UMakho 12
1 Waseqala ukukhuluma labo ngemifanekiso wathi: Umuntu wahlanyela isivini, wasibiyela ngothango, wagebha isikhamelo, wakha umphotshongo, wasiqhatshisa kubalimi, waya kwelinye ilizwe.
Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
2 Kwathi sekuyisikhathi esifaneleyo wathuma inceku kubalimi, ukuze yemukele kubalimi okwesithelo sesivini.
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 Kodwa bayibamba bayitshaya, bayimukisa ize.
But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4 Wasebuya ethuma kubo enye inceku; laleyo bayitshaya ngamatshe bayilimaza ekhanda, bayixotsha isithelwe inhloni.
Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully.
5 Wasebuya ethuma enye; yona basebeyibulala; lezinye ezinengi, ezinye bazitshaya, lezinye bazibulala.
He sent still another, and this one they killed. He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.
6 Ngakho eseselendodana eyodwa ethandekayo kuye, ekucineni wayithuma kubo layo, esithi: Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.
Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
7 Kodwa labobalimi bakhulumisana besithi: Le yindlalifa; wozani, siyibulale, lelifa lizakuba ngelethu.
But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8 Basebeyibamba bayibulala, bayiphosela ngaphandle kwesivini.
So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 Ngakho uzakwenzani umninisivini? Uzakuza ababhubhise abalimi, anikele isivini kwabanye.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.
10 Kalibalanga yini lumbhalo othi: Ilitshe abakhi abalalayo, yilo eseliyinhloko yengonsi;
Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
11 lokhu kwenziwe yiNkosi, njalo kuyisimanga emehlweni ethu?
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 Basebedinga ukumbamba, kodwa besaba ixuku; ngoba babesazi ukuthi wayekhulume lumfanekiso emelane labo. Basebemtshiya bahamba.
At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
13 Basebethuma kuye abanye babaFarisi labakaHerodi, ukuze bamthiye ekukhulumeni.
Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words.
14 Basebesiza bathi kuye: Mfundisi, siyazi ukuthi wena uqotho, njalo kawukhathali ngomuntu; ngoba kawunanzi isimo somuntu, kodwa ufundisa indlela kaNkulunkulu ngeqiniso: Kuvunyelwe yini ukuthela kuKesari kumbe hatshi?
“Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”
15 Sithele, kumbe singatheli? Kodwa ekwazi ukuzenzisa kwabo wathi kubo: Lingilingelani? Lethani kimi udenariyo, ukuze ngibone.
But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.”
16 Basebeletha. Wasesithi kubo: Ngokabani lumfanekiso lalumbhalo? Basebesithi kuye: NgokaKesari.
So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.
17 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Mnikeni uKesari okukaKesari, loNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu. Basebemangala ngaye.
Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
18 Basebesiza kuye abaSadusi, abathi kakukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo; basebembuza, besithi:
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:
19 Mfundisi, uMozisi wasibhalela, ukuthi: Uba umfowabo womuntu esifa, atshiye umkakhe, engatshiyi bantwana, umfowabo kamthathe umkakhe, amvusele umfowabo inzalo;
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
20 kwakulezelamani eziyisikhombisa; owokuqala wasethatha umfazi, wafa engatshiyanga inzalo;
Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
21 lowesibili wamthatha, wafa, laye engatshiyanga inzalo; lowesithathu kwaba njalo;
Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.
22 lalaba boyisikhombisa bamthatha, kabatshiyanga inzalo. Ekucineni kwabo bonke kwafa lomfazi.
In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died.
23 Ngakho ekuvukeni kwabafileyo, mhla bevukayo, uzakuba ngumkabani kubo; lokhu abayisikhombisa babelaye engumkabo?
In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
24 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Kaliduhanga yini ngalokhu, ngoba lingayazi imibhalo, loba amandla kaNkulunkulu?
Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
25 Ngoba mhla bevukayo ekufeni, kabathathani, njalo kabendiswa, kodwa banjengengilosi ezisemazulwini.
When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
26 Kodwa mayelana labafileyo, ukuthi bayavuswa, kalifundanga yini egwalweni lukaMozisi, ukuthi uNkulunkulu esihlahleni wakhuluma njani kuye, esithi: NginguNkulunkulu kaAbrahama, loNkulunkulu kaIsaka, loNkulunkulu kaJakobe?
But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
27 Kayisuye uNkulunkulu wabafileyo, kodwa uNkulunkulu wabaphilayo; ngakho lina liduhile kakhulu.
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
28 Wasefika omunye wababhali, esezwile bebuzana, esebonile ukuthi ubaphendule kuhle, wambuza wathi: Yiwuphi umlayo wokuqala kuyo yonke?
Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
29 UJesu wasemphendula wathi: Owokuqala kuyo yonke imilayo ngowokuthi: Zwana, Israyeli: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, iNkosi yinye;
Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
30 njalo wothanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ngenhliziyo yakho yonke, langomphefumulo wakho wonke, langengqondo yakho yonke, langamandla akho wonke. Yilo umlayo owokuqala.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 Lowesibili uyafanana, yilo: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena. Kawukho omunye umlayo omkhulu kulale.
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 Umbhali wasesithi kuye: Kuhle, Mfundisi, utsho okuqotho ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu oyedwa, langaphandle kwakhe kakho omunye;
“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
33 lokumthanda ngenhliziyo yonke, langokuqedisisa konke, langomphefumulo wonke, langamandla wonke, lokuthanda umakhelwane njengawe, kuyedlula yonke iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo.
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 UJesu esembona ukuthi uphendule ngenhlakanipho, wathi kuye: Kawukhatshana lombuso kaNkulunkulu. Njalo kakwabe kusaba khona umuntu olesibindi sokumbuza.
When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
35 UJesu, efundisa ethempelini, wasephendula wathi: Batsho njani ababhali ukuthi uKristu uyindodana kaDavida?
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
36 Ngoba uDavida uqobo lwakhe ngoMoya oyiNgcwele wathi: INkosi yathi eNkosini yami: Hlala ngakwesokunene sami, ngize ngibeke izitha zakho zibe yisenabelo senyawo zakho.
Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’
37 Ngakho uDavida uqobo lwakhe umbiza ngokuthi yiNkosi; pho uyindodana yakhe njani? Lexuku elikhulu lamuzwa ngokuthokoza.
David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?” And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.
38 Wasesithi kubo ekufundiseni kwakhe: Qaphelani ababhali, abathanda ukuhamba bembethe izembatho ezinde, lokubingelelwa emidangeni,
In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,
39 lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni, lezihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama;
and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
40 abadla izindlu zabafelokazi, bekhuleka isikhathi eside ngokuzenzisa; laba bazakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
41 UJesu wasehlala phansi maqondana lesitsha somnikelo wabona ukuthi ixuku liphosela njani imali esitsheni somnikelo; labanothileyo abanengi baphosela okunengi.
As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.
42 Kwasekufika umfelokazi othile ongumyanga waphosela inhlamvana ezimbili ezincane zemali, eziyindibilitshi.
Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
43 Wasebizela kuye abafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lumfelokazi ongumyanga uphosele okwedlula bonke laba abaphoseleyo esitsheni somnikelo;
Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury.
44 ngoba bonke baphosele kokunengi kwabo; kodwa yena ebuyangeni bakhe uphosele konke alakho, konke okwempilo yakhe.
For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
