Luka 14
1 Ikawa siku moja Yesu alipokuwa amekwenda kula chakula kwa mmoja wa viongozi wa Mafarisayo siku ya Sabato, watu walikuwa wakimchunguza kwa bidii.
One (Jewish day of rest/Sabbath day), Jesus went to eat [SYN] at the house of an important Pharisee. Some [men who studied the Jewish] laws and other Pharisees who were there were watching him carefully [to see if he would do something for which they could accuse him].
2 Papo hapo mbele yake palikuwa na mtu mmoja mwenye ugonjwa wa kuvimba mwili.
Unexpectedly, there was a man in front of Jesus whose arms and legs were swollen.
3 Yesu akawauliza wale Mafarisayo na walimu wa sheria, “Je, ni halali kuponya watu siku ya Sabato au la?”
Jesus said to them, “Is it permitted in [our(inc)] Jewish laws to heal [someone] (on our Jewish rest day/on the Sabbath), or not?”
4 Wakakaa kimya. Hivyo Yesu akamshika yule mgonjwa mkono na kumponya, akamruhusu aende zake.
[They knew that their laws permitted it, but they thought that healing was work, which they thought was wrong to do] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day) (OR, [they knew that their laws permitted it, but they did not want to admit it]). So they did not reply. Then Jesus put his hands on the man and healed him. Then he told him to go [home].
5 Kisha akawauliza, “Kama mmoja wenu angekuwa na mtoto au ngʼombe wake aliyetumbukia katika kisima siku ya Sabato, je, hamtamvuta mara moja na kumtoa?”
Then he said to the rest of them, “If you had a son or an ox that fell into a well on a (Sabbath/our day of rest), would you immediately [work to] pull him out, [or would you(sg) let him stay there until the next day]?”
6 Nao hawakuwa na la kusema.
[They knew that they would immediately work to pull him out, even on their day of rest, so they could not justly say that Jesus did wrong by healing the man on that day. So] they said nothing in reply to Jesus.
7 Alipoona jinsi wageni walivyokuwa wanachagua mahali pa heshima wakati wa kula, akawaambia mfano huu:
Jesus noticed that those people who had been {whom [the Pharisee] had} invited [to the meal] chose [to sit in] the places where important [people usually sit]. Then he gave [this advice] to them:
8 “Mtu akikualika arusini, usikae mahali pa mgeni wa heshima kwa kuwa inawezekana amealikwa mtu mheshimiwa kuliko wewe.
“When one of you [(sg)] is invited by someone {someone invites one of you [(sg)]} to a wedding feast, do not sit in a place where important people sit. Perhaps the man [giving the feast] has invited a man more important than you [(sg)].
9 Kama mkifanya hivyo yule aliyewaalika ninyi wawili atakuja na kukuambia, ‘Mpishe huyu mtu kiti chako.’ Ndipo kwa aibu utalazimika kukaa katika nafasi ya chini kabisa.
[When that man comes], the man who invited both of you will come to you [(sg)] and say to you, ‘Let this man take your seat!’ Then you [(sg)] will have to take the most undesirable seat, and you will be ashamed.
10 Badala yake, unapoalikwa, chagua nafasi ya chini, ili yule mwenyeji wako atakapokuona atakuja na kukuambia, ‘Rafiki yangu, nenda kwenye nafasi iliyo bora zaidi.’ Kwa jinsi hii utakuwa umepewa heshima mbele ya wageni wenzako wote.
Instead, when you are invited {[someone] invites one of you} [to a feast], go and sit in the most undesirable seat. Then when the man who invited everyone comes, he will say to you [(sg)], ‘Friend, sit in a better seat!’ Then all the people who are eating with you [(sg)] will see that he is honoring you.
11 Kwa maana kila mtu ajikwezaye atashushwa, naye ajishushaye atakwezwa.”
Also, [remember this]: [God] will humble those who exalt themselves. And [he] will exalt those who humble themselves.”
12 Kisha Yesu akamwambia yule aliyewaalika, “Uandaapo karamu ya chakula cha mchana au cha jioni, usialike rafiki zako au ndugu zako au jamaa zako au majirani zako walio matajiri tu. Ukifanya hivyo, wao nao wanaweza kukualika kwao, nawe ukawa umelipwa kile ulichofanya na kupata thawabu yako.
[Jesus] also said to [the Pharisee] who had invited him to the meal, “When you [(sg)] invite people to a midday or evening meal, do not invite your friends or your family or your other relatives or your rich neighbors. They can later invite you [(sg) for a meal]. In that way they will repay you.
13 Bali ufanyapo karamu, waalike maskini, vilema na vipofu,
Instead, when you [(sg)] give a feast, invite poor [people], crippled [people], lame [people], or blind [people].
14 nawe utabarikiwa kwa sababu hawa hawana uwezo wa kukulipa. Mungu atakulipa wakati wa ufufuo wa wenye haki.”
They will be unable to repay you. [But God will bless you! He] will repay you [at the time] when [he causes] righteous people to become alive again.”
15 Mmoja wa wale waliokuwa pamoja naye mezani aliposikia hivi akamwambia Yesu, “Amebarikiwa mtu yule atakayekula katika karamu ya Ufalme wa Mungu!”
One of those who were eating with Jesus heard him say that. He said to Jesus, “God [has truly] blessed [us Jews] who will eat [with the Messiah] when he starts to rule!”
16 Yesu akamjibu, “Mtu mmoja alikuwa anaandaa karamu kubwa, akaalika watu wengi.
But [to show that many Jews whom God had invited would not accept God’s invitation] [MET], Jesus replied to him, “One time a man [decided] to prepare a large feast. He invited many people to come.
17 Wakati wa karamu ulipofika, akamtuma mtumishi wake akawaambie wale walioalikwa, ‘Karibuni, kila kitu ki tayari sasa.’
When it was the day for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those who had been {whom he had} invited, ‘Come [now] because everything is ready!’
18 “Lakini wote, kila mmoja, wakaanza kutoa udhuru: Wa kwanza akasema, ‘Nimenunua shamba, lazima niende kuliona. Tafadhali niwie radhi.’
But [when the servant did that], all of the people [whom he had invited] began to say why they did not want to come. The first [man the servant went to] said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please [ask your master to] forgive me for not coming!’
19 “Mwingine akasema, ‘Ndipo tu nimenunua jozi tano za ngʼombe wa kulimia, nami ninakwenda kuwajaribu, tafadhali niwie radhi.’
Another person said, ‘I have just bought five pair of oxen, and I must go to examine them. Please [ask your master to] forgive me for not coming!’
20 Naye mwingine akasema, ‘Nimeoa mke, kwa hiyo siwezi kuja.’
Another person said, ‘I have just been married. So I cannot come.’
21 “Yule mtumishi akarudi, akampa bwana wake taarifa. Ndipo yule mwenye nyumba akakasirika, akamwagiza yule mtumishi wake, akisema, ‘Nenda upesi kwenye mitaa na vichochoro vya mjini uwalete maskini, vilema, vipofu na viwete.’
So the servant returned to his master and reported what [everyone had said]. The owner of the house was angry [when he heard the reasons they gave for not] coming. He said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city [and find] poor and crippled and blind and lame [people, and bring] them here into [my house]!’
22 “Yule mtumishi akamwambia, ‘Bwana, yale uliyoniagiza nimefanya, lakini bado ipo nafasi.’
[After the servant went and did that], he [came back and] said, ‘Sir, I have done what you [(sg)] told me to do, but there is still room [for more people].’
23 “Ndipo yule bwana akamwambia mtumishi wake, ‘Nenda kwenye barabara na vijia vilivyoko nje ya mji na uwalazimishe watu waingie ili nyumba yangu ipate kujaa.
[So] his master said to him, ‘Then go [outside the city]. Search for people along the highways. Search also along the narrow roads with hedges beside them [where homeless people may be staying]. Strongly urge the people in those places to come to [my house]. I want it to be full of [people]!’”
24 Kwa maana nawaambia, hakuna hata mmoja wa wale walioalikwa atakayeionja karamu yangu.’”
[Then Jesus said], “I tell you [(pl)] this: Very few of you [Jewish] people will enjoy my feast, even though [I] invited you [first to eat it with me when I become king].”
25 Umati mkubwa wa watu ulikuwa ukisafiri pamoja na Yesu, naye akageuka, akawaambia,
Large groups of people were traveling with [Jesus]. He turned and said to them,
26 “Mtu yeyote anayekuja kwangu hawezi kuwa mwanafunzi wangu kama hatanipenda mimi zaidi ya baba yake na mama yake, mke wake na watoto wake, ndugu zake na dada zake, naam, hata maisha yake mwenyewe.
“If anyone comes to me who loves his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters [more than] [HYP] [he loves me], he cannot be my disciple. He must even love me more than he loves his own life!
27 Yeyote asiyeuchukua msalaba wake na kunifuata hawezi kuwa mwanafunzi wangu.
[People who are ready to execute a prisoner make] him carry his cross [MET] [to the place where others will nail him] on it. Only those who are willing [to allow others to hurt them and disgrace them] like that because of being my disciples, and who are willing to obey what I teach, can be my disciples.
28 “Ni nani miongoni mwenu ambaye kama anataka kujenga nyumba, hakai kwanza chini na kufanya makisio ya gharama aone kama ana fedha za kutosha kukamilisha?
[I will illustrate] [MET]. If one of you desired to build a (tower/big house), (you would surely first sit down and determine how much it would cost!/would you not first sit down and determine how much it would cost?) [RHQ] Then you would determine whether you had enough money to complete it.
29 La sivyo, akiisha kuweka msingi, naye akiwa hana uwezo wa kuikamilisha, wote waionao wataanza kumdhihaki,
[If you did not do that], if you laid the foundation and were not able to finish [the rest of the tower], everyone who saw it would make fun of you.
30 wakisema, ‘Mtu huyu alianza kujenga lakini hakuweza kukamilisha.’
They would say, ‘This man started to build [a tower], but he was not able to finish it!’
31 “Au ni mfalme gani atokaye kwenda kupigana vita na mfalme mwingine, ambaye hakai chini kwanza na kufikiri iwapo akiwa na jeshi la watu 10,000 ataweza kupigana na yule anayekuja na jeshi la watu 20,000?
Or, if a king decided to [send his army to] war against another king, (he would surely first sit down [with those who] advised [him]./would he not first sit down [with those who] advised [him]?) [RHQ] They would determine whether [his army], which had only 10,000 soldiers, could defeat the [other army], which had 20,000 soldiers, and was about to attack his [army].
32 Kama hawezi, basi wakati yule mwingine akiwa bado yuko mbali, yeye hutuma ujumbe wa watu na kuomba masharti ya amani.
If he [decided] that his army could not [defeat that army], he would send messengers to [the other king] while the other army was still far away. He would tell the messengers to say to that king, ‘What things must I do to have peace with your country?’
33 Vivyo hivyo, yeyote miongoni mwenu ambaye hawezi kuacha vyote alivyo navyo, hawezi kuwa mwanafunzi wangu.
So, similarly, if any one of you does not first decide that you [(sg)] are [willing to] give up all that you have, you cannot be my disciple.”
34 “Chumvi ni nzuri, lakini chumvi ikiwa imepoteza ladha yake, itafanywaje ili iweze kukolea tena?
[Jesus also said, “You are like] [MET] salt, which is useful [to put on food]. But (salt certainly cannot be made {[you] certainly cannot make salt} to taste salty again if it stops tasting salty!/can salt be made {can [you] make salt} to taste salty again if it quits tasting salty?) [RHQ]
35 Haifai ardhi wala kwa lundo la mbolea, bali hutupwa nje. “Mwenye masikio ya kusikia, na asikie.”
[If salt does not taste salty any more], it is not good for the soil or even for the manure heap. [People] throw it away. [The same thing will happen to you if you become useless to God]. If you want to understand what I just said [IDM], you must consider [carefully] what you have heard!”
