UMakho 12
1 Waseqala ukukhuluma labo ngemifanekiso wathi: Umuntu wahlanyela isivini, wasibiyela ngothango, wagebha isikhamelo, wakha umphotshongo, wasiqhatshisa kubalimi, waya kwelinye ilizwe.
He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.
2 Kwathi sekuyisikhathi esifaneleyo wathuma inceku kubalimi, ukuze yemukele kubalimi okwesithelo sesivini.
When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 Kodwa bayibamba bayitshaya, bayimukisa ize.
They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 Wasebuya ethuma kubo enye inceku; laleyo bayitshaya ngamatshe bayilimaza ekhanda, bayixotsha isithelwe inhloni.
Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
5 Wasebuya ethuma enye; yona basebeyibulala; lezinye ezinengi, ezinye bazitshaya, lezinye bazibulala.
Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some.
6 Ngakho eseselendodana eyodwa ethandekayo kuye, ekucineni wayithuma kubo layo, esithi: Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.
Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 Kodwa labobalimi bakhulumisana besithi: Le yindlalifa; wozani, siyibulale, lelifa lizakuba ngelethu.
But those farmers said amongst themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8 Basebeyibamba bayibulala, bayiphosela ngaphandle kwesivini.
They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 Ngakho uzakwenzani umninisivini? Uzakuza ababhubhise abalimi, anikele isivini kwabanye.
What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
10 Kalibalanga yini lumbhalo othi: Ilitshe abakhi abalalayo, yilo eseliyinhloko yengonsi;
Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner.
11 lokhu kwenziwe yiNkosi, njalo kuyisimanga emehlweni ethu?
This was from the Lord. It is marvellous in our eyes’?”
12 Basebedinga ukumbamba, kodwa besaba ixuku; ngoba babesazi ukuthi wayekhulume lumfanekiso emelane labo. Basebemtshiya bahamba.
They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him and went away.
13 Basebethuma kuye abanye babaFarisi labakaHerodi, ukuze bamthiye ekukhulumeni.
They sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with 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?
When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
15 Sithele, kumbe singatheli? Kodwa ekwazi ukuzenzisa kwabo wathi kubo: Lingilingelani? Lethani kimi udenariyo, ukuze ngibone.
Shall we give, or shall we not give?” But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”
16 Basebeletha. Wasesithi kubo: Ngokabani lumfanekiso lalumbhalo? Basebesithi kuye: NgokaKesari.
They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Mnikeni uKesari okukaKesari, loNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu. Basebemangala ngaye.
Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They marvelled greatly at him.
18 Basebesiza kuye abaSadusi, abathi kakukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo; basebembuza, besithi:
Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying,
19 Mfundisi, uMozisi wasibhalela, ukuthi: Uba umfowabo womuntu esifa, atshiye umkakhe, engatshiyi bantwana, umfowabo kamthathe umkakhe, amvusele umfowabo inzalo;
“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
20 kwakulezelamani eziyisikhombisa; owokuqala wasethatha umfazi, wafa engatshiyanga inzalo;
There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.
21 lowesibili wamthatha, wafa, laye engatshiyanga inzalo; lowesithathu kwaba njalo;
The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;
22 lalaba boyisikhombisa bamthatha, kabatshiyanga inzalo. Ekucineni kwabo bonke kwafa lomfazi.
and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
23 Ngakho ekuvukeni kwabafileyo, mhla bevukayo, uzakuba ngumkabani kubo; lokhu abayisikhombisa babelaye engumkabo?
In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife.”
24 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Kaliduhanga yini ngalokhu, ngoba lingayazi imibhalo, loba amandla kaNkulunkulu?
Jesus answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God?
25 Ngoba mhla bevukayo ekufeni, kabathathani, njalo kabendiswa, kodwa banjengengilosi ezisemazulwini.
For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like 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 about the dead, that they are raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moses about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘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 therefore badly mistaken.”
28 Wasefika omunye wababhali, esezwile bebuzana, esebonile ukuthi ubaphendule kuhle, wambuza wathi: Yiwuphi umlayo wokuqala kuyo yonke?
One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”
29 UJesu wasemphendula wathi: Owokuqala kuyo yonke imilayo ngowokuthi: Zwana, Israyeli: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, iNkosi yinye;
Jesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, 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.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
31 Lowesibili uyafanana, yilo: Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena. Kawukho omunye umlayo omkhulu kulale.
The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 Umbhali wasesithi kuye: Kuhle, Mfundisi, utsho okuqotho ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu oyedwa, langaphandle kwakhe kakho omunye;
The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other 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 the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more important than all whole 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 he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.
35 UJesu, efundisa ethempelini, wasephendula wathi: Batsho njani ababhali ukuthi uKristu uyindodana kaDavida?
Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “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.
For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’
37 Ngakho uDavida uqobo lwakhe umbiza ngokuthi yiNkosi; pho uyindodana yakhe njani? Lexuku elikhulu lamuzwa ngokuthokoza.
Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly.
38 Wasesithi kubo ekufundiseni kwakhe: Qaphelani ababhali, abathanda ukuhamba bembethe izembatho ezinde, lokubingelelwa emidangeni,
In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
39 lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni, lezihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama;
and to get the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts,
40 abadla izindlu zabafelokazi, bekhuleka isikhathi eside ngokuzenzisa; laba bazakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
41 UJesu wasehlala phansi maqondana lesitsha somnikelo wabona ukuthi ixuku liphosela njani imali esitsheni somnikelo; labanothileyo abanengi baphosela okunengi.
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.
42 Kwasekufika umfelokazi othile ongumyanga waphosela inhlamvana ezimbili ezincane zemali, eziyindibilitshi.
A poor widow came and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.
43 Wasebizela kuye abafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lumfelokazi ongumyanga uphosele okwedlula bonke laba abaphoseleyo esitsheni somnikelo;
He called his disciples to himself and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,
44 ngoba bonke baphosele kokunengi kwabo; kodwa yena ebuyangeni bakhe uphosele konke alakho, konke okwempilo yakhe.
for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”
