UMathewu 24
1 UJesu wasephuma wasuka ethempelini; basebesondela abafundi bakhe ukumtshengisa izakhiwo zethempeli.
Leaving the Temple Courts, Jesus was walking away, when his disciples came up to draw his attention to the Temple buildings.
2 UJesu wasesithi kubo: Kaliziboni yini zonke lezizinto? Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Akusoze kutshiywe lapha ilitshe elilodwa phezu kwelitshe, elingasoze lidilizelwe phansi.
‘Do you see all these things?’ was his answer. ‘I tell you, not a single stone will be left here on another, which will not be thrown down,’
3 Kwathi esehlezi entabeni yeMihlwathi, abafundi beza kuye bebodwa, bathi: Sitshele, lezizinto zizakuba nini? Lesibonakaliso sokuza kwakho, lesokuphela kwesikhathi sizakuba yini? (aiōn g165)
so, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came up to him privately and said, ‘Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the close of the age.’ (aiōn g165)
4 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Qaphelani, kungabi khona oliduhisayo;
Jesus replied to them, ‘See that no one leads you astray;
5 ngoba abanengi bazakuza ngebizo lami, besithi: Mina nginguKristu; futhi baduhise abanengi.
for, many will take my name, and come saying “I am the Christ,” and will lead many astray.
6 Njalo lizakuzwa ngezimpi lamahungahunga ezimpi; nanzelelani, lingethuki; ngoba konke lokhu kufanele kwenzeke; kodwa ukuphela kakukabi khona.
You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; take care not to be alarmed, for such things must occur; but the end is not yet here.
7 Ngoba isizwe sizavukela isizwe, lombuso uvukele umbuso; njalo kuzakuba khona indlala labomatshayabhuqe bezifo lokuzamazama komhlaba indawo ngendawo;
For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 kodwa zonke lezizinto ziyikuqala kwemihelo.
All this, however, will be but the beginning of the birth pangs!
9 Lapho-ke bazalinikela ekuhluphekeni, balibulale; futhi lizazondwa yizizwe zonke ngenxa yebizo lami.
When that time comes, they will give you up to persecution, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
10 Njalo ngalesosikhathi abanengi bazakhubeka, banikelane, bazondane.
And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another.
11 Futhi kuzavuka abaprofethi bamanga abanengi, baduhise abanengi.
Many false prophets, also, will appear and lead many astray;
12 Njalo ngenxa yokwanda kobubi, uthando lwabanengi luzaphola;
and, owing to the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.
13 kodwa ophikelelayo kuze kube sekupheleni, nguye ozasindiswa.
Yet the person who endures to the end will be saved.
14 Njalo lelivangeli lombuso lizatshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke kube yibufakazi ezizweni zonke; khona-ke kuzafika ukuphela.
This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all nations; and then will come the end.
15 Ngakho nxa libona amanyala encithakalo, akhulunywa nguDaniyeli umprofethi, emi endaweni engcwele (obalayo kaqedisise),
As soon, then, as you see “the Foul Desecration,” mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy place,’ (the reader must consider what this means)
16 khona labo abaseJudiya kababalekele ezintabeni;
‘then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains;
17 ophezu kophahla lwendlu angehli ukuthatha ulutho endlini yakhe;
and a man on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house;
18 losemasimini angabuyeli emuva ukuyathatha izembatho zakhe.
nor must one who is on their farm turn back to get his cloak.
19 Kodwa maye kwabakhulelweyo labamunyisayo ngalezonsuku!
Alas for pregnant women, and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
20 Kodwa khulekani ukuthi ukubaleka kwenu kungabi sebusika, loba ngesabatha.
Pray, too, that your flight may not take place in winter, nor on a Sabbath;
21 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi kuzakuba khona ukuhlupheka okukhulu, okungazanga kube khona kusukela ekuqaleni komhlaba kuze kube khathesi, njalo okungasayikuba khona.
for that will be a time of great distress, the like of which has not occurred from the beginning of the world down to the present time – no, nor ever will again.
22 Uba-ke lezonsuku bezingafinyezwanga, bekungesindiswe nyama; kodwa ngenxa yabakhethiweyo lezonsuku zizafinyezwa.
Had not those days been limited, not a single soul would escape; but for the sake of God’s people a limit will be put to them.
23 Ngalesosikhathi nxa umuntu esithi kini: Khangelani, nangu uKristu, kumbe nanguya, lingakholwa.
At that time, if anyone should say to you “Look! Here is the Christ!” or “Here he is!”, do not believe it;
24 Ngoba kuzavuka okristu bamanga labaprofethi bamanga, benze izibonakaliso ezinkulu lezimangaliso, ukuze kuthi, nxa kungenzeka, baduhise labakhethiweyo.
for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will display great signs and marvels, so that, were it possible, even God’s people would be led astray.
25 Khangelani, sengilitshelile ngaphambili.
Remember, I have told you beforehand.
26 Ngakho uba bengathi kini: Khangelani, usenkangala, lingaphumi; khangelani, usendlini yensitha, lingakholwa.
Therefore, if people say to you “He is in the wilderness!”, do not go out there; or “He is in an inner room!”, do not believe it;
27 Ngoba njengalokhu umbane ubaneka empumalanga ukhanye lentshonalanga, kuzakuba njalo lokufika kweNdodana yomuntu.
for, just as lightning will start from the east and flash across to the west, so will it be with the coming of the Son of Man.
28 Ngoba loba ngaphi lapho okukhona isidumbu, lapho amanqe azabuthana khona.
Wherever a dead body lies, there will the vultures flock.
29 Njalo masinyane emva kokuhlupheka kwalezonsuku, ilanga lizafiphazwa, lenyanga kayiyikupha ukukhanya kwayo, lenkanyezi zizakuwa ezulwini, lamandla amazulu azazanyazanyiswa.
Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the heavens, and the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.
30 Khona-ke sizabonakala ezulwini isibonakaliso seNdodana yomuntu; njalo besezikhala zonke izizwe zomhlaba, sezibona iNdodana yomuntu isiza emayezini ezulu ilamandla lenkazimulo enkulu.
Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens, with power and great glory;
31 Njalo izathuma izingilosi zayo lokukhala okukhulu kophondo, beseziqoqa abakhethiweyo bayo emimoyeni emine, kusukela emkhawulweni omunye wamazulu kuze kube komunye umkhawulo wawo.
and he will send his angels, with a great trumpet, and they will gather his people round him from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Kodwa fundani umfanekiso emkhiweni; nxa khathesi ugatsha lwawo selusiba buthakathaka, njalo luhlume amahlamvu, liyazi ukuthi ihlobo seliseduze;
‘Learn the lesson taught by the fig tree. As soon as its branches are full of sap, and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.
33 ngokunjalo lani, nxa libona lezizinto zonke, yazini ukuthi kuseduze kuseminyango.
And so may you, as soon as you see all these things, know that he is at your doors.
34 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lesisizukulwana asisoze sidlule, kuze kwenzeke zonke lezizinto.
I tell you, even the present generation will not pass away, until all these things have taken place.
35 Kuzadlula izulu lomhlaba, kodwa amazwi ami awasoze adlule.
The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 Kodwa lolosuku lehola kakho owaziyo ngalo, ngitsho lezingilosi zemazulwini, ngaphandle kukaBaba kuphela.
But about that day and hour, no one knows – not even the angels of heaven, not even the Son – but only the Father himself.
37 Kodwa njengensuku zikaNowa, kuzakuba njalo ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu.
For, just as in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 Ngoba njengakulezonsuku ezaziphambili kukazamcolo babesidla benatha, bethatha besendiswa, kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini,
In those days before the flood they went on eating and drinking, marrying and being married, up to the very day on which Noah entered the ark,
39 njalo babengazi, kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wasebasusa bonke, kuzakuba njalo lokufika kweNdodana yomuntu.
taking not notice until the flood came and swept them one and all away; and so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Ngalesosikhathi kuzakuba khona ababili ensimini; omunye athathwe, lomunye atshiywe;
At that time, of two men on a farm one will be taken and one left;
41 kuzakuthi abesifazana ababili bechola elitsheni; omunye athathwe, lomunye atshiywe.
of two women grinding with a hand-mill one will be taken and one left.
42 Ngakho lindani, ngoba kalazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu izafika ngaliphi ihola.
Therefore watch; for you cannot be sure on what day your Master is coming.
43 Kodwa yazini lokhu, ukuthi uba umninindlu ebewazi umlindo isela elizafika ngawo, ubezalinda, futhi ubengayikuvuma ukuthi indlu yakhe ifohlelwe.
But this you do know, that, had the owner of the house known at what time of night the thief was coming, they would have been on the watch, and would not have allowed their house to be broken into.
44 Ngakho lani hlalani lilungile; ngoba ngehola elingalicabangiyo, iNdodana yomuntu izakuza.
Therefore, you must also prepare, since it is just when you are least expecting him that the Son of Man will come.
45 Pho ngubani inceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo, inkosi yayo eyibeke phezu kwabendlu yayo, ukuthi ibanike ukudla ngesikhathi esifaneleyo?
Who, then is that trustworthy, careful servant, who has been placed by their master over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
46 Ibusisiwe leyonceku, okuzakuthi inkosi yayo nxa ifika izayifica isenza njalo.
Happy will that servant be whom their master, when he comes home, will find doing this.
47 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Izayibeka phezu kwakho konke elakho.
I tell you that their master will put them in charge of the whole of his property.
48 Kodwa nxa leyonceku embi isithi enhliziyweni yayo: Inkosi yami iphuzile ukubuya,
But, should the servant be a bad servant, and say to themselves “My master is a long time in coming,”
49 njalo ibisiqala ukutshaya abayizinceku kanye layo, lokudla lokunatha lezidakwa,
and begin to beat their fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards,
50 inkosi yaleyonceku izafika ngosuku engayilindele ngalo, langehola engalaziyo,
that servant’s master will come on a day when they do not expect him, and at an hour of which they are unaware,
51 izayiquma phakathi, izanika isabelo sayo labazenzisi; kuzakuba khona lapho ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo.
and will flog the servant severely, and assign them their place among the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
The World is Destroyed by Water
