ULukha 17
1 Wasesithi kubafundi: Kakungeke kwenzeke ukuthi kungaveli izikhubekiso; kodwa maye kulowo ezivela ngaye!
[One day Jesus] said to his disciples, “Things that will tempt [people] to sin are certain to happen, but it will be terrible for anyone who causes them to happen!
2 Kungaba ngcono kuye ukuthi ilitshe lokuchola elikhulu ligaxwe entanyeni yakhe, abesephoselwa olwandle, kulokuthi akhubekise abe munye kulaba abancinyane.
Suppose you caused one of these people who [do not believe in me very strongly] to sin. If a huge stone was fastened {someone fastened a huge stone} around your neck and you were thrown {and threw you} into the sea, [you would consider that a severe punishment, but God will punish] you even more severely [if you cause someone to sin!]
3 Zinanzeleleni lina. Njalo nxa umfowenu ekona, mkhuze; futhi nxa ephenduka, mthethelele.
Be careful [how you act]. If you [know about] a fellow believer who sins, you [(sg)] should rebuke him. If he [says that he] is sorry for having sinned [and asks you to forgive him], forgive him.
4 Njalo loba ekona kuze kube kasikhombisa ngosuku, abesebuya kuwe kasikhombisa ngosuku, esithi: Ngiyaphenduka; uzamthethelela.
Even if he sins against you [(sg)] seven times in one day, if he comes to you each time and says, ‘I am sorry for what I did’, you must continue forgiving him.”
5 Abaphostoli basebesithi eNkosini: Yandisa kithi ukholo.
[One day] the apostles said to the Lord, “Help us to trust [in you] (OR, [in God]) more strongly!”
6 INkosi yasisithi: Uba lilokholo olungangohlamvu lwemasitedi, belingatsho kulesisihlahla somabhulosi ukuthi: Quphuka, ugxumekeke olwandle; futhi besizalilalela.
The Lord replied, “Mustard [seeds are very small, but in this area they grow and produce large] [MET] [plants]. [Similarly], if your faith grows until you truly believe that God [will do what you ask him to, you will be able to do anything]. You could [even] say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself out [with your roots] and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you!”
7 Kodwa nguwuphi kini olenceku elimayo kumbe eyelusayo, ohle athi kiyo ingena ivela ensimini: Sondela, uhlale ekudleni?
[Jesus also said], “Suppose that one of you had a servant who was plowing [your fields] or taking care of your sheep. After he comes into the house from the field, you [(sg)] would not say [RHQ], ‘Sit down and eat immediately!’
8 Kodwa kazukutsho yini kuyo ukuthi: Lungisa engingakudla, uzibhince ungincedise, ngize ngidle nginathe; njalo emva kwalokhu udle unathe wena?
Instead, you would say to him, ‘Put on your apron and prepare a meal for me! Then serve it to me so that I can eat and drink! Afterwards you [(sg)] can eat and drink.’
9 Uyayibonga yini leyonceku, ngoba yenze izinto ezilayiweyo? Angicabangi.
(You will not thank your servant for doing the work that he had been told {you had told him} to do!/Would you thank your servant because he did the work that he had been told {you had told him} to do?) [RHQ]
10 Kunjalo-ke lani, nxa selikwenzile konke elikulayiweyo, kalibokuthi: Sizinceku ezingasizi lutho, ngoba senze lokhu ebesifanele ukukwenza.
Similarly, when you [(pl)] have done everything that [God] has told you to do, you should say, ‘We [(inc)] are not worthy [of God thanking us] {[being thanked]}. We are only God’s servants. We have only done the things that he told us to do.’”
11 Kwasekusithi esahamba esiya eJerusalema, yena wadabula phakathi laphakathi kweSamariya leGalili.
As [Jesus and his disciples] were walking along the road to Jerusalem, they were going through [the region] between Samaria and Galilee [districts].
12 Esangena emzaneni othile, amadoda alitshumi alobulephero amhlangabeza, ema khatshana;
As they entered one village, ten lepers came near the road. [Because lepers were not permitted to come near other people], they stood at some distance
13 wona asephakamisa ilizwi, esithi: Jesu, Nkosi, sihawukele!
and called out, “Jesus, Master, pity us [and heal us]!”
14 Futhi kuthe ewabona wathi kuwo: Hambani liyeziveza kubapristi. Kwasekusithi ekusukeni kwawo, ahlanjululwa.
When he saw them, he said [to them], “Each of you should go and show yourself to a priest [in Jerusalem so that he can see if you are healed].” As they were going [there], they were healed.
15 Futhi omunye wawo, esebonile ukuthi usilisiwe, wabuyela, edumisa uNkulunkulu ngelizwi elikhulu;
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God loudly.
16 wasesiwa ngobuso enyaweni zakhe, embonga; njalo yena wayengumSamariya.
He [came to Jesus], prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan, [not a Jew].
17 Kodwa uJesu waphendula wathi: Kakuhlanjululwanga yini abalitshumi? Bangaphi pho abayisificamunwemunye?
Then Jesus said, “[I] healed ten [lepers] (I am disappointed that the other nine did not come back!/Where are the other nine?) [RHQ]
18 Akuficakalanga ababuya ukunika uNkulunkulu udumo, ngaphandle kwalo owezizweni.
I am disappointed [RHQ] that this non-Jewish man was the only one who returned to thank God; none of the others came back to me!”
19 Wasesithi kuye: Sukuma uhambe; ukholo lwakho lukusindisile.
Then he said to the man, “Get up and continue on your journey. [God] [PRS] [has saved you and] healed you [(sg)] because you trusted [in me].”
20 Kwathi ebuzwa ngabaFarisi, ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu uzakuza nini, wasebaphendula wathi: Umbuso kaNkulunkulu kawuzi ngokukhanyayo;
[One day] Jesus was asked by [some] Pharisees [SYN] {[some] Pharisees [SYN] asked [Jesus]}, “When is God [going] to rule as king?” He replied, “God’s ruling [MET] is not something people will be able to see with their eyes.
21 njalo kabayikutsho ukuthi: Khangelani nanku, kumbe: Khangelani nankuya. Ngoba khangelani, umbuso kaNkulunkulu uphakathi kwenu.
And people will not be able to say, ‘Look! He is [ruling] here!’ Or ‘He is [ruling] over there!’ because, [contrary to what you think], God’s ruling is people’s inner beings (OR, is already happening among you).”
22 Wasesithi kubafundi: Kuzafika insuku lapho elizafisa ukubona lube lunye lwezinsuku zeNdodana yomuntu, kodwa kaliyikulubona.
[Jesus] said to his disciples, “There will be a time when you will want to see [me] [MTY], the one who came from heaven, [ruling powerfully]. But you will not see that.
23 Njalo bazakuthi kini: Khangelani nangu, kumbe: Khangelani nanguya; lingayi, njalo lingalandeli.
[Some] people will say to you, ‘Look, [the Messiah] is over there!’ or [they will say] ‘Look, he is here!’ When they say that, do not believe them. Do not follow them [to go see the Messiah].
24 Ngoba njengombane ophazimayo ukhanyisa kusukela kokunye ukucina ngaphansi kwezulu kusiya kokunye ukucina ngaphansi kwezulu, izakuba njalo leNdodana yomuntu osukwini lwayo.
Because when the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, [everyone can see it. Similarly] [SIM], at the time [MTY] when [I], the one who came from heaven, come back again, [everyone will see me].
25 Kodwa kuqala imele ihlupheke izinto ezinengi njalo ilahlwe yilesisizukulwana.
But before that happens, I must suffer in many ways (OR, very much). And I will be rejected by people {people will reject me}, [even though] they [have observed me doing good for people].
26 Futhi njengoba kwenzeka ensukwini zikaNowa, kuzakuba njalo lensukwini zeNdodana yomuntu.
But when [I], the one who came from heaven, [come again, people] will be doing things just like people were doing at the time when [MTY] Noah [lived].
27 Babesidla, benatha, bethatha, besendiswa, kwaze kwaba lusuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini, kwasekufika uzamcolo, wababhubhisa bonke.
[At that time] people ate and drank [as usual], and they got married [as usual], up until the day when Noah [and his family] entered the big boat. But then the flood came and destroyed all those [who were not in the boat].
28 Ngokufananayo futhi njengoba kwenzeka ensukwini zikaLothi; babesidla, benatha, bethenga, bethengisa, behlanyela, besakha;
Similarly, when Lot lived [in Sodom city], people [there] ate and drank [as usual]. They bought things and they sold things. They planted [crops] and they built [houses as usual].
29 kodwa ngosuku uLothi aphuma ngalo eSodoma, kwana umlilo lesibabule kuvela ezulwini, kwababhubhisa bonke;
But on the day that Lot [and his family] left Sodom, fire and [burning] sulfur came down from the sky and destroyed all those [who stayed in the city].
30 kuzakuba njalo ngosuku ezakwembulwa ngalo iNdodana yomuntu.
Similarly, when [I], the one who came from heaven, return to earth, [people will be unprepared] (OR, [enjoying normal life]).
31 Ngalolosuku, lowo ophezu kophahla lwendlu, lempahla zakhe zisendlini, angehli ukuyazithatha; losensimini ngokunjalo angabuyeli ezintweni ezisemuva.
On that day, those who are outside their houses, with all the things that they own inside [the houses], must not go [in] to take them away, [because there will not be enough time to do that]. Similarly, those who are working in a field must not go back home [to get anything]; [they must flee immediately].
32 Khumbulani umkaLothi.
Remember Lot’s wife! [Because she turned back and wanted to get some of her things from Sodom, she died immediately and became a pillar of salt].
33 Loba ngubani odinga ukusindisa impilo yakhe izamlahlekela; kodwa loba ngubani olahlekelwa yiyo uzayilondoloza.
Anyone who wants to hold onto his life [and his possessions] will not [receive eternal] life. But anyone who is [willing to] die [for my sake] will live [eternally].
34 Ngithi kini: Ngalobobusuku kuzakuba khona ababili embhedeni munye; omunye uzasuswa, lomunye atshiywe.
I tell you this: On the night [when I return], there will be two people [sleeping] in one bed. The one [who believes in me] will be taken {[God] will take the one [who believes in me]} [to heaven], and the other one will be left [behind and punished] {and [he] will leave the other one [behind and punish him]}.
35 Kuzakuba khona abesifazana ababili bechola ndawonye; omunye uzasuswa, lomunye atshiywe.
Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left {[God] will take one and leave the other} [behind].”
36 Kuzakuba khona ababili ensimini; omunye uzasuswa, lomunye atshiywe.
37 Basebephendula bathi kuye: Ngaphi, Nkosi? Wasesithi kubo: Lapho okukhona isidumbu, kulapho amanqe azabuthana khona.
[His disciples] said to him, “Lord, where [will this happen]?” He replied to them, “Wherever there is an animal carcass, the vultures will gather [to eat it] [MET]. [Similarly, wherever there are people who are spiritually dead, God will punish them].”
