UMathewu 23
1 Khona uJesu wakhuluma emaxukwini lakubafundi bakhe,
Then Yeshua spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2 esithi: Ababhali labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMozisi;
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
3 ngakho konke lokhu abalitshela khona ukuthi likugcine, kugcineni likwenze; kodwa lingenzi njengokwemisebenzi yabo, ngoba bayakhuluma bangenzi.
All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
4 Ngoba bayabopha imithwalo enzima njalo elukhuni ukuthwalwa, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa kabafuni ukuyisusa ngomunwe wabo.
For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
5 Njalo imisebenzi yabo yonke bayenza ukuze babonwe ngabantu; ngoba benza amafilakteriyu abo abe banzi, njalo bakhulisa intshaka zezembatho zabo;
But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6 bathanda izihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama, lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni,
and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 lokubingelelwa emidangeni, lokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi: Rabi, Rabi.
the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
8 Kodwa lina kalingabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu; njalo lina lonke lingabazalwane.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your Rabbi, the Messiah, and all of you are brothers.
9 Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi nguyihlo; ngoba munye onguYihlo, osemazulwini;
Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 kalingabizwa ngokuthi lingabafundisi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu.
Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Messiah.
11 Kodwa omkhulu kini uzakuba yinceku yenu.
But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Lalowo oziphakamisayo, uzathotshiswa; lalowo ozithobayo, uzaphakanyiswa.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 Kodwa maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba livalela abantu umbuso wamazulu; ngoba kalingeni lina, labangenayo kalibavumeli ukuthi bangene.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
14 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lidla izindlu zabafelokazi, langokuzenzisa lenza imikhuleko emide; ngakho lizakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehinnom as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Maye kini, bakhokheli abayiziphofu, abathi: Loba ngubani ofunga ngethempeli, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngegolide lethempeli, ulomlandu.
“Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
17 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide, kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele?
You blind fools! 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 swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
19 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo, kumbe ilathi elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele?
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Ngakho ofunga ngelathi ufunga ngalo langakho konke okuphezu kwalo;
He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
21 lofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo langaye ohlala kulo;
He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
22 lofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlala phezu kwaso.
He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on 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.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Torah: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
24 Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, likhetha umiyane, kodwa liginye ikamela.
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
25 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lihlambulula ingaphandle yenkezo leyomganu, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuphanga lobuhwaba.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
26 MFarisi oyisiphofu! Hlambulula kuqala ingaphakathi yenkezo leyomganu, ukuze kuhlambuluke lengaphandle yakho.
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
28 Kunjalo lani ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini lilungile, kanti ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaprofethi, licecise amangcwaba abalungileyo,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
30 lithi: Uba besikhona ensukwini zabobaba bethu, besingayikuhlanganyela labo egazini labaprofethi.
and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 Kunjalo liyazifakazela lina ukuthi lingamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi;
Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
32 lina-ke gcwalisani isilinganiso saboyihlo!
Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehinnom? (Geenna g1067)
34 Ngakho, khangelani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi labahlakaniphileyo lababhali; labanye babo lizababulala libabethele; labanye lizabatshaya ngesiswepu emasinagogeni enu libazingele imizi ngemizi;
Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. 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 on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Zonke lezizinto zizakwehlela phezu kwalesisizukulwana.
Most certainly I tell you, all these things will 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, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
38 Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiyiwe kini ilunxiwa.
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
39 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kalisoze langibona kusukela khathesi, lize lithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi.
For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
