UMakho 12
1 Waseqala ukukhuluma labo ngemifanekiso wathi: Umuntu wahlanyela isivini, wasibiyela ngothango, wagebha isikhamelo, wakha umphotshongo, wasiqhatshisa kubalimi, waya kwelinye ilizwe.
Then He began to speak to them in figurative language. "There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers and went abroad.
2 Kwathi sekuyisikhathi esifaneleyo wathuma inceku kubalimi, ukuze yemukele kubalimi okwesithelo sesivini.
At vintage-time he sent one of his servants to receive from the vine-dressers a share of the grapes.
3 Kodwa bayibamba bayitshaya, bayimukisa ize.
But they seized him, beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.
4 Wasebuya ethuma kubo enye inceku; laleyo bayitshaya ngamatshe bayilimaza ekhanda, bayixotsha isithelwe inhloni.
Again he sent to them another servant: and as for him, they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully.
5 Wasebuya ethuma enye; yona basebeyibulala; lezinye ezinengi, ezinye bazitshaya, lezinye bazibulala.
Yet a third he sent, and him they killed. And he sent many besides, and them also they ill-treated, beating some and killing others.
6 Ngakho eseselendodana eyodwa ethandekayo kuye, ekucineni wayithuma kubo layo, esithi: Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.
He had still one left whom he could send, a dearly-loved son: him last of all he sent, saying, "'They will treat my son with respect.'
7 Kodwa labobalimi bakhulumisana besithi: Le yindlalifa; wozani, siyibulale, lelifa lizakuba ngelethu.
"But those men--the vine-dressers--said to one another, "'Here is the heir: come, let us kill him, and then the property will one day be ours.'
8 Basebeyibamba bayibulala, bayiphosela ngaphandle kwesivini.
"So they took him and killed him, and flung his body outside the vineyard.
9 Ngakho uzakwenzani umninisivini? Uzakuza ababhubhise abalimi, anikele isivini kwabanye.
What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do?" "He will come and put the vine-dressers 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 even this passage," He added, "'The stone which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone:
11 lokhu kwenziwe yiNkosi, njalo kuyisimanga emehlweni ethu?
this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our esteem?'"
12 Basebedinga ukumbamba, kodwa besaba ixuku; ngoba babesazi ukuthi wayekhulume lumfanekiso emelane labo. Basebemtshiya bahamba.
And they kept looking out for an opportunity to seize Him, but were afraid of the people; for they saw that in this parable He had referred to them. So they left Him and went away.
13 Basebethuma kuye abanye babaFarisi labakaHerodi, ukuze bamthiye ekukhulumeni.
Their next step was to send to Him some of the Pharisees and of Herod's partisans 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 they came to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you are a truthful man and you do not fear any one; for you do not recognize human distinctions, but teach God's way truly. Is it allowable 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 shall we refuse to pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, replied, "Why try to ensnare me? Bring me a shilling for me to look at."
16 Basebeletha. Wasesithi kubo: Ngokabani lumfanekiso lalumbhalo? Basebesithi kuye: NgokaKesari.
They brought one; and He asked them, "Whose is this likeness and this inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.
17 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Mnikeni uKesari okukaKesari, loNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu. Basebemangala ngaye.
"What is Caesar's," replied Jesus, "pay to Caesar--and what is God's, pay to God." And they wondered exceedingly at Him.
18 Basebesiza kuye abaSadusi, abathi kakukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo; basebembuza, besithi:
Then came to Him a party of Sadducees, a sect which denies that there is any Resurrection; and they proceeded to question Him.
19 Mfundisi, uMozisi wasibhalela, ukuthi: Uba umfowabo womuntu esifa, atshiye umkakhe, engatshiyi bantwana, umfowabo kamthathe umkakhe, amvusele umfowabo inzalo;
"Rabbi," they said, "Moses made it a law for us: 'If a man's brother should die and leave a wife, but no child, the man shall marry the widow and 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, but at his death left no family.
21 lowesibili wamthatha, wafa, laye engatshiyanga inzalo; lowesithathu kwaba njalo;
The second married her, and died, leaving no family; and the third did the same.
22 lalaba boyisikhombisa bamthatha, kabatshiyanga inzalo. Ekucineni kwabo bonke kwafa lomfazi.
And so did the rest of the seven, all dying childless. Finally the woman also died.
23 Ngakho ekuvukeni kwabafileyo, mhla bevukayo, uzakuba ngumkabani kubo; lokhu abayisikhombisa babelaye engumkabo?
At the Resurrection whose wife will she be? For they all seven married her."
24 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Kaliduhanga yini ngalokhu, ngoba lingayazi imibhalo, loba amandla kaNkulunkulu?
"Is not this the cause of your error," replied Jesus--"your ignorance alike of the Scriptures and of the power of God?
25 Ngoba mhla bevukayo ekufeni, kabathathani, njalo kabendiswa, kodwa banjengengilosi ezisemazulwini.
For when they have risen from among the dead, men do not marry and women are not given in marriage, but they are as 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 as to the dead, that they rise to life, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God said to 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 dead, but of living men. You are in grave error."
28 Wasefika omunye wababhali, esezwile bebuzana, esebonile ukuthi ubaphendule kuhle, wambuza wathi: Yiwuphi umlayo wokuqala kuyo yonke?
Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point, and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is the chief of all the Commandments?"
29 UJesu wasemphendula wathi: Owokuqala kuyo yonke imilayo ngowokuthi: Zwana, Israyeli: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, iNkosi yinye;
"The chief Commandment," replied Jesus, "is this: '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 thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.'
31 Lowesibili uyafanana, yilo: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena. Kawukho omunye umlayo omkhulu kulale.
"The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these there is none."
32 Umbhali wasesithi kuye: Kuhle, Mfundisi, utsho okuqotho ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu oyedwa, langaphandle kwakhe kakho omunye;
So the Scribe said to Him, "Rightly, in very truth, Rabbi, have you said that He stands alone, and there is none but He;
33 lokumthanda ngenhliziyo yonke, langokuqedisisa konke, langomphefumulo wonke, langamandla wonke, lokuthanda umakhelwane njengawe, kuyedlula yonke iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo.
and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices."
34 UJesu esembona ukuthi uphendule ngenhlakanipho, wathi kuye: Kawukhatshana lombuso kaNkulunkulu. Njalo kakwabe kusaba khona umuntu olesibindi sokumbuza.
Perceiving that the Scribe had answered wisely Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one from that time forward ventured to put any question to Him.
35 UJesu, efundisa ethempelini, wasephendula wathi: Batsho njani ababhali ukuthi uKristu uyindodana kaDavida?
But, while teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it the Scribes say that the Christ is a 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, taught by the Holy Spirit, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I have made thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'
37 Ngakho uDavida uqobo lwakhe umbiza ngokuthi yiNkosi; pho uyindodana yakhe njani? Lexuku elikhulu lamuzwa ngokuthokoza.
"David himself calls Him 'Lord:' how then can He be his son?" And the mass of people found pleasure in listening to Jesus.
38 Wasesithi kubo ekufundiseni kwakhe: Qaphelani ababhali, abathanda ukuhamba bembethe izembatho ezinde, lokubingelelwa emidangeni,
Moreover in the course of His teaching He said, "Be on your guard against the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes and to be bowed to in places of public resort,
39 lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni, lezihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama;
and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues and at dinner parties,
40 abadla izindlu zabafelokazi, bekhuleka isikhathi eside ngokuzenzisa; laba bazakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive far heavier punishment."
41 UJesu wasehlala phansi maqondana lesitsha somnikelo wabona ukuthi ixuku liphosela njani imali esitsheni somnikelo; labanothileyo abanengi baphosela okunengi.
Having taken a seat opposite the Treasury, He observed how the people were dropping money into the Treasury, and that many of the wealthy threw in large sums.
42 Kwasekufika umfelokazi othile ongumyanga waphosela inhlamvana ezimbili ezincane zemali, eziyindibilitshi.
But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny.
43 Wasebizela kuye abafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lumfelokazi ongumyanga uphosele okwedlula bonke laba abaphoseleyo esitsheni somnikelo;
So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury;
44 ngoba bonke baphosele kokunengi kwabo; kodwa yena ebuyangeni bakhe uphosele konke alakho, konke okwempilo yakhe.
for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare, but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed--all she had to live on."
