UMathewu 24

1 UJesu wathi esuka ethempelini esehamba abafundi bakhe beza kuye bathi kake ananzelele izakhiwo zalo.

2 Wathi, “Liyazibona na zonke lezizinto? Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi akulalitshe lapha elizasala liphezu kwelinye; wonke azabhidlizwa.”

3 Kwathi uJesu ehlezi eNtabeni yama-Oliva abafundi bakhe beza kuye ngasese bathi, “Sitshele, kuzakwenzakala nini lokhu na, njalo kuzakuba lesibonakaliso bani sokuza kwakho lokuphela kwesikhathi na?” (aiōn g165)

4 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Qaphelani ukuze lingakhohliswa muntu.

5 Ngoba abanengi bazakuza ngebizo lami besithi, ‘NginguKhristu,’ bakhohlise abanengi.

6 Lizakuzwa ngezimpi lamahungahunga azo, kodwa lingaze lethuka. Izinto ezinjalo zizakwenzeka, kodwa ukucina kulokhu kuseza.

7 Isizwe sizavukela isizwe, lombuso uvukele umbuso. Kuzakuba lendlala lokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ezitshiyeneyo.

8 Konke lokhu kuyikuqalisa kobuhlungu bokuhelelwa.

9 Lapho lizanikelwa ukuba lihlutshwe njalo libulawe, futhi lizazondwa yizizwe zonke ngenxa yami.

10 Ngalesosikhathi abanengi bazadela ukukholwa banikelane njalo bazondane,

11 kuvele abaphrofethi bamanga abanengi abazakhohlisa abantu abanengi.

12 Ngenxa yokwanda kobubi, uthando lwabanengi luzaphola,

13 kodwa lowo oma aqine kuze kube sekupheleni uzasindiswa.

14 Njalo lelivangeli lombuso lizatshunyayelwa kuwo wonke umhlaba njengobufakazi kuzozonke izizwe, besekufika ukuphela.

15 Nxa libona kumi endaweni engcwele ‘amanyala aletha incithakalo,’okwakhulunywa ngomphrofethi uDanyeli, ofundayo kezwisise.

16 Lapho-ke akuthi labo abaseJudiya babalekele ezintabeni.

17 Akungabikhona osophahleni lwendlu ozakwehla phansi ukuyathatha ulutho endlini.

18 Lowo osemasimini kangabuyeli ngekhaya ukuyathatha ijazi lakhe.

19 Yeka ubulukhuni obuzakuba khona ngalezonsuku kwabesifazane abakhulelweyo labangabadlezane!

20 Khulekelani ukuba ukuphaphatheka kwenu kungabi sebusika loba ngeSabatha.

21 Ngoba ngalesosikhathi kuzakuba lokuhlupheka okukhulu, okungazange kube khona kulokhu kwadabuka umhlaba kuze kube manje, njalo kakusoze kube khona futhi.

22 Aluba lezinsuku bezingaphungulwanga, kakho obezaphepha, kodwa ngenxa yabakhethiweyo lezinsuku zizaphungulwa.

23 Nxa ngalesosikhathi omunye esithi kini, ‘Khangela, nangu uKhristu!’ loba ‘Ulaphaya!’ lingakukholwa lokho.

24 Ngoba oKhristu bamanga labaphrofethi bamanga bazavela benze izibonakaliso lezimangaliso ezinkulu ukukhohlisa kanye labakhethiweyo, nxa lokho kungenzeka.

25 Zwanini, sengihle ngalitshela mandulo kwesikhathi.

26 Ngakho-ke, nxa umuntu elitshela esithi, ‘Nanguyana, laphayana egangeni,’ lingayi khona loba athi, ‘Nangu lapha ezindlini ezingaphakathi,’ lingaze lakukholwa lokho.

27 Ngoba njengombane osuka empumalanga uhle ubonakale lasentshonalanga, kuzakuba njalo ukufika kweNdodana yoMuntu.

28 Lapho okulesidumbu khona kulapho amanqe abuthana khona.

29 Masinyane ngemva kokuhlupheka kwalezonsuku, ‘ilanga lizafiphala lenyanga kayiyikukhanya; izinkanyezi zizakuwa esibhakabhakeni, izisekelo zasezulwini zizazanyazanyiswa.’

30 Kulesosikhathi isibonakaliso seNdodana yoMuntu sizavela emkhathini, kuthi zonke izizwe zomhlaba zilile. Zizabona iNdodana yoMuntu isiza ngamayezi esibhakabhakeni, ilamandla lobukhosi obukhulu.

31 Njalo izathumela izingilosi zayo zitshaya icilongo ngomsindo omkhulu, beseziqoqa abakhethiweyo bayo emagumbini womane omhlaba, kusukela ngapha kwamazulu kusiya ngale kwawo.

32 Manje-ke, fundani lesisifundo esihlahleni somkhiwa: Amahlumela aso angaqalisa ukuba buthakathaka lamahlamvu aso ahlume, lihle lazi ukuthi ihlobo selisondele.

33 Kanjalo-ke, nxa lingabona zonke lezizinto, lazi ukuthi sekusondele, khonapho emnyango.

34 Ngilitshela iqiniso, lesisizukulwane kasiyikudlula zize zenzakale zonke lezizinto.

35 Izulu lomhlaba kuzedlula, kodwa amazwi ami kawayikwedlula lanini.”

36 “Kodwa kakho olwaziyo lolosuku lehola, loba izingilosi zasezulwini, kumbe iNdodana, kodwa uBaba kuphela.

37 Njengoba kwakunjalo ensukwini zikaNowa, kuzakuba njalo ekufikeni kweNdodana yoMuntu.

38 Ngoba ensukwini ezandulela uzamcolo, abantu babesidla, benatha, bethatha njalo besenda, kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini;

39 futhi babengazi lutho ngalokho okwakuzakwenzeka uzamcolo waze wafika wabatshabalalisa. Kuzakuba njalo ekufikeni kweNdodana yoMuntu.

40 Kuzakuthi amadoda emabili esensimini, eyodwa izathathwa, eyinye isale.

41 Kuzakuthi abesifazane bebabili bechola ngembokodo, oyedwa uzathathwa omunye asale.

42 Ngakho, lindani ngoba kalikwazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu izafika ngaluphi usuku.

43 Kodwa zwisisani lokhu: Kube umninindlu wayekwazile ukuthi isela lizafika ngasiphi isikhathi sobusuku ngabe walinda kaze avumela ukuthi indlu yakhe igqekezwe.

44 Ngakho lani hlalani lilindile, ngoba iNdodana yoMuntu izafika ngesikhathi leso elizabe lingayikhumbuleli sona.

45 Ngubani kambe oyinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo umninimuzi ayibeke esikhundleni sokukhangela izisebenzi zalapha ekhaya ukuthi azinike ukudla kwazo ngesikhathi esifaneleyo?

46 Kuzakuba kuhle kuleyo nceku inkosi ezayifica isenza njalo ekuphendukeni kwayo.

47 Ngilitshela iqiniso, izakumbeka ukuthi aphathe yonke impahla yayo.

48 Kodwa cabanga mhlawumbe inceku leyo ikhohlakele njalo ingazitshela ithi, ‘Inkosi yami isesekhatshana ukubuya,’

49 ibisiqalisa ukutshaya ezinye izinceku njalo lokudla inatha lezidakwa.

50 Inkosi yaleyonceku izabuya ngosuku engacatshangelwa khona langesikhathi inceku engasaziyo.

51 Izayiqumaquma, iyiphe indawo kanye labazenzisi, lapho okuzakuba khona ukukhala lokugedla kwamazinyo.”

The World is Destroyed by Water