ULukha 14
1 Kwasekusithi ekungeneni kwakhe ngesabatha endlini yomunye wabakhulu kubaFarisi ukuthi adle isinkwa, bona basebemqaphela.
When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him.
2 Njalo khangela, kwakukhona umuntu othile phambi kwakhe owayelombizankulu.
Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him.
3 UJesu wasephendula wakhuluma lezazumthetho labaFarisi, wathi: Kuvunyelwe yini ukusilisa ngesabatha?
Yeshua, answering, spoke to the Torah scholars and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
4 Kodwa bathula. Wasembamba wamsilisa wamyekela ukuthi ahambe.
But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go.
5 Wasebaphendula esithi: Nguwuphi kini ongathi elobabhemi kumbe inkabi yakhe ewele emgodini, futhi angahle ayikhuphe ngosuku lwesabatha?
He answered them, “Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”
6 Abasazange babuyisele impendulo kuye ngalezizinto.
They couldn’t answer him regarding these things.
7 Wasekhuluma umfanekiso kubo abanxusiweyo, ebona ukuthi bakhetha njani izihlalo zabahloniphekayo, wathi kubo:
He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
8 Nxa unxusiwe ngumuntu emtshadweni, ungahlali esihlalweni sabahloniphekayo; hlezi kukhona omkhulu kulawe onxusiweyo nguye,
“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honourable than you might be invited by him,
9 futhi okunxusileyo wena laye eze athi kuwe: Mxekele lo; khona uzaqala ukuhlala endaweni esekucineni usulenhloni.
and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, 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.
But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.
11 Ngoba wonke oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever 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.
He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbours, or perhaps they might also return the favour, and pay you back.
13 Kodwa nxa usenza idili, nxusa abayanga, izilima, iziqhuli, iziphofu;
But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;
14 njalo uzabusiswa, ngoba abalalutho lokukwenanisa; ngoba uzakwenaniselwa ekuvukeni kwabalungileyo.
and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in 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 who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”
16 Kodwa wathi kuye: Umuntu othile wenza ukudla kwantambama okukhulu, wanxusa abanengi.
But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.
17 Ngesikhathi sokudla kwantambama wasethuma inceku yakhe ukuthi ithi kwabanxusiweyo: Wozani, ngoba sekulungisiwe konke.
He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’
18 Kodwa bonke baqala omunye lomunye ukuzixolisela. Owokuqala wathi kuye: Ngithenge insimu, ngimele ukuhamba ngiyeyibona; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’
19 Lomunye wathi: Sengithenge izipane ezinhlanu zenkabi, ngiya ukuzilinga; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’
20 Lomunye wathi: Sengithethe umfazi, ngakho ngingeze ngeza.
“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t 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.
“That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’
22 Inceku yasisithi: Nkosi, sekwenziwe njengokulaya kwakho, njalo indawo isesekhona.
“The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’
23 Yasisithi inkosi encekwini: Phuma uye ezindleleni lezintangweni ubacindezele bangene, ukuze igcwaliswe indlu yami.
“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kakho kulamadoda ayenxusiwe ozakuzwa ukudla kwami kwantambama.
For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen.’”
25 Kwakuhamba laye amaxuku amanengi; wasetshibilika wathi kuwo:
Now great multitudes were going with him. 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 doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.
27 Njalo loba ngubani ongathwali isiphambano sakhe angilandele, angebe ngumfundi wami.
Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross and come after me, can’t be my disciple.
28 Ngoba nguwuphi kini, othi efuna ukwakha umphotshongo, ongaqali ahlale phansi, abale indleko, ukuthi ulakho yini okokuqedisa?
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?
29 Ukuze hlezi, kuthi esebekile isisekelo kodwa angabi lamandla okuqeda, bonke abakubonayo baqale ukumhleka,
Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,
30 besithi: Lumuntu waqala ukwakha, kodwa kabanga lamandla okuqeda.
saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t 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, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 Kodwa uba kungenjalo, ingathi isekhatshana leyo, ithume amanxusa icele okokuthula.
Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace.
33 Ngakho kunjalo wonke kini ongadeli konke alakho, angeke aba ngumfundi wami.
So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.
34 Itshwayi lihle; kodwa uba itshwayi seliduma, lizavuselelwa ngani?
“Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?
35 Kalifanele lamhlabathi ledundulu lomquba; kodwa liyalahlwa ngaphandle. Olendlebe zokuzwa, akezwe.
It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
