ULukha 14
1 Kwasekusithi ekungeneni kwakhe ngesabatha endlini yomunye wabakhulu kubaFarisi ukuthi adle isinkwa, bona basebemqaphela.
One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
2 Njalo khangela, kwakukhona umuntu othile phambi kwakhe owayelombizankulu.
Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.
3 UJesu wasephendula wakhuluma lezazumthetho labaFarisi, wathi: Kuvunyelwe yini ukusilisa ngesabatha?
So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
4 Kodwa bathula. Wasembamba wamsilisa wamyekela ukuthi ahambe.
But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
5 Wasebaphendula esithi: Nguwuphi kini ongathi elobabhemi kumbe inkabi yakhe ewele emgodini, futhi angahle ayikhuphe ngosuku lwesabatha?
And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
6 Abasazange babuyisele impendulo kuye ngalezizinto.
And they were unable to answer these questions.
7 Wasekhuluma umfanekiso kubo abanxusiweyo, ebona ukuthi bakhetha njani izihlalo zabahloniphekayo, wathi kubo:
When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
8 Nxa unxusiwe ngumuntu emtshadweni, ungahlali esihlalweni sabahloniphekayo; hlezi kukhona omkhulu kulawe onxusiweyo nguye,
“When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.
9 futhi okunxusileyo wena laye eze athi kuwe: Mxekele lo; khona uzaqala ukuhlala endaweni esekucineni usulenhloni.
Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.
10 Kodwa nxa unxusiwe, hamba uhlale endaweni esekucineni; ukuze, nxa efika okunxusileyo, athi kuwe: Mngane, yenyukela ngaphezulu; khona kuzakuba ludumo kuwe phambi kwabo abahlezi ekudleni lawe.
But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.
11 Ngoba wonke oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Wasesithi lakulowo owayemnxusile: Nxa usenza ukudla kwemini loba ukudla kwantambama, unganxusi abangane bakho, loba abafowenu, loba izihlobo zakho, loba omakhelwane abanothileyo; hlezi labo babuye bakunxuse, futhi ukwenananiswa kwenziwe kuwe.
Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.
13 Kodwa nxa usenza idili, nxusa abayanga, izilima, iziqhuli, iziphofu;
But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
14 njalo uzabusiswa, ngoba abalalutho lokukwenanisa; ngoba uzakwenaniselwa ekuvukeni kwabalungileyo.
and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 Kwathi omunye kwababehlezi laye ekudleni esezwile lezizinto wathi kuye: Ubusisiwe lowo ozakudla isinkwa embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Kodwa wathi kuye: Umuntu othile wenza ukudla kwantambama okukhulu, wanxusa abanengi.
But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.
17 Ngesikhathi sokudla kwantambama wasethuma inceku yakhe ukuthi ithi kwabanxusiweyo: Wozani, ngoba sekulungisiwe konke.
When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 Kodwa bonke baqala omunye lomunye ukuzixolisela. Owokuqala wathi kuye: Ngithenge insimu, ngimele ukuhamba ngiyeyibona; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’
19 Lomunye wathi: Sengithenge izipane ezinhlanu zenkabi, ngiya ukuzilinga; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 Lomunye wathi: Sengithethe umfazi, ngakho ngingeze ngeza.
Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
21 Isibuyile leyonceku yayibikela lezizinto inkosi yayo. Wasethukuthela umninindlu wathi encekwini yakhe: Phuma ngokuphangisa uye emigwaqweni lendleleni zomuzi, ulethe abayanga lezilima leziqhuli leziphofu ubangenise lapha.
The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
22 Inceku yasisithi: Nkosi, sekwenziwe njengokulaya kwakho, njalo indawo isesekhona.
‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
23 Yasisithi inkosi encekwini: Phuma uye ezindleleni lezintangweni ubacindezele bangene, ukuze igcwaliswe indlu yami.
So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
24 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kakho kulamadoda ayenxusiwe ozakuzwa ukudla kwami kwantambama.
For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
25 Kwakuhamba laye amaxuku amanengi; wasetshibilika wathi kuwo:
Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
26 Uba umuntu esiza kimi, futhi engazondi uyise, lonina, lomkakhe, labantwana, labafowabo, labodadewabo, yebo ngitsho leyakhe impilo, angebe ngumfundi wami.
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
27 Njalo loba ngubani ongathwali isiphambano sakhe angilandele, angebe ngumfundi wami.
And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
28 Ngoba nguwuphi kini, othi efuna ukwakha umphotshongo, ongaqali ahlale phansi, abale indleko, ukuthi ulakho yini okokuqedisa?
Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
29 Ukuze hlezi, kuthi esebekile isisekelo kodwa angabi lamandla okuqeda, bonke abakubonayo baqale ukumhleka,
Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30 besithi: Lumuntu waqala ukwakha, kodwa kabanga lamandla okuqeda.
saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
31 Loba yiyiphi inkosi ezakuya empini imelene lenye inkosi engaqali ihlale phansi inakane ngokuthi ilamandla yini ngenkulungwane ezilitshumi okuhlangabezana laleyo eza ilenkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili ukumelana layo?
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 Kodwa uba kungenjalo, ingathi isekhatshana leyo, ithume amanxusa icele okokuthula.
And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
33 Ngakho kunjalo wonke kini ongadeli konke alakho, angeke aba ngumfundi wami.
In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
34 Itshwayi lihle; kodwa uba itshwayi seliduma, lizavuselelwa ngani?
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?
35 Kalifanele lamhlabathi ledundulu lomquba; kodwa liyalahlwa ngaphandle. Olendlebe zokuzwa, akezwe.
It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
