Obey Rulers
1 Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. 2 People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. 3 Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need to be afraid of the authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. 4 After all, they are God's servants, and it is their duty to help you.
If you do something wrong, you ought to be afraid, because these rulers have the right to punish you. They are God's servants who punish criminals to show how angry God is. 5 But you should obey the rulers because you know it is the right thing to do, and not just because of God's anger.
6 You must also pay your taxes. The authorities are God's servants, and it is their duty to take care of these matters. 7 Pay all that you owe, whether it is taxes and fees or respect and honor.
Love
8 Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. 9 In the Law there are many commands, such as, “Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others.” But all of these are summed up in the command that says, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” 10 No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands.
The Day When Christ Returns
11 You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord. 12 Night is almost over, and day will soon appear. We must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live in the light. 13 So behave properly, as people do in the day. Don't go to wild parties or get drunk or be vulgar or indecent. Don't quarrel or be jealous. 14 Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear. Then you won't try to satisfy your selfish desires.
Muhwilile ibabo banobusa
1 Mmwe ne mmwe ngaazwiyise pasi kwe babusi, ngobe akuna bushe guyapo agusi gunodwa ku Ndzimu, bushe guyapo gwakabigwa nge Ndzimu. 2 Ndizo iye unopandukila bushe gopandukila tjakalaugwa nge Ndzimu, ngono ibabo banothama sa ikoko banowozwizhisila kusumikilisiwa. 3 Ngobe balauli abatotjisa kuna banoshinga ndulamo, koga banotjisa kuna banothama tjisakalulwama. Apa unoshaka kuti usitje unobusa kene? Ndizo thama tjakalulwama unowodumana nawe, 4 ngobe balauli balanda be Ndzimu, kuti ndizo mululwamigwe. Koga ha ushinga tjakabipa, ipapo untje, ngobe aazosengela bukanu suli. Nlanda we Ndzimu unoshingikadza shamu ye Ndzimu kuna unoshinga mbipo. 5 Ndizo ngekwa ikoku nthu wakafanila kuzwiyisa pasi kwe balauli kusi kuyitila shamu ye Ndzimu koga, ne kuyitila hana.
6 Ndizo wali molipa lukhetho, ngobe babusi banoshingila Ndzimu abe shinga mishingo yabo nge buzhalo. 7 Ndizo lipani bose bamunokolota, mulipe lukhetho kuna bakafanila gulipiwa, mulipe mari kuna bakafanila lipiwa, tetani bakafanila tetiwa mukudze bakafanila kudziwa.
Bhatanani
8 Musibe ne wamuna nlandu naye, koga danani, ngobe iye unoda mmwe walondolodza nlayo. 9 Milayo inoti, “Usithame bupombgwe, usibulaye, usikwibe, usitjibe.” Milayo iyeyi ne mimwe yose, yakapetegwa mu nlayo nng'ompela unoti, “Ida mmwe nthu sekwa unozwida.” 10 Ludo agutothamila mbakidzani mbipo ndizo wali, kuda hwulondolodza nlayo wose.
11 Kuzhe kwa ikoku moziba kuti tjibaka ndi tjipi, moziba kuti tjazha nge buzhalo kuti mumuke mu hwope dzenyu, ngobe jidzo lipejo naswi ngwenu kupinda patakatangisa kugalamoyo. 12 Busiku gwapinda ntolo kwabe masikati. Ngatilashileni kutjena mishingo ye zhalima, ngono ngatiambaleni zwiambalo zwe ngwa zwe tjedza. 13 Ngatizwibhateni zubuyanana se bathu banotjila mu masikati, kusina kusazwibhata kene kulaladza, kusina bupombgwe kene kusazwidziba, kusina ngwa kene fupa. 14 Koga muzwiambadze She Jesu Kirisiti, ngono musikudze kugutsha mbumbiko dzenyu dze bubi.