NgokukaMathewu 23:1-39
23 UJesu wakhuluma nezixuku nabafundi bakhe, wathi:
2 “Ababhali nabaFarisi bazibeke esihlalweni sikaMose.
3 Ngakho-ke zonke izinto abanitshela zona, zenzeni futhi nizigcine, kodwa ningenzi abakwenzayo, ngoba bayakhuluma kodwa abakwenzi abakushoyo. +
4 Babopha imithwalo esindayo bayibeke emahlombe abantu, + kodwa bona abathandi ukuyinyakazisa nangomunwe. +
5 Yonke imisebenzi abayenzayo bayenzela ukuba babonwe ngabantu, + ngoba bawenza abe makhulu amabhokisi aqukethe imibhalo abawafaka njengezivikelo, *+ benze nezinsephe zezingubo zabo zibe zinde. +
6 Bathanda indawo evelele kunazo zonke ezidlweni zakusihlwa nezihlalo ezingaphambili* emasinagogeni +
7 nokubingelelwa ezimakethe, nokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi Rabi.*
8 Kodwa nina, maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngoba munye onguMfundisi wenu, + kanti nonke nina ningabafowabo bomunye nomunye.
9 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngoba munye onguYihlo, + yiLowo osezulwini.
10 Ningabizwa nangokuthi abaholi, ngoba munye uMholi wenu, uKristu.
11 Kodwa omkhulu kakhulu phakathi kwenu kumelwe abe yisikhonzi senu. +
12 Noma ubani oziphakamisayo uyothotshiswa, + nanoma ubani ozithobayo uyophakanyiswa. +
13 “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba nivalela abantu uMbuso wamazulu; ngoba nina ngokwenu aningeni, nalabo abaya kongena anibavumeli ukuba bangene. +
14 *——
15 “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! + ngoba ninqamula ulwandle nezwe elomile ukuze nenze umuntu oyedwa abe umproselithe, lapho eba nguye nimenza afanelwe yiGehena* ngokuphindwe kabili kunani.
16 “Maye kini, baholi abayizimpumputhe, + enithi, ‘Uma umuntu efunga ithempeli, akulutho; kodwa uma umuntu efunga igolide lasethempelini, ungaphansi kwesibopho.’ +
17 Ziphukuphuku nezimpumputhe! Yikuphi ngempela okukhulu, yigolide noma yithempeli elingcwelise lelo golide?
18 Ngaphezu kwalokho nithi, ‘Uma umuntu efunga i-altare, akulutho; kodwa uma umuntu efunga isipho esikulo, ungaphansi kwesibopho.’
19 Zimpumputhe! Yikuphi ngempela okukhulu, yisipho noma i-altare elingcwelisa leso sipho?
20 Ngakho-ke, noma ubani ofunga i-altare ufunga lona nazo zonke izinto ezikulo;
21 noma ubani ofunga ithempeli ufunga lona naLowo ohlala kulo; +
22 nanoma ubani ofunga izulu ufunga isihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu naLowo ohlezi kuso.
23 “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba ninikela okweshumi kweminti nedile nekhumini, + kodwa anizinakanga izindaba zoMthetho ezibaluleke kakhulu, okuwukuthi, ubulungisa + nesihe + nokwethembeka. Kwakudingekile ukwenza lezi zinto, kodwa hhayi ukuba ningakunaki lokhu okunye. +
24 Baholi abayizimpumputhe, + abacwenga insensane + eziphuzweni kodwa bagwinye* ikamela! +
25 “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba nigeza ingaphandle lenkomishi nesitsha, + kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ukuhaha *+ nokuzitika ngokweqile. +
26 MFarisi oyimpumputhe, geza kuqala ingaphakathi lenkomishi nesitsha, ukuze nengaphandle lako lihlanzeke.
27 “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! + ngoba nifana namathuna acakwe* ngokumhlophe, + ngaphandle abonakala emahle ngempela kodwa ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abantu abafile nayo yonke inhlobo yokungcola.
28 Ngendlela efanayo, ngaphandle nibonakala nilungile kubantu, kodwa ngaphakathi nigcwele ubuzenzisi nokwephula umthetho. +
29 “Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! + ngoba nakha amathuna abaprofethi nihlobise namathuna abalungile, +
30 futhi nithi, ‘Ukube sasikhona ezinsukwini zokhokho bethu, sasingeke sihlanganyele nabo ekuchitheni igazi labaprofethi.’
31 Ngakho-ke nizilahla nina ngokwenu ukuthi ningamadodana alabo ababulala abaprofethi. +
32 Khona-ke, kwenzeni ngokugcwele lokho okhokho benu abakwenza.*
33 “Zinyoka, nzalo yezinyoka, + nizosibalekela kanjani isahlulelo saseGehena? *+
34 Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, nginithumelela abaprofethi + nabantu abahlakaniphile nabafundisi abafundisa umphakathi. + Abanye kubo nizobabulala + nibabethele ezigxotsheni, kanti abanye kubo nizobabhaxabula + emasinagogeni enu, nibashushise + emadolobheni ngamadolobha,
35 ukuze kwehlele phezu kwenu icala lalo lonke igazi elilungile elichithwe emhlabeni, kusukela egazini lika-Abela + olungile kuye egazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya, enambulala phakathi kwendlu engcwele ne-altare. +
36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, zonke lezi zinto ziyokwehlela lesi sizukulwane.
37 “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, mbulali wabaprofethi nokhanda ngamatshe labo abathunyelwe kuye +—kukaningi kangakanani nje ngifuna ukubuthela abantwana bakho ndawonye, ngendlela isikhukhukazi esibuthela ngayo amatshwele aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso! Kodwa nina anifunanga. +
38 Bhekani! Indlu yenu ishiywa nani. *+
39 Ngoba ngithi kini, ngeke niphinde ningibone kusukela manje kuze kube yilapho nithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo oza ngegama likaJehova!’ ” *+
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “bawenza abe banzi amafilaktheriyu.”
^ Noma, “ezingcono.”
^ Noma, “Mfundisi.”
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A3.
^ Bheka uHlu Lwezincazelo Zamagama.
^ Noma, “baginge.”
^ Noma, “impango.”
^ Noma, “apendwe.”
^ NgesiGreki, “gcwalisani isilinganiso sokhokho benu.”
^ Bheka uHlu Lwezincazelo Zamagama.
^ Noma kungaba, “ishiywa nani iyincithakalo.”
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
