UMathewu 24
1 UJesu wasephuma wasuka ethempelini; basebesondela abafundi bakhe ukumtshengisa izakhiwo zethempeli.
Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
2 UJesu wasesithi kubo: Kaliziboni yini zonke lezizinto? Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Akusoze kutshiywe lapha ilitshe elilodwa phezu kwelitshe, elingasoze lidilizelwe phansi.
But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that 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)
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (aiōn g165)
4 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Qaphelani, kungabi khona oliduhisayo;
Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.
5 ngoba abanengi bazakuza ngebizo lami, besithi: Mina nginguKristu; futhi baduhise abanengi.
For many will come in my name, 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. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.
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, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.
8 kodwa zonke lezizinto ziyikuqala kwemihelo.
But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 Lapho-ke bazalinikela ekuhluphekeni, balibulale; futhi lizazondwa yizizwe zonke ngenxa yebizo lami.
“Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.
10 Njalo ngalesosikhathi abanengi bazakhubeka, banikelane, bazondane.
Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.
11 Futhi kuzavuka abaprofethi bamanga abanengi, baduhise abanengi.
Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray.
12 Njalo ngenxa yokwanda kobubi, uthando lwabanengi luzaphola;
Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
13 kodwa ophikelelayo kuze kube sekupheleni, nguye ozasindiswa.
But he 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 preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 Ngakho nxa libona amanyala encithakalo, akhulunywa nguDaniyeli umprofethi, emi endaweni engcwele (obalayo kaqedisise),
“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16 khona labo abaseJudiya kababalekele ezintabeni;
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 ophezu kophahla lwendlu angehli ukuthatha ulutho endlini yakhe;
Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.
18 losemasimini angabuyeli emuva ukuyathatha izembatho zakhe.
Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
19 Kodwa maye kwabakhulelweyo labamunyisayo ngalezonsuku!
But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
20 Kodwa khulekani ukuthi ukubaleka kwenu kungabi sebusika, loba ngesabatha.
Pray that your flight will not be in the 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 then there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
22 Uba-ke lezonsuku bezingafinyezwanga, bekungesindiswe nyama; kodwa ngenxa yabakhethiweyo lezonsuku zizafinyezwa.
Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
23 Ngalesosikhathi nxa umuntu esithi kini: Khangelani, nangu uKristu, kumbe nanguya, lingakholwa.
“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There!’ don’t 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 they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25 Khangelani, sengilitshelile ngaphambili.
“Behold, I have told you beforehand.
26 Ngakho uba bengathi kini: Khangelani, usenkangala, lingaphumi; khangelani, usendlini yensitha, lingakholwa.
“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it.
27 Ngoba njengalokhu umbane ubaneka empumalanga ukhanye lentshonalanga, kuzakuba njalo lokufika kweNdodana yomuntu.
For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 Ngoba loba ngaphi lapho okukhona isidumbu, lapho amanqe azabuthana khona.
For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.
29 Njalo masinyane emva kokuhlupheka kwalezonsuku, ilanga lizafiphazwa, lenyanga kayiyikupha ukukhanya kwayo, lenkanyezi zizakuwa ezulwini, lamandla amazulu azazanyazanyiswa.
“But immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
30 Khona-ke sizabonakala ezulwini isibonakaliso seNdodana yomuntu; njalo besezikhala zonke izizwe zomhlaba, sezibona iNdodana yomuntu isiza emayezini ezulu ilamandla lenkazimulo enkulu.
and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky 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.
He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 Kodwa fundani umfanekiso emkhiweni; nxa khathesi ugatsha lwawo selusiba buthakathaka, njalo luhlume amahlamvu, liyazi ukuthi ihlobo seliseduze;
“Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
33 ngokunjalo lani, nxa libona lezizinto zonke, yazini ukuthi kuseduze kuseminyango.
Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.
34 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lesisizukulwana asisoze sidlule, kuze kwenzeke zonke lezizinto.
Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished.
35 Kuzadlula izulu lomhlaba, kodwa amazwi ami awasoze adlule.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36 Kodwa lolosuku lehola kakho owaziyo ngalo, ngitsho lezingilosi zemazulwini, ngaphandle kukaBaba kuphela.
“But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 Kodwa njengensuku zikaNowa, kuzakuba njalo ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu.
As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 Ngoba njengakulezonsuku ezaziphambili kukazamcolo babesidla benatha, bethatha besendiswa, kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini,
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,
39 njalo babengazi, kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wasebasusa bonke, kuzakuba njalo lokufika kweNdodana yomuntu.
and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40 Ngalesosikhathi kuzakuba khona ababili ensimini; omunye athathwe, lomunye atshiywe;
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.
41 kuzakuthi abesifazana ababili bechola elitsheni; omunye athathwe, lomunye atshiywe.
Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.
42 Ngakho lindani, ngoba kalazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu izafika ngaliphi ihola.
Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
43 Kodwa yazini lokhu, ukuthi uba umninindlu ebewazi umlindo isela elizafika ngawo, ubezalinda, futhi ubengayikuvuma ukuthi indlu yakhe ifohlelwe.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Ngakho lani hlalani lilungile; ngoba ngehola elingalicabangiyo, iNdodana yomuntu izakuza.
Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, 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 the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
46 Ibusisiwe leyonceku, okuzakuthi inkosi yayo nxa ifika izayifica isenza njalo.
Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.
47 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Izayibeka phezu kwakho konke elakho.
Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
48 Kodwa nxa leyonceku embi isithi enhliziyweni yayo: Inkosi yami iphuzile ukubuya,
But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’
49 njalo ibisiqala ukutshaya abayizinceku kanye layo, lokudla lokunatha lezidakwa,
and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 inkosi yaleyonceku izafika ngosuku engayilindele ngalo, langehola engalaziyo,
the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,
51 izayiquma phakathi, izanika isabelo sayo labazenzisi; kuzakuba khona lapho ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo.
and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
