Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
Khona uJesu wakhuluma emaxukwini lakubafundi bakhe,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.
esithi: Ababhali labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMozisi;
3 Therefore observe and do all that they tell you to observe. But do not do what they do, for they say things and do not do them.
ngakho konke lokhu abalitshela khona ukuthi likugcine, kugcineni likwenze; kodwa lingenzi njengokwemisebenzi yabo, ngoba bayakhuluma bangenzi.
4 They bind burdens that are heavy and hard to bear and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Ngoba bayabopha imithwalo enzima njalo elukhuni ukuthwalwa, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa kabafuni ukuyisusa ngomunwe wabo.
5 They do all their works to be seen by others. They make their phylacteries wide and the fringes of their garments long.
Njalo imisebenzi yabo yonke bayenza ukuze babonwe ngabantu; ngoba benza amafilakteriyu abo abe banzi, njalo bakhulisa intshaka zezembatho zabo;
6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the best seats in the synagogues,
bathanda izihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama, lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni,
7 greetings in the marketplaces, and when others call them ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
lokubingelelwa emidangeni, lokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi: Rabi, Rabi.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for there is one who is your instructor, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
Kodwa lina kalingabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu; njalo lina lonke lingabazalwane.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for there is one who is your Father, he who is in heaven.
Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi nguyihlo; ngoba munye onguYihlo, osemazulwini;
10 Neither are you to be called instructors, for there is one who is your instructor, the Christ.
kalingabizwa ngokuthi lingabafundisi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu.
11 But he who is greater among you must be your servant.
Kodwa omkhulu kini uzakuba yinceku yenu.
12 For 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 widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive a more severe judgment.
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 people out of the kingdom of heaven. You yourselves do not enter, nor do you let in those who are trying 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 cross sea and land to make a single convert, and when he has become one, you make him twice as much 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, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
Maye kini, bakhokheli abayiziphofu, abathi: Loba ngubani ofunga ngethempeli, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngegolide lethempeli, ulomlandu.
17 You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide, kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele?
18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
Njalo: Loba ngubani ofunga ngelathi, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngomnikelo ophezu kwalo, ulomlandu.
19 You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo, kumbe ilathi elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele?
20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Ngakho ofunga ngelathi ufunga ngalo langakho konke okuphezu kwalo;
21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
lofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo langaye ohlala kulo;
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon 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, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. These you ought to have practiced without neglecting the other things.
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 but swallow a camel!
Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, likhetha umiyane, kodwa liginye ikamela.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but the inside is filled with the fruits of your robbery and unrighteousness.
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lihlambulula ingaphandle yenkezo leyomganu, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuphanga lobuhwaba.
26 Yoʋ blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside of them will also be clean.
MFarisi oyisiphofu! Hlambulula kuqala ingaphakathi yenkezo leyomganu, ukuze kuhlambuluke lengaphandle yakho.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness.
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lifanana lamangcwaba aconjwe aba mhlophe, abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo lokungcola konke.
28 In the same way, you also appear righteous to others on the outside, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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 adorn the graves of the righteous,
Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaprofethi, licecise amangcwaba abalungileyo,
30 and you say, ‘If we had been alive in the days of our fathers, we would not have been participants with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
lithi: Uba besikhona ensukwini zabobaba bethu, besingayikuhlanganyela labo egazini labaprofethi.
31 Therefore you bear witness against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
Kunjalo liyazifakazela lina ukuthi lingamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi;
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
lina-ke gcwalisani isilinganiso saboyihlo!
Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, lizaphepha njani ukulahlwa kwesihogo? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.
Ngakho, khangelani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi labahlakaniphileyo lababhali; labanye babo lizababulala libabethele; labanye lizabatshaya ngesiswepu emasinagogeni enu libazingele imizi ngemizi;
35 As a result, all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth will come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple 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 say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Zonke lezizinto zizakwehlela phezu kwalesisizukulwana.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to yoʋ! How often I have wanted to gather yoʋr children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
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 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiyiwe kini ilunxiwa.
39 For I tell you, from now on you will certainly not see me 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.
