< Matthew 23 >

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
Khona uJesu wakhuluma emaxukwini lakubafundi bakhe,
2 saying, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.
esithi: Ababhali labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMozisi;
3 All which they will say unto you, observe and do; but their works do not do, because they say, and do not do.
ngakho konke lokhu abalitshela khona ukuthi likugcine, kugcineni likwenze; kodwa lingenzi njengokwemisebenzi yabo, ngoba bayakhuluma bangenzi.
4 For they bind heavy and hard to bear burdens, and lay them on people's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
Ngoba bayabopha imithwalo enzima njalo elukhuni ukuthwalwa, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa kabafuni ukuyisusa ngomunwe wabo.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe of their garments,
Njalo imisebenzi yabo yonke bayenza ukuze babonwe ngabantu; ngoba benza amafilakteriyu abo abe banzi, njalo bakhulisa intshaka zezembatho zabo;
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
bathanda izihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama, lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.
lokubingelelwa emidangeni, lokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi: Rabi, Rabi.
8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers.
Kodwa lina kalingabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu; njalo lina lonke lingabazalwane.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi nguyihlo; ngoba munye onguYihlo, osemazulwini;
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
kalingabizwa ngokuthi lingabafundisi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
Kodwa omkhulu kini uzakuba yinceku yenu.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Lalowo oziphakamisayo, uzathotshiswa; lalowo ozithobayo, uzaphakanyiswa.
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you devour the houses of widows, and for show make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Kodwa maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba livalela abantu umbuso wamazulu; ngoba kalingeni lina, labangenayo kalibavumeli ukuthi bangene.
14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you shut up the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lidla izindlu zabafelokazi, langokuzenzisa lenza imikhuleko emide; ngakho lizakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba libhoda ulwandle lomhlaba ukuthi lenze abe munye ophendukela kumaJuda, kuthi nxa esenziwe njalo, limenze umntwana wesihogo ngokuphindwe kabili kulani. (Geenna g1067)
16 "Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'
Maye kini, bakhokheli abayiziphofu, abathi: Loba ngubani ofunga ngethempeli, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngegolide lethempeli, ulomlandu.
17 You blind fools. For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?
Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide, kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele?
18 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?'
Njalo: Loba ngubani ofunga ngelathi, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngomnikelo ophezu kwalo, ulomlandu.
19 You blind people. For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo, kumbe ilathi elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
Ngakho ofunga ngelathi ufunga ngalo langakho konke okuphezu kwalo;
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.
lofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo langaye ohlala kulo;
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
lofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlala phezu kwaso.
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lithela okwetshumi kwetshwayi leganga ledile lekhumini; liyekele okunzima komlayo, ukwahlulela lesihawu lokholo; belifanele ukwenza lezizinto, lingaziyekeli lalezo.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, likhetha umiyane, kodwa liginye ikamela.
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but within they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lihlambulula ingaphandle yenkezo leyomganu, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuphanga lobuhwaba.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside may become clean also.
MFarisi oyisiphofu! Hlambulula kuqala ingaphakathi yenkezo leyomganu, ukuze kuhlambuluke lengaphandle yakho.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead people's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lifanana lamangcwaba aconjwe aba mhlophe, abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo lokungcola konke.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Kunjalo lani ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini lilungile, kanti ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaprofethi, licecise amangcwaba abalungileyo,
30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'
lithi: Uba besikhona ensukwini zabobaba bethu, besingayikuhlanganyela labo egazini labaprofethi.
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Kunjalo liyazifakazela lina ukuthi lingamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi;
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
lina-ke gcwalisani isilinganiso saboyihlo!
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of hell? (Geenna g1067)
Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, lizaphepha njani ukulahlwa kwesihogo? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, look, I send to you prophets, wise people, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;
Ngakho, khangelani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi labahlakaniphileyo lababhali; labanye babo lizababulala libabethele; labanye lizabatshaya ngesiswepu emasinagogeni enu libazingele imizi ngemizi;
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
ukuze kwehlele phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini likaAbela olungileyo, kuze kufike egazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya, elambulala phakathi kwethempeli lelathi.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Zonke lezizinto zizakwehlela phezu kwalesisizukulwana.
37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her. How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not.
Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi njalo obakhanda ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe! Bengithanda kangakanani ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho, njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwempiko, kodwa kalivumanga.
38 Look, your house is abandoned to you.
Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiyiwe kini ilunxiwa.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
Ngoba ngithi kini: Kalisoze langibona kusukela khathesi, lize lithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi.

< Matthew 23 >