UMathewu 12
1 Ngalesosikhathi uJesu wadabula emasimini amabele ngesabatha; njalo abafundi bakhe babelambile, baqala ukukha izikhwebu, badla.
About the same time Jesus walked through the corn-fields one Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some ears of wheat and eat them.
2 Kodwa abaFarisi bekubona bathi kuye: Khangela, abafundi bakho benza okungavunyelwanga ukwenziwa ngesabatha.
But, when the Pharisees saw this, they said: “Look! your disciples are doing what it is not allowable to do on a Sabbath!”
3 Kodwa wathi kubo: Kalifundanga yini uDavida akwenzayo, mhla elambile yena lababelaye;
“Have not you read,” replied Jesus, “what David did, when he and his companions were hungry —
4 ukuthi wangena njani endlini kaNkulunkulu, wadla izinkwa zokubukiswa, ayengavunyelwa ukuzidla, ngitsho lababelaye, ngaphandle kwabapristi bodwa?
how he went into the House of God, and how they ate the consecrated bread, through it was not allowable for him or his companions to eat it, but only for the priests?
5 Ingabe kalifundanga yini emlayweni, ukuthi ngamasabatha abapristi bayalona isabatha ethempelini, bangabi lacala?
And have not you read in the law that, on the Sabbath, the priest in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?
6 Kodwa ngithi kini: Kukhona lapha omkhulu kulethempeli.
Here, however, I tell you, there is something greater than the Temple!
7 Kodwa aluba belisazi ukuthi kutshoni ukuthi: Ngifisa isihawu hatshi umhlatshelo, ngabe kalibalahlanga abangelacala.
And had you learned the meaning of the words — ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned those who are not guilty.
8 Ngoba iNdodana yomuntu iyiNkosi leyesabatha.
For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Futhi wasuka lapho wangena esinagogeni labo;
Passing on, Jesus went into their Synagogue,
10 njalo khangela, kwakukhona umuntu olesandla esitshwabheneyo; basebembuza besithi: Kuvunyelwe yini ukusilisa ngamasabatha? ukuze bambeke icala.
and there he saw a man with a withered hand. Some people asked Jesus whether it was allowable to work a cure on the Sabbath — so that they might have a charge to bring against him.
11 Kodwa wathi kubo: Nguwuphi umuntu phakathi kwenu, elemvu eyodwa, futhi uba yona iwele emgodini ngesabatha, ongayikuyibamba ayikhuphule?
But Jesus said to them: “Which of you, if he had only one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?
12 Umuntu uyedlula-ke kangakanani imvu! Ngakho kuvunyelwe ukwenza okuhle ngamasabatha.
And how much more precious a man is than a sheep! Therefore it is allowable to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Wasesithi kumuntu: Yelula isandla sakho. Waseselula, sasesisiliswa saphila njengesinye.
Then he said to the man. “Stretch out your hand.” The man stretched it out; and it had become as sound as the other.
14 Basebephuma abaFarisi becebisana ngaye, ukuthi bangambulala njani.
On coming out, the Pharisees plotted against Jesus, to put him to death.
15 Kodwa uJesu esekwazi wasuka lapho; amaxuku amakhulu asemlandela, wasebasilisa bonke.
Jesus, however, became aware of it, and went away from that place. A number of people followed him, and he cured them all;
16 Wasebalayisisa ukuthi bangamvezi;
but he warned them not to make him known,
17 ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa nguIsaya umprofethi, ukuthi:
in fulfilment of these words in the Prophet Isaiah —
18 Khangela, inceku yami engiyikhethileyo; othandekayo wami othokoza ngaye umphefumulo wami; ngizabeka uMoya wami phezu kwakhe, njalo uzatshumayela ukwahlulela kwabezizwe.
‘Behold! the Servant of my Choice, My Beloved, in whom my heart delights! I will breathe my spirit upon him, and he shall announce a time of judgment to the Gentiles.
19 Kayikubangisa, kayikumemeza, njalo kakho ozalizwa ilizwi lakhe ezindleleni.
He shall not contend, nor cry aloud, Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets;
20 Umhlanga ofecekileyo kayikuwephula, lentambo yesibane ethunqayo kayikuyicitsha, aze aphumelelise ukwahlulela ekunqobeni.
a bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not quench, Till he has brought the judgment to a victorious issue,
21 Lezizwe zizathemba ebizweni lakhe.
and on his name shall the Gentiles rest their hopes.”
22 Kwasekulethwa kuye ongenwe lidimoni, eyisiphofu lesimungulu; wasemsilisa, kwaze kwathi isiphofu esiyisimungulu sakhuluma njalo sabona.
Then some people brought to Jesus a possessed man, who was blind and dumb; and he cured him, so that the man who had been dumb both talked and saw.
23 Asemangala amaxuku wonke athi: Lo kayisiyo yini iNdodana kaDavida?
At this all the people were astounded. “Is it possible that this is the son of David?” they exclaimed.
24 Kodwa abaFarisi sebezwile bathi: Lumuntu kakhuphi amadimoni, ngaphandle ngoBhelezebhule inkosi yamadimoni.
But the Pharisees heard of it and said: “He drives out demons only by the help of Baal-zebub the chief of the demons.”
25 Kodwa uJesu, eseyazi imicabango yabo, wathi kubo: Wonke umbuso owehlukene umelene lawo ngokwawo uyachitheka; lawo wonke umuzi kumbe indlu eyehlukene imelene layo ngokwayo ingeze yema.
Jesus, however, was aware of what was passing in their minds, and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself becomes a desolation, and any town or household divided against itself will not last.
26 Njalo uba uSathane ekhupha uSathane, wehlukene emelene laye ngokwakhe; pho umbuso wakhe uzakuma njani?
So, if Satan drives Satan out, he must be divided against himself; and how, then, can his kingdom last?
27 Futhi uba mina ngikhupha amadimoni ngoBhelezebhule, amadodana enu akhupha ngobani? Ngakho wona azakuba ngabagwebi benu.
And, if it is by Baal-zebub’s help that I drive out demons, by whose help is it that your own sons drive them out? Therefore they shall themselves be your judges.
28 Kodwa uba mina ngikhupha amadimoni ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu, umbuso kaNkulunkulu usufikile kini.
But, if it is by the help of the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God must already be upon you.
29 Kumbe umuntu angangena njani endlini yesiqhwaga aphange impahla yaso, ngaphandle kokuthi asibophe kuqala isiqhwaga? Abesephanga-ke indlu yaso.
How, again, can any one get into a strong man’s house and carry off his goods, without first securing him? And not till then will he plunder his house.
30 Ongelami, umelene lami, longabuthi lami, uyachithiza.
He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not help me to gather is scattering.
31 Ngakho ngithi kini: Abantu bazathethelelwa sonke isono lokuhlambaza; kodwa ukuhlambaza uMoya kakuyikuthethelelwa abantu.
Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven every sin and slander; but slander against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Lalowo okhuluma ilizwi elimelana leNdodana yomuntu, uzathethelelwa; kodwa lowo okhuluma emelana loMoya oyiNgcwele, kayikuthethelelwa, kungeyisikho kulesisikhathi loba kwesizayo. (aiōn g165)
Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in the present age, or in the age to come. (aiōn g165)
33 Loba yenzani isihlahla sibe ngesilungileyo, lesithelo saso sibe ngesilungileyo, kumbe lenze isihlahla sibe sibi, lesithelo saso sibe sibi, ngoba isihlahla saziwa ngesithelo.
You must assume either that both tree and fruit are good, or that both tree and fruit are worthless; since it is by its fruits that a tree is known.
34 Nzalo yezinyoka, lingakhuluma njani izinto ezinhle, libabi? Ngoba umlomo ukhuluma ngokugcwala kwenhliziyo.
You brood of vipers! how can you, evil as you are, say anything good? For what fills the heart will rise to the lips.
35 Umuntu olungileyo ukhupha izinto ezilungileyo kokuligugu elilungileyo lenhliziyo; lomuntu omubi ukhupha izinto ezimbi kokuligugu elibi.
A good man, from his good stores, produces good things; while an evil man, from his evil stores, produces evil things.
36 Kodwa ngithi kini: Lonke ilizwi eliyize abalikhulumayo abantu, bazaziphendulela ngalo ngosuku lokwahlulela.
I tell you that for every careless thing that men say, they must answer on the ‘Day of Judgment.’
37 Ngoba ngamazwi akho uzalungisiswa, langamazwi akho uzalahlwa.
For it is by your words that you will be acquitted, and by your words that you will be condemned.”
38 Abanye bababhali labaFarisi basebephendula, bathi: Mfundisi, sifuna ukubona isibonakaliso esivela kuwe.
At this point, some Teachers of the Law and Pharisees interposed. “Teacher,” they said, “we want to see some sign from you.”
39 Kodwa waphendula wathi kubo: Isizukulwana esibi lesifebayo sidinga isibonakaliso; kodwa kasiyikunikwa isibonakaliso, ngaphandle kwesibonakaliso sikaJona umprofethi.
“It is a wicked and unfaithful generation,” answered Jesus, “that is asking for a sign, and no sign shall be given it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.
40 Ngoba njengalokhu uJona waba sesiswini sensikabayitshiye insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu, ngokunjalo iNdodana yomuntu izakuba semathunjini omhlaba insuku ezintathu lobusuku obuthathu.
For, just as ‘Jonah was inside the sea-monster three days and three nights,’ so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 Amadoda eNineve azasukuma ekugwetshweni kanye lalesisizukulwana, asilahle; ngoba aphenduka ngokutshumayela kukaJona; njalo khangelani, omkhulu kuloJona ulapha.
At the Judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and here is more than a Jonah!
42 Indlovukazi yeningizimu izasukuma ekugwetshweni kanye lalesisizukulwana, isilahle; ngoba yavela emikhawulweni yomhlaba ukuzakuzwa inhlakanipho kaSolomoni; njalo khangelani, omkhulu kuloSolomoni ulapha.
At the Judgment the Queen of the South will rise up with the present generation, and will condemn it, because she came from the very ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and here is more than a Solomon!
43 Kodwa nxa umoya ongcolileyo esephumile emuntwini, uyahamba adabule indawo ezomileyo, edinga ukuphumula, kodwa engakutholi.
No sooner does a foul spirit leave a man, than it passes through places where there is no water, in search of rest, and does not find it.
44 Abesesithi: Ngizabuyela endlini yami engaphuma kuyo; njalo esefikile ayifice ize, ithanyelwe, njalo ilungisiwe.
Then it says ‘I will go back to the home which I left’; but, on coming there, it finds it unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.
45 Abesehamba athathe kanye laye abanye omoya abayisikhombisa ababi kulaye uqobo, besebengena bahlale khona; njalo ukucina kwalowomuntu kube kubi kulokuqala. Kuzakuba njalo lakulesisizukulwana esibi.
Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in, and make their home there; and the last state of that man proves to be worse than the first. So, too, will it be with this wicked generation.”
46 Kwathi esakhuluma emaxukwini, khangela, unina labafowabo bema ngaphandle, bedinga ukukhuluma laye.
While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside, asking to speak to him.
47 Omunye wasesithi kuye: Khangela, unyoko labafowenu bemi phandle, bedinga ukukhuluma lawe.
Someone told him this, and Jesus replied:
48 Kodwa waphendula wathi komtshelileyo: Ngubani umama? Labafowethu ngobani?
“Who is my mother? and who are my brothers?”
49 Waseselulela isandla sakhe kubafundi bakhe wathi: Khangelani, umama labafowethu.
Then, stretching out his hands towards his disciples, he said: “Here are my mother and my brothers!
50 Ngoba loba ngubani owenza intando kaBaba osemazulwini, nguye ongumfowethu lodadewethu lomama.
For any one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
