UMathewu 21:1-46
21 Bathi sebeseduze leJerusalema, sebefike eBhethifage eNtabeni Yama-Oliva, uJesu wathuma abafundi bakhe ababili,
2 wathi kubo: “Hambani esigabeni lesiya elisikhangeleyo, lizakuthi lifika lihle libone ubabhemi ebotshelwe lethole lakhe. Khululani ubabhemi lowo lethole lakhe beselikuletha kimi.
3 Kungaba lomuntu olibuzayo lithi kuye, ‘INkosi iyabafuna obabhemi laba.’ Lingatsho njalo uzahle alivumele ukuthi libuye labo.”
4 Lokhu kwenzakala sibili ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa kusetshenziswa umphrofethi owathi:
5 “Tshela indodakazi yaseZiyoni uthi: ‘Khangela! Inkosi yakho iza kuwe imnene futhi igade ubabhemi, lona kanye ithole likababhemi.’”
6 Ngakho abafundi bahamba benza njengoba uJesu ayetshilo.
7 Bamletha-ke ubabhemi lethole lakhe, babeka izembatho zabo zangaphandle phezu kwabobabhemi laba, wahlala phezu kwazo.
8 Abanengi exukwini babesendlala izembatho zabo zangaphandle emgwaqweni, abanye begamula izingatsha zezihlahla bezendlala emgwaqweni,
9 futhi kwakulamaxuku ayehamba phambi kwakhe layemlandela, ehamba ememeza esithi: “Sicela uyisindise iNdodana kaDavida! Ubusisiwe lowo oza ngebizo likaJehova! Wena ophezulu emazulwini, sicela umsindise!”
10 Wathi engena eJerusalema idolobho lonke laxokozela, abantu besithi: “Kanti ngubani lo?”
11 Amaxuku wona ayelokhu esithi: “Lo ngumphrofethi uJesu odabuka eNazaretha yaseGalile!”
12 UJesu wasengena ethempelini wabaxotshela phandle bonke ababethengisa lababethenga, wagenqula amatafula alabo ababentshintsha imali kanye lamabhentshi alabo ababethengisa amajuba.
13 Wathi kubo: “Kubhaliwe ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokuthandazela,’ kodwa lina seliyenza ubhalu lwamasela.”
14 Abayiziphofu kanye labagogekileyo labo bafika ethempelini wabelapha.
15 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo lababhali bazonda bafa bebona izinto ezimangalisayo ayezenza kanye labafana ababememeza ethempelini besithi, “Sicela uyisindise iNdodana kaDavida!”
16 Basebesithi kuye: “Uyabezwa yini ukuthi bathini abantwana laba?” UJesu wathi kubo: “Ye. Kanti kalikaze liwabale yini amazwi athi, ‘Usubangele ukuthi imilomo yabantwana leyezinsane ikudumise’?”
17 Wasebatshiya, waphuma edolobheni waya eBhethani, lapho afika walala khona.
18 Uthe esephenduka edolobheni ekuseni kakhulu, wezwa eselambile.
19 Wabona isihlahla somkhiwa eceleni komgwaqo, wasesiya kuso kodwa wathola singelazithelo, kungamahlamvu kuphela. Wathi kuso: “Ungaphindi uthele isithelo futhi.” Isihlahla somkhiwa sahle sabuna.
20 Abafundi bakhe bathi bekubona lokhu bamangala bathi: “Kanti kungani isihlahla somkhiwa sihle sabuna?”
21 UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, nxa lilokholo futhi lingathandabuzi, kalisoze lenze lokho engikwenze esihlahleni somkhiwa kuphela, kodwa lanxa lingathi entabeni le, ‘Quphuka uyewela elwandle,’ kuzakwenzakala.
22 Kanti njalo nxa lilokholo lizaziphiwa zonke izinto elizithandazelayo.”
23 Esengene ethempelini, abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala besizwe bamlanda esafundisa bafika bathi: “Uwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi? Ngubani okuphe amandla la?”
24 UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Lami ngizalibuza into eyodwa. Nxa lingangiphendula, ngizalitshela ukuthi ngiwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi:
25 Ubhabhathizo lukaJohane lwaluvela ngaphi? Ezulwini kumbe ebantwini?” Kodwa baqalisa ukukhuluma bebodwa besithi: “Nxa singathi, ‘Lwaluvela ezulwini,’ uzakuthi kithi, ‘Pho kungani lingamkholwanga?’
26 Kodwa nxa singathi, ‘Lwaluvela ebantwini,’ sesaba ixuku labantu, ngoba bonke bathi uJohane ungumphrofethi.”
27 Ngakho baphendula uJesu bathi: “Kasikwazi.” Yena wasesithi kubo: “Lami kangisoze ngilitshele ukuthi ngiwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi.
28 “Lina licabangani? Kulendoda eyayilabantwana ababili. Yaya kowokuqala yafika yathi, ‘Mntanami, hamba uyesebenza esivandeni samagilebisi lamuhla.’
29 Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Angisoze ngiye,’ kodwa wacina ezisola wasehamba.
30 Yasihamba kowesibili yatsho into efananayo. Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Ngizahamba Baba,’* kodwa kahambanga.
31 Ngubani phakathi kwalaba ababili owenza intando kayise?” Bathi: “Ngowokuqala.” UJesu wathi kubo: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, abathelisi lezifebe bazaliqalela ukungena eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu,
32 ngoba uJohane weza kini ngendlela yokulunga kodwa kalimkholwanga. Abathelisi lezifebe bona bamkholwa. Lanxa lakubona lokhu, kalizisolanga futhi kalimkholwanga.
33 “Zwanini omunye umzekeliso: Kwakulomuntu owayelesivande, owahlanyela amagilebisi esivandeni sakhe wasesibiyela ngothango, wagebha igodi lokukhamela amagilebisi waphinda wakha lomphotshongo. Waqhatshisa lesosivande kubalimi, wasesiya elizweni elikhatshana.
34 Isikhathi sokuvuna sathi sesifikile wathuma izinceku zakhe kubalimi ukuthi ziyethatha izithelo zakhe.
35 Kodwa abalimi bazibamba izinceku lezo, enye bayitshaya, enye bayibulala futhi enye bayikhanda ngamatshe.
36 Waphinda wathuma ezinye izinceku ezinengi kulezakuqala, kodwa lazo baziphatha njalo.
37 Ekucineni wathuma indodana yakhe esithi, ‘Indodana yami bazayihlonipha.’
38 Abalimi bathi beyibona indodana yakhe bakhuluma bebodwa bathi, ‘Le yiyo indlalifa. Buyani siyibulale sithathe ilifa layo!’
39 Ngakho bayithatha bayikhiphela phandle kwesivande, bayibulala.
40 Manje nxa umnikazi wesivande samagilebisi efika, uzabenzani abalimi labo?”
41 Bathi kuye: “Uzababulala ngendlela elesihluku ngenxa yokuthi babi, futhi isivande leso uzasiqhatshisa kwabanye abalimi abazamnika amagilebisi nxa isikhathi sokuvuna sesifikile.”
42 UJesu wathi kubo: “Kanti kalikaze likubale yini eMibhalweni ukuthi, ‘Ilitshe elaliwa ngabakhi selibe lilitshe elikhulu eliyisiqokoqela.* Ilitshe lelo livela kuJehova futhi lihle kakhulu emehlweni ethu’?
43 Yikho ngisithi kini, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu lizawuthathelwa uphiwe isizwe esithela izithelo zawo.
44 Kanti njalo umuntu owela elitsheni leli uzaphahlazeka. Kodwa loba ngubani elizawela phezu kwakhe lizamhlifiza.”
45 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi bathi beyizwa imizekeliso yakhe, bananzelela ukuthi wayekhuluma ngabo.
46 Lanxa babefuna ukumbamba,* besaba ixuku ngoba lalisithi ungumphrofethi.
