Romans 13
1 Akube yilowo nalowo azithobe phansi kwamandla ombuso. Ngokuba akukho mandla ombuso angaveli kuNkulunkulu. Lawa akhona amiswe nguNkulunkulu.
2 Ngakho-ke omelana nabasemagunyeni, umelana nesimiso sikaNkulunkulu. Abamelana nabo bayakwemukeliswa ukulahlwa.
3 Ngokuba ababusi abesabeki kulabo abenza okuhle, kodwa kwabenza okubi. Uyathanda yini ukungamesabi osemagunyeni na? Yenza-ke okuhle, yena uyakukuncoma,
4 ngokuba uyisikhonzi sikaNkulunkulu, ukuze sikwenzele okuhle. Kepha uma wenza okubi, yesaba, ngokuba akayiphatheli ize inkemba, phela uyisikhonzi sikaNkulunkulu, nophindisela ulaka kulowo owenza okubi.
5 Ngakho-ke kudingekile ukuwuthobela, hhayi nje ngenxa yolaka, kodwa nangenxa kanembeza.
6 Yingakho nithela intela, ngokuba bayizikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu ezikukhuthalele lokho.
7 Nikani bonke okubafaneleyo: intela kofanele intela; inkokhelo kofanele inkokhelo; ukwesaba kofanele ukwesatshwa; udumo kofanele udumo.
8 Ningabi nacala lanoma yini kunoma ngubani, kodwa elokuthandana, ngokuba othanda omunye, uwugcwalisile umthetho.
9 Lokhu ukuthi: “Ungaphingi, ungabulali, ungebi, ungafisi,” noma ngabe ukhona omunye umyalo, kodwa kufingqwe kuleli lizwi elithi: “Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena.”
10 Uthando alukwenzi okubi kumakhelwane, ngakho-ke uthando lungukugcwaliseka komthetho.
11 Yenzani lokhu, ngokuba nazi isikhathi ukuthi sekuyihora lokuba nivuke ebuthongweni. Ngokuba manje insindiso isisondele kithi kunangaleso sikhathi esaqala ngaso ukukholwa.
12 Ubusuku sebuyedlula, imini isisondele. Ngakho-ke masilahle imisebenzi yobumnyama, sihlome ngezikhali zokukhanya.
13 Asiziphathe kahle njengasemini, kungabi ngokuminza nokudakwa, kungabi ngobufebe namanyala, kungabi ngokuxabana nomhawu.
14 Kepha yembathani iNkosi uJesu Khristu, ninganakekeli inyama yenu, kuvuswe izinkanuko.