Matthew 21
1 When they had almost reached Jerusalem, having come as far as Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent on two disciples.
Kwathi-ke sebesondele eJerusalema, sebefikile eBetfage entabeni yeMihlwathi, khona uJesu wathuma abafundi ababili,
2 “Go to the village facing you,” he said, “and you will immediately find a donkey tethered, with a foal by her side; untie her, and lead her here for me.
esithi kubo: Hambani liye emzaneni okhangelene lani, lizahle libone ubabhemi ekhulekiwe, lethole lilaye; libakhulule, libalethe kimi.
3 And, if anyone says anything to you, you are to say this – ‘The Master wants them’; and he will send them at once.”
Futhi uba umuntu ekhuluma ulutho kini, lizakuthi: INkosi iyabaswela; njalo uzahle abathumele.
4 This happened in fulfillment of these words in the prophet –
Njalo konke lokhu kwenzeka, ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngumprofethi, ukuthi:
5 ‘Say to the people of Zion – “Your King is coming to you, gentle, and riding on a donkey, and on the foal of a beast of burden.”’
Tshelani indodakazi yeSiyoni ukuthi: Khangela, iNkosi yakho iyeza kuwe, imnene igade ubabhemi, lethole inkonyana yenyamazana yokuthwala.
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
Abafundi bahamba-ke, benza njengalokhu uJesu wayebalayile,
7 They led the donkey and the foal back, and, when they had put their cloaks on them, he seated himself on them.
baletha ubabhemi lethole, babeka izembatho zabo phezu kwabo, bamhlalisa phezu kwazo.
8 The immense crowd of people spread their cloaks in the road, while some cut branches off the trees, and spread them on the road.
Lenengi lexuku lendlala ezalo izembatho endleleni; labanye bagamula ingatsha zezihlahla, bazendlala endleleni.
9 The crowds that led the way, as well as those that followed behind, kept shouting, “God save the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God save him from on high!”
Lamaxuku ayehamba phambili lababelandela bamemeza, besithi: Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida! Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi. Hosana kweliphezulu!
10 When he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and asked –
Esengenile eJerusalema umuzi wonke wanyakazela usithi: Ngubani lo?
11 “Who is this?”, to which the crowd replied – “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Amaxuku asesithi: Lo nguJesu umprofethi, oweNazaretha yeGalili.
12 Jesus went into the Temple Courts, and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers, and the seats of the pigeon-dealers,
UJesu wasengena ethempelini likaNkulunkulu, wabaxotsha bonke ababethengisa lababethenga ethempelini, wasegenqula amatafula ababentshintshelana imali, lezihlalo zalabo ababethengisa amajuba.
13 and said to them, “Scripture says ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
Wasesithi kubo: Kulotshiwe ukuthi: Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yomkhuleko; kodwa lina liyenze ubhalu lwabaphangi.
14 While he was still in the Temple Courts, some blind and some lame people came up to him, and he cured them.
Kwasekufika kuye iziphofu leziqhuli ethempelini; wasezisilisa.
15 But, when the chief priests and the teachers of the Law saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the boys who were calling out in the Temple Courts “God save the Son of David!”, they were indignant,
Kodwa abapristi abakhulu lababhali sebebonile izimangaliso azenzayo, labantwana bememeza ethempelini, besithi: Hosana eNdodaneni kaDavida! bathukuthela,
16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these boys are saying?” “Yes,” answered Jesus, “but did you never read the words – ‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have called forth perfect praise’?”
basebesithi kuye: Uyakuzwa lokhu yini abakutshoyo laba? UJesu wasesithi kubo: Yebo; alikaze lifunde yini ukuthi: Emlonyeni wezingane lowabamunyayo uphelelise indumiso?
17 Then he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
Wasebatshiya waphuma phandle komuzi esiya eBethani, walala khona.
18 The next morning, in returning to the city, Jesus became hungry;
Kwathi ebuyela emzini ekuseni, walamba;
19 and, noticing a solitary fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. So he said to it, “Never again will fruit be gathered off you.” And suddenly the fruit tree withered up. (aiōn g165)
kwathi ebona umkhiwa othile endleleni, wasondela kuwo, kodwa katholanga lutho kuwo ngaphandle kwamahlamvu wodwa; wathi kuwo: Kakungabe kusavela isithelo kuwe lanini. Njalo umkhiwa wahle wabuna. (aiōn g165)
20 When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment, “How suddenly the fig tree withered up!”
Kwathi bebona lokhu abafundi bakhe bamangala, besithi: Umkhiwa uhle wabuna njani?
21 “I tell you,” replied Jesus, “if you have faith, without ever a doubt, you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill ‘Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!’ it would be done.
UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uba lilokholo, lingathandabuzi, kaliyikwenza lokhu okomkhiwa kuphela, kodwa loba lisithi lakulintaba: Qutshunwa uphoselwe olwandle, kuzakwenzeka.
22 And whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.”
Njalo konke loba kuyini elikucelayo emkhulekweni, likholwa, lizakwemukela.
23 After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “What authority have you to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
Kwathi esengenile ethempelini, abapristi abakhulu labadala babantu basondela kuye esafundisa, bathi: Izinto lezi uzenza ngaliphi igunya? Njalo ngubani okunike leligunya?
24 “I, too,” said Jesus in reply, “will ask you one question; if you will give me an answer to it, then I, also, will tell you what authority I have to act as I do.
UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Lami ngizalibuza umbuzo ube munye; uba lingitshela lokhu, lami ngizalitshela ukuthi ngenza lezizinto ngaliphi igunya:
25 It is about John’s baptism. What was its origin? Divine or human?” But they began arguing among themselves, “If we say ‘divine,’ he will say to us ‘Why then didn’t you believe him?’
Ubhabhathizo lukaJohane lwavela ngaphi? Ezulwini kumbe ebantwini? Basebekhulumisana, besithi: Uba sisithi: Ezulwini, uzakuthi kithi: Pho kalikholwanga kuye ngani?
26 But if we say ‘human,’ we are afraid of the people, for everyone regards John as a prophet.”
Kodwa uba sisithi: Ebantwini, siyesaba ixuku; ngoba bonke bamphatha uJohane njengomprofethi.
27 So the answer they gave Jesus was – “We do not know.” “Then I,” he said, “refuse to tell you what authority I have to do these things.
Basebemphendula uJesu bathi: Kasazi. Wasesithi kubo: Lami kangilitsheli ukuthi ngenza lezizinto ngaliphi igunya.
28 What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said ‘Go and work in the vineyard today my son.’
Kanti licabangani? Umuntu wayelamadodana amabili; waya kweyokuqala wathi: Mntanami, hamba, uyesebenza lamuhla esivinini sami.
29 ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered; but he did not go.
Kodwa yaphendula yathi: Angifuni. Kodwa emva kwalokho yaphenduka, yahamba.
30 Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. ‘I will not,’ he answered; but afterward he was sorry and went.
Wasesiya kweyesibili watsho ngokunjalo. Yona-ke yaphendula yathi: Ngiyahamba, nkosi. Kodwa kayiyanga.
31 Which of the two sons did as his father wished?” “The second,” they said. “I tell you,” added Jesus, “that tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God before you.
Yiyiphi kulawo amabili eyenza intando kayise? Bathi kuye: Eyokuqala. UJesu wathi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Abathelisi lezifebe bayangena embusweni kaNkulunkulu phambi kwenu.
32 For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.
Ngoba uJohane wafika kini ngendlela yokulunga, kalikholwanga kuye; kodwa abathelisi lezifebe bakholwa kuye; kodwa lina selikubonile kaliphendukanga emva kwalokho ukuthi likholwe kuye.
33 “Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.
Zwanini omunye umfanekiso. Kwakukhona umuntu othile ongumninimuzi, owahlanyela isivini, wasibiyela ngothango, wagebha isikhamelo kuso, wakha umphotshongo, wasiqhatshisa kubalimi, waya kwelinye ilizwe.
34 When the time for the grape harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce.
Kwathi sekusondele isikhathi sezithelo, wathuma inceku zakhe kubalimi, ukuze zemukele izithelo zakhe.
35 But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
Abalimi basebezibamba inceku zakhe, enye bayitshaya, lenye bayibulala, lenye bayikhanda ngamatshe.
36 A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way.
Wabuya wathuma ezinye inceku ezinengi kulezokuqala; basebesenza njalo kulezo.
37 As a last resource he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
Ekucineni wasethuma indodana yakhe kubo, esithi: Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.
38 But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.’
Kodwa abalimi sebeyibonile indodana bakhulumisana besithi: Le yindlalifa; wozani, siyibulale, njalo sibambe ilifa layo.
39 So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
Basebeyibamba bayiphosela ngaphandle kwesivini, bayibulala.
40 Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
Ngakho mhla kufika umninisivini, uzabenzani abalimi labo?
41 “Miserable wretches!” they exclaimed, “he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times.”
Bathi kuye: Uzababhubhisa kakubi labo ababi, njalo uzaqhatshisa isivini kwabanye abalimi, abazamnika izithelo ngezikhathi zazo.
42 Then Jesus added, “Have you never read in the scriptures? – ‘The stone which the builders despised – has now itself become the cornerstone. This cornerstone has come from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes.’
UJesu wathi kubo: Alikaze lifunde yini emibhalweni ukuthi: Ilitshe abakhi abalalayo, yilo eseliyinhloko yengonsi; lokhu yikwenza kweNkosi; njalo kuyamangalisa emehlweni ethu?
43 That, I tell you, is why the kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation that does produce the fruit of the kingdom.
Ngakho ngithi kini: Lizakwemukwa umbuso kaNkulunkulu, unikwe isizwe esithela izithelo zawo.
44 Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while anyone on whom it falls – it will scatter him as dust.”
Lalowo owela phezu kwalelilitshe uzaphahlazwa; kodwa loba ngubani eliwela phezu kwakhe lizamchoboza.
45 After listening to these parables, the chief priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking;
Kwathi abapristi abakhulu labaFarisi sebezwile imifanekiso yakhe bazi ukuthi ubekhuluma ngabo.
46 yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
Kwathi sebedinga ukumbamba besaba amaxuku, ngoba ayemphatha njengomprofethi.
