< UMathewu 18 >
1 Ngalesosikhathi abafundi beza kuJesu, bathi: Kanti ngubani omkhulu embusweni wamazulu?
2 UJesu wasebizela kuye umntwana omncane wammisa phakathi kwabo,
3 wathi: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Ngaphandle kokuthi liphenduke libe njengabantwana abancane, kalisoze lingene embusweni wamazulu.
4 Ngakho lowo ozazithoba njengalumntwana omncane, nguye omkhulu embusweni wamazulu.
5 Njalo loba ngubani owemukela abe munye umntwana omncane onje ebizweni lami, wemukela mina.
6 Kodwa loba ngubani okhubekisa omunye walaba abancinyane abakholwa kimi, kungakuhle kuye ukuthi ilitshe lokuchola elikhulu lilengiswe entanyeni yakhe, abesetshoniswa enzikini yolwandle.
7 Maye kuwo umhlaba ngenxa yezikhubekiso! Ngoba izikhubekiso zimele ukufika; kodwa maye kulowomuntu, esifika ngaye isikhubekiso!
8 Njalo uba isandla sakho kumbe unyawo lwakho kukukhubekisa, kuqume ukulahlele khatshana lawe; kungcono kuwe ukungena ekuphileni uyingini kumbe uyisiqhwala, kulokuthi ulezandla ezimbili kumbe inyawo ezimbili uphoselwe emlilweni olaphakade. (aiōnios )
9 Futhi uba ilihlo lakho likukhubekisa, likhuphe ulilahlele khatshana lawe; kungcono kuwe ukungena ekuphileni ulelihlo elilodwa, kulokuthi ulamehlo amabili uphoselwe esihogweni somlilo. (Geenna )
10 Qaphelani lingadeleli omunye walaba abancinyane, ngoba ngithi kini: Emazulwini ingilosi zabo zihlala zibona ubuso bukaBaba osemazulwini.
11 Ngoba iNdodana yomuntu ize ukusindisa okwakulahlekile.
12 Licabangani? Uba umuntu othile elezimvu ezilikhulu, besekulahleka enye yazo, kazitshiyi yini ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye lasificamunwemunye, ahambe ezintabeni ukuyadinga elahlekileyo?
13 Futhi uba kungenzakala ukuthi ayithole, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uthokoza ngayo kakhulu kulalezo ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye lasificamunwemunye ezingalahlekanga.
14 Ngokunjalo kayisiyo intando kaYihlo osemazulwini ukuthi kubhubhe abe munye walaba abancinyane.
15 Kodwa nxa umfowenu ekona, hamba umsole phakathi kwakho laye lilodwa. Uba ekuzwa, umzuzile umfowenu;
16 kodwa uba engakuzwa, thatha abe munye kumbe babe babili kanye lawe futhi, ukuze lonke ilizwi liqiniswe ngomlomo wabafakazi ababili kumbe abathathu;
17 njalo nxa esala ukubezwa bona, tshela ibandla; uba esala ukuzwa lalo ibandla, kabe njengowezizwe lomthelisi kuwe.
18 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke elizakubopha emhlabeni, kuzakuba kubotshiwe ezulwini; njalo konke elizakukhulula emhlabeni, kuzakuba kukhululiwe ezulwini.
19 Njalo ngithi kini: Uba ababili benu bevumelana emhlabeni loba ngaluphi ulutho abalucelayo, bazalwenzelwa nguBaba osemazulwini.
20 Ngoba lapho ababili kumbe abathathu ababuthene khona ebizweni lami, ngikhona lapho phakathi kwabo.
21 UPetro wasemsondelela wathi: Nkosi, umfowethu uzangona kangaki, njalo ngimthethelela? Kuze kube kasikhombisa yini?
22 UJesu wathi kuye: Kangitsho kuwe ukuthi kuze kube kasikhombisa, kodwa kuze kube ngamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphindwe kasikhombisa.
23 Ngakho umbuso wamazulu ufananiswa lomuntu oyinkosi, owayethanda ukulandiselana lenceku zakhe.
24 Kwathi eseqalile ukulandisa, kwalethwa kuye enye elomlandu kuyo wamathalenta azinkulungwane ezilitshumi.
25 Kodwa njengoba yayingelalutho lokuhlawula, inkosi yayo yalaya ukuthi ithengiswe, lomkayo labantwana bayo, lakho konke elakho, besekuhlawulwa.
26 Ngakho inceku yawa phansi imkhothamela, yathi: Nkosi, ngibekezelela, futhi ngizakuhlawula konke.
27 Inkosi yaleyonceku yasisiba lesihelo yayikhulula, yayixolela umlandu.
28 Kodwa yaphuma leyonceku yathola omunye oyinceku kanye layo, olomlandu kuyo wabodenariyo abalikhulu, yambamba yamkhama, yathi: Ngihlawula okufaneleyo.
29 Ngakho oyinceku kanye layo wawa phansi ezinyaweni zayo wayincenga, wathi: Ungibekezelele, futhi ngizakuhlawula konke.
30 Kodwa yona kayivumanga, kodwa yasuka yayiphosela entolongweni, ize iwuhlawule umlandu.
31 Kwathi abayizinceku kanye layo bebona izinto ezazenzakele badabuka kakhulu; beza babikela inkosi yabo konke okwakwenzekile.
32 Inkosi yayo yasiyibizela kiyo yathi kiyo: Wena nceku embi, ngakuxolela wonke lowomlandu, ngoba wangincenga;
33 ngabe lawe kawumhawukelanga yini omunye oyinceku kanye lawe, njengoba lami ngakuhawukela?
34 Inkosi yayo yasithukuthela yayinikela kubahlukuluzi, ize ihlawule konke okufaneleyo kuyo.
35 Uzakwenza njalo kini laye uBaba osezulwini, uba lingathetheleli lowo lalowo umfowenu iziphambeko zabo ngenhliziyo zenu.