UMathewu 23
1 UJesu wasesithi emaxukwini abantu lakubafundi bakhe:
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 “Abafundisi bomthetho labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMosi.
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 Ngakho kumele libalalele lenze konke abalitshela khona. Kodwa lingakwenzi abakwenzayo, ngoba kabakulandeli lokho abakutshumayelayo.
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 Baqoqa imithwalo enzima bayetshate emahlombe abantu kodwa bona bengafuni lokulokotha bayithwale.
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 Konke abakwenzayo bakwenzela ukuba babonwe ngabantu, benza imicwatsho yabo yemibhalo ibe banzi lezintshaka zezigqoko zabo zibe zinde;
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 bathanda izindawo eziphezulu emadilini lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogweni,
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 bathanda ukubingelelwa emisikeni lokuthi abantu bababize ngokuthi ‘Rabi.’
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 Kodwa lina nxa lingabizwa kuthiwe ‘Rabi,’ ngoba munye kuphela oyiNkosi yenu njalo lina lonke liyizinini.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi ‘baba,’ ngoba liloYihlo oyedwa, yena osezulwini.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Njalo lingabizwa ngokuthi bafundisi, ngoba liloMfundisi oyedwa, uKhristu.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 Omkhulu kulani lonke phakathi kwenu uzakuba yinceku yenu.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Ngoba lowo oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lalowo ozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.”
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 “Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakubaFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Livalela abantu umbuso wezulu. Lina ngokwenu kalingeni liphinde livimbele labo abazama ukungena. [
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Maye kini bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Liphanga izindlu zabafelokazi, beselizenzisa lisenza imikhuleko emide, ngalokho lizakwamukeliswa ukulahlwa okukhulu.]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Maye kini bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Lidabula ilizwe lihambe laphezu kolwandle lidinga ukuphendula oyedwa zwi, lithi selimzuzile limphendule abe yindodana yesihogweni okuphindwe kabili kulani. (Geenna g1067)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Maye kini, baholi abayiziphofu! Lithi, ‘Nxa umuntu efunga ngethempeli kakutsho lutho; kodwa nxa umuntu efunga ngegolide lethempeli usezibophile ngesifungo sakhe.’
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Lina ziphofundini! Yikuphi okukhulu kulokunye: igolide kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libengcwele?
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 Lithi njalo, ‘Nxa umuntu efunga nge-alithare, akusilutho; kodwa nxa umuntu efunga ngesipho esikulo usezibophile ngesifungo sakhe.’
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Lina ziphofu zabantu! Yikuphi okudlula okunye: isipho langabe i-alithari elenza isipho sibe ngcwele?
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Ngakho lowo ofunga nge-alithare ufunga ngalo langakho konke okukulo.
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 Njalo lowo ofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo njalo langaye lowo ohlala kulo.
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 Njalo lalowo ofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlezi phezu kwaso.
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, bazenzisi! Linika okwetshumi okweziyoliso zenu, iminti ledili lekhamini. Kodwa liyekethise izinto ezimqoka emthethweni, eziyikulunga, isihawu kanye lokwethembeka. Bekufanele lithi likwenza lokhu lingawuyekethisanga umthetho.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Lina baholi abayiziphofu! Liyacenga ukukhupha ubuyane kodwa liginye ikamela.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Ligezisa inkezo lomganu ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ubuhwaba lokuzisuthisa.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 MFarisi oyisiphofu! Qala uhlambulule ingaphakathi yenkezo lomganu, ukuze ingaphandle layo ihlambuluke.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Linjengamathuna aconjiweyo, akhanya ebukeka ngaphandle, kodwa ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abantu abafileyo lakho konke okungcolileyo.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Kanjalo, ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini linjengabalungileyo, kodwa ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Lakhela abaphrofethi amathuna njalo licecise amathuna abalungileyo.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 Beselisithi, ‘Ngabe saphila ngezinsuku zabokhokho bethu sasingeyikuhlanganyela labo ekuchitheni igazi labaphrofethi.’
And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Ngalokho yini elipha ubufakazi bokuthi liyisizukulwane salabo ababulala abaphrofethi.
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Nanko-ke, wohlani liqedise lesosono sabokhokho benu!
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Lina zinyoka! Lina nzalo yezinhlangwana! Lizaphepha kanjani ukuba lilahlelwe esihogweni na? (Geenna g1067)
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Ngakho ngilithumela abaphrofethi lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo labafundisi. Abanye babo lizababulala libabethele; abanye lizababhaxabula emasinagogweni enu, lilandelelane labo kuleli laleliyana idolobho.
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 Ngakho-ke, lonke igazi elilungileyo elachithwayo emhlabeni kusukela egazini lika-Abheli owayelungile kusiya egazini likaZakhariya indodana kaBherekhiya elambulala phakathi laphakathi kwethempeli le-alithari lizakwehliselwa phezu kwenu.
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Ngilitshela iqiniso, konke lokhu kuzakuba phezu kwalesi isizukulwane.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaphrofethi, ubakhande ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe, sekukanengi ngiloyisa ukuqoqa ndawonye abantwabakho, njengesikhukhukazi siqoqa amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso, kodwa wena wawungathandi.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Khangela, indlu yakho isitshiywe ilunxiwa.
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 Ngoba ngiyalitshela, kalisayikungibona futhi lize lithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo.’”
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
