Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
UJesu wasesithi emaxukwini abantu lakubafundi bakhe:
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
“Abafundisi bomthetho labaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMosi.
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but do not do their works; for they say, and do not do.
Ngakho kumele libalalele lenze konke abalitshela khona. Kodwa lingakwenzi abakwenzayo, ngoba kabakulandeli lokho abakutshumayelayo.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
Baqoqa imithwalo enzima bayetshate emahlombe abantu kodwa bona bengafuni lokulokotha bayithwale.
5 But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
Konke abakwenzayo bakwenzela ukuba babonwe ngabantu, benza imicwatsho yabo yemibhalo ibe banzi lezintshaka zezigqoko zabo zibe zinde;
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
bathanda izindawo eziphezulu emadilini lezihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogweni,
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
bathanda ukubingelelwa emisikeni lokuthi abantu bababize ngokuthi ‘Rabi.’
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
Kodwa lina nxa lingabizwa kuthiwe ‘Rabi,’ ngoba munye kuphela oyiNkosi yenu njalo lina lonke liyizinini.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
Futhi lingabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi ‘baba,’ ngoba liloYihlo oyedwa, yena osezulwini.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Njalo lingabizwa ngokuthi bafundisi, ngoba liloMfundisi oyedwa, uKhristu.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
Omkhulu kulani lonke phakathi kwenu uzakuba yinceku yenu.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Ngoba lowo oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lalowo ozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.”
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakubaFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Livalela abantu umbuso wezulu. Lina ngokwenu kalingeni liphinde livimbele labo abazama ukungena. [
14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
Maye kini bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Liphanga izindlu zabafelokazi, beselizenzisa lisenza imikhuleko emide, ngalokho lizakwamukeliswa ukulahlwa okukhulu.]
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna (Geenna g1067) as yourselves.
Maye kini bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Lidabula ilizwe lihambe laphezu kolwandle lidinga ukuphendula oyedwa zwi, lithi selimzuzile limphendule abe yindodana yesihogweni okuphindwe kabili kulani. (Geenna g1067)
16 “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
Maye kini, baholi abayiziphofu! Lithi, ‘Nxa umuntu efunga ngethempeli kakutsho lutho; kodwa nxa umuntu efunga ngegolide lethempeli usezibophile ngesifungo sakhe.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
Lina ziphofundini! Yikuphi okukhulu kulokunye: igolide kumbe ithempeli elenza igolide libengcwele?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
Lithi njalo, ‘Nxa umuntu efunga nge-alithare, akusilutho; kodwa nxa umuntu efunga ngesipho esikulo usezibophile ngesifungo sakhe.’
19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
Lina ziphofu zabantu! Yikuphi okudlula okunye: isipho langabe i-alithari elenza isipho sibe ngcwele?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
Ngakho lowo ofunga nge-alithare ufunga ngalo langakho konke okukulo.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
Njalo lowo ofunga ngethempeli ufunga ngalo njalo langaye lowo ohlala kulo.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
Njalo lalowo ofunga ngezulu ufunga ngesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu langaye ohlezi phezu kwaso.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, bazenzisi! Linika okwetshumi okweziyoliso zenu, iminti ledili lekhamini. Kodwa liyekethise izinto ezimqoka emthethweni, eziyikulunga, isihawu kanye lokwethembeka. Bekufanele lithi likwenza lokhu lingawuyekethisanga umthetho.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Lina baholi abayiziphofu! Liyacenga ukukhupha ubuyane kodwa liginye ikamela.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Ligezisa inkezo lomganu ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi kugcwele ubuhwaba lokuzisuthisa.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
MFarisi oyisiphofu! Qala uhlambulule ingaphakathi yenkezo lomganu, ukuze ingaphandle layo ihlambuluke.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Linjengamathuna aconjiweyo, akhanya ebukeka ngaphandle, kodwa ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abantu abafileyo lakho konke okungcolileyo.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Kanjalo, ngaphandle libonakala ebantwini linjengabalungileyo, kodwa ngaphakathi ligcwele ukuzenzisa lobubi.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
Maye kini, bafundisi bomthetho lakini baFarisi, lina bazenzisi! Lakhela abaphrofethi amathuna njalo licecise amathuna abalungileyo.
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
Beselisithi, ‘Ngabe saphila ngezinsuku zabokhokho bethu sasingeyikuhlanganyela labo ekuchitheni igazi labaphrofethi.’
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Ngalokho yini elipha ubufakazi bokuthi liyisizukulwane salabo ababulala abaphrofethi.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Nanko-ke, wohlani liqedise lesosono sabokhokho benu!
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna (Geenna g1067)?
Lina zinyoka! Lina nzalo yezinhlangwana! Lizaphepha kanjani ukuba lilahlelwe esihogweni na? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
Ngakho ngilithumela abaphrofethi lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo labafundisi. Abanye babo lizababulala libabethele; abanye lizababhaxabula emasinagogweni enu, lilandelelane labo kuleli laleliyana idolobho.
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
Ngakho-ke, lonke igazi elilungileyo elachithwayo emhlabeni kusukela egazini lika-Abheli owayelungile kusiya egazini likaZakhariya indodana kaBherekhiya elambulala phakathi laphakathi kwethempeli le-alithari lizakwehliselwa phezu kwenu.
36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Ngilitshela iqiniso, konke lokhu kuzakuba phezu kwalesi isizukulwane.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaphrofethi, ubakhande ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe, sekukanengi ngiloyisa ukuqoqa ndawonye abantwabakho, njengesikhukhukazi siqoqa amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso, kodwa wena wawungathandi.
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Khangela, indlu yakho isitshiywe ilunxiwa.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Ngoba ngiyalitshela, kalisayikungibona futhi lize lithi, ‘Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo.’”
