UMathewu 25:1-46
25 “Ngakho uMbuso wamazulu ungafaniswa lezintombi ezilitshumi ezathatha izibane zazo zaphuma zisiyahlangabeza umyeni.
2 Ezinhlanu zaziyizithutha, ezinhlanu zihlakaniphile.
3 Lezi eziyizithutha zathatha izibane zazo kodwa zatshiya amafutha,
4 ezihlakaniphileyo zona zathwala izibane zazo kanye lamafutha ezimbodleleni zazo.
5 Umyeni uthe esephuza zonke zaqalisa ukuwozela zalala.
6 Phakathi laphakathi kobusuku kwamenyezwa kwathiwa: ‘Nangu umyeni! Phumani liyemhlangabeza.’
7 Lapho-ke izintombi zonke zavuka zalungisa izibane zazo.
8 Eziyizithutha zathi kwezihlakaniphileyo, ‘Sichathekeleni amafutha enu ngoba izibane zethu sezizacitsha.’
9 Ezihlakaniphileyo zaphendula zathi: ‘Engxenye kawasoze asenele nxa singalinika. Kungcono lihambe kwabawathengisayo liyezithengela awenu.’
10 Zithe zisayawathenga, umyeni wafika. Izintombi ezazizilungiselele zangena laye edilini lomtshado, umnyango wasuvalwa.
11 Ngemva kwalokho kwafika lezinye izintombi ezinhlanu zathi: ‘Mnumzana, Mnumzana, sivulele!’
12 Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, kangilazi.’
13 “Ngakho-ke hlalani lilindile ngoba kalilazi ilanga kumbe ihola.
14 “UMbuso unjengendoda eyathi isizakuya phetsheya yabiza izinceku zayo yazigcinisa impahla yayo.
15 Yanika inceku yokuqala amathalenta* amahlanu, enye yayinika amabili, enye yayinika elilodwa, kusiya ngokuthi ngayinye yayisenelisa ukwenzani, yasisuka yaya elizweni elikhatshana.
16 Eyayiphiwe amathalenta amahlanu yahle yayakwenza ibhizimusi ngawo, yasizuza amanye amahlanu.
17 Eyayiphiwe amabili layo yazuza amanye amabili.
18 Kodwa inceku eyayiphiwe elilodwa yasuka yayagebha igodi, yafihla imali* yenkosi yayo.
19 “Ngemva kwesikhathi eside inkosi yabuya, yafika yakhangela ukuthi izinceku zayo zaziyisebenzise njani imali yayo.
20 Ngakho eyayiphiwe amathalenta amahlanu yasondela yaletha amanye amahlanu yathi, ‘Nkosi, wangigcinisa amathalenta amahlanu; khangela, ngizuze amanye amahlanu.’
21 Inkosi yayo yathi kuyo: ‘Wenze kuhle nceku enhle lethembekileyo! Ube ngothembekileyo ezintweni ezilutshwana. Ngizakuphathisa izinto ezinengi. Thokoza lenkosi yakho.’
22 Kwasekusondela eyayiphiwe amathalenta amabili yathi, ‘Nkosi, wangigcinisa amathalenta amabili; khangela, ngizuze amanye amabili.’
23 Inkosi yayo yathi kuyo: ‘Wenze kuhle nceku enhle lethembekileyo! Ube ngothembekileyo ezintweni ezilutshwana. Ngizakuphathisa izinto ezinengi. Thokoza lenkosi yakho.’
24 “Ekucineni inceku eyayiphiwe ithalenta elilodwa yasondela yathi: ‘Nkosi, bengikwazi ukuthi uyindoda ehluphayo, evuna lapho engahlanyelanga khona futhi ebutha amabele engawasebenzelanga.
25 Yikho ngesaba ngasengisiyafihla ithalenta lakho emhlabathini. Nanku, thatha okungokwakho.’
26 Inkosi yayiphendula yathi: ‘Nceku embi elivilavoxo, angithi ubukwazi ukuthi ngivuna lapho engingahlanyelanga khona lokuthi ngibutha amabele engingawasebenzelanga?
27 Phela ngabe imali* yami wayifaka ebhanga, bengizakuthi ngifika ngiyithathe isizele.
28 “‘Ngakho-ke mthatheleni ithalenta lelo, lilinike olamathalenta alitshumi,
29 ngoba wonke umuntu olakho uzaphiwa okunye futhi, njalo uzakuba lokunengi kakhulu. Kodwa ongelakho uzathathelwa lalokho alakho.
30 Yiphoseleni phandle emnyameni inceku le engelancedo. Yikho lapho ezakhala khona itshayanise amazinyo.’
31 “Nxa iNdodana yomuntu isisiza enkazimulweni yayo ilezingilosi zonke, izahlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi esikhazimulayo.
32 Zonke izizwe zizabuthelwa kuyo futhi izakwehlukanisa abantu babe ngamaqembu amabili, njengomelusi esehlukanisa izimvu lezimbuzi.
33 Uzabeka izimvu esandleni sakhe sokudla, izimbuzi azibeke kwesenxele.
34 “Ngemva kwalokho iNkosi izakuthi kulabo abasesandleni sayo sokudla: ‘Wozani lina elibusiswe nguBaba, lidle ilifa loMbuso elawulungiselwa kusukela ekusungulweni komhlaba,
35 ngoba ngangilambile langinika ukudla; ngangomile langinathisa. Ngangiyisihambi langamukela ngezandla zombili,
36 nganginqunu langigqokisa. Ngangigula langinakekela. Ngangisejele langivakatshela.’
37 Lapho-ke abalungileyo bazaphendula besithi: ‘Nkosi, sakubona nini ulambile sakunika ukudla, kumbe womile sakunathisa?
38 Sakubona nini uyisihambi sakwamukela ngezandla zombili, kumbe unqunu sakugqokisa?
39 Sakubona nini ugula kumbe usejele sakuvakatshela?’
40 INkosi izabaphendula isithi, ‘Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, loba yini elayenzela omunye walaba abafowethu abancane, layenzela mina.’
41 “Ngemva kwalokho izakuthi kwabasesandleni sayo senxele: ‘Sukani phansi kwami lina eliqalekisiweyo, liye emlilweni waphakade olungiselwe uDeveli lezingilosi zakhe,
42 ngoba ngangilambile kodwa kalinginikanga ukudla; ngangomile kodwa kalinginathisanga.
43 Ngangiyisihambi kodwa kalingamukelanga ngezandla zombili; nganginqunu kodwa kalingigqokisanga; ngangigula njalo ngisejele kodwa kalizange linginakekele.’
44 Lalaba bazaphendula besithi: ‘Nkosi, sakubona nini ulambile kumbe womile kumbe uyisihambi kumbe unqunu kumbe ugula kumbe usejele sayekela ukukunceda?’
45 Yona izabaphendula isithi, ‘Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, loba yini elingayenzelanga omunye walaba abafowethu abancane, kaliyenzelanga mina.’
46 Laba bazakuya ekubhujisweni* kwaphakade, kodwa abalungileyo bazakuya ekuphileni okungapheliyo.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ithalenta lamaGrikhi lalingamakhilogiramu angu-20,4.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “isiliva.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “isiliva.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ekuqunyweni,” njengogatsha oluqunywa esihlahleni.
