ULukha 13
1 Njalo ngalesosikhathi kwaba khona abathile abamtshela ngamaGalili, igazi lawo uPilatu alixubanisa lemihlatshelo yawo.
Just at that time some people had come to tell Jesus about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
2 UJesu wasephendula wathi kubo: Licabanga ukuthi amaGalili la ayeyizoni yini kulawo wonke amaGalili, ngoba ahlupheka izinto ezinje?
“Do you suppose,” replied Jesus, “that, because these Galileans have suffered in this way, they were worse sinners than any other Galileans?
3 Hatshi bo, ngithi kini: Kodwa uba lingaphenduki, lizabhubha ngokunjalo lonke.
No, I tell you; but, unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.
4 Lalabo abalitshumi lesificaminwembili, owawela phezu kwabo umphotshongo eSilowama wababulala, licabanga ukuthi bona babebabi yini kulabantu bonke ababehlala eJerusalema?
Or those eighteen men at Siloam on whom the tower fell, killing them all, do you suppose that they were worse offenders than any other inhabitants of Jerusalem?
5 Hatshi bo, ngithi kini: Kodwa uba lingaphenduki, lizabhubha ngokunjalo lonke.
No, I tell you; but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same manner.”
6 Wasekhuluma lumfanekiso wathi: Umuntu othile wayelomkhiwa owawuhlanyelwe esivinini sakhe; wafika edinga isithelo kuwo, kodwa kasitholanga.
And Jesus told them this parable – “A man, who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, came to look for fruit on it, but could not find any.
7 Wasesithi kuso isisebenzi sesivini: Khangela, sekuyiminyaka emithathu ngisiza ngidinga isithelo emkhiweni, kodwa ngingasitholi; ugamule; yini ukuthi wone ngitsho umhlabathi?
So he said to his gardener ‘Three years now I have come to look for fruit on this fig tree, without finding any! Cut it down. Why should it rob the soil?’
8 Sasesiphendula sathi kuye: Nkosi, ake uwuyekele langalumnyaka, ngize ngigebhe ngiwugombolozele, ngithele umquba;
‘Leave it this one year more, Sir,’ the man answered, ‘until I have dug around it and manured it.
9 njalo uba uthela isithelo, kuhle; kodwa uba kungenjalo, emva kwalokho uzawugamula.
Then, if it bears in future, well and good; but if not, you can have it cut down.’”
10 Futhi wayefundisa kwelinye lamasinagoge ngesabatha;
Jesus was teaching on a Sabbath in one of the synagogues,
11 njalo khangela, kwakukhona owesifazana owayelomoya wobuthakathaka iminyaka elitshumi leyisificaminwembili, esegogekile, wayengezelulamise ngokupheleleyo.
and he saw before him a woman who for eighteen years had suffered from weakness owing to her having an evil spirit in her. She was bent double, and was wholly unable to raise herself.
12 Kwathi uJesu embona wambizela kuye, wathi kuye: Mama, ukhululwe ebuthakathakeni bakho.
When Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said, “Woman, you are released from your weakness.”
13 Wasebeka izandla phezu kwakhe; njalo wahle welulanyiswa, wadumisa uNkulunkulu.
He placed his hands on her, and she was instantly made straight, and began to praise God.
14 Kodwa umphathi wesinagoge, ethukuthele ngoba uJesu esilise ngesabatha, waphendula wathi exukwini: Zikhona insuku eziyisithupha okufanele ukusetshenzwa ngazo; ngakho wozani ngazo lisiliswe, kodwa kungabi ngosuku lwesabatha.
But the synagogue leader, indignant that Jesus had worked the cure on the Sabbath, intervened and said to the people, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come to be cured on one of those, and not on the Sabbath.”
15 Ngakho iNkosi yamphendula, yathi: Mzenzisi, ngulowo lalowo wenu kayikhululi yini inkabi yakhe kumbe ubabhemi esibayeni ngesabatha, ayikhokhele ayeyinathisa?
“You hypocrites!” the Master answered him. “Does not everyone of you let your ox or your donkey loose from its manger, and take it out to drink, on the Sabbath?
16 Lalo, oyindodakazi kaAbrahama, uSathane obembophile, khangela, iminyaka elitshumi leyisificaminwembili, kakufanele yini ukuthi akhululwe kulesisibopho ngosuku lwesabatha?
But this woman, a daughter of Abraham, who has been kept in bondage by Satan for now eighteen years, ought not she to have been released from her bondage on the Sabbath?”
17 Kwathi esitsho lezizinto, bayangeka bonke ababephikisana laye; lexuku lonke lathokoza ngezinto zonke ezilodumo ezenziwe nguye.
As he said this, his opponents all felt ashamed; but all the people rejoiced to see all the wonderful things that he was doing.
18 Wasesithi: Umbuso kaNkulunkulu unjengani? Futhi ngizawufananisa lani?
So Jesus said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what can I liken it?
19 Unjengohlamvu lwemasitedi, umuntu aluthatha waluphosa esivandeni sakhe; lwaselumila, lwaba yisihlahla esikhulu, lenyoni zezulu zakhele engatsheni zaso.
It is like a mustard seed which a man took and put in his garden. The seed grew and became a tree, and the wild birds roosted in its branches.”
20 Wasebuya wathi: Ngizawufananisa lani umbuso kaNkulunkulu?
And again Jesus said, “To what can I liken the kingdom of God?
21 Unjengemvubelo, ayithathayo owesifazana wayifaka ezilinganisweni ezintathu zempuphu, kwaze kwabila konke.
It is like some yeast which a woman took and covered in three pecks of flour, until the whole had risen.”
22 Wasehamba edabula imizi lemizana efundisa, ejonge ukuya eJerusalema.
Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching as he went, and making his way towards Jerusalem.
23 Omunye wasesithi kuye: Nkosi, balutshwana yini abasindiswayo? Wasesithi kubo:
“Master,” someone asked, “are there but few in the path of salvation?” And Jesus answered,
24 Zamani kakhulu ukungena ngesango elincinyane; ngoba abanengi, ngithi kini, bazadinga ukungena, kodwa bazakwehluleka.
“Strive to go in by the narrow door. Many, I tell you, will seek to go in, but they will not be able,
25 Emva kokuthi umninindlu esesukume wavala umnyango, beseliqala ukuma ngaphandle liqoqode emnyango, lisithi: Nkosi, Nkosi, sivulele; yena-ke aphendule athi kini: Kangilazi, lapho elivela khona;
when once the master of the house has got up and shut the door, while you begin to say, as you stand outside and knock, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ His answer will be – ‘I do not know where you come from.’
26 lapho lizaqala ukuthi: Sadla sanatha phambi kwakho, njalo wawufundisa emigwaqweni yakithi.
Then you will begin to say ‘We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets,’ and his reply will be –
27 Kodwa uzakuthi: Ngithi kini: Kangilazi lapho elivela khona; sukani kimi lina lonke benzi bokubi.
‘I do not know where you come from. Leave my presence, all you who are living in wickedness.’
28 Lapho kuzakuba khona ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo, nxa selibona uAbrahama loIsaka loJakobe labaprofethi bonke embusweni kaNkulunkulu, kodwa lina lilahlelwe ngaphandle.
There, there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, while you yourselves are being driven outside.
29 Futhi bazakuza bevela empumalanga lentshonalanga, njalo enyakatho leningizimu, bahlale embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
People will come from East and West, and from North and South, and take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God.
30 Njalo khangelani, bakhona abokucina abazakuba ngabokuqala, njalo bakhona abokuqala abazakuba ngabokucina.
There are some who are last now who will then be first, and some who are first now who will then be last!”
31 Ngelanga elifananayo kwafika abaFarisi abathile, bathi kuye: Phuma usuke lapha, ngoba uHerodi ufuna ukukubulala.
Just then some Pharisees came up to Jesus and said, “Go away and leave this place, for Herod wants to kill you.”
32 Wasesithi kubo: Hambani lilitshele lelokhanka: Khangela, ngiyakhupha amadimoni ngenza izelapho lamuhla lakusasa, langelesithathu ngipheleliswe.
But Jesus answered, “Go and say to that fox ‘Look you, I am driving out demons and will be completing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will have done.’
33 Kodwa kumele ukuthi ngihambe lamuhla lakusasa langomhlomunye; ngoba kakwenzeki ukuthi umprofethi abulawelwe ngaphandle kweJerusalema.
But today and tomorrow and the day after I must go on my way, because it cannot be that a prophet should meet his end outside Jerusalem.
34 Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi, lobakhanda ngamatshe labo abathunywe kuwe! Bengithanda kangakanani ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho, njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amatsiyane aso ngaphansi kwempiko, kodwa kalivumanga.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You who slays the prophets and stones the messengers sent to you – Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children around me, as a hen takes her brood under her wings, and you would not come!
35 Khangelani, indlu yenu itshiywe kini ilunxiwa; njalo ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Kalisoze langibona kuze kufike ukuthi lithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi.
Verily your house is left to you desolate! And never, I tell you, will you see me, until you say – ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
