3 UJohane 1 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Isibingelelo

¹ Mina omdala, ngithi kuye uGeyu othandekayo, engimthanda ngeqiniso:

² Sithandwa, ngikufisela okuhle kanye lokuphila; ngiyazi ukuba umphefumulo wakho umi kuhle.

³ Ngathokoza kakhulu lapho kufika abazalwane abafakazela iqiniso lokuhamba kwakho, njengoba uhamba eqinisweni impela.

⁴ Kakukho okungangithokozisa ukwedlula lokho ukuthi ngizwe ukuba abantwana bami bahamba eqinisweni.

Inkathazo ebandleni

⁵ Sithandwa, wenza umsebenzi wokuthembeka ngalokho okwenzela abazalwane, ikakhulu abemzini;

⁶ bona bafakazele uthando lwakho phambi kwebandla. Uzabe wenze kuhle uba ubasiza ekuhambeni kwabo njengokufanele uNkulunkulu esimkhonzayo.

⁷ Ngoba baphumile ngenxa yakhe, bengamukeli lutho kwabezizwe.

⁸ Ngakhoke sifanele ukubasiza abanjalo ukuze sibe yizisebenzi zeqiniso kanye labo.

⁹ Ngalobela ibandla; kodwa uDiyotrefe othanda ukuba abe mkhulu, kavumi ukusilalela.

¹⁰ Ngakho uba ngifika, ngizakumkhumbuza lokho akwenzayo; uyasihleba ngamazwi amabi; futhi kakholiswa layilokho, uyala ukubamukela abazalwane yena, uyabalela lalabo abathanda ukubamukela, abakhuphe ebandleni.

¹¹ Sithandwa, ungakulingiseli okubi, kodwa lingisela okuhle. Owenza okuhle ungokaNkulunkulu; owenza okubi kambonanga uNkulunkulu.

¹² UDemetriyu ufakazelwa yibo bonke layilo iqiniso uqobo; lathi siyamfakazela, uyazi lawe ukuba ubufakazi bethu buqinisile.

Isicino

¹³ Bengilokunengi ebengizakukulobela ngakho, kodwa kangithandi ukukuloba ephepheni ngeyinki.

¹⁴ Ngithemba ukukubona masinyane, sikhulume sikhangelene.

¹⁵ Ukuthula kakube kuwe. Abangane bayakubingelela. Bingelela abangane bonke, ilowo lalowo wabo.