UMakho 12
1 Waseqala ukukhuluma labo ngemifanekiso wathi: Umuntu wahlanyela isivini, wasibiyela ngothango, wagebha isikhamelo, wakha umphotshongo, wasiqhatshisa kubalimi, waya kwelinye ilizwe.
Presently Jesus began to speak to them in parables. "There was once a man," he said, "who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine-press, built a tower, rented it to tenants, and went abroad.
2 Kwathi sekuyisikhathi esifaneleyo wathuma inceku kubalimi, ukuze yemukele kubalimi okwesithelo sesivini.
At vintage-time he sent a slave to the vine-dressers to collect some of the proceeds of the vineyard;
3 Kodwa bayibamba bayitshaya, bayimukisa ize.
but they seized him, and flogged him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4 Wasebuya ethuma kubo enye inceku; laleyo bayitshaya ngamatshe bayilimaza ekhanda, bayixotsha isithelwe inhloni.
Then he sent another slave to them; and this man they knocked over the head and handled shamefully.
5 Wasebuya ethuma enye; yona basebeyibulala; lezinye ezinengi, ezinye bazitshaya, lezinye bazibulala.
And he sent another; and him they killed; and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6 Ngakho eseselendodana eyodwa ethandekayo kuye, ekucineni wayithuma kubo layo, esithi: Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.
He had still one, a Son beloved, He sent him last to them, saying, "‘They will reverence my Son.’
7 Kodwa labobalimi bakhulumisana besithi: Le yindlalifa; wozani, siyibulale, lelifa lizakuba ngelethu.
"But those tenants said to themselves. ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8 Basebeyibamba bayibulala, bayiphosela ngaphandle kwesivini.
"So they took him and killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard.
9 Ngakho uzakwenzani umninisivini? Uzakuza ababhubhise abalimi, anikele isivini kwabanye.
What will the owner of the Vineyard do?" "He will come and put the tenants to death," they said, "and will give the vineyard to others."
10 Kalibalanga yini lumbhalo othi: Ilitshe abakhi abalalayo, yilo eseliyinhloko yengonsi;
"Have you not read this Scripture?" (he continued) "The very stone which the builders rejected Has now become the corner-stone;
11 lokhu kwenziwe yiNkosi, njalo kuyisimanga emehlweni ethu?
This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes."
12 Basebedinga ukumbamba, kodwa besaba ixuku; ngoba babesazi ukuthi wayekhulume lumfanekiso emelane labo. Basebemtshiya bahamba.
And they kept seeking to lay hold on him, but were afraid of the crowd, for they knew well that he had spoken this parable about them; so they left him and went away.
13 Basebethuma kuye abanye babaFarisi labakaHerodi, ukuze bamthiye ekukhulumeni.
But they sent some of the Pharisees to Jesus afterward, and some of the Herodians to entrap him in conversation.
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?
So when they came, they said. "Teacher, we know that you are sincere and are not afraid of any one, for you do not regard the face of men; nay, but you reach the way of God in truth. Is it right to pay poll- tax to Caesar or not?
15 Sithele, kumbe singatheli? Kodwa ekwazi ukuzenzisa kwabo wathi kubo: Lingilingelani? Lethani kimi udenariyo, ukuze ngibone.
Shall we pay, or not pay?" But he, knowing well their hypocrisy, said to them. "Why are you testing me? Bring me a dollar for me to look at."
16 Basebeletha. Wasesithi kubo: Ngokabani lumfanekiso lalumbhalo? Basebesithi kuye: NgokaKesari.
And they brought it. "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" "Caesar’s," they answered.
17 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Mnikeni uKesari okukaKesari, loNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu. Basebemangala ngaye.
And Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s." They were amazed at him.
18 Basebesiza kuye abaSadusi, abathi kakukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo; basebembuza, besithi:
Then came up some Sadducees, men who say there is no resurrection. They too questioned him, saying.
19 Mfundisi, uMozisi wasibhalela, ukuthi: Uba umfowabo womuntu esifa, atshiye umkakhe, engatshiyi bantwana, umfowabo kamthathe umkakhe, amvusele umfowabo inzalo;
"Teacher, Moses taught us that if a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, but no child, that his brother is to marry the widow and to raise up a family for his brother.
20 kwakulezelamani eziyisikhombisa; owokuqala wasethatha umfazi, wafa engatshiyanga inzalo;
There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, and died leaving no family.
21 lowesibili wamthatha, wafa, laye engatshiyanga inzalo; lowesithathu kwaba njalo;
The second married her, and died without offspring; the third likewise;
22 lalaba boyisikhombisa bamthatha, kabatshiyanga inzalo. Ekucineni kwabo bonke kwafa lomfazi.
and the seven had her, and died without issue.
23 Ngakho ekuvukeni kwabafileyo, mhla bevukayo, uzakuba ngumkabani kubo; lokhu abayisikhombisa babelaye engumkabo?
And last of all the woman too died. In the resurrection whose wife shall she be? For the seven had her as wife."
24 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Kaliduhanga yini ngalokhu, ngoba lingayazi imibhalo, loba amandla kaNkulunkulu?
"Is not this the reason for your error," Jesus answered them, "that you know not the Scripture nor the power of God?
25 Ngoba mhla bevukayo ekufeni, kabathathani, njalo kabendiswa, kodwa banjengengilosi ezisemazulwini.
When they rise from the dead men do not marry, and women are not given in marriage, but they are as the angels are 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 in regard to the rising again of the dead, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 Kayisuye uNkulunkulu wabafileyo, kodwa uNkulunkulu wabaphilayo; ngakho lina liduhile kakhulu.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are in grave error."
28 Wasefika omunye wababhali, esezwile bebuzana, esebonile ukuthi ubaphendule kuhle, wambuza wathi: Yiwuphi umlayo wokuqala kuyo yonke?
Just then up came one of the Scribes who had heard them arguing, and realized that Jesus had answered them admirably. "What commandment," he asked, "is the first of all?"
29 UJesu wasemphendula wathi: Owokuqala kuyo yonke imilayo ngowokuthi: Zwana, Israyeli: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, iNkosi yinye;
Jesus replied. "The first is. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord;
30 njalo wothanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ngenhliziyo yakho yonke, langomphefumulo wakho wonke, langengqondo yakho yonke, langamandla akho wonke. Yilo umlayo owokuqala.
and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
31 Lowesibili uyafanana, yilo: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena. Kawukho omunye umlayo omkhulu kulale.
"The second is this, "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Other command greater than these there is none."
32 Umbhali wasesithi kuye: Kuhle, Mfundisi, utsho okuqotho ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu oyedwa, langaphandle kwakhe kakho omunye;
"Admirably said, O Teacher," exclaimed the Scribe. "You have truthfully said that He is one,
33 lokumthanda ngenhliziyo yonke, langokuqedisisa konke, langomphefumulo wonke, langamandla wonke, lokuthanda umakhelwane njengawe, kuyedlula yonke iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo.
and that beside him there is none other, and to love him with all one’s heart and with all one’s understanding and with all one’s might, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is far beyond all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 UJesu esembona ukuthi uphendule ngenhlakanipho, wathi kuye: Kawukhatshana lombuso kaNkulunkulu. Njalo kakwabe kusaba khona umuntu olesibindi sokumbuza.
Jesus saw that he had answered with discrimination, and said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one ventured to question him.
35 UJesu, efundisa ethempelini, wasephendula wathi: Batsho njani ababhali ukuthi uKristu uyindodana kaDavida?
While he was teaching in the Temple courts, Jesus in his turn asked. "How is it that 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.
David himself said in the Holy Spirit, "The Lord said to my Lord,’Sit at my right hand until I make thy foes the footstool of thy feet.’
37 Ngakho uDavida uqobo lwakhe umbiza ngokuthi yiNkosi; pho uyindodana yakhe njani? Lexuku elikhulu lamuzwa ngokuthokoza.
"David himself then calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?" Now the great mass of the people were wont to listen to him with delight;
38 Wasesithi kubo ekufundiseni kwakhe: Qaphelani ababhali, abathanda ukuhamba bembethe izembatho ezinde, lokubingelelwa emidangeni,
and in his teaching he said. "Look out for the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes, and to receive salutations in the street, and to have prominent places in the synagogues,
39 lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni, lezihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama;
and seats of honor at dinner-parties;
40 abadla izindlu zabafelokazi, bekhuleka isikhathi eside ngokuzenzisa; laba bazakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
they who consume the property of widows and make long, pretentious prayers. The greater shall their condemnation be."
41 UJesu wasehlala phansi maqondana lesitsha somnikelo wabona ukuthi ixuku liphosela njani imali esitsheni somnikelo; labanothileyo abanengi baphosela okunengi.
Then Jesus took his seat opposite the treasury and watched the people putting their offerings into the chest. Many rich people were putting in large sums.
42 Kwasekufika umfelokazi othile ongumyanga waphosela inhlamvana ezimbili ezincane zemali, eziyindibilitshi.
There came also a poor widow who dropped in two little coins, worth a cent.
43 Wasebizela kuye abafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lumfelokazi ongumyanga uphosele okwedlula bonke laba abaphoseleyo esitsheni somnikelo;
On this he called his disciples to him, and said. "I tell you solemnly that this poor widow has put in more than all who have put their offerings into the treasury;
44 ngoba bonke baphosele kokunengi kwabo; kodwa yena ebuyangeni bakhe uphosele konke alakho, konke okwempilo yakhe.
for they have all put in what they could spare out of their surplus, but she, out of her penury, has put in all that she possessed, her whole living."
