Mariko 12
1 Nake akĩambĩrĩria kũmahe ũhoro na ngerekano, akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũmwe nĩahaandire mũgũnda wake mĩthabibũ. Agĩaka rũgiri rũgĩthiũrũrũkĩria mũgũnda ũcio, na akĩenja irima rĩa kũhihĩra thabibũ, na agĩaka nyũmba ndaaya na igũrũ ya arangĩri. Agĩcooka agĩkomborithia mũgũnda ũcio kũrĩ arĩmi angĩ, na agĩthiĩ rũgendo.
Then Jesus told [those Jewish leaders] a parable. [He wanted to show what God would do to those who rejected the former prophets and himself. He said], “A certain man planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it [in order to protect it]. He made a stone tank [to collect the juice that] they would press [out of the grapes]. He also built a tower [for someone to sit in to guard his vineyard]. Then he leased the vineyard to some men to care for it and [to] give him some of the [grapes] in return. Then he went away to another country.
2 Na rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ya magetha yakinya-rĩ, agĩtũma ndungata yake kũrĩ akombori acio ĩgĩĩre maciaro mamwe ma mũgũnda ũcio wa mĩthabibũ.
When the time came to harvest the [grapes], he sent a servant to the men [who were taking care of the vineyard] in order to receive from them his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced.
3 Nao makĩmĩnyiita makĩmĩhũũra, na makĩmĩingata ĩtarĩ na kĩndũ.
But [after the servant arrived], they grabbed him and beat him, and they did not give him any fruit. Then they sent him away.
4 Agĩcooka akĩmatũmĩra ndungata ĩngĩ; nao magĩtiihia ndungata ĩyo mũtwe na makĩmĩĩka maũndũ ma thoni.
Later the one who owned the vineyard sent another servant to them. But they beat that one on his head, and they insulted him.
5 Na o rĩngĩ agĩtũma ndungata ĩngĩ, nayo makĩmĩũraga. Nĩatũmire ndungata ingĩ nyingĩ, imwe ciacio magĩcihũũra, na iria ingĩ magĩciũraga.
Later he sent another servant. That man they killed. They mistreated many other servants [whom he sent]. Some they beat and some they killed.
6 “Mũndũ ũcio ndaarĩ na mũndũ ũngĩ watigaire wa gũtũma, tiga o mũriũ wake ũrĩa eendete mũno. Akĩmũtũma thuutha wa acio angĩ othe, akiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩmegũtĩĩa mũrũ wakwa.’
The man still had one other [person with him]. It was his son. He loved him very much. So, finally he sent his son to them because he thought that they would respect him [and give him some of the grapes].
7 “No akombori acio makĩĩrana atĩrĩ, ‘Ũyũ nĩwe ũkaagaya mũgũnda ũyũ. Ũkai, rekei tũmũũrage, nĩguo igai rĩake rĩgaatuĩka riitũ.’
But [when they saw his son coming], those men who were looking after the vineyard said to each other, ‘Look! Here comes the man who will some day inherit the vineyard! So let’s kill him in order that this vineyard will be ours!’
8 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩmũnyiita, makĩmũũraga, makĩmũikia nja ya mũgũnda ũcio wa mĩthabibũ.
They seized him and killed him. Then they threw his body outside the vineyard.
9 “Rĩu-rĩ, mwene mũgũnda ũcio ageeka atĩa? Agooka oorage akombori acio, acooke ahe andũ angĩ mũgũnda ũcio.
So (do you know what the man who owns the vineyard will do?/I will tell you what the man who owns the vineyard will do [RHQ]). He will come, and he will kill those evil men who were taking care of his vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it.
10 Kaĩ mũtarĩ mwathoma maandĩko maya: “‘Ihiga rĩrĩa aaki maaregire, nĩrĩo rĩtuĩkĩte ihiga inene rĩa koine;
[Now think carefully about these words], which you have read [in] the Scriptures: The men who were building the building rejected one stone. But others [put that same stone in its proper place, and] it has become the most important stone in the building [MET]!
11 Mwathani nĩwe wĩkĩte ũndũ ũcio, naguo nĩ wa magegania tũkĩwona’?”
The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.”
12 Magĩcaria ũrĩa mangĩmũnyiita tondũ nĩmamenyire aaragia ũhoro wao na ngerekano ĩyo, no nĩmetigagĩra kĩrĩndĩ; nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩtigana nake, magĩthiĩ.
Then [the Jewish leaders] realized that he was accusing them when he told this story [about what those wicked people did]. So they wanted to seize him. But they were afraid of what the crowds [would do if they did that]. So they left him and went away.
13 Thuutha ũcio magĩtũma Afarisai amwe na Aherodia kũrĩ Jesũ nĩguo mamũtege na mĩario yake.
The [Jewish leaders] sent to [Jesus] some Pharisees [who thought that the Jews should pay only the tax that their own Jewish authorities required people to pay]. They also sent some members of the party that supported Herod [Antipas and the Roman government]. They wanted to make Jesus say something wrong [that would make one of those groups very angry with him].
14 Magĩũka kũrĩ we makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũrutani, nĩtũũĩ atĩ ũrĩ mũndũ wa ma. Ndwĩtigagĩra andũ, tondũ ndũrũmbũyagia ũrĩa mahaana; no ũrutanaga ũhoro wa Ngai na ma. Rĩu-rĩ, nĩ kwagĩrĩire kũrutĩra Kaisari mbeeca cia igooti, kana aca?
After they arrived, they said to him [deceivingly], “Teacher, we know that you [teach] the truth. We also know that you are not concerned about [what] people [say about you, even if an important person does not like what you say]. Instead, you teach truthfully what God wants [us to do]. So [tell us what you think about this matter: ] Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government, or not [MTY]? Should we pay the taxes, or should we not pay them?”
15 Tũrutage kana tũtikarutage?” No tondũ Jesũ nĩamenyaga ũhinga wao, akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Mũrenda kũngeria nĩkĩ? Ta ndeherai dinari ndĩmĩone.”
Jesus knew that they did not really want to know [what God wanted them to do]. So he said to them, “(I [know that] you are [just] trying to make me say something wrong for which you can arrest me./Why are you [just] trying to make me say something wrong for which you can arrest me?) [RHQ] [But I will answer your question anyway]. Bring me a coin so that I might [ask you something after] I look at it.”
16 Makĩmũrehera dinari ĩyo, nake akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Mbica ĩno na rĩĩtwa rĩĩrĩ nĩ cia ũ?” Nao makĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ cia Kaisari.”
After they brought him a coin, he asked them, “Whose picture is [on] this [coin]? And [whose] name [is on it]?” They replied, “It is a picture and the name of Caesar, [the man who rules the Roman government].”
17 Nake Jesũ akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Rutagĩrai Kaisari kĩrĩa kĩrĩ gĩake, na mũrutagĩre Ngai kĩrĩa kĩrĩ gĩake.” Nao makĩgegio nĩwe.
Then Jesus said to them, “[That is correct, so] give to the government [MTY] what they [require], and give to God what he [requires].” They were [frustrated at his answer but] amazed at what he said, [because they were not able to accuse him of anything because of what he said].
18 Ningĩ Asadukai, arĩa moigaga atĩ gũtirĩ ũhoro wa kũriũka magĩũka kũrĩ Jesũ na makĩmũũria atĩrĩ,
[Men who belong to the] Sadducee [sect] deny that people become alive again after they die. [In order to discredit] Jesus [by ridiculing the idea that people will live again, some of] them came to him and asked him,
19 “Mũrutani, Musa aatwandĩkĩire atĩ mũrũ wa nyina na mũndũ angĩkua atige mũtumia atarĩ na ciana-rĩ, mũndũ ũcio no nginya ahikie mũtumia ũcio watigwo, aciarĩre mũrũ wa nyina ciana.
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us [Jews] that if a man who has no children dies, his brother should marry the dead man’s widow. [Then if those two bear children, everyone will consider that those children are the] children of the man who died, [and in that way the dead man will continue to have descendants].
20 Na rĩrĩ, kwarĩ aanake mũgwanja a nyina ũmwe. Wa mbere akĩhikania na agĩkua, na ndatige ciana.
[So here is an example]. There were seven boys [in one family]. The oldest one married [a woman], but [he and his wife] did not bear any children. Then he [later] died.
21 Nake wa keerĩ akĩhikia mũtumia ũcio wa ndigwa, no o nake agĩkua na ndatige ciana. O na wa gatatũ nake agĩĩka o ũguo.
The second [brother followed this law and] married that woman and he, too, did not bear any children. Then he [later] died. The third [brother did] like [his other brothers did. But he also did not bear any children, and later died].
22 Ũhoro wa ma nĩ atĩ, gũtirĩ o na ũmwe wa acio mũgwanja watigire ciana. Thuutha wao othe, mũtumia ũcio o nake agĩkua.
Eventually all seven [brothers married that woman, one by one], but they had no children, and one by one they died. Afterwards the woman died, too.
23 Rĩu-rĩ, hĩndĩ ya kũriũka mũtumia ũcio agaakorwo arĩ wa ũ, nĩgũkorwo othe mũgwanja nĩmamũhikĩtie?”
Therefore, [if it were true what some people say, that people will become alive again after they die], whose wife do you think that woman will be when people become alive again? ([Keep in mind that] she was married to all seven [brothers]!/She was married to all seven [brothers, so how can anyone decide] [RHQ]?)”
24 Nake Jesũ akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩmũhĩtĩtie tondũ mũtiũĩ Maandĩko kana hinya wa Ngai?
Jesus replied to them, “You are certainly wrong [RHQ]. You do not know [what they have written in] the Scriptures [about this]. You also do not understand God’s power [to make people alive again].
25 Rĩrĩa akuũ makaariũka, matikahikania kana mahike; magaatuĩka ta araika arĩa marĩ kũu igũrũ.
[That woman will not be the wife of any of them], because when people have become alive again, instead of men having wives and women having husbands, they will be like the angels in heaven, [who do not marry].
26 Naguo ha ũhoro wa akuũ kũriũka-rĩ, kaĩ mũtathomete ibuku-inĩ rĩa Musa, ũhoro ũkoniĩ kĩhinga kĩrĩa kĩahĩaga, na ũrĩa Ngai aamwĩrire atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ nĩ niĩ Ngai wa Iburahĩmu na Ngai wa Isaaka, o na Ngai wa Jakubu?’
But as to people becoming alive again after they die, in the book that Moses [wrote, he said something about people who have died] that I am sure that you have read [RHQ]. When Moses [was looking at] the bush [that was burning], God said to him, ‘I am the God whom Abraham [worships] and the God whom Isaac [worships] and the God whom Jacob [worships].’
27 We ti Ngai wa arĩa akuũ, no nĩ wa arĩa marĩ muoyo. Inyuĩ mũhĩtĩtie mũno.”
It is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died long before Moses lived, but God said that they were still worshipping him, so we know their spirits were still alive]! So your [claim that dead people do not become alive again] is very wrong.”
28 Na rĩrĩ, mũrutani ũmwe wa watho nĩokire akĩigua makĩaria. Aamenya atĩ Jesũ nĩamacookeirie icookio rĩega-rĩ, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Harĩ maathani marĩa mangĩ mothe-rĩ, nĩ rĩrĩkũ rĩa bata mũno?”
A man who taught the [Jewish] laws heard their discussion. He knew that Jesus answered the question well. So he stepped forward and asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important?”
29 Jesũ agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Rĩathani rĩrĩa rĩa bata mũno nĩ rĩĩrĩ: ‘Thikĩrĩria, inyuĩ Isiraeli, Mwathani Ngai witũ, Mwathani nĩ ũmwe.
Jesus answered, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, [you people of] Israel! [You must worship] the Lord, our God, our only Lord.
30 Endaga Mwathani Ngai waku na ngoro yaku yothe, na muoyo waku wothe, na meciiria maku mothe, na hinya waku wothe.’
[You must show that you love him in all the ways that you live] Show it in all that you want and feel, in all that you think, and in all that you do!’
31 Narĩo rĩa keerĩ nĩ rĩrĩ: ‘Endaga mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ o ta ũrĩa wĩendete wee mwene.’ Gũtirĩ rĩathani rĩngĩ inene kũrĩ macio.”
The next [most important commandment] is: ‘You must love people you come in contact with as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these two!”
32 Nake mũndũ ũcio agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Mũrutani, ti-itherũ nĩwoiga wega atĩ Ngai nĩ ũmwe na gũtirĩ ũngĩ tiga we!
The man said to Jesus, “Teacher, [you have answered] well. You correctly said that he is the only [God] and that there is no other God [we must worship/obey].
33 Ningĩ ũmwende na ngoro yaku yothe, o na ũmenyo waku wothe, o na hinya waku wothe; o nakuo kwenda mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ o ta ũrĩa wĩendete wee mwene, ũcio nĩ ũndũ ũrĩ bata gũkĩra maruta mothe ma njino na magongona.”
You have also said correctly that we ([should/must show that we]) love God by all that we are, by all that we think, and by the way that we live. And you have said correctly that we must love (people with whom we come in contact/others) as much as we love ourselves. And you have also implied that doing these things [pleases God] more than offering/giving animals to him or burning [other] sacrifices.”
34 Rĩrĩa Jesũ oonire nĩacookia wega, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee-rĩ, ndũrĩ haraaya na ũthamaki wa Ngai.” Na kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo gũtirĩ mũndũ wacookire kũũmĩrĩria kũmũũria ciũria ingĩ.
Jesus realized that this man had answered wisely. So he said to him, “[I perceive that] you will soon [decide to let] God rule your life.” After that, [the Jewish leaders] were afraid to ask him any more questions [like that to try to trap him].
35 Na rĩrĩ, Jesũ akĩrutana nja-inĩ cia hekarũ akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmaga arutani a watho moige atĩ Kristũ nĩ mũrũ wa Daudi?
[Later], while he was teaching in the Temple [courtyard], Jesus said [to the people], “These men who teach the [Jewish] laws, (they must be wrong when they say that the Messiah is [merely] a descendant of [King] David!/why do they say that the Messiah is [merely] a descendant of [King] David?) [RHQ]
36 Daudi we mwene, akĩaria arĩ na Roho Mũtheru, oigire atĩrĩ: “‘Mwathani eerire Mwathani wakwa atĩrĩ: “ikara guoko-inĩ gwakwa kwa ũrĩo nginya ngaiga thũ ciaku rungu rwa makinya maku.”’
The Holy Spirit caused David himself to say [about the Messiah], God said to my Lord, ‘Sit here beside me at the place where I will highly honor you! Sit here while I completely defeat your enemies! [MTY]’
37 Daudi we mwene aramwĩta ‘Mwathani.’ Angĩgĩtuĩka mũrũwe atĩa?” Na nĩ haarĩ na gĩkundi kĩnene kĩa andũ kĩamũthikagĩrĩria gĩkenete.
Therefore, [because] David himself calls [the Messiah] ‘my Lord,’ (the Messiah cannot be [just] a man who descended [from King David!]/how can the Messiah be [just] a man who descended [from King David]?) [RHQ] [He must be much greater than David]”! Many people listened to him gladly [as he taught those things].
38 Ningĩ Jesũ akĩrutana, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mwĩmenyagĩrĩrei arutani a watho. Mendete gũthiĩ mehumbĩte nguo iria ndaaya na kũgeithagio nĩ andũ othe rĩrĩa mekũgera ndũnyũ-inĩ,
While Jesus was teaching [the people], he said to them, “Beware that you [do not act like] the men who teach our [Jewish] laws. They [like people to honor them, so] they put on long robes and walk around [in order to show people how important they are]. They also like people to greet them [respectfully] in the marketplaces.
39 na makenda gũikaragĩra itĩ iria cia bata thunagogi-inĩ, na gũikara handũ ha andũ arĩa atĩĩku maruga-inĩ.
[They like to sit] in the most important seats in our (synagogue/Jewish meeting place). At festivals, [they like to sit in] the seats where the most honored people sit.
40 Na no-o matoonyagĩrĩra nyũmba cia atumia a ndigwa makamatunya indo ciao, na nĩguo meyonanie, makahooya mahooya maraihu. Andũ ta acio nĩ makaaherithio mũno makĩria.”
They (swindle/take for themselves) the houses [and property] of widows by cheating them. [Then] they pretend [that they are good] by praying long prayers [publicly. God] will certainly punish them severely!”
41 Jesũ agĩikara thĩ angʼetheire harĩa heekagĩrwo maruta, akĩĩrorera ũrĩa gĩkundi kĩu kĩahothaga. Andũ aingĩ itonga makĩhotha mbeeca nyingĩ.
[Later], Jesus sat down [in the Temple courtyard opposite the boxes in which people put offerings. As he was sitting there], he watched as all the people put money in the box. Many rich people put in large amounts [of money].
42 No mũtumia ũmwe wa ndigwa warĩ mũthĩĩni agĩũka akĩhotha tũthendi twĩrĩ tũnini mũno twa gĩcango tũrĩa twarĩ mũigana wa mbeeca ĩmwe.
Then a poor widow came along and put in two small copper coins, which had a very small value.
43 Jesũ agĩĩta arutwo ake harĩ we, akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, mũtumia ũyũ wa ndigwa mũthĩĩni nĩekĩra mbeeca nyingĩ kĩgĩĩna-inĩ gũkĩra andũ arĩa angĩ othe.
He gathered his disciples around him and said to them, “The truth is that these other people have a lot of money, [but] they gave [only a small part of it]. But this woman, who is very poor, has put in all the money that she had to pay for the things she needs. [So God considers that] this poor widow has put more money into the box than all the other people!”
44 Acio angĩ othe maheana kũringana na ũingĩ wa ũtonga wao, no mũtumia ũyũ aheana kĩrĩa gĩothe oima nakĩo, o na arĩ mũthĩĩni-rĩ, aheana mũthithũ wake wothe.”
