UMathewu 23
1 Khona uJesu wakhuluma emaxukwini lakubafundi bakhe,
THEN spake Jesus to the multitude, 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.
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 Ngoba bayabopha imithwalo enzima njalo elukhuni ukuthwalwa, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa kabafuni ukuyisusa ngomunwe wabo.
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not 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;
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 bathanda izihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama, lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni,
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 lokubingelelwa emidangeni, lokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi: Rabi, Rabi.
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 Kodwa lina kalingabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu; njalo lina lonke lingabazalwane.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi nguyihlo; ngoba munye onguYihlo, osemazulwini;
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 kalingabizwa ngokuthi lingabafundisi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 Kodwa omkhulu kini uzakuba yinceku yenu.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Lalowo oziphakamisayo, uzathotshiswa; lalowo ozithobayo, uzaphakanyiswa.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 Kodwa maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba livalela abantu umbuso wamazulu; ngoba kalingeni lina, labangenayo kalibavumeli ukuthi bangene.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lidla izindlu zabafelokazi, langokuzenzisa lenza imikhuleko emide; ngakho lizakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
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)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the 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.
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide, kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele?
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 Njalo: Loba ngubani ofunga ngelathi, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngomnikelo ophezu kwalo, ulomlandu.
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo, kumbe ilathi elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele?
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Ngakho ofunga ngelathi ufunga ngalo langakho konke okuphezu kwalo;
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 lofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo langaye ohlala kulo;
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 lofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlala phezu kwaso.
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lithela okwetshumi kwetshwayi leganga ledile lekhumini; liyekele okunzima komlayo, ukwahlulela lesihawu lokholo; belifanele ukwenza lezizinto, lingaziyekeli lalezo.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, likhetha umiyane, kodwa liginye ikamela.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lihlambulula ingaphandle yenkezo leyomganu, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuphanga lobuhwaba.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 MFarisi oyisiphofu! Hlambulula kuqala ingaphakathi yenkezo leyomganu, ukuze kuhlambuluke lengaphandle yakho.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lifanana lamangcwaba aconjwe aba mhlophe, abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo lokungcola konke.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Kunjalo lani ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini lilungile, kanti ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaprofethi, licecise amangcwaba abalungileyo,
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres 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;
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 lina-ke gcwalisani isilinganiso saboyihlo!
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation 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;
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them 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 shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Zonke lezizinto zizakwehlela phezu kwalesisizukulwana.
Verily I say unto 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.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiyiwe kini ilunxiwa.
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kalisoze langibona kusukela khathesi, lize lithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi.
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
