Chapter 4
1 Zintanda, musani ukukholwa ngoomoya bonke, bacikideni oomoya ukuba ngabakaThixo na; ngokuba baninzi abaprofeti ababuxoki, abaphume bangena ehlabathini.
2 Mazini ngale nto uMoya kaThixo: umoya wonke omvumayo uYesu Kristu eze esenyameni, ungokaThixo;
3 nomoya wonke ongamvumiyo uYesu Kristu eze esenyameni, asingokaThixo; lo ngokamchasi-Kristu, lowo niwuvileyo ukuba uyeza; nangoku uselukho ehlabathini.
4 Nina ningabakaThixo, bantwanana, nibeyisile bona; ngokuba lowo ukuni nguyena mkhulu kunalowo usehlabathini.
5 Bona ngabehlabathi; ngenxa yoko bathetha okwehlabathi, ihlabathi liyabeva ke.
6 Thina singabakaThixo, lowo umaziyo uThixo uyasiva thina; ongengokaThixo akasiva. Siwazi ngaloo nto umoya wayo inyaniso, nomoya walo ulahlekiso.
7 Zintanda, masithandane; ngokuba uthando lwaphuma kuThixo. Bonke abanothando bazelwe nguThixo, bayamazi uThixo.
8 Lowo ungenaluthando akazanga amazi uThixo, ngokuba uThixo uluthando.
9 Kwabonakaliswa ngale nto ukusithanda kukaThixo, ngokuthi uThixo amthume ehlabathini uNyana wakhe, ekuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze sidle ubomi naye.
10 Uthando lulapha, ingekukuba samthandayo uThixo thina, ikukuba wasithandayo yena, wamthuma uNyana wakhe ukuba abe sisicamagushelo sezono zethu.
11 Zintanda, ukuba wenjenjalo uThixo ukusithanda, nathi sifanele ukuthandana.
12 Akukho namnye owakha wambona uThixo; ukuba sithi sithandane, uThixo uhleli kuthi, nothando lwakhe lugqibelele ngaphakathi kwethu.
13 Sazi ngale nto ukuba sihleli kuye, naye uhleli kuthi; ngokuba usinike okoMoya wakhe.
14 Sibonile thina, siyangqina, ukuba uYise umthumile uNyana ukuba nguMsindisi wehlabathi.
15 Othe wavuma ukuba uYesu unguye uNyana kaThixo, uThixo uhleli kuye, naye uhleli kuye uThixo.
16 Sikwazile thina, sakholwa kukusithanda kukaThixo. UThixo uluthando; lowo uhleli eluthandweni uhleli kuye uThixo, noThixo uhleli kuye.
17 Lugqibelele ngale nto uthando olukuthi, ukuze sibe nokungafihlisi ngomhla womgwebo; ngokuba, njengoko anjalo yena, sinjalo nathi kweli hlabathi.
18 Akukho loyiko eluthandweni; lusuka uthando olugqibeleleyo luluphose phandle uloyiko; ngokuba uloyiko lunexhala; lowo ke woyikayo akagqibelele eluthandweni.
19 Thina siyamthanda, ngokuba yena wasithanda kuqala.
20 Ukuba umntu uthe, Ndiyamthanda uThixo, wamthiya umzalwana wakhe, ulixoki; kuba lowo ungamthandiyo umzalwana wakhe ambonileyo, angathini na ukumthanda uThixo angambonanga?
21 Nguwo lo umthetho esinawo uvela kuye: ukuba athi lowo umthandayo uThixo, amthande nomzalwana wakhe.