Luke 14
1 One Sabbath Jesus went to have a meal at the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees where they watched him closely.
Kwasekusithi ekungeneni kwakhe ngesabatha endlini yomunye wabakhulu kubaFarisi ukuthi adle isinkwa, bona basebemqaphela.
2 A man was there whose arms and legs were swollen.
Njalo khangela, kwakukhona umuntu othile phambi kwakhe owayelombizankulu.
3 So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Does the law allow healing on the Sabbath, or not?”
UJesu wasephendula wakhuluma lezazumthetho labaFarisi, wathi: Kuvunyelwe yini ukusilisa ngesabatha?
4 But they kept quiet. Jesus touched the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
Kodwa bathula. Wasembamba wamsilisa wamyekela ukuthi ahambe.
5 Then Jesus said to them, “If your son or your ox happened to fall into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you go and pull him out immediately?”
Wasebaphendula esithi: Nguwuphi kini ongathi elobabhemi kumbe inkabi yakhe ewele emgodini, futhi angahle ayikhuphe ngosuku lwesabatha?
6 They weren't able to give an answer.
Abasazange babuyisele impendulo kuye ngalezizinto.
7 So he told a story to the guests, noticing how they'd chosen to sit in places of honor.
Wasekhuluma umfanekiso kubo abanxusiweyo, ebona ukuthi bakhetha njani izihlalo zabahloniphekayo, wathi kubo:
8 “When you're invited to a wedding reception, don't take the place of honor, because someone more important than you may have been invited,” he began.
Nxa unxusiwe ngumuntu emtshadweni, ungahlali esihlalweni sabahloniphekayo; hlezi kukhona omkhulu kulawe onxusiweyo nguye,
9 “Your host who invited you both will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then in embarrassment you'll have to move to whatever place is left.
futhi okunxusileyo wena laye eze athi kuwe: Mxekele lo; khona uzaqala ukuhlala endaweni esekucineni usulenhloni.
10 Instead, when you're invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, he'll tell you, ‘My friend, please move to a better seat.’ Then you'll be honored before all the guests sitting with you.
Kodwa nxa unxusiwe, hamba uhlale endaweni esekucineni; ukuze, nxa efika okunxusileyo, athi kuwe: Mngane, yenyukela ngaphezulu; khona kuzakuba ludumo kuwe phambi kwabo abahlezi ekudleni lawe.
11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Ngoba wonke oziphakamisayo uzathotshiswa, lozithobayo uzaphakanyiswa.
12 Then he said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, for they may invite you back, and then you'd be repaid.
Wasesithi lakulowo owayemnxusile: Nxa usenza ukudla kwemini loba ukudla kwantambama, unganxusi abangane bakho, loba abafowenu, loba izihlobo zakho, loba omakhelwane abanothileyo; hlezi labo babuye bakunxuse, futhi ukwenananiswa kwenziwe kuwe.
13 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Kodwa nxa usenza idili, nxusa abayanga, izilima, iziqhuli, iziphofu;
14 and you will be blessed, for they have nothing to repay you with, and you'll be rewarded at the resurrection of the good.”
njalo uzabusiswa, ngoba abalalutho lokukwenanisa; ngoba uzakwenaniselwa ekuvukeni kwabalungileyo.
15 When one of them eating at the table with Jesus heard this, he said to Jesus, “How wonderful it will be for those who feast in the kingdom of God!”
Kwathi omunye kwababehlezi laye ekudleni esezwile lezizinto wathi kuye: Ubusisiwe lowo ozakudla isinkwa embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
16 “Once there was a man who prepared a great banquet, and invited many guests,” Jesus replied.
Kodwa wathi kuye: Umuntu othile wenza ukudla kwantambama okukhulu, wanxusa abanengi.
17 “When it was time to eat he sent his servant out to tell everyone who had been invited, ‘Come, because the banquet's ready.’
Ngesikhathi sokudla kwantambama wasethuma inceku yakhe ukuthi ithi kwabanxusiweyo: Wozani, ngoba sekulungisiwe konke.
18 But they all started to make excuses. The first said, ‘I've just bought a field and I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’
Kodwa bonke baqala omunye lomunye ukuzixolisela. Owokuqala wathi kuye: Ngithenge insimu, ngimele ukuhamba ngiyeyibona; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
19 Another said, ‘I've just bought five pairs of oxen and have to go and try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said,
Lomunye wathi: Sengithenge izipane ezinhlanu zenkabi, ngiya ukuzilinga; ngiyakuncenga, akungixolisele.
20 ‘I've just got married, so I can't come.’
Lomunye wathi: Sengithethe umfazi, ngakho ngingeze ngeza.
21 The servant returned and told his master what they'd said. The home-owner became angry and told his servant, ‘Quickly, go out into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
Isibuyile leyonceku yayibikela lezizinto inkosi yayo. Wasethukuthela umninindlu wathi encekwini yakhe: Phuma ngokuphangisa uye emigwaqweni lendleleni zomuzi, ulethe abayanga lezilima leziqhuli leziphofu ubangenise lapha.
22 Then the servant said, ‘Master, I did what you told me, but there are still empty places.’
Inceku yasisithi: Nkosi, sekwenziwe njengokulaya kwakho, njalo indawo isesekhona.
23 So the master told the servant, ‘Go out on the country roads and lanes, and make people come—I want my house to be full.
Yasisithi inkosi encekwini: Phuma uye ezindleleni lezintangweni ubacindezele bangene, ukuze igcwaliswe indlu yami.
24 I tell you, not a single one of those people I invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Ngoba ngithi kini: Kakho kulamadoda ayenxusiwe ozakuzwa ukudla kwami kwantambama.
25 A large crowd was accompanying Jesus. He turned to them and said,
Kwakuhamba laye amaxuku amanengi; wasetshibilika wathi kuwo:
26 “If you want to follow me but you don't hate your father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters—even your own life—you can't be my disciple.
Uba umuntu esiza kimi, futhi engazondi uyise, lonina, lomkakhe, labantwana, labafowabo, labodadewabo, yebo ngitsho leyakhe impilo, angebe ngumfundi wami.
27 If you don't carry your cross and follow me, you can't be my disciple.
Njalo loba ngubani ongathwali isiphambano sakhe angilandele, angebe ngumfundi wami.
28 If you planned to build a tower, wouldn't you first work out how much it would cost, and see if you had enough money to complete it?
Ngoba nguwuphi kini, othi efuna ukwakha umphotshongo, ongaqali ahlale phansi, abale indleko, ukuthi ulakho yini okokuqedisa?
29 Otherwise, if after laying the foundation you weren't able to finish it, everyone who saw it would laugh at you, saying,
Ukuze hlezi, kuthi esebekile isisekelo kodwa angabi lamandla okuqeda, bonke abakubonayo baqale ukumhleka,
30 ‘Look at him: he started building but he couldn't finish it.’
besithi: Lumuntu waqala ukwakha, kodwa kabanga lamandla okuqeda.
31 What king goes to war with another king without first sitting down with his advisors to work out whether he and his ten thousand can defeat the one marching against him with twenty thousand?
Loba yiyiphi inkosi ezakuya empini imelene lenye inkosi engaqali ihlale phansi inakane ngokuthi ilamandla yini ngenkulungwane ezilitshumi okuhlangabezana laleyo eza ilenkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili ukumelana layo?
32 If he can't, he'll send representatives to ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.
Kodwa uba kungenjalo, ingathi isekhatshana leyo, ithume amanxusa icele okokuthula.
33 In the same way every one of you who doesn't give up everything can't be my disciple.
Ngakho kunjalo wonke kini ongadeli konke alakho, angeke aba ngumfundi wami.
34 Salt is good, but if it loses its taste, how can you make it salty again?
Itshwayi lihle; kodwa uba itshwayi seliduma, lizavuselelwa ngani?
35 It's no good for the soil or for fertilizer—you just toss it out. Whoever has ears, then listen!”
Kalifanele lamhlabathi ledundulu lomquba; kodwa liyalahlwa ngaphandle. Olendlebe zokuzwa, akezwe.
