UMathewu 23
1 UJesu wasesithi emaxukwini abantu lakubafundi bakhe:
Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 “Abafundisi bomthetho labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMosi.
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat.
3 Ngakho kumele libalalele lenze konke abalitshela khona. Kodwa lingakwenzi abakwenzayo, ngoba kabakulandeli lokho abakutshumayelayo.
All therefore, whatever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do: but do not ye according to 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 to be seen by 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 by 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 who 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 whoever 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 to 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold 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 to you, [ye] blind guides, who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever 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 which 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 whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever 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 which [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Ngakho lowo ofunga nge-alithare ufunga ngalo langakho konke okukulo.
Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things upon it.
21 Njalo lowo ofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo njalo langaye lowo ohlala kulo.
And whoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it.
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 upon it.
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 to 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 ye ought to have done, and not to leave the others undone.
24 Lina baholi abayiziphofu! Liyacenga ukukhupha ubuyane kodwa liginye ikamela.
[Ye] blind guides, who strain out 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 to 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitened sepulchers, 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.
Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers 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 are witnesses to yourselves, that ye are the children of them who 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 to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will 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, to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Ngilitshela iqiniso, konke lokhu kuzakuba phezu kwalesi isizukulwane.
Verily I say to 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 who are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, 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 to you desolate.
39 Ngoba ngiyalitshela, kalisayikungibona futhi lize lithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo.’”
For I say to you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
