< UMathewu 23 >
1 Khona uJesu wakhuluma emaxukwini lakubafundi bakhe,
2 esithi: Ababhali labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMozisi;
3 ngakho konke lokhu abalitshela khona ukuthi likugcine, kugcineni likwenze; kodwa lingenzi njengokwemisebenzi yabo, ngoba bayakhuluma bangenzi.
4 Ngoba bayabopha imithwalo enzima njalo elukhuni ukuthwalwa, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa kabafuni ukuyisusa ngomunwe wabo.
5 Njalo imisebenzi yabo yonke bayenza ukuze babonwe ngabantu; ngoba benza amafilakteriyu abo abe banzi, njalo bakhulisa intshaka zezembatho zabo;
6 bathanda izihlalo zabahloniphekayo ekudleni kwantambama, lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogeni,
7 lokubingelelwa emidangeni, lokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi: Rabi, Rabi.
8 Kodwa lina kalingabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu; njalo lina lonke lingabazalwane.
9 Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi nguyihlo; ngoba munye onguYihlo, osemazulwini;
10 kalingabizwa ngokuthi lingabafundisi; ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, uKristu.
11 Kodwa omkhulu kini uzakuba yinceku yenu.
12 Lalowo oziphakamisayo, uzathotshiswa; lalowo ozithobayo, uzaphakanyiswa.
13 Kodwa maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba livalela abantu umbuso wamazulu; ngoba kalingeni lina, labangenayo kalibavumeli ukuthi bangene.
14 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lidla izindlu zabafelokazi, langokuzenzisa lenza imikhuleko emide; ngakho lizakwemukela ukulahlwa okukhulu.
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 )
16 Maye kini, bakhokheli abayiziphofu, abathi: Loba ngubani ofunga ngethempeli, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngegolide lethempeli, ulomlandu.
17 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide, kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele?
18 Njalo: Loba ngubani ofunga ngelathi, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngomnikelo ophezu kwalo, ulomlandu.
19 Zithutha leziphofu! Ngoba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo, kumbe ilathi elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele?
20 Ngakho ofunga ngelathi ufunga ngalo langakho konke okuphezu kwalo;
21 lofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo langaye ohlala kulo;
22 lofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlala phezu kwaso.
23 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lithela okwetshumi kwetshwayi leganga ledile lekhumini; liyekele okunzima komlayo, ukwahlulela lesihawu lokholo; belifanele ukwenza lezizinto, lingaziyekeli lalezo.
24 Bakhokheli abayiziphofu, likhetha umiyane, kodwa liginye ikamela.
25 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lihlambulula ingaphandle yenkezo leyomganu, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuphanga lobuhwaba.
26 MFarisi oyisiphofu! Hlambulula kuqala ingaphakathi yenkezo leyomganu, ukuze kuhlambuluke lengaphandle yakho.
27 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lifanana lamangcwaba aconjwe aba mhlophe, abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo lokungcola konke.
28 Kunjalo lani ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini lilungile, kanti ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
29 Maye kini, babhali labaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngoba lakha amangcwaba abaprofethi, licecise amangcwaba abalungileyo,
30 lithi: Uba besikhona ensukwini zabobaba bethu, besingayikuhlanganyela labo egazini labaprofethi.
31 Kunjalo liyazifakazela lina ukuthi lingamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi;
32 lina-ke gcwalisani isilinganiso saboyihlo!
33 Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, lizaphepha njani ukulahlwa kwesihogo? (Geenna )
34 Ngakho, khangelani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi labahlakaniphileyo lababhali; labanye babo lizababulala libabethele; labanye lizabatshaya ngesiswepu emasinagogeni enu libazingele imizi ngemizi;
35 ukuze kwehlele phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini likaAbela olungileyo, kuze kufike egazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya, elambulala phakathi kwethempeli lelathi.
36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Zonke lezizinto zizakwehlela phezu kwalesisizukulwana.
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.
38 Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiyiwe kini ilunxiwa.
39 Ngoba ngithi kini: Kalisoze langibona kusukela khathesi, lize lithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi.
