1 Bazalwane, sithanda ukuba lazi ngomusa uNkulunkulu awunike amabandla aseMasedoniya. 2 Ekulingweni kwawo okunzima kakhulu lokuthokoza kwawo okukhulu kanye lobuyanga bawo bokucina kugcwele ukuphana okumangalisayo. 3 Ngoba ngiyafakaza ukuthi anikela okunengi njengayengakwanelisa, kanye lokudlula amandla awo. Bona ngokwabo, 4 basincenga ngokuphangisa ukuba babe lethuba lokuhlanganyela kulokhukusebenzela abantu beNkosi. 5 Kabenzanga njengesasikulindele kodwa bazinikela eNkosini kuqala, muva bazinikela kithi kuvumelana lentando kaNkulunkulu. 6 Ngakho-ke, samncenga uThithu, njengoba wayeseqalisile ngaphambilini, ukuba lawo awuqede umsebenzi womusa lo kini. 7 Kodwa njengoba lisenza kuhle ezintweni zonke, ekukholweni, ekukhulumeni, ekwazini, ekuzimiseleni okupheleleyo kanye lakukho ukusithanda kwenu, bonani ukuthi liyaqhubeka futhi kulumusa wokuphana.

8 Angilibekeli mlayo kodwa ngifuna ukuhlola ubuqotho bothando lwenu ngokuluqathanisa lokuzimisela kwabanye. 9 Ngoba liyawazi umusa weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu ukuthi lanxa wayenothile kodwa waba ngumyanga ngenxa yenu, ukuze kuthi ngobuyanga bakhe lina linothe.

10 Njalo nansi iseluleko sami mayelana lalokho okuhle kakhulu kini kule indaba: Nyakenye libe ngabokuqala kungayisikho ekupheni nje kuphela kodwa lekubeni lesifiso sokwenza njalo. 11 Khathesi-ke uqediseni umsebenzi ukuze ukutshiseka kokufuna kwenu ukwenza kungalingana lokuwuqeda kwenu, kusiya ngalokho elilakho. 12 Ngoba nxa isifiso sikhona, isipho siyamukeleka kusiya ngalokho umuntu alakho hatshi ngalokho angelakho.

13 Isifiso sethu akusikuthi abanye bakhululwe lina lilokhu lincindezelekile kodwa ukuba kube lokulingana. 14 Ngenala yenu yalesisikhathi lizabanika abakuswelayo, ukuze kuthi labo ngenala yabo baliphe elikuswelayo. Lapho-ke kuzakuba lokulingana, 15 njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Lowo owabutha okunengi kabanga lokunengi kakhulu, lalowo owabutha okulutshwana kabanga lokulutshwana kakhulu.”* 8.15 U-Eksodasi 16.18

16 Kabongwe uNkulunkulu owabeka enhliziyweni kaThithu ukukhathazeka kunye engilakho ngani. 17 Ngoba uThithu kamukelanga isicelo sethu nje kuphela kodwa uyeza kini ngokutshiseka okukhulu njalo ngokuzithuma kwakhe. 18 Njalo kanye laye sithuma umzalwane obatshazwa ngamabandla wonke ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe wokutshumayela ivangeli. 19 Phezu kwalokho, wakhethwa ngamabandla ukuba asiphelekezele sithwele umnikelo esiwuphetheyo ukuze sidumise iNkosi uqobo lokuba sibonakalise ukutshisekela kwethu ukusiza. 20 Sifuna ukuxwaya insolo ngendlela esiphatha ngayo lesisipho sokuphana. 21 Ngoba siyalwisa kakhulu ukuba senze okulungileyo, kungasikho emehlweni eNkosi kuphela, kodwa lasemehlweni abantu.

22 Phezu kwalokho, sithuma kanye labo umzalwane wethu ohlezi ebonakalisa kithi ngezindlela ezinengi ukuthi ukhuthele, ikakhulu khathesi ngenxa yethemba lakhe elikhulu kini. 23 UThithu yena-ke ungohlanganyela lami loyisisebenzi kanye lami phakathi kwenu; abazalwane bethu bona-ke bangabameli bamabandla lodumo kuKhristu. 24 Ngakho-ke, tshengisani abantu laba ubufakazi bothando lwenu kanye lesisusa sokuzigqaja kwethu ngani, ukuze amabandla wonke alubone.