1 Bazalwane bami, abanengi benu akumelanga babe ngabafundisi ngoba liyakwazi ukuthi thina esifundisayo sizakwahlulelwa kalukhunikazi. 2 Sonke siyakhubeka ngezindlela ezinengi. Nxa umuntu engakaze abelesici kulokho akutshoyo, ungumuntu opheleleyo, oyenelisayo ukuwubamba wonke umzimba wakhe.

3 Lapho sifaka amatomu emilonyeni yamabhiza ukuba asilalele, ibhiza singaliphendula lonke. 4 Kumbe lithathe imikhumbi njengesibonelo. Lanxa imikhulu kangaka njalo iqhutshwa ngumoya olamandla, iqondiswa ngophinyana oluncane loba kungaphi lapho umtshayeli afuna ukuya khona. 5 Ngokufanayo ulimi luyisitho esincane somzimba kodwa luyazincoma kakhulu. Cabangani ngehlathi elikhulu elithungelwa yinhlansi encane yomlilo. 6 Ulimi lalo lungumlilo, umhlaba wobubi phakathi kwezitho zomzimba. Lungcolisa lonke uqobo lomuntu, luyithungele ngomlilo yonke impilo yakhe, lalo luthungelwe yisihogo somlilo.

7 Zonke inhlobo zezinyamazana, izinyoni, lezihuquzelayo kanye lezidalwa zasolwandle ziyathanjiswa njalo sezathanjiswa ngumuntu, 8 kodwa akulamuntu ongathambisa ulimi, luyibubi obuyaluzelayo, lugcwele itshefu ebulalayo.

9 Ngolimi siyayibonga iNkosi uBaba, njalo ngalo sithuka abantu abenziwa ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu. 10 Emlonyeni munye kuphuma ukubonga lokuthuka. Bazalwane bami, lokhu akufanelanga. 11 Kambe amanzi amnandi lamanzi aletswayi angagobhoza mthombo munye na? 12 Bazalwane bami, umkhiwa ungathela ama-oliva na, kumbe ivini lithele imikhiwa na? Lomthombo oletswayi awungeke ukhuphe amanzi amnandi.

13 Ngubani ohlakaniphileyo loqedisisayo phakathi kwenu na? Kakubonakalise ngokuphila kwakhe kuhle, langezenzo ezenziwa ngokuzithoba okuvela ekuhlakanipheni. 14 Kodwa nxa ligcine umhawu lokulangazela kobukhwele ezinhliziyweni zenu, lingazincomi ngakho kumbe liphike iqiniso. 15 “Ukuhlakanipha” okunjalo kakwehli kuvela ezulwini, kodwa ngokwasemhlabeni, akusikomoya, ngokwamadimoni. 16 Ngoba lapho okulomhawu khona lokutshisekela kokuzisuthisa kulapho okutholakala khona ingxabangxoza kanye lezenzo zonke ezimbi.

17 Kodwa ukuhlakanipha okuvela ezulwini kuqala ngokuhlambuluka; besekuthanda ukuthula, kulozwelo, kuyazehlisa, kugcwele isihawu lezithelo ezinhle, kakukhethi njalo kuqotho. 18 Abalamuli abahlanyela ukuthula bathola isivuno sokulunga.