ULukha 20:1-47
20 Ngelinye ilanga wathi efundisa abantu ethempelini futhi etshumayela izindaba ezinhle, abaphristi abakhokhelayo, lababhali kanye labadala bamlanda,
2 bathi kuye: “Akusitshele, uwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi? Ngubani okuphe amandla la?”
3 Wabaphendula wathi: “Lami ngizalibuza umbuzo, lingiphendule:
4 Ubhabhathizo lukaJohane lwaluvela ezulwini kumbe ebantwini?”
5 Basebehlanganisa amakhanda bathi: “Nxa singathi, ‘Lwaluvela ezulwini,’ uzakuthi, ‘Kungani lingamkholwanga?’
6 Kodwa nxa singathi, ‘Lwaluvela ebantwini,’ bonke abantu bazasikhanda ngamatshe ngoba kabathandabuzi ukuthi uJohane wayengumphrofethi.”
7 Ngakho bamtshela ukuthi kabakwazi lapho oluvela khona.
8 UJesu wasesithi kubo: “Lami kangisoze ngilitshele ukuthi ngiwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi.”
9 Ngemva kwalokho watshela abantu umzekeliso, wathi: “Kulomuntu owahlanyela amagilebisi esivandeni sakhe wasiqhatshisa kubalimi, yena wasesiya elizweni elikhatshana okwesikhathi eside.
10 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna wathuma inceku kubalimi ukuze bayiphe ezinye izithelo ezazisesivandeni. Kodwa abalimi bayitshaya basebeyixotsha, yabuyela ilengise izandla.
11 Waphinda wathuma enye inceku. Layo bayitshaya bayiyangisa basebeyixotsha, yabuyela ilengise izandla.
12 Wathuma leyesithathu, layo bayitshaya bayilimaza, basebeyikhiphela phandle kwesivande.
13 Umnikazi wesivande samagilebisi wathi, ‘Pho ngenzeni? Ngizathuma indodana yami engiyithandayo. Kumele ukuthi yona bazayihlonipha.’
14 Abalimi bathi beyibona indodana yakhe bakhuluma bebodwa bathi, ‘Le yiyo indlalifa. Kasiyibulaleni ukuze ilifa libe ngelethu.’
15 Ngakho bayikhiphela phandle kwesivande samagilebisi bayibulala. Manje umnikazi wesivande uzabenzani?
16 Uzabuya ababulale abalimi laba, isivande asiphe abanye.”
Bathi sebekuzwile lokho bathi: “Lokho akuqalwa!”
17 Kodwa yena wabakhangela wabathi nhlo, wasesithi: “Pho atshoni amazwi la abhaliweyo athi: ‘Ilitshe elaliwa ngabakhi selibe lilitshe elikhulu eliyisiqokoqela’?*
18 Wonke umuntu owela elitsheni lelo uzaphahlazeka. Kodwa loba ngubani elizawela phezu kwakhe lizamhlifiza.”
19 Ababhali labaphristi abakhokhelayo basebefuna ukumdumela ngalesosikhathi* ngoba babenanzelela ukuthi wayekhulume umzekeliso lo ecabanga ngabo. Kodwa besaba abantu.
20 Bakhangelisisa konke ayekwenza, basebethuma amadoda ababekhulume lawo ngasese, bawatshela ukuthi azenze alungileyo ukuze amthiye ngamazwi akhe. Babesenzela ukuthi bayemnikela kuhulumende lakusibalukhulu.*
21 Afika athi kuye: “Mfundisi, siyakwazi ukuthi izinto ozikhulumayo lozifundisayo ziqondile futhi kawukhethi muntu, kodwa ufundisa iqiniso ngendlela kaNkulunkulu:
22 Kusemthethweni* yini ukuthi sibhadale umthelo* kuKhesari kumbe hatshi?”
23 Kodwa wabunanzelela ubuqili babo wasesithi kubo:
24 “Ngitshengisani udenariyu. Ngumfanekiso kabani lo futhi libizo likabani elibhalwe lapha?” Bathi kuye: “NgokukaKhesari.”
25 Yena wathi kubo: “Ngakho kufanele libuyisele okukaKhesari kuKhesari, kodwa okukaNkulunkulu kuNkulunkulu.”
26 Behluleka ukumthiya ngamazwi akhe phambi kwabantu, bavala eyabo sebemangaliswe yimpendulo yakhe.
27 Kodwa kwafika abanye abaSadusi ababesithi akulakuvuswa kwabafileyo, bambuza bathi:
28 “Mfundisi, uMosi wasibhalela wathi, ‘Nxa indoda ingafa ingelamntwana, itshiye umkayo, umfowabo kufanele athathe lowomfazi, azalele umfowabo abantwana.’
29 Kwakulamadoda ayisikhombisa ayeyizelamani. Endala yathatha umfazi, kodwa yasisifa ingelamntwana.
30 Ngakho watshada leyesibili,
31 waphinda watshada leyesithathu. Wonke eyisikhombisa acina etshade laye njalo afa engelabantwana.
32 Ekucineni owesifazana laye wafa.
33 Pho uzakuba ngumkabani nxa sekuvuswa abafileyo? Phela wayeke waba yinkosikazi yabo bonke boyisikhombisa.”
34 UJesu wathi kubo: “Abantwana bakulo umumo wezinto* bayathatha futhi bayendiswa,
35 kodwa labo uNkulunkulu athi kubafanele ukuthola ukuphila kumumo wezinto ozayo kanye lokuvuswa kwabafileyo kabasoze bathathe njalo kabasoze bendiswe.
36 Kabasoze bafe futhi, ngoba bazabe sebenjengezingilosi njalo bazakuba ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi bazavuswa kwabafileyo.
37 UMosi laye wakuveza endabeni yesihlahla sameva ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa. Wabiza uJehova ngokuthi ‘nguNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama loNkulunkulu ka-Isaka loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe.’
38 UnguNkulunkulu wabaphilayo, hatshi owabafileyo ngoba kuye bonke bayaphila.”
39 Abanye ababhali basebesithi: “Lapha ukhulume kuhle Mfundisi.”
40 Babengaselaso isibindi sokubuza ngitsho lowodwa umbuzo.
41 Yena wasebabuza wathi: “Kungani besithi uKhristu yindodana kaDavida?
42 Phela uDavida yena ngokwakhe wabhala ebhukwini lamaHubo wathi, ‘UJehova wathi eNkosini yami: “Hlala esandleni sami sokudla
43 ngize ngenze izitha zakho zibe yisenabelo* senyawo zakho.”’
44 Manje nxa uDavida embiza ngokuthi Nkosi, uyindodana yakhe njani?”
45 Ngesikhathi abantu bonke bemlalele, wathi kubafundi bakhe:
46 “Nanzelelani ababhali abathanda ukuhambahamba begqoke amajazi lokubingelelwa emamakethe. Bathanda ukuhlala ezihlalweni eziphambili* emasinagogeni lokuhlala ezindaweni zabahlonitshwa nxa besemadilini antambama.
47 Baqila abafelokazi babathathele impahla yabo,* futhi bakhuleka imithandazo emide besenzela ukubukwa. Bazakwahlulelwa kabuhlungu kulabanye.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ngalelohola.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “lasemandleni kasibalukhulu.”
^ Kumbe, “Kuqondile.”
^ Kukhanya umthelo lo kwakumele ubhadalwe ngumuntu ngamunye.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Lapha kutshiwo ibhentshi elincane umuntu abeka kulo inyawo nxa ehlezi esitulweni.
^ Kumbe, “ezingcono kulazo zonke.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “izindlu zabo.”
