NgokukaLuka 15

15 ¹Abathelisi nezoni babesondela bonke kuye ukuze bamuzwe. ^a a v1 Abathelisi babedelelwa kakhulu njengamambuka — amaJuda ayeqoqela iRoma imali, evame ukubiza ngokweqile bese ezigcinela umehluko. ²AbaFarisi nababhali bakhononda, bethi: “Lo muntu wamukela izoni, adle nazo.”

³Ngakho wabaxoxela lo mfanekiso:

⁴“Ngumuphi umuntu kini, uma enezimvu eziyikhulu alahlekelwe enye yazo, ongeke azishiye ezingamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalolunye endle, ayolandela leyo elahlekile aze ayithole na? ⁵Uthi angayithola, ayibeke emahlombe akhe, ethokoza.” ⁶Afike ekhaya, abize abangane bakhe nomakhelwane, athi kubo: “Thokozani nami—ngiyitholile imvu yami ebilahlekile.” ⁷“Ngithi kini, ngokunjalo kuyothokozwa kakhulu ezulwini ngesoni esisodwa esiphendukayo kunabantu abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalolunye abangasweli ukuphenduka.”

uBaba Ufuna Uhlamvu Lwemali Olulahlekile

⁸“Noma nguwuphi owesifazane onezinhlamvu zemali zesiliva eziyishumi, olunye lwazo luwumholo wosuku, uma elahlekelwa olunye, ongalumathisi isibani, ashanele indlu, afunisise aze aluthole na?” ⁹Uthi angaluthola, abize abangane bakhe nomakhelwane, athi: “Thokozani nami, ngoba ngilutholile uhlamvu lwemali obelulahlekile.” ¹⁰“Ngokunjalo, ngithi kini, kukhona ukuthokoza phambi kwezingelosi zikaBaba wethu ngesoni esisodwa esiphendukayo.”

uBaba Ugijimela Ukwamukela Indodana Yakhe Ibuyela Ekhaya

¹¹Wabe esethi: “Kwakukhona umuntu owayenamadodana amabili.”

¹²“Indodana encane yathi kuyise: ‘Baba, nginike isabelo sami sefa.’ Ngakho wabahlukanisela impahla yakhe. ¹³Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezingengakhi, indodana encane yabutha konke eyayinakho, yamuka yaya ezweni elikude, lapho yachitha khona ingcebo yayo iphila ngokungananzi. ¹⁴Isichithile konke, kwavela indlala enkulu kulelo zwe, yaqala ukuswela. ¹⁵Yahamba yayosebenzela omunye wezakhamuzi zalelo zwe, owayithuma emasimini akhe ukuba yeluse izingulube. ¹⁶Yayifisa ukugcwalisa isisu sayo ngemidumba eyayidliwa izingulube, kodwa kwakungekho owayipha lutho.”

¹⁷Ithe ibuyelwa yingqondo, yathi: “Bangaki abaqashwa bakababa abanesinkwa esesele, kodwa mina lapha ngifa yindlala?” ¹⁸“‘Ngizosukuma ngiye kubaba, ngithi kuye: “Baba, ngonile ezulwini naphambi kwakho.”’ ¹⁹‘Angisafanele ukubizwa ngokuthi ngiyindodana yakho; ngenze ngibe njengomunye wabaqashwa bakho.’”

²⁰“Yasukuma yaya kuyise. Isesekude, uyise wayibona, inhliziyo yakhe yagcwala isihawu—wagijima, wamgona, wamanga.” ^b b v20 Esikweni sesikhathi sikaJesu, indoda ehloniphekile yayingasoze yagijima obala — ukugijima kukayise kwakuyisenzo esimangalisayo nesihlosiwe sothando nokuzithoba.

²¹Indodana yathi kuye: “Baba, ngonile ezulwini naphambi kwakho. Angisafanele ukubizwa ngokuthi ngiyindodana yakho.”

²²Kodwa uyise wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Shesha nilethe ingubo enhle kunazo zonke niyigqokise, nifake indandatho esandleni sayo nezimbadada ezinyaweni zayo.”

²³“‘Nilethe ithole elikhuluphele nilihlabe, sidle sijabule.’ ²⁴‘Ngoba le ndodana yami yayifile, isibuyile iphila; yayilahlekile, isitholakele.’ Base beqala ukujabula.”

²⁵“Indodana yakhe endala yayisensimini; ithe isibuya isondela ekhaya, yezwa umculo nokusina. ²⁶Yabiza enye yezinceku, yabuza ukuthi kwenzekani. ²⁷Yathi kuyo: ‘Umfowenu ufikile, uyihlo uhlabe ithole elikhuluphele, ngokuba umamukele ephila esindile.’ ²⁸Kodwa yathukuthela, yenqaba ukungena. Uyise waphuma wayincenga, ²⁹kodwa yaphendula uyise yathi: ‘Bheka, yiminyaka yonke le ngikukhonzile, angikaze ngeqe myalo wakho—kodwa wena awukaze unginike ngisho izinyane lembuzi ukuba ngijabule nabangane bami.’ ³⁰‘Kodwa kuthe lapho le ndodana yakho ifika, eyadla ingcebo yakho nezifebe, wayihlabela ithole elikhuluphele!’”

³¹Yathi kuyo: “Ndodana, wena uhlala unami, konke enginakho kungokwakho.”

³²“‘Bekufanele ukuba sijabule sithokoze: lo mfowenu wayefile, usephila; wayelahlekile, usetholakele.’”