ULukha 18:1-43
18 Wasebalandisela umzekeliso owawutshengisa ukuthi kuqakathekile ukuthi bahlale bethandaza njalo bangakhalali,
2 wathi: “Kwelinye idolobho kwakulendoda engumahluleli eyayingamesabi uNkulunkulu futhi ingahloniphi muntu.
3 Kanti njalo kwakulomfelokazi wakulelodolobho owayehlala esiya kuyo esithi, ‘Ngicela ube leqiniso lokuthi ngahlulelwa kuhle endabeni yami lomuntu ongimangalelayo.’
4 Kwahlala isikhathi ingafuni ukumncedisa, kodwa yacina isithi enhliziyweni yayo, ‘Lanxa ngingamesabi uNkulunkulu futhi ngingahloniphi muntu,
5 umfelokazi lo ulokhu engihlupha, yikho ngizaba leqiniso lokuthi wahlulelwa kuhle ukuze angaqhubeki ebuya ezongidaka ngesicelo sakhe.’”
6 INkosi yasisithi: “Liyezwa yini ukuthi umahluleli wathini lanxa engalunganga?
7 Manje uNkulunkulu ngeke yini abe leqiniso lokuthi abakhethiweyo bakhe abakhala kuye emini lebusuku bahlulelwa kuhle? Uzababekezelela sibili.
8 Ngilitshela ukuthi uzakwenza ukuthi bahlulelwe kuhle masinyane nje. Kodwa nxa iNdodana yomuntu ifika izaluthola yini ukholo olunje* emhlabeni?”
9 Kwakulababezithemba, bezitshela ukuthi balungile futhi bekhangelela abanye phansi, yikho walandisa omunye umzekeliso wathi:
10 “Amadoda amabili aya ethempelini esiyakhuleka. Enye yayingumFarisi, enye ingumthelisi.
11 UmFarisi wama waqalisa ukuthandazela enhliziyweni esithi, ‘O Nkulunkulu, ngiyabonga ukuthi angifanani labanye bonke, abayizigebenga, abangalunganga, abaphingayo, ngitsho layenalo umthelisi.
12 Ngizila ukudla kabili ngeviki futhi nginikela okwetshumi kwakho konke engikutholayo.’
13 Kodwa umthelisi wayemele khatshana, engafuni lokuphakamisela amehlo akhe ezulwini. Wayelokhu etshaya isifuba sakhe esithi, ‘O Nkulunkulu, woba lomusa* kimi, mina muntu oyisoni.’
14 Ngilitshela ukuthi indoda le yabuyela emzini wayo kucacile ukuthi ilungile kulomFarisi ngoba wonke umuntu oziphakamisayo uzayangiswa, kodwa loba ngubani ozehlisayo uzaphakanyiswa.”
15 Abantu basebeletha kuye izinsane zabo ukuze azithinte. Abafundi bathi bekubona lokhu baqalisa ukubakhuza.
16 Lanxa kunjalo, uJesu wathi izinsane lezo zilethwe kuye, wathi: “Bayekeleni abantwana abancane beze kimi, lingazami ukubavimbela ngoba uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngowalabo abanjengabantwana laba.
17 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, loba ngubani ongawamukeli njengomntwana omncane uMbuso kaNkulunkulu kasoze angene kuwo loba sekutheni.”
18 Omunye umbusi wasembuza wathi: “Mfundisi Omuhle, kumele ngenzeni ukuze ngizuze ilifa lokuphila okungapheliyo?”
19 UJesu wathi kuye: “Kungani ungibiza ngokuthi ngimuhle? Kakho omuhle ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu kuphela.
20 Angithi uyayazi imilayo ethi: ‘Ungaphingi, ungabulali, ungantshontshi, ungafakazi amanga, hlonipha uyihlo lonyoko.’”
21 Yena wathi: “Yonke imilayo le ngiyigcinile kusukela ngisesemncane.”
22 UJesu uthe ekuzwa lokho wathi kuye, “Kukodwa kuphela osekusele kuwe: Thengisa zonke izinto olazo, imali ozayithola uyinike abayanga, lapho-ke uzakuba lenotho ezulwini. Ngemva kwalokho usungabuya uzokuba ngumlandeli wami.”
23 Wathi ekuzwa lokhu wadana kakhulu ngoba wayenothile okwamagama.
24 UJesu wamkhangela wasesithi: “Kuzakuba nzima kakhulu ukuthi abalemali bayengena eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu!
25 Phela kulula ukuthi ikamela lingene esikhaleni senalithi yokuthunga kulokuthi umuntu onothileyo angene eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu.”
26 Abakuzwayo lokhu bathi: “Pho ngubani ongasindiswa?”
27 Yena wathi: “Izinto ezingeke zenzeke ebantwini ziyenzeka kuNkulunkulu.”
28 Lanxa kunjalo, uPhetro wathi: “Kodwa thina sitshiye izinto zethu sakulandela.”
29 Wasesithi kubo: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, kakho otshiye indlu kumbe inkosikazi kumbe abafowabo kumbe abazali kumbe abantwana ngenxa yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu,
30 ongasoze athole sekuphindwe kanengi ngalesisikhathi, kanye lokuphila okungapheliyo kumumo wezinto* ozayo.”
31 Wasebizela abaliTshumi Lambili eceleni wathi kubo: “Lalelani! Siyaqansa siya eJerusalema, njalo zonke izinto ezabhalwa ngabaphrofethi mayelana leNdodana yomuntu zizagcwaliseka.
32 Ngokwesibonelo, izanikelwa ebantwini bezizweni, bahlekise ngayo, bayihlukuluze futhi bayikhafulele.
33 Bazayibhaxabula besebeyibulala, kodwa ngelanga lesithathu izavuka.”
34 Kodwa kabazange bakuqedisise konke ayekutsho ngoba amazwi la ayefihliwe kubo, njalo kabazange bazizwisise izinto lezi.
35 UJesu wathi esezafika eJerikho, kwakulendoda eyisiphofu eyayihlezi eceleni komgwaqo icela uncedo ebantwini.
36 Yezwa ukuthi kwakulexuku elalidlula, yasibuza ukuthi kwenzakalani.
37 Bayitshela bathi: “Kudlula uJesu umNazaretha!”
38 Yathi isizwa lelo yamemeza yathi: “Jesu Ndodana kaDavida, woba lesihawu kimi!”
39 Ababephambili baqalisa ukuyikhuza beyitshela ukuthi ithule, kodwa yaqhubeka imemeza kakhulu isithi: “Ndodana kaDavida, woba lesihawu kimi!”
40 UJesu wama wasesithi indoda leyo kayilethwe kuye. Ithe isiseduze kwakhe, wayibuza wathi:
41 “Ufuna ngikwenzeleni?” Yona yathi: “Nkosi, yenza ukuthi ngiphinde ngibone.”
42 Ngakho uJesu wathi kuyo: “Phinda ubone; ukholo lwakho lukusilisile.”
43 Yahle yaqalisa ukubona, yasimlandela idumisa uNkulunkulu. Abantu bonke bathi bekubona lokhu labo badumisa uNkulunkulu.
