UMathewu 23:1-39
23 UJesu wasekhuluma lamaxuku abantu kanye labafundi bakhe wathi:
2 “Ababhali labaFarisi sebezihlalise esihlalweni sikaMosi.
3 Ngakho zonke izinto abalitshela zona zenzeni lizilandele, kodwa lingenzi lokho abakwenzayo ngoba bayakhuluma kodwa kabakwenzi abakutshoyo.
4 Babopha imithwalo enzima bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa bona kabafuni lokuyithinta langomunwe.
5 Konke abakwenzayo bakwenzela ukubukwa ngabantu. Phela bawenza abe makhulu amabhokisi alemibhalo abawabophela emabunzini lasengalweni ukuze bazivikele, njalo benza lemiphetho yezembatho zabo ibe mide.
6 Bathanda ukuhlala ezindaweni zabahlonitshwa nxa besemadilini antambama kanye lokuhlala ezihlalweni eziphambili* emasinagogeni.
7 Bathanda lokubingelelwa emamakethe kanye lokuthi abantu bababize besithi Rabi.*
8 Kodwa lina akumelanga libizwe ngokuthi Rabi ngoba munye uMfundisi wenu. Lina lonke lingabafowabo bomunye lomunye.
9 Kanti njalo lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi baba ngoba munye uYihlo, lowo osezulwini.
10 Akumelanga libizwe langokuthi lingabakhokheli ngoba munye uMkhokheli wenu, uKhristu.
11 Kodwa omkhulu kulani lonke kufanele abe yinceku yenu.
12 Loba ngubani oziphakamisayo uzakwehliswa, futhi loba ngubani ozehlisayo uzaphakanyiswa.
13 “Maye kini babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba livalela abantu uMbuso wamazulu! Lina kalingeni kuwo njalo labasendleleni yokuyangena kuwo liyabavimbela.
14 *——
15 “Maye kini babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lidabula ulwandle lihambe yonke indawo lizama ukwenza umuntu oyedwa aphendukele okholweni lwesiJuda,* kuthi nxa esenze njalo, limenze afanelwe yiGehena* ukwedlula lina.
16 “Maye kini bakhokheli abayiziphofu elithi, ‘Nxa umuntu angafunga ngethempeli akulandaba; kodwa nxa angafunga ngegolide elisethempelini, ulomlandu wokugcwalisa isifungo sakhe.’
17 Zithutha eziyiziphofu! Kanti okuqakatheke kakhulu ligolide kumbe lithempeli elenza igolide lelo libe ngcwele?
18 Phezu kwalokho lithi, ‘Nxa umuntu angafunga nge-alithare akulandaba; kodwa nxa angafunga ngesipho esiphezu kwe-alithare, ulomlandu wokugcwalisa isifungo sakhe.’
19 Lina ziphofu! Kanti okuqakatheke kakhulu yisipho kumbe li-alithare elenza isipho leso sibe ngcwele?
20 Ngakho loba ngubani ofunga nge-alithare uyabe efunga ngalo langezinto zonke eziphezu kwalo;
21 futhi loba ngubani ofunga ngethempeli uyabe efunga ngalo langoNkulunkulu ohlala kulo.
22 Kanti njalo loba ngubani ofunga ngezulu uyabe efunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlezi phezu kwaso.
23 “Maye kini babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba linikela ngokwetshumi kweminti ledili kanye lekhumini,* kodwa lidela izindaba eziqakathekileyo zoMthetho eziphathelane lokwahlulela okuhle, ukuba lesihawu kanye lokuthembeka! Bekufanele sibili linikele ngokwetshumi, kodwa bekungafanelanga likudele okunye lokhu.
24 Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, licenga imiyane kodwa lihubule ikamela!
25 “Maye kini babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba linjengenkomitsho lomganu okugeziswe ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi kungcolile. Ngaphakathi ligcwele ubuhwaba lokubuswa zinkanuko!
26 MFarisi oyisiphofu, qala ugezise ingaphakathi yenkomitsho leyomganu ukuze lengaphandle ihlanzeke.
27 “Maye kini babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lizifananela lamangcwaba apendwe aba mhlophe nke, akhanya emahle ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi egcwele amathambo abantu abafileyo lakho konke ukungcola!
28 Lani ngaphandle libonakala lilungile ebantwini, kodwa ngaphakathi ligcwele ububi* lobuzenzisi.
29 “Maye kini babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaphrofethi licecise lamathuna abalungileyo!
30 Kanti njalo lithi, ‘Ngabe saphila ngensuku zabokhokho bethu, sasingeke sibancedise ukuchitha igazi labaphrofethi.’
31 Ngakho liyazifakazela ukuthi lingamadodana alabo ababulala abaphrofethi.
32 Yiqediseni-ke imisebenzi eyaqaliswa ngokhokho benu.*
33 “Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu! Lizakubalekela njani ukwahlulelwa lokuphoselwa eGehena?*
34 Yikho ngilithumela abaphrofethi lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo kanye labantu abazalifundisa. Abanye lizababulala libalengise ezigodweni, abanye libabhaxabule emasinagogeni enu futhi libazingele idolobho ngedolobho libahlukuluza,
35 ukuze igazi labo bonke abalungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni libe phezu kwenu, kusukela egazini lika-Abela owayelungile kusiya egazini likaZekhariya indodana kaBherekhiya, elambulalela phakathi laphakathi kwethempeli le-alithare.
36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, isizukulwane lesi sizakwehlelwa yizinto zonke lezi.
37 “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, mbulali wabaphrofethi. Wena okhanda ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe. Kunini ngifuna ukubuthela abantwabakho ndawonye sasikhukhukazi esibuthela ndawonye amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso! Kodwa lina belingafuni.
38 Khangelani manje! Indlu yenu isideliwe yatshiyelwa lina.*
39 Ngilitshela ukuthi kalisoze lingibone futhi, kusukela khathesi kuze kube yilapho lisithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo oza ngebizo likaJehova!’”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ezingcono kulazo zonke.”
^ Kumbe, “Mfundisi.”
^ Ivesi le kayitholakali kweminye imibhalo yasendulo njalo ubufakazi obukhona butshengisa ukuthi yayingekho eMibhalweni ephefumulelweyo.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “abe ngumphroselithe.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Iminti, ledili lekhumini yizihlahlakazana ezilinywa engadini ezifakwa ekudleni ukuze kube mnandi.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ukungabi lamthetho,” okutsho ukungabi lendaba lemithetho kaNkulunkulu.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “Sigcwaliseni-ke isikali sokulinganisa sabokhokho benu.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kungahunyutshwa langokuthi, “isitshiyelwe lina ilunxiwa.”
