ULukha 16:1-31
16 Waqhubeka wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Kulendoda enothileyo eyayilomphathi* owayesolwa ngokuthi uphatha butshapha impahla yayo.
2 Ngakho yambiza yathi kuye, ‘Kuyini lokhu engikuzwayo ngawe? Ngipha umbiko wokuthi ubuyiphatha njani impahla yami ngoba ungeke uqhubeke ukhangela indlu yami.’
3 Umphathi wathi enhliziyweni yakhe, ‘Manje ngizakwenzani njengoba inkosi yami isingithathela umsebenzi wokuba ngumphathi? Angilamandla okugebha futhi ngilenhloni zokucela.
4 Ya! Sengikwazi ukuthi ngizakwenzani ukuze abantu bangamukele emizini yabo nxa sengixotshiwe emsebenzini.’
5 Ngakho wabiza munye ngamunye owayelesikwelede senkosi yakhe, wathi kowokuqala, ‘Ulesikwelede esinganani enkosini yami?’
6 Waphendula wathi, ‘Ngilesikwelede samafutha e-oliva angamalitha angu-2 200.’* Wasesithi kuye, ‘Thatha nansi isivumelwano sakho esibhaliweyo, uhlale phansi uhle ubhale ukuthi angu-1 100.’
7 Wasebiza omunye wathi kuye, ‘Wena ulesikwelede esinganani?’ Wathi, ‘Amasaka angu-100* engqoloyi.’ Wathi kuye, ‘Thatha nansi isivumelwano sakho esibhaliweyo, ubhale ukuthi angu-80.’
8 Yikho-ke inkosi yamncoma umphathi lanxa wayengalunganga ngoba wayetshengise ukuthi ulokuhlakanipha okuncedayo. Phela indlela abantu bakulo umumo wezinto* abaphatha ngayo isizukulwane sabo itshengisa ukuthi ukuhlakanipha lokhu abalakho kwedlula okwamadodana okukhanya.
9 “Kanti njalo ngithi kini: Zenzeleni abangane ngenotho engalunganga ukuze balamukele ezindaweni zokuhlala zaphakade nxa inotho leyo ingaphela.
10 Umuntu othembeke kokuncane uthembekile lakokukhulu, lomuntu ongalunganga kokuncane kalunganga lakokukhulu.
11 Ngakho nxa indlela elisebenzisa ngayo inotho engalunganga itshengisa ukuthi kalithembekanga, ngubani ozaliphathisa inotho yeqiniso?
12 Nxa indlela elisebenzisa ngayo izinto zabanye layo itshengisa ukuthi kalithembekanga, ngubani ozalinika okumele kube ngokwenu?
13 Akulanceku engaba yisigqili samakhosi amabili ngoba izazonda enye ithande enye, kumbe izanamathela kwenye idelele enye. Ngeke libe yizigqili zikaNkulunkulu lezeNotho.”
14 AbaFarisi ababelalele ekhuluma izinto zonke lezi baqalisa ukumenza inhlekisa ngoba babeyithanda imali.
15 Ngakho wathi kubo: “Lina lizenza abalungileyo ebantwini kodwa uNkulunkulu uyazazi izinhliziyo zenu, ngoba lokho okuligugu ebantwini kuyenyanyeka kuNkulunkulu.
16 “UMthetho labaPhrofethi kwasebenza kwaze kwafika uJohane. Kusukela lapho izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ziyatshunyayelwa njalo yonke imihlobo yabantu izama ngamandla wonke ukuthola lowoMbuso.
17 Kulula sibili ukuthi izulu lomhlaba kudlule kulokuthi ingxenyana encane yohlamvu lwebala eliseMthethweni ingagcwaliseki.
18 “Wonke umuntu ochitha umtshado ehlukane lenkosikazi yakhe abesetshada lomunye uyaphinga, njalo loba ngubani otshada lowesifazana ochithekelwe ngumtshado uyaphinga.
19 “Kwakulendoda eyayinothile eyayihlala igqoke ezibubende* kanye lelineni njalo izikholisela nsuku zonke, ikhomba ngophakathi.
20 Kodwa kwakulendoda eyayiphihlika izilonda emzimbeni wonke ababejayele ukuyibeka egedini layo. Yayithiwa nguLazaro njalo yayiphila ngokucela,
21 ize ifise ukudla okwakukhithika etafuleni yesinothi leso. Ngitsho lezinja zazibuya zizoyikhotha izilonda.
22 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uLazaro wafa wathathwa yizingilosi zamusa eceleni kuka-Abrahama.*
“Indoda eyayinothile layo yafa yangcwatshwa.
23 Ithe iseNgcwabeni* ihlukuluzwa, yavusa amehlo yabona nanguya u-Abrahama, kuloLazaro eceleni kwakhe.*
24 Ngakho yamemeza yathi, ‘Baba Abrahama, woba lesihawu kimi uthume uLazaro ukuthi athintise umunwe wakhe emanzini, apholise ulimi lwami ngoba ngisebuhlungwini emalangabini omlilo engikuwo.’
25 U-Abrahama waphendula wathi: ‘Mntanami, khumbula ukuthi usaphila wathola izinto ezinengi ezinhle. ULazaro yena wathola ezimbi, kodwa khathesi useduduzwa lapha, wena usebuhlungwini.
26 Singasayiphathi eyokuthi kulesihotsha esikhulu esifakwe phakathi kwethu lani, okokuthi labo abafuna ukusuka ngapha baze kini kabenelisi, labakhonangapho kabenelisi ukuchapha baze kithi.’
27 Yasisithi, ‘Baba nxa kunjalo ngicela umthume endlini kababa,
28 ngoba ngilabafowethu abahlanu. Ngifuna ayebatshumayeza ngokugcweleyo ukuze bangacini sebebuya endaweni le yokuhlukuluzwa.’
29 Kodwa u-Abrahama wathi, ‘BaloMosi labaPhrofethi; kabalalele bona.’
30 Yona yathi, ‘Hatshi baba Abrahama. Nxa omunye kwabafileyo angasuka aye kubo, bazaphenduka.’
31 Kodwa u-Abrahama wathi kuyo, ‘Nxa bengamlaleli uMosi labaPhrofethi, kabasoze bantshintshe ingqondo kungaze kuvuke omunye kwabafileyo.’”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “eyayilomphathi wendlu.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ayizilinganiso zamabhathi ezingu-100.” Ibhathi eyodwa yayingamalitha angu-22.
^ Kumbe, “ayisilinganiso samakhora angu-100.” Isaka ngalinye lalingaba ngamakhilogiramu angu-170.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ NgesiNgisi, “purple.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “esifubeni sikaAbrahama.”
^ Kumbe, “iseHayidesi.” Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “esifubeni sakhe.”
