emithethwandaba? 7 Akusibo yini abahlambaza ibizo lobukhosi elalowo lina elingabakhe na?

8 Nxa liwugcina sibili umthetho wobukhosi otholakala eMbhalweni othi, “Thanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda,”* 2.8 ULevi 19.18 lenza okulungileyo. 9 Kodwa nxa libandlulula lenza isono njalo lilahlwa ngumthetho njengabephuli bomthetho. 10 Ngoba loba ngubani ogcina umthetho wonke, kodwa akhubeke endaweni eyodwa, ulecala lokuwephula wonke. 11 Ngoba yena owathi, “Ungafebi,”† 2.11 U-Eksodasi 20.14; UDutheronomi 5.18 wathi futhi, “Ungabulali.”‡ 2.11 U-Eksodasi 20.13; UDutheronomi 5.17 Nxa ungafebi, kodwa ubulala, usube yisaphulamthetho.

12 Khulumani njalo lenze njengalabo abazakwahlulelwa ngumthetho onika ukukhululeka, 13 ngoba ukwahlulela okungelasihawu kuzakuba kulowo obengelasihawu. Isihawu sinqoba ukwahlulela!

14 Kusizani bazalwane bami, nxa umuntu esithi ulokholo kodwa engelazenzo? Ukholo olunjalo lungamsindisa na? 15 Kasithi umfowenu loba udadewenu kalazigqoko lokudla kwansukuzonke. 16 Nxa omunye wenu esithi kuye, “Hamba, ngikufisela okuhle; hlala ufudumala njalo usutha,” kodwa angenzi lutho ngalezi zinswelo zakhe zomzimba, kusizani na? 17 Ngokunjalo, ukukholwa nje kuphela, nxa kungelamisebenzi kufile.

18 Kodwa omunye uzakuthi, “Wena ulokukholwa; mina ngilezenzo.”

Ngitshengisa ukukholwa kwakho kungelazenzo, njalo mina ngizakutshengisa ukukholwa kwami ngalokho engikwenzayo. 19 Uyakholwa ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu oyedwa. Kulungile! Lamadimoni ayakukholwa lokhu njalo ayathuthumela.

20 Wena ndoda eyisiwula, ufuna ubufakazi bokuthi ukukholwa okungelamisebenzi kuyize na? 21 Kanje ukhokho wethu u-Abhrahama kabalwanga njengolungileyo ngenxa yalokhu akwenzayo lapho anikela indodana yakhe u-Isaka e-alithareni na? 22 Liyabona ukuthi ukukholwa kwakhe lezenzo zakhe kwakusebenza ndawonye, njalo ukukholwa kwakhe kwapheleliswa yilokho akwenzayo. 23 Njalo umbhalo wagcwaliseka othi, “U-Abhrahama wakholwa uNkulunkulu, njalo kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga,”§ 2.23 UGenesisi 15.6 njalo wabizwa ngokuthi ngumngane kaNkulunkulu. 24 Liyabona ukuthi umuntu ulungiswa yilokho akwenzayo hatshi ngokukholwa kuphela.

25 Ngokunjalo, loRahabi isifebe konje kabalwanga njengolungileyo ngalokho akwenzayo lapho anika inhloli indawo yokulala wabuya wazikhupha ngenye indlela na? 26 Njengoba umzimba ongelamoya ufile, ngokunjalo ukukholwa okungelamisebenzi kufile.