NgokukaMathewu 23

23 ¹UJesu wayesekhuluma nezixuku kanye nabafundi bakhe,

²wathi: “Ababhali nabaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMose.

³“Ngakho yenzani nigcine konke abanitshela khona, kodwa ningenzi lokho abakwenzayo—bayashumayela, kodwa abakwenzi. ⁴Babopha imithwalo esindayo nenzima ukuyithwala, bayibeke emahlombe abantu, kodwa bona ngokwabo abafuni ngisho ukunyakazisa umunwe ukuze bayisuse. ⁵Zonke izenzo zabo bazenzela ukuba babonwe ngabantu; bayawaqhelisa amafilaktheri abo benze nezintshokotsho zabo zibe zinde, ^a a v5 Amafilaktheri: amabhokisi amancane esikhumba aqukethe izindima zezwi, ayeboshelwa ebunzi nasengalweni yesobunxele ngesikhathi somkhuleko. ⁶bathanda nezindawo zodumo emadilini nezihlalo ezihle kunazo zonke emasinagogeni, ⁷nokubingelelwa ezimakethe nokubizwa ngokuthi ‘Rabi’ ngabantu. ⁸Kodwa nina akumelwe nibizwe ngokuthi ‘Rabi,’ ngokuba ninomfundisi oyedwa kuphela, futhi nonke ningabazalwane. ⁹Futhi ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngokuba ninoBaba oyedwa, osezulwini. ¹⁰Ningavumeli muntu anibize ngokuthi ‘mqondisi,’ ngokuba ninomqondisi oyedwa, onguKhristu. ¹¹Omkhulu phakathi kwenu uyoba yinceku yenu. ¹²Lowo oziphakamisayo uyokwehliswa; lowo ozithobayo uyophakanyiswa.

¹³Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Ngokuba nivala umbuso kaBaba wethu phambi kwabantu; aningeni nani, futhi anivumeli labo abazama ukungena ukuba bangene. ^b b v13 Imibhalo yasendulo kunayo yonke ayinalo ivesi 14 lapha; amakhophi akamuva engeza: “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Nidla izindlu zabafelokazi futhi ngokuzenzisa nenze imikhuleko emide; ngakho-ke niyokwamukela ukulahlwa okukhulu kakhulu.”

¹⁵Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Ngokuba niwela ulwandle nomhlaba ukuze nenze iphenduka elilodwa, bese nimenza umntwana wesihogo ngokuphindwe kabili kunani.

¹⁶Maye kini, baholi abayizimpumputhe! Nithi, ‘Ukufunga ngethempeli akusho lutho, kodwa ukufunga ngegolide lethempeli kwenza isifungo sibophezele.’ ¹⁷Zuwula eziyizimpumputhe! Yikuphi okukhulu: igolide, noma ithempeli elenza igolide libe ngcwele? ¹⁸Futhi nithi, ‘Ukufunga nge-alithari akulutho, kodwa ukufunga ngomnikelo ophezu kwalo kuyabophezela.’ ¹⁹Nina zimpumputhe! Ngokuba yikuphi okukhulu, umnikelo noma i-alithari elenza umnikelo ube ngcwele? ²⁰Ngakho lowo ofunga nge-alithari ufunga ngalo nangakho konke okuphezu kwalo. ²¹Nalowo ofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo nangalowo ohlala kulo. ²²Nalowo ofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaBaba wethu nangalowo ohlezi kuso.

²³Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Nikhipha okweshumi kweminti, idili, nekhumini, kodwa niyeke izindaba ezinzima zomthetho—ubulungiswa, isihawu, nokwethembeka. Lokhu bekufanele nikwenze, ningazeyeki nalezo ezinye. ²⁴Baholi abayizimpumputhe, nihluza insensane kodwa nigwinye ikamela!

²⁵Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Nihlanza inkomishi nesitsha ngaphandle, kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuhaha nokweqisa. ²⁶Mfarisi oyimpumputhe! Qala uhlanze ngaphakathi enkomishini nasesitsheni, ukuze nangaphandle kuhlanzeke futhi.

²⁷Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Nifana namathuna acakwe ngokumhlophe, abukeka emahle ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi egcwele amathambo abafileyo nakho konke ukungcola. ²⁸Ngakho nani ngaphandle nibonakala nilungile ebantwini, kodwa ngaphakathi nigcwele ukuzenzisa nokungabi namthetho.

²⁹Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! Ngokuba nakha amathuna abaprofethi nihlobise namatshe esikhumbuzo abalungileyo, ³⁰nithi, ‘Ukuba besiphila ezinsukwini zobaba bethu, besingeke sihlanganyele nabo ekubulaleni abaprofethi.’ ³¹Ngakho niyazifakazela ukuthi ningamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi. ³²Ngakho-ke, gcwalisani isilinganiso sawoyihlo. ³³Nina zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, niyakuphunyuka kanjani ekugwetshelweni isihogo? ³⁴Ngakho ngithumela kini abaprofethi, izihlakaniphi, nababhali—abanye niyobabulala nibabethele, abanye niyobashaya emasinagogeni enu nibahluphe nibaxoshe izindawo ngezindawo, ³⁵ukuze lonke igazi labalungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni lehlele phezu kwenu—kusukela egazini lika-Abela olungileyo kuze kufike kwelikaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya, enambulala phakathi kwendawo engcwele ne-alithari. ³⁶Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, zonke lezi zinto ziyokwehlela phezu kwalesi sizukulwane.

UJesu Ukhalela iJerusalema

³⁷Jerusalema, Jerusalema—wena obulala abaprofethi, ukhande ngamatshe labo abathunyelwe kuwe! Kukaningi kangakanani ngifisa ukubutha abantwana bakho, njengesikhukhukazi sibutha amatshwele aso phansi kwamaphiko aso, kodwa wena wala. ³⁸Bheka, indlu yakho ishiywa kuwe iyincithakalo. ³⁹Ngithi kini, ngeke niphinde ningibone kuze kube yilapho nithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo oza egameni likaBaba wethu.’”