UMakho 4
1 Wasebuya waqala ukufundisa ngaselwandle; kwasekubuthana kuye ixuku elikhulu, waze wangena emkhunjini wahlala olwandle; njalo ixuku lonke lalisemhlabathini ngaselwandle.
Afterwards Jesus began to teach by the seaside, and a vast multitude of people gathered about him, so that he went on board a boat on the sea, and sat there, while all the people stayed on shore, at the water’s edge.
2 Wasebafundisa izinto ezinengi ngemifanekiso, lekufundiseni kwakhe wathi kubo:
Then he began teaching them in parables many things. In his teaching he said to them.
3 Lalelani; khangelani, kwaphuma umhlanyeli ukuyahlanyela.
"Listen! the Sower once went out to sow,
4 Kwasekusithi ekuhlanyeleni, enye yawela eceleni kwendlela, kwasekufika inyoni zezulu zayidla zayiqeda.
and as he sowed, it happened that some seed fell on the road, and birds came and picked it up;
5 Njalo enye yawela emhlabathini olamatshe, lapho eyayingelamhlabathi omnengi khona; futhi yahle yamila, ngoba yayingelakutshona komhlabathi;
some other seed fell on stony soil, where it had not much earth; and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil,
6 kwathi ekuphumeni kwelanga yahangulwa yabuna ngoba yayingelampande.
but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away because it had no root.
7 Enye yasiwela emeveni, ameva asekhula, ayiminyanisa, futhi ayithelanga isithelo.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so that it yielded no crop.
8 Njalo enye yawela emhlabathini omuhle; yathela isithelo esakhulayo sanda, yazala enye amatshumi amathathu, lenye amatshumi ayisithupha, lenye ikhulu.
But some seed fell into good soil and yielded a crop that sprang up and increased, yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
9 Wasesithi kubo: Olendlebe zokuzwa, akezwe.
"Any one who has ears to hear," he added, "let him listen to this."
10 Kwathi eseyedwa, labo ababemphahlile kanye labalitshumi lambili bambuza ngomfanekiso.
When he was alone his followers and the Twelve began asking about the parables.
11 Wasesithi kubo: Kuphiwe kini ukwazi imfihlo yombuso kaNkulunkulu; kodwa labo abangaphandle benzelwa izinto zonke ngemifanekiso;
He went on to say to them. "The secret truth concerning the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside everything is told in parables,
12 ukuze bebona babone, bangabonisisi; njalo besizwa bezwe, bangaqedisisi; hlezi loba nini baphenduke, bathethelelwe izono zabo.
so that, "for all their looking they may not see, and for all their hearing, they may not understand, lest perchance they should turn and be pardoned.
13 Wasesithi kubo: Kaliwazi lumfanekiso yini? Pho lizayazi njani imifanekiso yonke?
"You do not understand this parable," said Jesus. "Then how will you understand the other parables?
14 Umhlanyeli uhlanyela ilizwi.
"What the Sower sows is the Word. There are those ‘on the wayside’ where the Word is sown.
15 Njalo abaseceleni kwendlela, yilabo lapho okuhlanyelwa khona ilizwi, futhi nxa belizwa, uSathane ahle afike alisuse ilizwi elihlanyelwe enhliziyweni zabo.
As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and snatches away the Word which has been sown in them.
16 Lalabo ngokunjalo abahlanyelwe emhlabathini olamatshe, abathi, lapho besizwa ilizwi, bahle balemukele ngentokozo,
And like the sowing upon ‘stony ground’ are those who, whenever they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy,
17 njalo kabalampande phakathi kwabo, kodwa bahlala okwesikhathi; kuthi sekufika inkathazo kumbe ukuzingelwa ngenxa yelizwi, bahle bakhubeke.
but because they have no root in themselves they last for a time; but when suffering or persecution ensues because of the Word, they at once fall away.
18 Lalaba yilabo abahlanyelwe emeveni, abalizwayo ilizwi,
There are others who are ‘sown among thorns.’
19 kodwa impisekelo yalumhlaba, lenkohliso yenotho, lenkanuko yezinye izinto kungene kuminyanise ilizwi, futhi ibe ingasatheli. (aiōn g165)
When they have heard the Word, the anxieties of life and the snares of wealth, and all sorts of other ambitions, come in to choke the Word, so that it proves unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 Lalaba yilabo abahlanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle, abathi belizwile ilizwi, balemukele, bathele, enye amatshumi amathathu, lenye amatshumi ayisithupha, lenye ikhulu.
But those, on the other hand, who were sown on that good soil, are those who listen to the Word, and welcome it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold."
21 Wasesithi kubo: Kanti isibane silethwa ukuze sibekwe ngaphansi kwesitsha kumbe ngaphansi kombheda? Angithi ukuze sibekwe esiqobaneni sesibane?
He went on to say. "Is the lamp brought in to be put under the bushel or the bed? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?
22 Ngoba kakukho okufihliweyo okungayikubonakaliswa; akukho okwenzeka kube yimfihlo, kodwa ukuze kube sobala.
There is nothing hidden except what is to be disclosed, and nothing concealed except what is to be revealed.
23 Nxa umuntu elendlebe zokuzwa akezwe.
If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 Wasesithi kubo: Qaphelisani elikuzwayo. Ngesilinganiso elilinganisa ngaso lizalinganiselwa ngaso, njalo lina elizwayo lizaphiwa ngokwengezelelweyo.
And he said to them. "Take heed what you hear. With what measure you measure it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.
25 Ngoba loba ngubani olakho, uzaphiwa; kodwa loba ngubani ongelakho, uzakwemukwa lalokho alakho.
For he who holds, to him will more be given, and he who holds not, from him will be taken even what he holds."
26 Wasesithi: Unjalo umbuso kaNkulunkulu, njengokuba nxa umuntu ephosa inhlanyelo emhlabathini,
"It is with the kingdom of God," he continued, "as if a man should have sown seed in the earth;
27 njalo alale abesevuka ebusuku lemini, lenhlanyelo imile njalo ikhule, yena kakwazi ukuthi njani.
night and day he sleeps and wakes while the seed is sprouting and growing tall, he knows not how.
28 Ngoba umhlabathi uyathela ngokwawo, kuqala usungulo, kulandele isikhwebu, kulandele amabele apheleleyo esikhwetshini.
Of its own accord the earth bears its crops; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 Kodwa nxa sesivuthiwe isithelo, uhle athumeze isikela, ngoba ukuvuna sekufikile.
Then as soon as the crop is ready the man has the sickle put in at once, because harvest-time is come.
30 Wathi futhi: Sizawufananisa lani umbuso kaNkulunkulu? Kumbe sizawufananisa ngomfanekiso bani?
"To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?" he said again. "in what parable shall we set it forth?
31 Unjengohlamvu lwemasitedi, oluthi nxa seluhlanyelwe emhlabathini, luncinyane kulazo zonke inhlamvu ezisemhlabeni;
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the soil, is the smallest seed in the world;
32 njalo nxa seluhlanyelwe, lukhule, lube lukhulu lwedlule izilimo zonke, lwenze ingatsha ezinkulu, kuze kuthi inyoni zezulu zingakhela ngaphansi komthunzi wazo.
yet when sown shoots up and becomes larger than any plant, sending out such branches that the wild birds build their nests under its shadow."
33 Waselikhuluma kubo ilizwi ngemifanekiso eminengi enjalo, njengamandla abo okuzwa;
With many such illustrations Jesus used to tell his message to people as far as they were able to receive it;
34 kodwa ngaphandle komfanekiso kakhulumanga kubo; kodwa sebebodwa wabachasisela abafundi bakhe izinto zonke.
and to them it was his practice never to speak except in parables. But he used to explain everything in private to his disciples.
35 Ngalolosuku sekuhlwile, wasesithi kubo: Asichapheleni ngaphetsheya.
On the evening of that same day Jesus 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.
So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them just as he was in the boat; and the other boats were with him.
37 Kwasekuvuka isiphepho esikhulu somoya; lamagagasi aphoseka emkhunjini, waze wagcwala khathesi.
But a great gale of wind came up, and the waves were dashing into the boat so that it began to fill.
38 Njalo yena wayengemuva emkhunjini elele emqamelweni; basebemvusa, bathi kuye: Mfundisi, kawukhathali yini ukuthi siyabhubha?
Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"
39 Wasevuka wakhuza umoya, wathi kulo ulwandle: Thula, uthi zwi! Umoya wasuqamuka, kwasekusiba khona ukuthula okukhulu.
And he awoke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"
40 Wasesithi kubo: Kungani lisesaba kangaka? Kalilakholo ngani?
The wind fell, and there ensued a great calm. Then he said to them. "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
41 Basebesesaba ngokwesaba okukhulu, bathi omunye komunye: Kanti ungubani lo, ukuthi lomoya lolwandle kumlalele?
Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"
