UMakho 4
1 Wasebuya waqala ukufundisa ngaselwandle; kwasekubuthana kuye ixuku elikhulu, waze wangena emkhunjini wahlala olwandle; njalo ixuku lonke lalisemhlabathini ngaselwandle.
Once again He began to teach beside the sea. And a large crowd was gathered to Him, so that He got into the boat and sat down, out on the water, while the whole crowd was on the land, at the water's edge.
2 Wasebafundisa izinto ezinengi ngemifanekiso, lekufundiseni kwakhe wathi kubo:
Then He began teaching them many things by parables and said to them in His teaching:
3 Lalelani; khangelani, kwaphuma umhlanyeli ukuyahlanyela.
“Listen! Yes, a sower went out to sow.
4 Kwasekusithi ekuhlanyeleni, enye yawela eceleni kwendlela, kwasekufika inyoni zezulu zayidla zayiqeda.
And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Njalo enye yawela emhlabathini olamatshe, lapho eyayingelamhlabathi omnengi khona; futhi yahle yamila, ngoba yayingelakutshona komhlabathi;
Some fell on the rocky area where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil.
6 kwathi ekuphumeni kwelanga yahangulwa yabuna ngoba yayingelampande.
But upon the sun's rising it was scorched, and because it had no root it was withered up.
7 Enye yasiwela emeveni, ameva asekhula, ayiminyanisa, futhi ayithelanga isithelo.
And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and smothered it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 Njalo enye yawela emhlabathini omuhle; yathela isithelo esakhulayo sanda, yazala enye amatshumi amathathu, lenye amatshumi ayisithupha, lenye ikhulu.
And some fell into the good ground, and coming up and growing it started to produce fruit—yielding thirty times as much, sixty times as much, even a hundred times as much.”
9 Wasesithi kubo: Olendlebe zokuzwa, akezwe.
Then He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10 Kwathi eseyedwa, labo ababemphahlile kanye labalitshumi lambili bambuza ngomfanekiso.
But when He was alone, those who were around Him, with the twelve, asked Him about the parable.
11 Wasesithi kubo: Kuphiwe kini ukwazi imfihlo yombuso kaNkulunkulu; kodwa labo abangaphandle benzelwa izinto zonke ngemifanekiso;
So He said to them: “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, everything is being given in parables,
12 ukuze bebona babone, bangabonisisi; njalo besizwa bezwe, bangaqedisisi; hlezi loba nini baphenduke, bathethelelwe izono zabo.
so that: ‘Seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; so that they should not return and their sins be forgiven them.’”
13 Wasesithi kubo: Kaliwazi lumfanekiso yini? Pho lizayazi njani imifanekiso yonke?
Then He said to them: “Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
14 Umhlanyeli uhlanyela ilizwi.
The sower sows the Word.
15 Njalo abaseceleni kwendlela, yilabo lapho okuhlanyelwa khona ilizwi, futhi nxa belizwa, uSathane ahle afike alisuse ilizwi elihlanyelwe enhliziyweni zabo.
These are the ones where the Word is sown along the path: as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts.
16 Lalabo ngokunjalo abahlanyelwe emhlabathini olamatshe, abathi, lapho besizwa ilizwi, bahle balemukele ngentokozo,
Similarly, these are the ones sown on the rocky area: as soon as they hear the Word they receive it with joy,
17 njalo kabalampande phakathi kwabo, kodwa bahlala okwesikhathi; kuthi sekufika inkathazo kumbe ukuzingelwa ngenxa yelizwi, bahle bakhubeke.
but since they have no root in themselves they are temporary—when oppression or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away.
18 Lalaba yilabo abahlanyelwe emeveni, abalizwayo ilizwi,
And these are the ones sown among the thorns: they hear the Word,
19 kodwa impisekelo yalumhlaba, lenkohliso yenotho, lenkanuko yezinye izinto kungene kuminyanise ilizwi, futhi ibe ingasatheli. (aiōn g165)
but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the undue desires for other things come in and smother the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 Lalaba yilabo abahlanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle, abathi belizwile ilizwi, balemukele, bathele, enye amatshumi amathathu, lenye amatshumi ayisithupha, lenye ikhulu.
And these are the ones sown on the good ground: such people hear the Word, welcome it and produce fruit—thirty times as much, sixty times as much, even a hundred times as much.”
21 Wasesithi kubo: Kanti isibane silethwa ukuze sibekwe ngaphansi kwesitsha kumbe ngaphansi kombheda? Angithi ukuze sibekwe esiqobaneni sesibane?
Also He said to them: “The lamp is not brought to be put under a box or under a bed, is it? Is it not to be placed on its stand?
22 Ngoba kakukho okufihliweyo okungayikubonakaliswa; akukho okwenzeka kube yimfihlo, kodwa ukuze kube sobala.
For there is no ‘hidden’ that may not be exposed, nor has anything been concealed but that it should come to light.
23 Nxa umuntu elendlebe zokuzwa akezwe.
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
24 Wasesithi kubo: Qaphelisani elikuzwayo. Ngesilinganiso elilinganisa ngaso lizalinganiselwa ngaso, njalo lina elizwayo lizaphiwa ngokwengezelelweyo.
Then He said to them: “Pay attention to what you hear. With the same measure you use it will be measured to you in return; and to you who hear, more will be added.
25 Ngoba loba ngubani olakho, uzaphiwa; kodwa loba ngubani ongelakho, uzakwemukwa lalokho alakho.
Because whoever has, to him more will be given; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26 Wasesithi: Unjalo umbuso kaNkulunkulu, njengokuba nxa umuntu ephosa inhlanyelo emhlabathini,
He also said: “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter the seed on the ground
27 njalo alale abesevuka ebusuku lemini, lenhlanyelo imile njalo ikhule, yena kakwazi ukuthi njani.
and should sleep and get up night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
28 Ngoba umhlabathi uyathela ngokwawo, kuqala usungulo, kulandele isikhwebu, kulandele amabele apheleleyo esikhwetshini.
All by itself the earth produces fruit: first a shoot, then a head of grain, then full grain in the head.
29 Kodwa nxa sesivuthiwe isithelo, uhle athumeze isikela, ngoba ukuvuna sekufikile.
But as soon as the grain is ready, he sends in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 Wathi futhi: Sizawufananisa lani umbuso kaNkulunkulu? Kumbe sizawufananisa ngomfanekiso bani?
Again He said: “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or with what sort of parable should we illustrate it?
31 Unjengohlamvu lwemasitedi, oluthi nxa seluhlanyelwe emhlabathini, luncinyane kulazo zonke inhlamvu ezisemhlabeni;
It is like a mustard seed, that when it is sown on the ground is the smallest of all such seeds,
32 njalo nxa seluhlanyelwe, lukhule, lube lukhulu lwedlule izilimo zonke, lwenze ingatsha ezinkulu, kuze kuthi inyoni zezulu zingakhela ngaphansi komthunzi wazo.
yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden herbs and produces big branches, so that the birds of the air are able to rest in its shade.”
33 Waselikhuluma kubo ilizwi ngemifanekiso eminengi enjalo, njengamandla abo okuzwa;
It was with many such parables that He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34 kodwa ngaphandle komfanekiso kakhulumanga kubo; kodwa sebebodwa wabachasisela abafundi bakhe izinto zonke.
But apart from a parable He did not speak to them; privately, however, He would explain everything to His disciples.
35 Ngalolosuku sekuhlwile, wasesithi kubo: Asichapheleni ngaphetsheya.
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
36 Sebeyekele ixuku lahamba, bamthatha bahamba laye njengoba enjalo emkhunjini. Futhi leminye imikolo yayilaye.
Since He was already in the boat, they took off with Him, leaving the crowd behind (other little boats were also with Him).
37 Kwasekuvuka isiphepho esikhulu somoya; lamagagasi aphoseka emkhunjini, waze wagcwala khathesi.
Well a strong cyclonic wind came up, such that the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling up.
38 Njalo yena wayengemuva emkhunjini elele emqamelweni; basebemvusa, bathi kuye: Mfundisi, kawukhathali yini ukuthi siyabhubha?
But He was on the poop deck, sleeping on the cushion; so they awakened Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing?”
39 Wasevuka wakhuza umoya, wathi kulo ulwandle: Thula, uthi zwi! Umoya wasuqamuka, kwasekusiba khona ukuthula okukhulu.
Then, having been awakened, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Shut up; be muzzled!” So the wind stopped and there was a complete calm.
40 Wasesithi kubo: Kungani lisesaba kangaka? Kalilakholo ngani?
And He said to them: “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
41 Basebesesaba ngokwesaba okukhulu, bathi omunye komunye: Kanti ungubani lo, ukuthi lomoya lolwandle kumlalele?
They were terrified and started saying to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!?”
