Matayo 23
1 Awo Yesu n’ayogera eri ebibiina n’abayigirizwa be ng’agamba nti,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
2 “Abawandiisi n’Abafalisaayo batudde ku ntebe ya Musa.
“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
3 Noolwekyo mukole era mwekuume buli kye babagamba wabula temugoberera bikolwa byabwe. Kubanga boogera naye ne batakola bye bagamba.
so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach.
4 Basiba emigugu emizito ne bagitikka abalala, so nga bo n’okugezaako tebagezaako kukwatako n’engalo yaabwe.
They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
5 “Buli kye bakola bakikola abantu babalabe. Bambala ku mikono gyabwe obusawoomuli ennyiriri eziva mu Byawandiikibwa, ne bawanvuya amatanvuuwa ku byambalo byabwe, agajjukiza abagambala okudda eri Mukama, nga babikola okulaga ababalaba.
Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes to wear and long tassels on their clothes.
6 Baagala nnyo ebifo eby’oku mwanjo ku mbaga, ne mu bifo eby’ekitiibwa mu makuŋŋaaniro.
They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
7 Banyumirwa nnyo okuweebwa ekitiibwa mu butale n’okuyitibwa ‘Labbi.’
They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
8 “Temweyitanga ‘Labbi,’ kubanga Katonda yekka ye Muyigiriza wammwe, naye mmwe muli baaluganda.
Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 Era temuyitanga muntu yenna ku nsi ‘Kitammwe,’ kubanga Katonda ali mu ggulu ye yekka gwe muteekwa okuyita bwe mutyo.
Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Era temuganyanga muntu yenna kubayita ‘bayigiriza,’ kubanga omuyigiriza wammwe ali omu yekka, ye Kristo.
Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
11 Oyo ayagala abantu okumussaamu ekitiibwa. Asaana abeere muweereza waabwe.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Naye buli alyegulumiza alikkakkanyizibwa, na buli alyetoowaza aligulumizibwa.
Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13 “Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi, nammwe Abafalisaayo. Bannanfuusi mmwe! Muziyiza abantu abalala okuyingira mu bwakabaka obw’omu ggulu, ate nammwe ne mutayingira.
But what a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves don't go in, yet you don't let anyone in who is trying to enter.
14 “Bannanfuusi mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Mulowoozesa abantu nti muli batuukirivu nga musaba essaala, so ng’ate mwekyusa ne mugobaganya bannamwandu mu mayumba gaabwe.
15 Zibasanze bannanfuusi mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Kubanga mutambula okwetooloola ennyanja ne ku lukalu musobole okukyusa omuntu, naye bw’akyuka, mumufuula mwana wa ggeyeena okusingawo emirundi ebiri. (Geenna g1067)
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when you do, you make him twice a son of darkness as you are yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 “Zibasanze mmwe abakulembeze abazibe b’amaaso abagamba nti, ‘Okulayira Yeekaalu, si nsonga, naye oyo alayira zaabu ali mu Yeekaalu, asaana okukituukiriza!’
What a disaster is coming on those of you who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple that doesn't count, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you have to keep your oath.’ How foolish and blind you are!
17 Mmwe abatalina magezi abazibe b’amaaso! Ku ebyo byombi kiruwa ekisingako obukulu, zaabu oba Yeekaalu efuula zaabu okuba entukuvu?
What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
18 Ate mugamba nti, ‘Omuntu okulayira ekyoto, kirina amakulu, naye bw’alayira ebirabo ebireeteddwa ku kyoto, asaana okukituukiriza!’
You say, ‘If you swear on the altar that doesn't count, but if you swear on the sacrifice that's on the altar, then you have to keep your oath.’
19 Mmwe abazibe b’amaaso, ku byombi kiruwa ekisinga kinnaakyo obukulu, ekirabo ekiri ku kyoto oba ekyoto kyennyini ekifuula ekirabo ekyo okuba ekitukuvu?
How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
20 Bwe mulayira ekyoto, muba mulayira ekyoto n’ebikiriko byonna,
If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
21 era bwe mulayira Yeekaalu muba mulayira Yeekaalu ne Katonda agibeeramu.
If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 Era bwe mulayira eggulu, muba mulayira n’entebe ya Katonda ey’obwakabaka n’oyo yennyini agituulako.
If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23 “Zibasanze, mmwe Abawandiisi, nammwe Abafalisaayo! Bannanfuusi mmwe! Kubanga muwaayo ekimu eky’ekkumi ku buli kintu, ne ku buli kika kya muddo oguwunyisa obulungi era oguwoomesa enva, okutuukira ddala ne ku kalagala akasinga obutono, naye ne mulagajjalira ebintu ebisinga obukulu eby’amateeka, ng’obwenkanya, n’okusaasira n’okukkiriza. Weewaawo musaanidde okuwaayo ekitundu eky’ekkumi, naye ebintu ebirala ebisinga obukulu temusaanidde kubiragajjalira.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, aniseed, and cumin, but you neglect the vital aspects of the law—doing good, showing mercy, exercising trust. Yes, you should pay your tithe, but don't forget these other things.
24 Mmwe abakulembeze abazibe b’amaaso! Musengejja akabu muleme kukanywera mu mazzi, naye ne munyweramu eŋŋamira!
You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25 “Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Bannanfuusi mmwe! Muzigula kungulu kw’ekikopo ne kungulu kw’ebbakuli, naye nga munda mujjudde omululu n’okwefaako mwekka.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you're full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Mmwe Abafalisaayo abazibe b’amaaso! Musooke mulongoose munda w’ekikopo olwo nno mulongoose ne kungulu.
You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27 “Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Mulabika ng’amalaalo agatemagana kungulu, songa munda gajjudde amagumba g’abafu n’obuvundu obwa buli ngeri.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, looking good on the outside, but on the inside full of skeletons and all kinds of rottenness.
28 Mulabika ng’abantu abatuukirivu kungulu, songa munda mujjudde obunnanfuusi n’obumenyi bw’amateeka.
You're just the same. On the outside you look like good people to others, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Bannanfuusi mmwe! Kubanga muzimbira bannabbi ebijjukizo, ne mutimba ebijjukizo, by’abatuukirivu,
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs as memorials to the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the good,
30 ne mulyoka mugamba nti, ‘Naye ddala singa twaliwo mu biseera bya bajjajjaffe tetwandisizza kimu nabo mu kuyiwa omusaayi gw’abannabbi.’
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the times of our ancestors we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 Bwe mwogera mutyo muba mwessaako omusango nga bwe muli abaana b’abo abatta bannabbi.
But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
32 Mugenda nga mutuukiriza ebyo bajjajjammwe bye bataamaliriza.
So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
33 “Mmwe emisota! Abaana b’embalasaasa muliwona mutya omusango ogugenda okubatwaza mu ggeyeena? (Geenna g1067)
You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
34 Kyenva mbaweereza bannabbi, n’abasajja ab’amagezi, n’abawandiisi, abamu mulibatta nga mubakomerera ku musaalaba, n’abalala mulibakuba embooko mu makuŋŋaaniro gammwe, ne mubagobaganya mu bibuga byammwe.
That's why I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, hunting them from town to town.
35 Bwe mutyo omusango gw’okutemula abatuukirivu, okutandikira ku Aberi omutuukirivu okutuuka ku Zaakaliya, mutabani wa Balakiya gwe mwattira wakati wa yeekaalu n’ekyoto, ne gubasingira ddala.
As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of all the good people that has been poured out on the land—from the blood of Abel, who did what was right, to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the Temple and the altar.
36 Ddala ddala mbagamba nti ebyo byonna birituuka ku mulembe guno.
I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
37 “Ggwe Yerusaalemi, ggwe Yerusaalemi atta bannabbi, n’okuba amayinja abo ababa batumiddwa gy’oli, emirundi nga mingi nnyo gye njagadde okukuŋŋaanya abaana bo ng’enkoko bw’ekuŋŋaanya obwana bwayo mu biwaawaatiro byayo, naye n’ogaana.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you wouldn't let me.
38 Laba kaakano ennyumba yo esigalidde awo, kifulukwa.
Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
39 Kubanga nkugamba nti toliddayo kundaba nate, okutuusa ng’oyogedde nti, ‘Aweereddwa omukisa oyo ajja mu linnya lya Mukama.’”
I tell you this: you won't see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
