Matthew 18
1 Around that time the disciples came to Jesus, and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Ngalesosikhathi abafundi beza kuJesu, bathi: Kanti ngubani omkhulu embusweni wamazulu?
2 Jesus called over a small child. He had the child stand in front of them.
UJesu wasebizela kuye umntwana omncane wammisa phakathi kwabo,
3 “I tell you the truth, unless you change the way you think and become like little children, you won't ever enter the kingdom of heaven,” he told them.
wathi: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Ngaphandle kokuthi liphenduke libe njengabantwana abancane, kalisoze lingene embusweni wamazulu.
4 “But whoever humbles themselves and becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Ngakho lowo ozazithoba njengalumntwana omncane, nguye omkhulu embusweni wamazulu.
5 Whoever accepts a little child like this in my name accepts me.
Njalo loba ngubani owemukela abe munye umntwana omncane onje ebizweni lami, wemukela mina.
6 But anyone who makes one of these little ones who trust in me sin, it would be better for them to have a large millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Kodwa loba ngubani okhubekisa omunye walaba abancinyane abakholwa kimi, kungakuhle kuye ukuthi ilitshe lokuchola elikhulu lilengiswe entanyeni yakhe, abesetshoniswa enzikini yolwandle.
7 What a disaster is coming on the world for all its temptations to sin! Temptations will surely come, but it will be a disaster for the person through whom the temptation comes!
Maye kuwo umhlaba ngenxa yezikhubekiso! Ngoba izikhubekiso zimele ukufika; kodwa maye kulowomuntu, esifika ngaye isikhubekiso!
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better for you to enter eternal life crippled or lame rather than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into eternal fire. (aiōnios g166)
Njalo uba isandla sakho kumbe unyawo lwakho kukukhubekisa, kuqume ukulahlele khatshana lawe; kungcono kuwe ukungena ekuphileni uyingini kumbe uyisiqhwala, kulokuthi ulezandla ezimbili kumbe inyawo ezimbili uphoselwe emlilweni olaphakade. (aiōnios g166)
9 If your eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away. It's better for you to enter eternal life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the fire of judgment. (Geenna g1067)
Futhi uba ilihlo lakho likukhubekisa, likhuphe ulilahlele khatshana lawe; kungcono kuwe ukungena ekuphileni ulelihlo elilodwa, kulokuthi ulamehlo amabili uphoselwe esihogweni somlilo. (Geenna g1067)
10 Make sure you don't look down on these little ones. I tell you that in heaven their angels are always with my heavenly Father.
Qaphelani lingadeleli omunye walaba abancinyane, ngoba ngithi kini: Emazulwini ingilosi zabo zihlala zibona ubuso bukaBaba osemazulwini.
Ngoba iNdodana yomuntu ize ukusindisa okwakulahlekile.
12 What do you think about this? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that's lost?
Licabangani? Uba umuntu othile elezimvu ezilikhulu, besekulahleka enye yazo, kazitshiyi yini ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye lasificamunwemunye, ahambe ezintabeni ukuyadinga elahlekileyo?
13 And if he finds it, I tell you he really rejoices over that sheep more than the ninety-nine that didn't get lost.
Futhi uba kungenzakala ukuthi ayithole, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uthokoza ngayo kakhulu kulalezo ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye lasificamunwemunye ezingalahlekanga.
14 In the same way my heavenly Father does not want any of these little ones to be lost.
Ngokunjalo kayisiyo intando kaYihlo osemazulwini ukuthi kubhubhe abe munye walaba abancinyane.
15 If a brother sins against you, go and point out the wrong to him, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you've won your brother over.
Kodwa nxa umfowenu ekona, hamba umsole phakathi kwakho laye lilodwa. Uba ekuzwa, umzuzile umfowenu;
16 But if he doesn't listen, then take one or two more people with you, so that by two or three witnesses the truth can be confirmed.
kodwa uba engakuzwa, thatha abe munye kumbe babe babili kanye lawe futhi, ukuze lonke ilizwi liqiniswe ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili kumbe abathathu;
17 If, however, he refuses to listen to them, then tell the church. If he refuses to listen to the church as well, then treat him as a foreigner and a tax-collector.
njalo nxa esala ukubezwa bona, tshela ibandla; uba esala ukuzwa lalo ibandla, kabe njengowezizwe lomthelisi kuwe.
18 I tell you the truth, whatever you ban on earth will be banned in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth will be allowed in heaven.
Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke elizakubopha emhlabeni, kuzakuba kubotshiwe ezulwini; njalo konke elizakukhulula emhlabeni, kuzakuba kukhululiwe ezulwini.
19 I also tell you that if two of you agree here on earth about something you're praying for, then my heavenly Father will do it for you.
Njalo ngithi kini: Uba ababili benu bevumelana emhlabeni loba ngaluphi ulutho abalucelayo, bazalwenzelwa nguBaba osemazulwini.
20 For where two or three gather together in my name, I'm there with them.”
Ngoba lapho ababili kumbe abathathu ababuthene khona ebizweni lami, ngikhona lapho phakathi kwabo.
21 Peter came to Jesus and asked him, “How many times should I forgive my brother for sinning against me? Seven times?”
UPetro wasemsondelela wathi: Nkosi, umfowethu uzangona kangaki, njalo ngimthethelela? Kuze kube kasikhombisa yini?
22 “No, not seven times. I would say seventy times seven!” Jesus told him.
UJesu wathi kuye: Kangitsho kuwe ukuthi kuze kube kasikhombisa, kodwa kuze kube ngamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphindwe kasikhombisa.
23 “This is why the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with those servants who owed him money.
Ngakho umbuso wamazulu ufananiswa lomuntu oyinkosi, owayethanda ukulandiselana lenceku zakhe.
24 As he began to settle accounts, one servant was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Kwathi eseqalile ukulandisa, kwalethwa kuye enye elomlandu kuyo wamathalenta azinkulungwane ezilitshumi.
25 Since he didn't have the money to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all his possessions, so that the debt could be paid back.
Kodwa njengoba yayingelalutho lokuhlawula, inkosi yayo yalaya ukuthi ithengiswe, lomkayo labantwana bayo, lakho konke elakho, besekuhlawulwa.
26 The servant fell down on his knees and said to his master, ‘Please be patient with me! I will pay everything back!’
Ngakho inceku yawa phansi imkhothamela, yathi: Nkosi, ngibekezelela, futhi ngizakuhlawula konke.
27 The master took pity on the servant, released him, and canceled the debt.
Inkosi yaleyonceku yasisiba lesihelo yayikhulula, yayixolela umlandu.
28 But when that same servant went out he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him just a hundred denarii. He grabbed him by the neck and choked him, saying, ‘Pay me back what you owe me!’
Kodwa yaphuma leyonceku yathola omunye oyinceku kanye layo, olomlandu kuyo wabodenariyo abalikhulu, yambamba yamkhama, yathi: Ngihlawula okufaneleyo.
29 His fellow-servant threw himself down at the man's feet and begged him, ‘Please be patient with me! I will pay you back!’
Ngakho oyinceku kanye layo wawa phansi ezinyaweni zayo wayincenga, wathi: Ungibekezelele, futhi ngizakuhlawula konke.
30 But the man refused, and went and threw his fellow-servant into prison until he paid back what he owed.
Kodwa yona kayivumanga, kodwa yasuka yayiphosela entolongweni, ize iwuhlawule umlandu.
31 When the other servants saw what took place they were shocked and upset. They went and told their master everything that had happened.
Kwathi abayizinceku kanye layo bebona izinto ezazenzakele badabuka kakhulu; beza babikela inkosi yabo konke okwakwenzekile.
32 Then the master called the man back in and told him, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you all your debt because you begged me to.
Inkosi yayo yasiyibizela kiyo yathi kiyo: Wena nceku embi, ngakuxolela wonke lowomlandu, ngoba wangincenga;
33 Shouldn't you have been merciful to your fellow-servant as well, just as I was merciful to you?’
ngabe lawe kawumhawukelanga yini omunye oyinceku kanye lawe, njengoba lami ngakuhawukela?
34 His master became angry and handed him over to the jailors until he had repaid all the debt.
Inkosi yayo yasithukuthela yayinikela kubahlukuluzi, ize ihlawule konke okufaneleyo kuyo.
35 This is what my heavenly Father will do to every one of you unless you sincerely forgive your brothers.”
Uzakwenza njalo kini laye uBaba osezulwini, uba lingathetheleli lowo lalowo umfowenu iziphambeko zabo ngenhliziyo zenu.
