ULukha 14
1 Ngelinye iSabatha uJesu wayakudla endlini yomFarisi owayedume kakhulu, babemkhangele kakhulu.
And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him,
2 Phambi kwakhe khonapho kwakulendoda eyayilesifo sikambizankulu, esivuvukisa izitho.
and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him;
3 UJesu wasebuza abaFarisi lezazi zomthetho wathi, “Kusemthethweni yini ukusilisa ngosuku lweSabatha kumbe hatshi?”
and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'
4 Kodwa bathula. Ngakho waseyibamba indoda leyo wayisilisa wathi kayihambe.
and they were silent, and having taken hold of [him], he healed him, and let [him] go;
5 Wasebabuza wathi, “Nxa omunye wenu elendodana loba inkabi yakhe ewele emgodini ngeSabatha, kayikuphanga ayikhuphe masinyane na?”
and answering them he said, 'Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?'
6 Baswela ukuthi bathini.
and they were not able to answer him again unto these things.
7 Wananzelela ukuthi izethekeli zazikhetha izindawo eziqakathekileyo etafuleni wasebatshela umzekeliso wathi:
And he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them,
8 “Nxa omunye ekunxusa edilini lomthimba, ungaze wathatha indawo eqakathekileyo funa kunxuswe umuntu omkhulu kulawe.
'When thou mayest be called by any one to marriage-feasts, thou mayest not recline on the first couch, lest a more honourable than thou may have been called by him,
9 Nxa kunjalo umalinxusa uzakuza athi kuwe, ‘Ake uxekele lo omunye isihlalo sakho.’ Uzabe usuyangekile ususiyahlala endaweni ephansi kakhulu.
and he who did call thee and him having come shall say to thee, Give to this one place, and then thou mayest begin with shame to occupy the last place.
10 Kodwa nxa unxusiwe, hlala endaweni ephansi kakhulu ukuze kuthi nxa umakunxusa efika kuwe athi, ‘Mngane, sukuma uye endaweni engcono.’ Lapho-ke, uzabe uphakanyisiwe phambi kwabo bonke abanxuswe kanye lawe.
'But, when thou mayest be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called thee may come, he may say to thee, Friend, come up higher; then thou shalt have glory before those reclining with thee;
11 Ngoba wonke umuntu oziphakamisayo uzakwehliswa, kuthi lowo ozehlisayo aphakanyiswe.”
because every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'
12 UJesu wasesithi emanxuseni, “Nxa usenza idili emini loba kusihlwa unganxusi abangane bakho loba abafowenu kumbe izihlobo kumbe omakhelwane abanothileyo; ungenza njalo labo bangakunxusa, kuthi-ke lawe usuwenanisiwe.
And he said also to him who did call him, 'When thou mayest make a dinner or a supper, be not calling thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kindred, nor rich neighbours, lest they may also call thee again, and a recompense may come to thee;
13 Kodwa nxa usenza idili, nxusa abayanga, izilima, izigoga, iziphofu,
but when thou mayest make a feast, be calling poor, maimed, lame, blind,
14 lapho uzabusiswa. Loba bengasoze bakwenanise lawe, uzakwenaniswa ekuvukeni kwabalungileyo.”
and happy thou shalt be, because they have not to recompense thee, for it shall be recompensed to thee in the rising again of the righteous.'
15 Kwathi omunye walabo abahlezi etafuleni laye esekuzwile lokhu, wathi kuJesu, “Ubusisiwe lowomuntu ozakudla edilini embusweni kaNkulunkulu.”
And one of those reclining with him, having heard these things, said to him, 'Happy [is] he who shall eat bread in the reign of God;'
16 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Umuntu othile wayesenza idili elikhulu ngakho wanxusa abantu abanengi.
and he said to him, 'A certain man made a great supper, and called many,
17 Sekuyisikhathi sedili wathuma isisebenzi sakhe ukuyatshela ababenxusiwe ukuthi, ‘Wozani, konke sekulungile.’
and he sent his servant at the hour of the supper to say to those having been called, Be coming, because now are all things ready.
18 Kodwa bonke baqala ukuxolisa. Owokuqala wathi, ‘Ngisanda kuthenga isivande ngakho kusamele ngiyesibona. Ngicela ungixolisele.’
'And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.
19 Omunye wathi, ‘Khathesi nje ngisanda kuthenga izipani ezinhlanu zenkabi, ungifica ngivele ngisendleleni yokuyazihlola. Ngicela ungixolisele.’
'And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:
20 Omunye njalo wathi, ‘Ngisanda kutshada nje khathesi ngakho angingeke ngize.’
and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.
21 Inceku yabuya yakubika konke lokhu enkosini yayo. Inkosi yathukuthela yasilaya inceku yayo yathi, ‘Hamba khathesi, uye ezitaladini lemikotweni yedolobho umeme abayanga, abagogekileyo, iziphofu labaqhulayo.’
'And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.
22 Inceku yathi, ‘Nkosi, lokho okulayileyo sokwenziwe kodwa indawo isesekhona.’
'And the servant said, Sir, it hath been done as thou didst command, and still there is room.
23 Inkosi yatshela inceku yayo yathi, ‘Hamba uye emigwaqweni lasezindleleni zemaphandleni uze labo ukuze indlu yami igcwale.
'And the lord said unto the servant, Go forth to the ways and hedges, and constrain to come in, that my house may be filled;
24 Ngiyalitshela kakho loyedwa walabo bantu ababenxusiwe ozalizwa idili lami.’”
for I say to you, that none of those men who have been called shall taste of my supper.'
25 Abantu abanengi babehamba loJesu, wasephendukela kubo wathi:
And there were going on with him great multitudes, and having turned, he said unto them,
26 “Nxa umuntu esiza kimi, kodwa engeke azonda uyise lonina, umkakhe labantwana, abafowabo labodadewabo, kanye lempilo yakhe uqobo, ngeke abe ngumfundi wami.
'If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;
27 Lowo ongathwali isiphambano sakhe angilandele ngeke abe ngumfundi wami.
and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.
28 Akesithi omunye wenu afune ukwakha umphotshongo. Kambe kazukuqala ahlale phansi abalise indleko ukuze abone ingabe ulayo yini imali yokuwuqeda na?
'For who of you, willing to build a tower, doth not first, having sat down, count the expence, whether he have the things for completing?
29 Ngoba engakha isisekelo, kodwa ehluleke ukusiqeda, wonke okubonayo uzamhleka,
lest that he having laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all who are beholding may begin to mock him,
30 esithi, ‘Indoda le yaqalisa ukwakha, kodwa yehluleka ukuqeda.’
saying — This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Kumbe sithi inkosi ilungisela ukuya empini isilwa lenye inkosi. Kayizukuqala ihlale phansi yini ihluzisise engqondweni ingabe yona ngamabutho ayo azinkulungwane ezilitshumi ingaqondana laleyo elezinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili na?
'Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?
32 Nxa ingeyikuma, izathuma amanxusa kuleyana isesekude icele uxolo.
and if not so — he being yet a long way off — having sent an embassy, he doth ask the things for peace.
33 Ngaleyondlela, loba ngubani phakathi kwenu ongadeli konke alakho ngeke abe ngumfundi wami.
'So, then, every one of you who doth not take leave of all that he himself hath, is not able to be my disciple.
34 Itswayi lilungile kodwa lingalahlekelwa yibumunyu balo, lingavuselelwa kanjani na?
'The salt [is] good, but if the salt doth become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?
35 Kaliwulungelanga lomhlabathi loba inqumbi yomvundiso kodwa liyalahlwa. Lowo olendlebe zokuzwa, kezwe.”
neither for land nor for manure is it fit — they cast it without. He who is having ears to hear — let him hear.'
