Matthew 6
1 “Take care not to perform your religious duties in public in order to be seen by others; if you do, your Father who is in heaven has no reward for you.
“Qaphelani ukuthi lingenzi izenzo zokulunga phambi kwabantu ukuze balibone. Nxa lisenza njalo kaliyikuba lomvuzo ovela kuYihlo ezulwini.
2 Therefore, when you do acts of charity, do not have a trumpet blown in front of you, as hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that people will praise them. There, I tell you, is their reward!
Ngakho nxa lisipha abaswelayo, lingamemezeli indawo yonke njengokwenziwa ngabazenzisi emasinagogweni lasezitaladini ukuze badunyiswe ngabantu. Ngilitshela iqiniso, sebewemukele owabo umvuzo ngokugcweleyo.
3 But, when you do acts of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Kodwa nxa lina lisipha abaswelayo isandla senu sokhohlo kasingakwazi lokho esikwenzayo esokunene,
4 so that your charity may be secret; and your Father, who sees what is in secret, will reward you.
ukuze ukupha kwenu kube sensitha. Ngakho uYihlo obona okwenziwa ensitha uzalipha umvuzo wenu.”
5 “And, when you pray, you are not to behave as hypocrites do. They like to pray standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets, so that people will see them. There, I tell you, is their reward!
“Nxa likhuleka lingabi njengabazenzisi ngoba bona bathanda ukukhuleka bemi emasinagogweni lasemakhoneni ezitalada ukuze babonwe ngabantu. Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi sebewutholile owabo umvuzo ngokugcweleyo.
6 But, when one of you prays, they should go into their own room, shut the door, and pray to their Father who dwells in secret; and their Father, who sees what is secret, will reward them.
Nxa likhuleka, ngenani ezindlini zenu, livale iminyango beselikhuleka kuYihlo ongabonakaliyo. Ngakho uYihlo obona okwenziwa ensitha uzalipha umvuzo wenu.
7 When praying, do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles, who think that by using many words they will obtain a hearing.
Njalo nxa likhuleka lingenzi ubugabazi, linqongoloza njengabahedeni ngoba bacabanga ukuthi bazezwakala ngenxa yamazwi abo amanengi.
8 Do not imitate them; for God, your Father, knows what you need before you ask him.
Lingabi njengabo ngoba uYihlo uyakwazi elikuswelayo loba lingakakuceli kuye.”
9 You, therefore, should pray like this – ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, may your name be held holy,
“Kumele likhuleke kanje: ‘Baba wethu osezulwini, kalidunyiswe ibizo lakho,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done – on earth, as in heaven.
umbuso wakho kawuze, intando yakho kayenziwe emhlabeni njengalokhu isenziwa ezulwini.
11 Give us today the bread that we will need;
Siphe lamuhla isinkwa sethu sansukuzonke.
12 and forgive us our wrongdoings, as we have forgiven those who have wronged us;
Njalo usithethelele izono zethu, njengoba lathi sibathethelela abasonelayo.
13 and take us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’
Njalo ungasingenisi ekulingweni, kodwa usisindise komubi.’
14 For, if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also;
Ngoba nxa libathethelela abayabe belonile, uYihlo osezulwini laye uzalithethelela.
15 but, if you do not forgive others their offenses, not even your Father will forgive your offenses.
Kodwa nxa lingabathetheleli abantu izono zabo, uYihlo kayikulithethelela lani izono zenu.”
16 “And, when you fast, do not put on gloomy looks, as hypocrites do who disfigure their faces so that they may be seen by people to be fasting. That, I tell you, is their reward!
“Lapho lizila ukudla, lingabonakali linyukubele njengalokhu okwenziwa ngabazenzisi ngoba bakhangeleka bedanile ebusweni babo ukuze abantu babone ukuthi bazilile. Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi sebewutholile owabo umvuzo ngokugcweleyo.
17 But, when one of you fasts, they should anoint their head and wash their face,
Kodwa lina nxa lizila, gcobani amafutha emakhanda enu, ligeze ubuso benu,
18 so that they may not be seen by people to be fasting, but by their Father who dwells in secret; and their Father, who sees what is secret, will reward them.
ukuze kungabonakali ebantwini ukuthi lizilile, kodwa kuYihlo kuphela ongabonakaliyo njalo yena obona okwenziwa ensitha uzalipha umvuzo wenu.”
19 “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
“Lingazibutheleli inotho emhlabeni lapho okubhubhisa khona inondo lokuthomba njalo lapho okugqekeza khona amasela.
20 But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
Kodwa zibutheleleni inotho ezulwini lapho kungabhujiswa khona linondo lokuthomba njalo lapho okungagqekezi khona amasela.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Ngoba lapho okulenotho yakho khona kulapho inhliziyo yakho ezakuba khona.
22 The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be lit up;
Ilihlo liyisibane somzimba. Nxa amehlo akho elungile umzimba wakho wonke uzagcwala ukukhanya.
23 but, if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkened. And, if the inner light is darkness, how intense must that darkness be!
Kodwa nxa amehlo akho engahlambulukanga umzimba wakho wonke uzagcwala ubumnyama. Nxa ukukhanya okungaphakathi kwakho kungumnyama, pho mkhulu kanganani lowomnyama!
24 No one can serve two masters, for either they will hate one and love the other, or else they will attach themselves to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Kakulanceku engakhonza amakhosi amabili. Funa izonde enye kodwa ithande enye, kumbe izinikele kwenye yeyise enye. Lingezake likhonze uNkulunkulu lemali.”
25 “This is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about your life – what you can get to eat or drink, or about your body – what you can get to wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
“Ngakho ngiyalitshela ukuthi lingakhathazeki ngokuphila kwenu, ukuthi lizakudlani loba lizanathani; kumbe ngemizimba yenu, ukuthi lizagqokani. Impilo kayiqakathekanga ukwedlula ukudla na, lomzimba ukwedlula izigqoko na?
26 Look at the wild birds – they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feeds them! Aren’t you more precious than they?
Khangelani izinyoni zasemoyeni; kazihlanyeli, kazivuni kumbe ukubuthela eziphaleni kodwa uYihlo osezulwini uyazipha ukudla. Lina kaliqakathekanga ukwedlula zona na?
27 But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong their life a single moment?
Ngubani kini othi ngokukhathazeka angezelele ihola elilodwa empilweni yakhe na?
28 And why be anxious about clothing? Study the wild lilies, and how they grow. They neither toil nor spin;
Kanti lizihluphelani ngezigqoko na? Ake libone ukuthi amaluba eganga akhula njani. Kawasebenzi njalo aweluki.
29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his splendor was not robed like one of these.
Kodwa ngilitshela ukuthi laye uSolomoni ekucwebezeleni kwakhe kazange acece njengawo.
30 If God so clothes even the grass of the field, which is living today and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
Nxa kuyiyo indlela uNkulunkulu ahlobisa ngayo utshani beganga, obukhona namuhla kodwa kusasa sebuphoselwa emlilweni, pho lina kazukuligqokisa ngcono yini, lina bokukholwa okuncinyane?
31 Do not then ask anxiously ‘What can we get to eat?’ or ‘What can we get to drink?’ or ‘What can we get to wear?’
Ngakho lingazihluphi lisithi, ‘Sizakudlani?’ kumbe ‘Sizanathani?’ loba ‘Sizavunulani na?’
32 All these are the things for which the nations are seeking, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Ngoba abezizweni bagijimela zonke lezizinto kodwa uYihlo osezulwini uyakwazi ukuthi liyazidinga.
33 But first seek his kingdom and the righteousness that he requires, and then all these things will be added for you.
Kodwa funani kuqala umbuso wakhe lokulunga kwakhe, kuzakuthi-ke zonke lezizinto liziphiwe lazo.
34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own anxieties. Every day has trouble enough of its own.
Ngakho lingazihluphi ngelakusasa ngoba ikusasa lizazinqinekela lona. Usuku lunye ngalunye lulenhlupho zalo oluzaneleyo.”
