1 Mayelana lezindaba elaloba ngazo: “Kuhle ukuba indoda ingabi lobudlelwano bemacansini lowesifazane.” 2 Kodwa njengoba kulokuhlobonga okungaka, indoda yinye kumele ibe lobudlelwano bemacansini lomkayo, lomfazi munye abe lendoda yakhe. 3 Indoda kumele igcwalise umlandu wayo wokuthathana kumkayo, kube njalo lomfazi endodeni yakhe. 4 Umfazi kalamandla ngomzimba wakhe kodwa uwunikela kumkakhe. Ngokufanayo, lendoda kayilamandla ngomzimba wayo kodwa iwunikela kumkayo. 5 Lingancitshani ngaphandle kokuba kungokokuvumelana njalo okwesikhatshana, ukuze lizinikele ekukhulekeni. Libuye lihlangane futhi ukuze uSathane angalilingi ngenxa yokusilela kokuzithiba kwenu. 6 Lokhu ngikutsho njengokuvumela, hatshi njengomlayo. 7 Sengathi ngabe lonke linjengami. Kodwa umuntu ngamunye ulesipho sakhe esivela kuNkulunkulu, omunye ulalesi isipho, omunye laye ulalesiyana.

8 Kwabangendanga labafelokazi ngithi: Kuhle kubo ukuba bahlale bengendanga, njengami. 9 Kodwa nxa bengeke bazithiba, kabende, ngoba ukwenda kungcono kulokutshiseka ngokufisa.

10 Abathatheneyo ngibapha umlayo lo (hatshi mina, kodwa iNkosi): Umfazi akumelanga ehlukane lendoda yakhe. 11 Kodwa nxa ekwenzile, kahlale engendanga loba abuyisane lendoda yakhe. Lendoda akumelanga imlahle umkayo.

12 Kwabanye ngithi (mina, hatshi iNkosi): Nxa umzalwane elomfazi ongasilokholwa kodwa evuma ukuhlala laye, akumelanga amlahle. 13 Njalo nxa owesifazane elendoda engakholwayo ivuma ukuhlala laye, akumelanga ayilahle. 14 Ngoba indoda engakholwayo isingcweliswe ngomkayo, lomfazi ongakholwayo usengcweliswe ngendoda yakhe ekholwayo. Kungenjalo ngabe abantwana benu bangcolile, kodwa okwamanje bangcwele.

15 Kodwa nxa ongakholwayo etshiya, myekeleni enze njalo. Owesilisa kumbe owesifazane okholwayo phakathi kabotshelwanga phakathi komumo onje; uNkulunkulu usibizele ukuhlala ngokuthula. 16 Wazi njani, mfazi, mhlawumbe uzasindisa indoda yakho? Loba, wazi njani ndoda, mhlawumbe uzasindisa umkakho?

17 Lanxa kunjalo, lowo lalowo ekuphileni kumele agcine leyondawo iNkosi emuphe yona njalo abizelwe kuyo nguNkulunkulu. Lo ngumlayo engiwubeka emabandleni wonke. 18 Indoda yayivele isisokile ekubizweni kwayo na? Kayingabi ngengasokanga. Indoda yayingasokanga ekubizweni kwayo na? Akumelanga isokwe. 19 Ukusoka lokungasoki konke kuyize. Ukugcina imilayo kaNkulunkulu yikho okuqakathekileyo. 20 Lowo lalowo kahlale kulesosimo ayekuso ekubizweni kwakhe nguNkulunkulu.

21 Wawuyisigqili na ekubizweni kwakho? Kakungakukhathazi, lanxa ungathola ukukhululeka kwakho, yenza njalo. 22 Ngoba lowo owayeyisigqili ekubizweni kwakhe yiNkosi, ungokhululekileyo weNkosi; ngokufanayo, lowo owayekhululekile ekubizweni kwakhe uyisigqili sikaKhristu. 23 Lathengwa ngentengo; kalingabi yizigqili zabantu. 24 Bazalwane, umuntu munye ngamunye, njengolomlandu kuNkulunkulu, kumele ahlale ekulesosimo uNkulunkulu ambizela kuso.

25 Mayelana lezintombi ezigcweleyo: Kangilamlayo ovela eNkosini, kodwa ngahlulela njengothembekileyo ngomusa weNkosi. 26 Ngenxa yokukhathazeka kwakhathesi, ngicabanga ukuthi kuhle kini ukuba lihlale linjengoba linjalo. 27 Uthethe na? Ungadingi ukwehlukana. Kawuthathanga na? Ungathathi. 28 Kodwa nxa uthatha, kawenzanga sono njalo nxa intombi egcweleyo isenda kayonanga. Kodwa labo abathathanayo bazabona inhlupho ezinengi kulokhukuphila, njalo ngifuna ukuliphephisa kulokhu.

29 Engikutshoyo, bazalwane, yikuthi isikhathi sifitshane. Kusukela khathesi kusiya phambili labo abalabafazi kabaphile kungathi kabalabo: 30 labo abakhalayo, kube sengathi kabakhali; labathokozayo babe njengabangathokoziyo; labo abathenga ulutho, kube sengathi kalusilo lwabo ukuba balugcine; 31 labo abasebenzisa izinto zasemhlabeni, kube sengathi kabathathekanga kuzo. Ngoba umhlaba lo kulesisimo sawo sakhathesi uyedlula.

32 Ngifuna ukuba linganqineki. Umuntu ongathathanga unqinekela izindaba zeNkosi, ukuba angayithokozisa kanjani iNkosi. 33 Kodwa umuntu othetheyo unqinekela izindaba zalo umhlaba, ukuba angamthokozisa kanjani umkakhe, 34 lezifiso zakhe zehlukene phakathi. Umfazi ongendanga loba intombi egcweleyo inqinekela izindaba zeNkosi: Isifiso sayo yikuzinikela eNkosini ngakho kokubili umzimba lomoya. Kodwa umfazi owendileyo unqinekela izindaba zalo umhlaba, ukuba angamthokozisa kanjani umkakhe. 35 Ngitsho lokhu ukuba kube lusizo kini, hatshi ukulivimbela. Ngifuna ukuba liphile ngendlela eqondileyo ngokuzinikela okupheleleyo eNkosini.

36 Nxa umuntu ecabanga ukuthi uziphatha ngokungafanelanga entombini egcweleyo athandana layo, esilokhu isiba ndala, njalo esizwa kusithi kufanele athathe, kenze njengokuthanda kwakhe. Kenzi sono. Kumele bathathane. 37 Kodwa umuntu osenze isinqumo engqondweni yakhe engancindezelwanga kodwa elamandla okuzibamba esifisweni sakhe, njalo osemise engqondweni yakhe ukungayithathi intombi leyo, umuntu lo laye wenza into eqondileyo. 38 Ngakho-ke, lowo othatha intombi egcweleyo wenza okuqondileyo, kodwa lowo ongayithathiyo wenza okungcono kakhulu.

39 Owesifazane ubotshelwe endodeni yakhe nxa isaphila. Kodwa indoda yakhe ingafa, ukhululekile ukwendela kwenye ayithandayo, kodwa kumele ibe seNkosini. 40 Ngokubona kwami, uyathokoza kakhulu nxa ehlala enjalo, njalo ngiyakholwa ukuthi ngiloMoya kaNkulunkulu.