ULukha 16
1 Wasekhuluma futhi kubafundi bakhe esithi: Kwakukhona umuntu othile onothileyo, owayelomphathi; lalo wayemangalelwe kuye njengochitha impahla yakhe.
To his disciples he said. "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was accused to him of wasting his property.
2 Wasembiza wathi kuye: Kuyini lokhu engikuzwayo ngawe? Landisa ngobuphathi bakho; ngoba ungebe usaba ngumphathi.
"He called to him to him and said. "‘What is this that I hear about you? Render an account of your stewardship; for you can no longer be steward.’
3 Umphathi wasesithi ngaphakathi kwakhe: Ngizakwenzani, lokhu inkosi yami isingemuka ubuphathi? Kangilamandla okugebha, ngilenhloni zokuphanza.
"Now the steward said to himself. ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my stewardship? I am not strong enough to dig, to beg I am ashamed.
4 Ngiyakwazi engizakwenza, ukuze nxa sengikhutshiwe ebuphathini, bangemukele ezindlini zabo.
"‘I know what I will do, so that when I am put out of my stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5 Wasebabizela kuye ngamunye abalemilandu enkosini yakhe, wathi kowokuqala: Ulomlandu ongakanani enkosini yami?
"So he called to him each of his master’s debtors and said to the first, ‘How much money do you owe my master?’
6 Wasesithi yena: Izilinganiso ezilikhulu zamagcobo. Wasesithi kuye: Thatha incwadi yakho, uhlale phansi ubhale masinya amatshumi amahlanu.
"‘A hundred measures of oil,’ he answered. "He said to him, ‘Take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty."
7 Wasesithi komunye: Wena-ke ulomlandu ongakanani? Wasesithi: Izilinganiso ezilikhulu zamabele. Wasesithi kuye: Thatha incwadi yakho, ubhale amatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
"To a second he said, ‘How much do you owe?’ "The man answered, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ "‘Here is you bill,’ he said, ‘change it to eighty measures.’
8 Inkosi yasimbabaza umphathi ongalunganga ngokuthi wenze ngokuhlakanipha; ngoba abantwana balesisikhathi bahlakaniphile esizukulwaneni sabo kulabantwana bokukhanya. (aiōn g165)
"And the master praised the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this world are in relation to their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. (aiōn g165)
9 Lami ngithi kini: Zenzeleni lina abangane ngoMamona ongalunganga, ukuze kuthi, nxa selehlulekile, balemukele ezindlini eziphakade. (aiōnios g166)
"And to you I say, Use mammon, dishonest as it is, to make yourselves friends, so that when it shall fail they will welcome you to the eternal tabernacles. (aiōnios g166)
10 Othembekileyo kokuncinyanyana uthembekile lakokukhulu, longathembekanga kokuncinyanyana kathembekanga lakokukhulu.
"The man who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in a very little, is unjust also as much.
11 Ngakho uba lingathembekanga kuMamona ongalunganga, ngubani ozaliphathisa into eqotho?
"If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust to you the true riches?
12 Futhi uba lingathembekanga kokomunye, ngubani ozalinika okungokwenu?
"And if you are not faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?
13 Kayikho inceku engakhonza amakhosi amabili; ngoba izazonda enye, ibisithanda enye; kumbe izabambelela kwenye, kodwa ibisidelela enye. Lingekhonze uNkulunkulu loMamona.
"No one can be a household servants to two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot be the slave of God and of Mammon."
14 Njalo labaFarisi ababethanda imali bazizwa zonke lezizinto, basebemklolodela.
Now the Pharisees who loved money listened to all this and they jeered at him.
15 Kodwa wathi kubo: Lina yini elizilungisisayo phambi kwabantu, kodwa uNkulunkulu uyazazi inhliziyo zenu; ngoba lokho okuphakanyiswayo phakathi kwabantu kuyisinengiso phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
He said to them. "You are those that justify themselves in the eyes of men; but God knows you hearts; for that which is lofty in the eyes of men is abomination in the eyes of God.
16 Umlayo labaprofethi kukhona kuze kube nguJohane; kusukela lapho ivangeli lombuso kaNkulunkulu liyatshunyayelwa, njalo wonke uyafohlela kuwo.
"The Law and the Prophet lasted until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and any one presses in.
17 Kodwa kulula ukuthi kudlule izulu lomhlaba, kulokuthi kuwe ichatshana elilodwa lomlayo.
"Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away then for one title of the law to fail.
18 Wonke owala umkakhe athathe omunye uyafeba; njalo wonke othatha owaliwe yindoda uyafeba.
"Every man who divorces his wife and marries some one else, commits adultery; and he who marries one who is put away by her husband commits adultery.
19 Kwakukhona umuntu othile onothileyo, owayegqoka eziyibubende lamalembu acolekileyo kakhulu, ephila ngokuthokoza etamasa insuku zonke.
"Now there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and made merry every day in splendor.
20 Kwakukhona futhi umyanga othile othiwa nguLazaro, owayebekiwe esangweni lakhe egcwele izilonda,
"And a certain beggar named Lazarus was thrown at his door.
21 wafisa ukusuthiswa ngemvuthuluka eziwayo etafuleni lesinothi; kanti lezinja zazisiza zikhothe izilonda zakhe.
"He was full of sores, and longingly desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes! even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 Kwasekusithi ongumyanga wafa, wathwalelwa zingilosi esifubeni sikaAbrahama; lesinothi laso safa, sangcwatshwa.
"But in the course of time the beggar died; and he was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
23 Sisesihogweni saphakamisa amehlo aso, sisebuhlungwini, sabona uAbrahama ekhatshana, loLazaro esesifubeni sakhe. (Hadēs g86)
"And as he was tormented in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. (Hadēs g86)
24 Sona sasesimemeza sisithi: Baba Abrahama, ngihawukela, uthume uLazaro, ukuze acwilise isihloko somunwe wakhe emanzini, apholise ulimi lwami; ngoba ngiyahlupheka kakhulu kulelilangabi.
"And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham have mercy on me; and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
25 Kodwa uAbrahama wathi: Ndodana, khumbula ukuthi wemukela okuhle kwakho empilweni yakho, loLazaro ngokunjalo okubi; kodwa khathesi uyaduduzwa, njalo wena uyahlupheka.
"‘Remember my son.’ said Abraham, ‘that you had in your lifetime all your good things, and in the same way Lazarus his evil things; but now here he is comforted, and you are in anguish.
26 Langaphezu kwakho konke lokhu, kubekiwe phakathi kwethu lani igebe elikhulu, ukuze kuthi abafuna ukuchapha besuka ngapha beze ngakini bangekwenze, labangapho bangechaphele ngakithi.
"But besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, nor can those who would cross from you to us.’
27 Sasesisithi: Ngakho ngiyakuncenga, baba, ukuthi umthume endlini kababa,
"‘I beg you then, father,’ he said, ‘send him to my fathers house. For I have five brothers.
28 ngoba ngilabafowethu abahlanu, ukuze abaxwayise, hlezi labo beze kulindawo yokuhlupheka.
"‘Let him earnestly warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’
29 UAbrahama wathi: BaloMozisi labaprofethi; kabezwe bona.
"But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them.’
30 Sona sasesisithi: Hatshi bo, baba Abrahama; kodwa uba omunye kwabafileyo esiya kubo, bazaphenduka.
"‘Nay, Father Abraham,’ he said ‘but if some one went to them from the dead they would repent.’
31 Kodwa wathi kuso: Uba bengalaleli uMozisi labaprofethi, bangeke bavunyiswe lakho, loba kuvuka omunye kwabafileyo.
"‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,’ said Father Abraham, ‘neither will they be persuaded if one should rise from the dead.’"
