UMakho 13
1 Kwathi ephuma ethempelini, omunye wabafundi bakhe wathi kuye: Mfundisi, khangela, amatshe anjani lezakhiwo ezinjani!
As He was leaving the Temple, one of His disciples exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi, what wonderful stones! what wonderful buildings!"
2 UJesu wasephendula wathi kuye: Uyabona lezizakhiwo ezinkulu yini? Akusoze kutshiywe ilitshe phezu kwelitshe, elingasoze lidilizelwe phansi.
"You see all these great buildings?" Jesus replied; "not one stone will be left here upon another--not thrown down."
3 Esehlezi entabeni yeMihlwathi maqondana lethempeli, uPetro loJakobe loJohane loAndreya bambuza bebodwa,
He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,
4 bathi: Sitshele, lezizinto zizakuba nini? Lesibonakaliso siyini lapho sezizapheleliswa lezizinto zonke?
"Tell us, When will these things be? and what will be the sign when all these predictions are on the point of being fulfilled?"
5 UJesu ebaphendula waseqala ukuthi: Qaphelani kungabi khona oliduhisayo.
So Jesus began to say to them: "Take care that no one misleads you.
6 Ngoba abanengi bazakuza ngebizo lami, besithi: Mina nginguye; futhi baduhise abanengi.
Many will come assuming my name and saying, 'I am He;' and they will mislead many.
7 Kodwa nxa lisizwa ngezimpi lamahungahunga ezimpi, lingethuki; ngoba kufanele kwenzeke; kodwa ukuphela kakukabi khona.
But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed: come they must, but the End is not yet.
8 Ngoba isizwe sizavukela isizwe, lombuso uvukele umbuso; njalo kuzakuba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba indawo ngendawo, njalo kuzakuba khona indlala lezinhlupheko; lezizinto ziyikuqala kwemihelo.
For nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These miseries are but like the early pains of childbirth.
9 Kodwa ziqapheleni lina; ngoba bazalinikela emiphakathini, lemasinagogeni lizatshaywa, lizalethwa laphambi kwababusi lamakhosi ngenxa yami, kube yibufakazi kubo.
"You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.
10 Kodwa ivangeli limele ukutshunyayelwa kuqala kuzo zonke izizwe.
But the proclamation of the Good News must be carried to all the Gentiles before the End comes.
11 Kodwa nxa belidonsa belinikela, lingakhathaleli ngaphambili elizakukhuluma, linganakani; kodwa loba yini elizayinikwa ngalelohola, ikhulumeni; ngoba kakusini elikhulumayo, kodwa uMoya oyiNgcwele.
When however they are marching you along under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
12 Futhi umfowabo uzanikela umfowabo ekufeni, loyise umntwana; labantwana bazavukela abazali, besebebabulala;
"Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.
13 njalo lizazondwa yibo bonke ngenxa yebizo lami; kodwa ophikelelayo kuze kube sekupheleni, nguye ozasindiswa.
You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.
14 Kodwa nxa libona amanyala encithakalo, akhulunywa nguDaniyeli umprofethi, emi lapho angafanele khona (ofundayo kaqedisise), khona labo abaseJudiya kababalekele ezintabeni;
"As soon, however, as you see the Abomination of Desolation standing where he ought not" --let the reader observe these words--"then let those in Judaea escape to the hills;
15 lophezu kophahla lwendlu angehleli endlini, angangeni ukuthatha ulutho endlini yakhe;
let him who is on the roof not come down and enter the house to fetch anything out of it;
16 losemasimini angabuyeli emuva, ukuyathatha isembatho sakhe.
and let not him who is in the field turn back to pick up his outer garment.
17 Kodwa maye kwabakhulelweyo labamunyisayo ngalezonsuku!
And alas for the women who at that time are with child or have infants!
18 Kodwa khulekani ukuthi ukubaleka kwenu kungabi sebusika.
"But pray that it may not come in the winter.
19 Ngoba ngalezonsuku kuzakuba khona ukuhlupheka, okungazanga kube khona kusukela ekuqaleni kokudaliweyo uNkulunkulu akudalayo kuze kube khathesi, lokungasoze kwaba khona.
For those will be times of suffering the like of which has never been from the first creation of God's world until now, and assuredly never will be again;
20 Njalo uba iNkosi ibingazifinyezanga lezonsuku, bekungesindiswe nyama; kodwa ngenxa yabakhethiweyo, ebakhethileyo, izifinyezile insuku.
and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.
21 Langalesosikhathi nxa umuntu esithi kini: Khangelani, nangu uKristu; kumbe: Khangelani, ulaphayana; lingakholwa;
"At that time if any one says to you, 'See, here is the Christ!' or 'See, He is there!' do not believe it.
22 ngoba kuzavuka okristu bamanga labaprofethi bamanga, besebesenza izibonakaliso lezimangaliso, ukuduhisa, nxa kungenzeka, labakhethiweyo.
For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, displaying signs and prodigies with a view to lead astray--if indeed that were possible--even God's own People.
23 Kodwa qaphelani lina; khangelani, sengilitshelile konke ngaphambili.
But as for yourselves, be on your guard: I have forewarned you of everything.
24 Kodwa ngalezonsuku, emva kwalokhokuhlupheka, ilanga lizafiphazwa, lenyanga kayiyikupha ukukhanya kwayo,
"At that time, however, after that distress, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed her light;
25 lenkanyezi zezulu zizabe zisiwa, lamandla asemazulwini azazanyazanyiswa.
the stars will be seen falling from the firmament, and the forces which are in the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.
26 Khona-ke bezabona iNdodana yomuntu isiza emayezini ilamandla amakhulu lenkazimulo,
And then will they see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27 khona-ke izathuma ingilosi zayo, ibisiqoqa abakhethiweyo bayo emimoyeni yomine, kusukela emkhawulweni womhlaba kuze kube semkhawulweni wezulu.
Then He will send forth the angels and gather together His chosen People from north, south, east and west, from the remotest parts of the earth and the sky.
28 Fundani-ke umfanekiso emkhiweni; nxa ugatsha lwawo selusiba buthakathaka, luhlume amahlamvu, liyazi ukuthi ihlobo seliseduze;
"Learn from the fig-tree the lesson it teaches. As soon as its branch has become soft and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.
29 ngokunjalo lani, nxa libona lezizinto zisenzeka, yazini ukuthi kuseduze kuseminyango.
So also do you, when you see these things happening, be sure that He is near, at your very door.
30 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lesisizukulwana asisoze sidlule, zize zenzeke izinto zonke lezi.
I tell you in solemn truth that the present generation will certainly not pass away without all these things having first taken place.
31 Kuzadlula izulu lomhlaba; kodwa amazwi ami awasoze adlule.
Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words will not pass away.
32 Kodwa lolosuku lalelohola kakho owaziyo ngakho, ngitsho lengilosi ezisezulwini, ngitsho leNdodana, ngaphandle kukaBaba.
"But as to that day or the exact time no one knows--not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
33 Qaphelani, lilinde likhuleke; ngoba kalazi ukuthi isikhathi sinini.
Take care, be on the alert, and pray; for you do not know when it will happen.
34 Njengomuntu owasuka elizweni lakibo watshiya indlu yakhe, wanika inceku zakhe amandla, kuleyo laleyo umsebenzi wayo, walaya umlindisango ukuthi alinde.
It is like a man living abroad who has left his house, and given the management to his servants--to each one his special duty--and has ordered the porter to keep awake.
35 Ngakho lindani; ngoba kalazi ukuthi inkosi yendlu izafika nini, kusihlwa, loba phakathi kobusuku, loba ekukhaleni kweqhude, loba emadabukakusa;
Be wakeful therefore, for you know not when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at cock-crow, or at dawn.
36 hlezi ifike ilijume, ilifice lilele.
Beware lest He should arrive unexpectedly and find you asleep.
37 Lalokhu engikutsho kini ngikutsho kubo bonke: Lindani.
Moreover, what I say to you I say to all--Be wakeful!"
