Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
UJesu wasesithi emaxukwini abantu lakubafundi bakhe:
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
“Abafundisi bomthetho labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMosi.
3 all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
Ngakho kumele libalalele lenze konke abalitshela khona. Kodwa lingakwenzi abakwenzayo, ngoba kabakulandeli lokho abakutshumayelayo.
4 but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger.
Baqoqa imithwalo enzima bayetshate emahlombe abantu kodwa bona bengafuni lokulokotha bayithwale.
5 And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
Konke abakwenzayo bakwenzela ukuba babonwe ngabantu, benza imicwatsho yabo yemibhalo ibe banzi lezintshaka zezigqoko zabo zibe zinde;
6 and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,
bathanda izindawo eziphezulu emadilini lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogweni,
7 and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
bathanda ukubingelelwa emisikeni lokuthi abantu bababize ngokuthi ‘Rabi.’
8 But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren.
Kodwa lina nxa lingabizwa kuthiwe ‘Rabi,’ ngoba munye kuphela oyiNkosi yenu njalo lina lonke liyizinini.
9 And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi ‘baba,’ ngoba liloYihlo oyedwa, yena osezulwini.
10 Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
Njalo lingabizwa ngokuthi bafundisi, ngoba liloMfundisi oyedwa, uKhristu.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
Omkhulu kulani lonke phakathi kwenu uzakuba yinceku yenu.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Ngoba lowo oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lalowo ozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.”
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in.
“Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakubaFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Livalela abantu umbuso wezulu. Lina ngokwenu kalingeni liphinde livimbele labo abazama ukungena. [
Maye kini bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Liphanga izindlu zabafelokazi, beselizenzisa lisenza imikhuleko emide, ngalokho lizakwamukeliswa ukulahlwa okukhulu.]
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
Maye kini bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Lidabula ilizwe lihambe laphezu kolwandle lidinga ukuphendula oyedwa zwi, lithi selimzuzile limphendule abe yindodana yesihogweni okuphindwe kabili kulani. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
Maye kini, baholi abayiziphofu! Lithi, ‘Nxa umuntu efunga ngethempeli kakutsho lutho; kodwa nxa umuntu efunga ngegolide lethempeli usezibophile ngesifungo sakhe.’
17 Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
Lina ziphofundini! Yikuphi okukhulu kulokunye: igolide kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libengcwele?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
Lithi njalo, ‘Nxa umuntu efunga nge-alithare, akusilutho; kodwa nxa umuntu efunga ngesipho esikulo usezibophile ngesifungo sakhe.’
19 [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
Lina ziphofu zabantu! Yikuphi okudlula okunye: isipho langabe i-alithari elenza isipho sibe ngcwele?
20 He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
Ngakho lowo ofunga nge-alithare ufunga ngalo langakho konke okukulo.
21 And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it.
Njalo lowo ofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo njalo langaye lowo ohlala kulo.
22 And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.
Njalo lalowo ofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlezi phezu kwaso.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, bazenzisi! Linika okwetshumi okweziyoliso zenu, iminti ledili lekhamini. Kodwa liyekethise izinto ezimqoka emthethweni, eziyikulunga, isihawu kanye lokwethembeka. Bekufanele lithi likwenza lokhu lingawuyekethisanga umthetho.
24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
Lina baholi abayiziphofu! Liyacenga ukukhupha ubuyane kodwa liginye ikamela.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Ligezisa inkezo lomganu ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ubuhwaba lokuzisuthisa.
26 Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
MFarisi oyisiphofu! Qala uhlambulule ingaphakathi yenkezo lomganu, ukuze ingaphandle layo ihlambuluke.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Linjengamathuna aconjiweyo, akhanya ebukeka ngaphandle, kodwa ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abantu abafileyo lakho konke okungcolileyo.
28 Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Kanjalo, ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini linjengabalungileyo, kodwa ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Lakhela abaphrofethi amathuna njalo licecise amathuna abalungileyo.
30 and ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Beselisithi, ‘Ngabe saphila ngezinsuku zabokhokho bethu sasingeyikuhlanganyela labo ekuchitheni igazi labaphrofethi.’
31 So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
Ngalokho yini elipha ubufakazi bokuthi liyisizukulwane salabo ababulala abaphrofethi.
32 and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
Nanko-ke, wohlani liqedise lesosono sabokhokho benu!
Lina zinyoka! Lina nzalo yezinhlangwana! Lizaphepha kanjani ukuba lilahlelwe esihogweni na? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city;
Ngakho ngilithumela abaphrofethi lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo labafundisi. Abanye babo lizababulala libabethele; abanye lizababhaxabula emasinagogweni enu, lilandelelane labo kuleli laleliyana idolobho.
35 so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Ngakho-ke, lonke igazi elilungileyo elachithwayo emhlabeni kusukela egazini lika-Abheli owayelungile kusiya egazini likaZakhariya indodana kaBherekhiya elambulala phakathi laphakathi kwethempeli le-alithari lizakwehliselwa phezu kwenu.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Ngilitshela iqiniso, konke lokhu kuzakuba phezu kwalesi isizukulwane.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaphrofethi, ubakhande ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe, sekukanengi ngiloyisa ukuqoqa ndawonye abantwabakho, njengesikhukhukazi siqoqa amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso, kodwa wena wawungathandi.
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate;
Khangela, indlu yakho isitshiywe ilunxiwa.
39 for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord.
Ngoba ngiyalitshela, kalisayikungibona futhi lize lithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo.’”
