UMathewu 23
1 Khona uJesu wakhuluma emaxukwini lakubafundi bakhe,
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to his disciples,
2 esithi: Ababhali labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMozisi;
saying: The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat:
3 ngakho konke lokhu abalitshela khona ukuthi likugcine, kugcineni likwenze; kodwa lingenzi njengokwemisebenzi yabo, ngoba bayakhuluma bangenzi.
therefore, all things that they command you to observe, observe and do. But do not according to their works: for they command, and do not.
4 Ngoba bayabopha imithwalo enzima njalo elukhuni ukuthwalwa, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa kabafuni ukuyisusa ngomunwe wabo.
For they bind up burdens that are heavy and hard to be borne, and lay them on the shoulders of men; but they refuse to move them with one of their fingers.
5 Njalo imisebenzi yabo yonke bayenza ukuze babonwe ngabantu; ngoba benza amafilakteriyu abo abe banzi, njalo bakhulisa intshaka zezembatho zabo;
And they do all their works for the purpose of being seen by men. They make their amulets broad, and enlarge the fringes of their mantles.
6 bathanda izihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama, lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni,
They also love the most honorable places at suppers, and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 lokubingelelwa emidangeni, lokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi: Rabi, Rabi.
and salutations in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 Kodwa lina kalingabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu; njalo lina lonke lingabazalwane.
But you must not be called Rabbi; for one is your leader, and all of you are brethren.
9 Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi nguyihlo; ngoba munye onguYihlo, osemazulwini;
And call no man on earth your father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 kalingabizwa ngokuthi lingabafundisi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu.
And be not called leaders; for one is your leader, the Christ.
11 Kodwa omkhulu kini uzakuba yinceku yenu.
And the greatest among you shall be your minister.
12 Lalowo oziphakamisayo, uzathotshiswa; lalowo ozithobayo, uzaphakanyiswa.
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
13 Kodwa maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba livalela abantu umbuso wamazulu; ngoba kalingeni lina, labangenayo kalibavumeli ukuthi bangene.
But alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you eat up the houses of widows, and for a pretext make long prayers. For this reason, you shall receive the greater condemnation.
14 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lidla izindlu zabafelokazi, langokuzenzisa lenza imikhuleko emide; ngakho lizakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you close the kingdom of heaven in the face of men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you suffer those who are entering, to go in.
15 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba libhoda ulwandle lomhlaba ukuthi lenze abe munye ophendukela kumaJuda, kuthi nxa esenziwe njalo, limenze umntwana wesihogo ngokuphindwe kabili kulani. (Geenna g1067)
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Maye kini, bakhokheli abayiziphofu, abathi: Loba ngubani ofunga ngethempeli, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngegolide lethempeli, ulomlandu.
Alas for you, blind guides! who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, becomes a debtor.
17 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide, kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele?
Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 Njalo: Loba ngubani ofunga ngelathi, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngomnikelo ophezu kwalo, ulomlandu.
And, Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gift that is on it, becomes a debtor.
19 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo, kumbe ilathi elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele?
Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Ngakho ofunga ngelathi ufunga ngalo langakho konke okuphezu kwalo;
Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it.
21 lofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo langaye ohlala kulo;
And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells in it.
22 lofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlala phezu kwaso.
And he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits upon it.
23 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lithela okwetshumi kwetshwayi leganga ledile lekhumini; liyekele okunzima komlayo, ukwahlulela lesihawu lokholo; belifanele ukwenza lezizinto, lingaziyekeli lalezo.
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, its justice, its mercy, and its faithfulness. These you ought to have done, and those you ought not to have neglected.
24 Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, likhetha umiyane, kodwa liginye ikamela.
Blind guides! who strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel.
25 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lihlambulula ingaphandle yenkezo leyomganu, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuphanga lobuhwaba.
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and the plate; but within they are full of rapine and excess.
26 MFarisi oyisiphofu! Hlambulula kuqala ingaphakathi yenkezo leyomganu, ukuze kuhlambuluke lengaphandle yakho.
Blind Pharisee! first make clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may be clean.
27 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lifanana lamangcwaba aconjwe aba mhlophe, abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo lokungcola konke.
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitened sepulchers, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Kunjalo lani ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini lilungile, kanti ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
So also you outwardly appear to men to be just, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaprofethi, licecise amangcwaba abalungileyo,
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchers of the righteous,
30 lithi: Uba besikhona ensukwini zabobaba bethu, besingayikuhlanganyela labo egazini labaprofethi.
and say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Kunjalo liyazifakazela lina ukuthi lingamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi;
So then you testify against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets.
32 lina-ke gcwalisani isilinganiso saboyihlo!
Do you also fill up the measure of your fathers.
Serpents, generation of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Ngakho, khangelani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi labahlakaniphileyo lababhali; labanye babo lizababulala libabethele; labanye lizabatshaya ngesiswepu emasinagogeni enu libazingele imizi ngemizi;
For this reason, behold, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;
35 ukuze kwehlele phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini likaAbela olungileyo, kuze kufike egazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya, elambulala phakathi kwethempeli lelathi.
that upon you may come all the righteous blood which has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just to the blood of Zachariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Zonke lezizinto zizakwehlela phezu kwalesisizukulwana.
Verily I say to you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi njalo obakhanda ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe! Bengithanda kangakanani ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho, njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwempiko, kodwa kalivumanga.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest those who are sent to thee, how often have I desired to gather thy children together, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, and you refused.
38 Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiyiwe kini ilunxiwa.
Behold, your house is left to you deserted.
39 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kalisoze langibona kusukela khathesi, lize lithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi.
For I say to you, That you shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
