< Matthew 23 >

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
U Yesu a tre ni jbu ndji u ni mri koh Ma.
2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
A hla, “Bi nha ni ba Farisawa ba son ni ruron Musa.
3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Nakima, ikpye wa bi yoyi tie'a, tie ba ndi hu nji ba. Na hu ndu mba na, nitu wa ba kpi wa ba hla, bana tie ba na.
4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
E, ba vu kpyi bi ron ma wa ba tie di lu'a ka saa ni ndji ni ngban. U ba ba kimba bana nzu vren wo ri nda ban ba na.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
Ba tie ndu ba u ndu ndji toh. Ba wran kpo u embe mba bwu na bwu nyu wo ba nklon ba tie pli me.
6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
Ba son ta ki ni bubu bi ninkon ni wrji bi tie gan mba bubu ninkon ni mi Sinagog,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
ni bi chi kanmu, ni ndu ndji yo ba, 'Mala.'
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
U bi na ndu ba yoyi ndi 'Mala' na, niwa bi he ni mala rirrii, u bi mri vayi wawu mbi wu.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
Ndi na yo ndrjo ni ngbungblua ndi Tie me na, niwa wu he ni Tie ririi u wa he ni shulu.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
Ndu ba na yoyi ndi 'Mala' na, niwa bi he ni Mala ririi, wawu yi Kristi.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
U wa ahi ninkon mbi a ni katie vren koh mbi.
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Indji wa a nzu tuma, ba kau grji, u wa a katu ma grji, ba nzuu.
13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
Iya mbi bi nha ni Farisawa, bi brji! Bi hra ndji nkon u ri ni gbu u chu shulu. Biyi bina rina, ndi na nyme bi son ria ndu ba ri na.
Iya mbi, bi nha ni FArisawa, bi brji! Wa bi kpa mba bi kbo ni tie meme, ndi ni tsro ndi bi toh tie aduwa ngbondon ma. U nitu kima bi kpa ya gra zan.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Geenna g1067)
Iya mbi bi nha ni Farisawa, bi brji! Bi ru gran ba nne ndi hi ba gbu ni hi wa indji ririi u to a huyi, bi kau tie meme nna vren u koh lu mla kpu hato biyi. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
Iya mbi, bi tsro nkon ni fyifyen, biyi wa bi trea, 'Indji wa a shi rji ni hekali, ana kpye ri na. U ndi ndji wa a shirji ni dran u mi hekalia, shirji ma ni vuu.'
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Biyi ruru bi nfyen! Ahi rime bran zan, idran ka hekali wa a kpa dran tie tsratsra?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
U, 'Iwa a shirji ni tu'u hekali a, ana kpye ri na. U wa a shirji ni kpyi wa ba tsi mba ni kima, shirji ma ni vu.
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
Biyi bi nfyen! A riame bran zan, ikpi mba ka tu hekali a waa ka kpyi ba tie tsratsra?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Nakima yi, i wa a shirji ni tu hekali a, a shirji niwu mba ni ba kpi u mima.
21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
Wa a shirji ni hekali a, a shirji niwu uni ndji wa ani son ni mi ma.
22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
U iwa a shirji ni shulu a, a shirji ni kpanci Rji mba ni ndji wa a son tuma.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Iya mbi, bi nha ni Farisawa, bi brji! Bi nno iri nimi wlon u yan, ni nji ni ndi ka kpi bi duu birigra ba don ni zizi, ni kponji. A biyi yi ba mla ndu yi tie a, ana wa bina ka ba don na.
24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Biyi bi tsro nkon ni fyifyen, biyi wa bi sh'bi ngblungbu rju ndi myriyen laklumi!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Iya mbi, bi nha ni Farisawa, bi brji! Bi ngla kogon gbanju u gbakli kongo, u ni mi ba shu ni tie shishi ni myriyen ndji.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
Ahi indji Farisi u nfyen! Guchi ngla mi gbanju a mba gbakli (kongo) a ni ndu ko ra'a tie tsratsra.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.
Iya mbi, bi nha ni Farisawa, bi brji! Bi he too babe wa ba gban meme kinklan ni bawu'a, u ko ra mba ni bi ya, uni mii kwukwu kmo ni ba kpi bi rji ba shu ni wu.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Ahi tokima bi he ni shishi ndji wa ba toh yi tsratsra me ni kora u mi mbi shuni tie brji ni meme tie.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
Iya mbi, bi nha ni Farisawa, Bi me ba be u ba anabi ndi mla be u bi ndji tsratsra tie.
30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
Bi tre ndi, 'Ki na he ni nzan u ba tie mbu, ki ndi na yowo ni ba ndi ka yi hle ba anabi ba hle na.'
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
Nakima, biyi kimbi bi tron ndi bi mri u bi wa ba wuu ba anabi ba.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
U biyi me bi ye shu kongo u tsra u ba tie mbi'a.
33 You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? (Geenna g1067)
Biyi wan, imri grache, bi tie ni he ba ndi nawo ni tron u gbarji lu u kasese? (Geenna g1067)
34 Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.
Tokima, to yi, misi ton ba anabi ni bi he toh ni bi nha ye ni yi. Bari mba bi wuu ba ndi kpan ba ni nh'ma kunkron, u bari bi tsi ba ni sinagog mbi ndi zu mba hu ba gbu ba.
35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
Ikle mani he wa ni tu mbi mba iyi u bi tsratsra hle ni ngbungblua, rji ni yi Habila tsratsra hi ni yi zakariya ivren Barakiya, bi wuu gan ni hekalia nitu hekalia.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Njanjimu mi hla, ikpyi biyi baye ni tu mbi ni nzan yi.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
Urushalima, Urushalima, uwu wa u wuu anabi ba ndi ta wa ba ton ba yeni wua ni tita! Inkpu bren mba mi son mi vruyi shutie towa kuko ni vu mri ma shu ka ni ngban ma, a bi kambi!
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
To, ba ka koh me don na k'bo.
39 For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
U mi hla yiwu, bi na la toh me rji zizan yi se bi tre, 'Lulu he nitu ndji wa a ye ni ndi Bachi'a.'”

< Matthew 23 >