OPawulu, noSilvanu, noThimothewu kulo ibandla labaseThesalonika elikuNkulunkulu, uBaba wethu, naseNkosini uJesu Kristu:

Makube kini umusa nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba naseNkosini uJesu Kristu.

Simelwe ukumbonga njalo uNkulunkulu ngani bazalwane, njengokuba kufanele, ngokuba inkolo yenu iyanda kakhulu, nothando lwenu nonke omunye komunye luyakhula,

kuze kuthi thina ngokwethu sizincome ngani emabandleni kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokukhuthazela kwenu nokukholwa ekuzingelweni kwenu konke nasezinhluphekweni enibekezela kuzo,

okuyisiboniso sokwahlulela okulungileyo kukaNkulunkulu, ukuze kuthiwe ningabalungele umbuso kaNkulunkulu enihlupheka ngenxa yawo,

uma kambe kuyinto elungile kuNkulunkulu ukuba abuyisele ukuhlupheka kubo abanihluphayo,

aniphe nina enihluphekayo ukuphumula kanye nathi ekwambulweni kweNkosi uJesu, evela ezulwini, enezingelosi zamandla akhe,

elangabini lomlilo, ephindisela kwabangamazi uNkulunkulu nakwabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu,

abazakunikwa isijeziso esingukubhujiswa okuphakade, basuke phambi kobuso beNkosi naphambi kwenkazimulo yamandla akhe,

nxa efika ukuba akhazimuliswe kubo abangcwele bakhe, abe ngomangalisayo kubo bonke abakholwa ngalowo muhla, ngokuba nakholwa ngukufakaza kwethu.

Ngenxa yalokho siyanikhulekela njalo, ukuze uNkulunkulu wethu anenze nibe ngabafanele ukubizwa kwenu, agcwalise ngamandla konke okuhle enikuthandayo nomsebenzi wokukholwa,

ukuze igama leNkosi yethu uJesu likhazimuliswe kini, nani kuye, ngokomusa kaNkulunkulu wethu noweNkosi uJesu Kristu.

Kepha siyanxusa, bazalwane, mayelana nokufika kweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu nokubuthanela kwethu kuyo,

ukuba ningasheshi ninyakaziswe engqondweni yenu, ningethuswa noma ngomoya, noma ngezwi, noma ngencwadi ngokungathi ivela kithi, sengathi usuku lukaKristu selufikile.

Makungabikho muntu onikhohlisayo nangayiphi indlela; ngokuba aluyikufika, kungaveli kuqala ukuhlubuka, kwambulwe umuntu ongenamthetho, indodana yokulahlwa,

omelana nakho konke, nozikhukhumeza phezu kwakho konke okuthiwa uNkulunkulu noma into ekhonzwayo, aze azihlalise ethempelini likaNkulunkulu ezishaya uNkulunkulu.

Anikhumbuli yini ukuthi ngisekhona kini nganitshela lokho na?

Senikwazi okumbambezelayo, ukuze ambulwe ngesikhathi sakhe.

Ngokuba imfihlakalo yokungabi namthetho isiyasebenza, kuphela ukuze kudediswe yena obambezelayo manje.

Lapho-ke uzakwambulwa lowo ongenamthetho, eyakumqeda iNkosi uJesu Kristu ngomoya womlomo wayo, imchithe ngokubonakala kokufika kwayo,

lowo okufika kwakhe kungokokusebenza kukaSathane ngawo onke amandla, nezibonakaliso, nezimangaliso zamanga,

nangayo yonke inkohliso yokungalungi kwababhubhayo, ngenxa yokuba bengavumanga ukuthanda iqiniso, ukuze basindiswe.

Ngalokho-ke uNkulunkulu ubathumela amandla okuduka, baze bakholwe ngamanga,

ukuba bonke abangakholwanga yiqiniso benamela ukungalungi balahlwe.

Kepha thina simelwe ukubonga uNkulunkulu njalo ngani bazalwane abathandwa yiNkosi, ngokuba kwasekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wanikhethela ukusindiswa ngokungcwelisa kukaMoya nangokukholwa yiqiniso

anibizela kukho ngevangeli lethu, nize nizuze inkazimulo yeNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.

Ngalokho-ke, bazalwane, yimani niqinile, nibambelele kuwo amasiko enawafundiswa noma ngezwi noma ngencwadi yethu.

Kepha iNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu uqobo, noNkulunkulu uBaba wethu owasithanda nowasipha ngomusa induduzo yaphakade nethemba elihle,

makaduduze izinhliziyo zenu, aniqinise emisebenzini yonke nasemazwini onke amahle.

Elokugcina, bazalwane, sikhulekeleni ukuba izwi leNkosi likhawuleze, lidunyiswe, njengalokhu kunjalo nakini,

nokuba sikhululwe kubantu abadukileyo nababi; ngokuba ukukholwa akusikho okwabo bonke.

Kepha iNkosi ithembekile, eyakuniqinisa, inilondoloze komubi.

Siyethemba eNkosini ngani ukuthi lokhu esiniyala ngakho niyakwenza nokuthi nizakukwenza.

Kepha iNkosi mayiqondise izinhliziyo zenu othandweni lukaNkulunkulu nasekubekezeleni kukaKristu.

Kodwa siyaniyala, bazalwane, egameni leNkosi uJesu Kristu ukuba nizahlukanise nabazalwane bonke abahamba ngokungafanele, bengahambi ngomyalo eniwamukele kithina.

Ngokuba nani niyazi ngokwenu ukuthi kufanele ukuba nisilingise kanjani, ngokuba asihambanga ngokungafanele phakathi kwenu,

asidlanga sinkwa samuntu ngesihle, kodwa sadla ngokukhandleka nangokukhathazeka, sisebenza ubusuku nemini ukuba singasindi muntu kini,

kungengokuba singenalo ilungelo, kodwa ukuze sizinikele sibe yisibonelo kini sokuba nisilingise.

Ngokuba nalapho sisekini, saniyala ngalokhu ukuthi: “Uma umuntu engathandi ukusebenza, makangadli.”

Ngokuba sizwa ukuthi abanye phakathi kwenu bahamba ngokungafanele, bengasebenzi lutho, kepha benza okuyize nje;

abanjalo siyabayala sibaluleka eNkosini uJesu Kristu ukuba basebenze ngokuthula, badle esabo isinkwa.

Kepha nina bazalwane, ningadinwa ngukwenza okuhle.

Uma ekhona ongalaleli izwi lethu kule ncwadi, mphawuleni lowo, ningahlanganyeli naye, ukuze abe namahloni;

kepha ningamphathisi okwesitha, kodwa mlulekeni njengomzalwane.

Kepha iNkosi yokuthula uqobo mayiniphe ukuthula ngezikhathi zonke nangezindlela zonke. INkosi mayibe nani nonke.

Ngiyakhonza ngesandla sami mina Pawulu, okuluphawu ezincwadini zonke; ngiloba kanjalo.

Umusa weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu mawube nani nonke.