UMathewu 20
1 Ngoba umbuso wamazulu ufanana lomuntu ongumninindlu, owaphuma ekuseni kakhulu ukuqhatsha izisebenzi ziye esivinini sakhe;
“[In order to illustrate how God rewards people], I will compare [the way] God [MTY/EUP] rules his people with what the owner of an estate [did]. Early in the morning the owner of the estate went to [the market] where [people who wanted work gathered]. He went there to hire laborers to work in his vineyard.
2 esevumelene lezisebenzi ngodenariyo ngosuku, wazithuma esivinini sakhe.
He promised the men whom he hired that he would pay them the standard wage [for working] one day. Then he sent them to his vineyards.
3 Wasephuma sekungaba lihola lesithathu, wabona abanye bemi emdangeni bengenzi lutho;
At nine o’clock [that same morning] he went back [to the market]. There he saw more men who did not have work.
4 lakulabo wathi: Yanini lani esivinini; njalo loba yini efaneleyo ngizalinika yona. Bahamba-ke.
He said to them, ‘Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there]. I will pay you whatever is a just [wage].’ [So they also went to his vineyard and began to work].
5 Wabuya waphuma sekungaba lihola lesithupha langelesificamunwemunye, wenza njalo.
At noon and at three o’clock he again went [to the market] and found [other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage].
6 Kwathi sekungaba lihola letshumi lanye waphuma, wathola abanye bemi bengenzi lutho, wathi kubo: Limeleni lapha usuku lonke lingenzi lutho?
At five o’clock he went [to the market again] and saw other [men] standing [there who were not working]. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day and not working?’
7 Bathi kuye: Ngoba akulamuntu osiqhatshileyo. Wathi kubo: Yanini lani esivinini, njalo lizakwemukela loba kuyini okufaneleyo.
They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘[I will hire you]. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there.’ So they went].
8 Kwathi sekuntambama umninisivini wathi enduneni yakhe: Biza izisebenzi, uzibhadale iholo, uqale ngezokucina kuze kube ngezokuqala.
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Tell the men to come so that you can give them their wages. First, pay the men who started working last, and pay the men last who started working first.’
9 Kuthe befika abaqhatshwa ngehola letshumi lanye ngulowo lalowo wemukela udenariyo.
The [manager] paid the standard daily wage to each of the men who did not start working until five o’clock [in the afternoon].
10 Njalo sebezile abokuqala bacabanga ukuthi bazakwemukela okungaphezulu; kodwa labo bemukela udenariyo ngamunye.
When the men who had begun working early [in the morning] went [to get their wages], they thought that they would receive more than the standard wage. But they also received only the standard wage.
11 Kwathi beyemukela bamsola umninindlu,
So they complained to the owner of the vineyard [because they thought their payment was unfair].
12 besithi: Labo abokucina basebenze ihola elilodwa, kodwa ubalinganise lathi esithwele ubunzima bosuku lokutshisa.
They said [to him], ‘[You are not being fair!] The men who started working after [all of the rest of us started] worked for [only] one hour! You have [paid] them the same [wage] as [you paid] us! But we worked hard [all] day [IDM], [including working in the] hottest part of the day!’
13 Kodwa ephendula wathi komunye wabo: Mngane, angikoni; kanti kawuvumelananga lami ngodenariyo?
The owner of the vineyard said to one of those [who complained], ‘Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me [to work the whole day] for the standard wage [RHQ].
14 Thatha okwakho uhambe; ngiyathanda ukumnika lowokucina njengawe.
[Stop complaining to me]! Take your wage and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you [had begun working].
15 Kumbe angivunyelwa yini ukwenza engikuthandayo ngezinto zami? Loba ilihlo lakho libi yini, ngoba mina ngilungile?
I certainly have a right to [spend my money] as I desire [RHQ], [including paying those laborers what I desire to pay them]. (You should not be envious about my being generous!/Are you angry [MET] because I am generous?) [RHQ]’”
16 Kunjalo-ke abokucina bazakuba ngabokuqala, labokuqala ngabokucina; ngoba banengi ababiziweyo, kodwa balutshwana abakhethiweyo.
[Then Jesus said to us], “Similarly, [God will reward] well [some] people who [seem to be] less important now, and he will not reward [some] people who [seem to be] more important [now].”
17 Kwathi uJesu esesenyukela eJerusalema wathatha abalitshumi lambili bebodwa endleleni, wathi kubo:
When Jesus was walking [on the road] up to Jerusalem, [along with us] twelve [disciples], he took us to a place by ourselves [in order that he could talk to us privately]. Then he said to us,
18 Khangelani, senyukela eJerusalema, njalo iNdodana yomuntu izanikelwa kubapristi abakhulu lakubabhali; besebeyilahlela ukufa,
“Listen carefully! We are [now] going up to Jerusalem. [While we are there, someone] will enable the chief priests and the men who teach the [Jewish] laws to seize [me], the one who came from heaven, [and they will put me on trial]. They will condemn me [and say] that I should be killed {the authorities should kill me}.
19 bayinikele kwabezizwe ukuze bayiyangise bayitshaye ngesiswepu bayibethele; njalo ngosuku lwesithathu izabuya ivuke.
[Then they] will put me in the hands of non-Jews so that they can make fun of me, whip me, [and kill me by] nailing me to a cross. But on the third day [after that], [God] will cause me to live again.”
20 Kwasekusiza kuye unina wamadodana kaZebediya kanye lamadodana akhe, waguqa wacela ulutho kuye.
Then the mother of James and John brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.
21 Wasesithi kuye: Ufunani? Wathi kuye: Tshono ukuthi la amadodana ami amabili ahlale, enye ngakwesokunene sakho, lenye ngakwesokhohlo, embusweni wakho.
Jesus said to her, “What do you want [me to do for you]?” She said to him, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you (OR, Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you at your right side and at your left side) [and rule with you] [MTY] when you become king.”
22 Kodwa uJesu waphendula wathi: Kalikwazi elikucelayo. Linganatha yini inkezo engizayinatha mina, njalo libhabhathizwe ngobhabhathizo engibhabhathizwa ngalo mina? Bathi kuye: Singakwenza.
Jesus said to [her and her sons], “You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer [IDM]?” [James and John] answered him, “Yes, we are able [to do that].”
23 Wasesithi kubo: Ngeqiniso lizayinatha inkezo yami, libhabhathizwe ngobhabhathizo mina engizabhabhathizwa ngalo; kodwa ukuhlala ngakwesokunene sami langakwesokhohlo sami, kayisikho okwami ukuphana ngakho, kodwa kungokwalabo abakulungiselweyo nguBaba.
Then Jesus said to them, “Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer [IDM]. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who [will] sit next to me [and rule with me]. [God], my Father, will give those places [MTY] to the ones whom he appoints.”
24 Kwathi sebezwile abalitshumi, bathukuthela ngezelamani ezimbili.
When we ten [other disciples] heard [what James and John had requested], we became angry with them [because we also wanted to rule with Jesus in the highest positions].
25 Kodwa uJesu wababizela kuye wathi: Liyazi ukuthi ababusi bezizwe bayazibusa ngobulukhuni, lezikhulu zisebenzisa amandla phezu kwazo.
[So] Jesus called all of us together and said [to us], “You know that those who rule the non-Jews [enjoy] showing them that they are powerful. Their chief rulers [enjoy] commanding the people under them.
26 Kodwa akuyikuba njalo phakathi kwenu; kodwa loba ngubani othanda ukuba ngomkhulu phakathi kwenu kabe yisisebenzi senu;
You [should] not be like them. On the contrary, everyone among you who wants [God to consider] him great must become [like] a servant for [the rest of] you.
27 njalo loba ngubani othanda ukuba ngowokuqala phakathi kwenu kabe yisisebenzi senu;
And everyone among you who wants [God to consider him] to be the most important must become [like] a slave for [the rest of] you.
28 njengalokhu iNdodana yomuntu kayizanga ukukhonzwa, kodwa ukukhonza, lokunika impilo yayo ibe lihlawulo labanengi.
[You should imitate me]. [Even though I am] the one who came from heaven, I did not come to be served {in order that people would serve me}. On the contrary, I [came in order] to serve [others] and to [IDM] allow myself to be killed {other people to kill me}, so that [my dying would be like] a payment to rescue many [people from being punished for their sins].” [MTY]
29 Kwathi bephuma eJeriko, ixuku elikhulu lamlandela.
As we were leaving Jericho [city], a large crowd of people followed [us].
30 Njalo khangela, iziphofu ezimbili zihlezi endleleni, sezizwile ukuthi uJesu uyadlula, zamemeza, zathi: Sihawukele, Nkosi, Ndodana kaDavida!
[As we walked along, we saw] two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they yelled [to him], “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Take pity on us!”
31 Ixuku laselizikhuza ukuthi zithule, kodwa zamemeza kakhulu, zisithi: Sihawukele, Nkosi, Ndodana kaDavida!
[People in] the crowd scolded them [and] told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Have pity on us!”
32 UJesu wasesima wazibiza, wathi: Lifuna ukuthi ngilenzeleni?
Jesus stopped and called them [to come to him]. [Then] he said [to them], “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 Zathi kuye: Nkosi, ukuthi amehlo ethu avuleke.
They said to him, “Lord, heal our eyes [IDM] [so that we can see]!”
34 UJesu esesiba lesihelo wathinta amehlo azo; njalo amehlo azo ahle abuya abona, zasezimlandela.
Jesus [felt] sorry [for them and] touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went with Jesus.
