ULukha 14
1 Kwasekusithi ekungeneni kwakhe ngesabatha endlini yomunye wabakhulu kubaFarisi ukuthi adle isinkwa, bona basebemqaphela.
On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely.
2 Njalo khangela, kwakukhona umuntu othile phambi kwakhe owayelombizankulu.
There he saw before him a man who was suffering from dropsy.
3 UJesu wasephendula wakhuluma lezazumthetho labaFarisi, wathi: Kuvunyelwe yini ukusilisa ngesabatha?
“Is it allowable,” said Jesus, addressing the students of the Law and the Pharisees, “to work a cure on the Sabbath, or is it not?”
4 Kodwa bathula. Wasembamba wamsilisa wamyekela ukuthi ahambe.
They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man and cured him, and sent him away.
5 Wasebaphendula esithi: Nguwuphi kini ongathi elobabhemi kumbe inkabi yakhe ewele emgodini, futhi angahle ayikhuphe ngosuku lwesabatha?
And he said to them, “Which of you, finding that your son or your ox has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull them out on the Sabbath day?”
6 Abasazange babuyisele impendulo kuye ngalezizinto.
And they could not make any answer to that.
7 Wasekhuluma umfanekiso kubo abanxusiweyo, ebona ukuthi bakhetha njani izihlalo zabahloniphekayo, wathi kubo:
Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable –
8 Nxa unxusiwe ngumuntu emtshadweni, ungahlali esihlalweni sabahloniphekayo; hlezi kukhona omkhulu kulawe onxusiweyo nguye,
“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding banquet, do not seat yourself in the best place. Someone of higher rank might have been invited by your host;
9 futhi okunxusileyo wena laye eze athi kuwe: Mxekele lo; khona uzaqala ukuhlala endaweni esekucineni usulenhloni.
and the host who invited you both will come and say to you ‘Make room for this person,’ and then you will begin in confusion to take the lowest 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.
No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when the host who has invited you comes, he may say to you ‘Friend, come higher up’; and then you will be honored in the eyes of all your fellow guests.
11 Ngoba wonke oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.
For everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and everyone who humbles themselves 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 went on to say to the man who had invited him, “When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not ask your friends, or your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, because they might invite you in return, and so you should be repaid.
13 Kodwa nxa usenza idili, nxusa abayanga, izilima, iziqhuli, iziphofu;
No, when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
14 njalo uzabusiswa, ngoba abalalutho lokukwenanisa; ngoba uzakwenaniselwa ekuvukeni kwabalungileyo.
and then you will be happy indeed, since they cannot reward you; for you will be rewarded at the resurrection of the just.”
15 Kwathi omunye kwababehlezi laye ekudleni esezwile lezizinto wathi kuye: Ubusisiwe lowo ozakudla isinkwa embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
One of the guests heard what he said and exclaimed, “Happy will be the person who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 Kodwa wathi kuye: Umuntu othile wenza ukudla kwantambama okukhulu, wanxusa abanengi.
But Jesus said to him, “A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,
17 Ngesikhathi sokudla kwantambama wasethuma inceku yakhe ukuthi ithi kwabanxusiweyo: Wozani, ngoba sekulungisiwe konke.
and sent his servant, when it was time for the dinner, to say to 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.
They all with one accord began to ask to be excused. The first said to the servant ‘I have bought a field and am obliged to go and look at it. I must ask you to consider me excused.’
19 Lomunye wathi: Sengithenge izipane ezinhlanu zenkabi, ngiya ukuzilinga; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
The next said ‘I have bought five pairs of bullocks, and I am on my way to try them. I must ask you to consider me excused’;
20 Lomunye wathi: Sengithethe umfazi, ngakho ngingeze ngeza.
while the next said ‘I am just married, and for that reason I am unable to 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.
On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant ‘Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the blind, and the lame.’
22 Inceku yasisithi: Nkosi, sekwenziwe njengokulaya kwakho, njalo indawo isesekhona.
Presently the servant said ‘Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.’
23 Yasisithi inkosi encekwini: Phuma uye ezindleleni lezintangweni ubacindezele bangene, ukuze igcwaliswe indlu yami.
‘Go out,’ the master said, ‘into the roads and hedgerows, and make people come in, so that my house may be filled;
24 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kakho kulamadoda ayenxusiwe ozakuzwa ukudla kwami kwantambama.
for I tell you all that not one of those people who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
25 Kwakuhamba laye amaxuku amanengi; wasetshibilika wathi kuwo:
One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, 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 any one comes to me and does not hate their father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and even their life, he can be no disciple of mine.
27 Njalo loba ngubani ongathwali isiphambano sakhe angilandele, angebe ngumfundi wami.
Whoever does not carry their own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no disciple of mine.
28 Ngoba nguwuphi kini, othi efuna ukwakha umphotshongo, ongaqali ahlale phansi, abale indleko, ukuthi ulakho yini okokuqedisa?
Why, which of you, when you want to build a tower, does not first sit down and reckon the cost, to see if you have enough to complete it? –
29 Ukuze hlezi, kuthi esebekile isisekelo kodwa angabi lamandla okuqeda, bonke abakubonayo baqale ukumhleka,
Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will laugh at you,
30 besithi: Lumuntu waqala ukwakha, kodwa kabanga lamandla okuqeda.
and say ‘Here is a person who began to build and was not able to finish!’
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, when he is setting out to fight another king, does not first sit down and consider if with ten thousand men he is able to meet one who is coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 Kodwa uba kungenjalo, ingathi isekhatshana leyo, ithume amanxusa icele okokuthula.
And if he cannot, then, while the other is still at a distance, he sends envoys and asks for terms of peace.
33 Ngakho kunjalo wonke kini ongadeli konke alakho, angeke aba ngumfundi wami.
And so with everyone of you who does not bid farewell to all you have – you cannot be a disciple of mine.
34 Itshwayi lihle; kodwa uba itshwayi seliduma, lizavuselelwa ngani?
Yes, salt is good; but, if the salt itself should lose its strength, what will be used to season it?
35 Kalifanele lamhlabathi ledundulu lomquba; kodwa liyalahlwa ngaphandle. Olendlebe zokuzwa, akezwe.
It is not fit either for the land or for the manure heap. People throw it away. Let those who have ears to hear with hear!”
