Mathewu
23:1 Khona uJesu wakhuluma ezixukwini nakubafundi bakhe.
23:2 esithi: Ababhali nabaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMozisi.
23:3 Ngakho-ke konke abanitshela khona, kugcineni, nikwenze; kodwa
ningenzi ngokwemisebenzi yabo, ngokuba bayakhuluma, bangenzi.
23:4 Ngoba babopha imithwalo enzima futhi enzima ukuthwalwa, bayibeke phezu.
amahlombe amadoda; kodwa bona ngokwabo kabasoze bawasuse lakanye
iminwe yabo.
23:5 Kodwa yonke imisebenzi yabo bayenza ukuze babonwe abantu;
amafilakteriya, andise imiphetho yezingubo zabo;
23:6 Futhi bathanda amakamelo aphakeme edilini, nezihlalo eziphambili emadilini
amasinagoge,
23:7 Nokubingelelwa ezigcawini, nokubizwa abantu ngokuthi, Rabi, Rabi.
23:8 Kepha nina maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngokuba munye uMfundisi wenu, uKristu; kanye nakho konke
ningabazalwane.
23:9 Ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngokuba munye uYihlo;
elisezulwini.
23:10 Futhi ningabizwa ngokuthi abefundisi, ngoba munye uMfundisi wenu, uKristu.
23:11 Kodwa omkhulu phakathi kwenu uzakuba yinceku yenu.
23:12 Futhi yilowo nalowo oziphakamisayo uyothotshiswa; lalowo oza
ozithobayo uzakuphakanyiswa.
23:13 Kodwa maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba niyavala
umbuso wezulu umelene nabantu, ngokuba aningeni nina
bavumele abangenayo bangene.
23:14 Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngokuba nidla abafelokazi
izindlu, nangokuzenzisa nenze imikhuleko emide;
ukulahlwa okukhulu.
23:15 Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba nizungeza ulwandle futhi
umhlaba wokwenza umproselithe oyedwa, kuthi lapho esenziwe, nimenze kabili
kakhulu ingane yesihogo kunani.
23:16 Maye kinina baholi abayizimpumputhe, enithi: Noma ubani ofunga
ithempeli, akulutho; kodwa loba ngubani ofunga ngegolide leNkosi
ethempelini, unecala!
23:17 Ziwula nezimpumputhe, ngokuba yikuphi okukhulu, igolide noma ithempeli
ingcwelisa igolide?
23:18 Futhi: Ofunga i-altare akulutho; kodwa noma ngubani
ufunga isipho esiphezu kwalo, unecala.
23:19 Ziwula nezimpumputhe, ngokuba yikuphi okukhulu, isipho noma i-altare lokho
ingcwelisa isipho?
23:20 Ngakho ofunga i-altare, ufunga lona, futhi bonke
izinto ezikhona.
23:21 Nofunga ithempeli, ufunga lona, futhi
uhlala kulo.
23:22 Nofunga izulu, ufunga isihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu, futhi
ohlezi phezu kwalo.
23:23 Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba nikhokha okweshumi kwakho
iminti, neanise, nekhumini, futhi baye beshiya okusindayo okukhulu
umthetho, nokwahlulela, nesihawu, nokukholwa; lokhu bekufanele nikwenze, ningakwenzi
shiya elinye lingaqediwe.
23:24 Bakhokheli abayizimpumputhe, enihluza insensane, nigwinye ikamela.
23:25 Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba niyahlambulula
ngaphandle kwenkezo lesitsha, kodwa ngaphakathi zigcwele
ukukhwabanisa nokweqisa.
23:26 MFarisi oyimpumputhe, hlambulula kuqala okuphakathi kwendebe
ngoqwembe, ukuze ingaphandle lazo lihlanzeke.
23:27 Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba niyafana
amathuna acakiwe, abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kepha angaphakathi
egcwele amathambo abafileyo, nakho konke ukungcola.
23:28 Kanjalo nani ngaphandle nibonakala nilungile kubantu, kodwa ngaphakathi nina
egcwele ukuzenzisa nobubi.
23:29 Maye kini, babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi! ngoba niyawakha
emathuneni abaprofethi, nihlobise amathuna abalungileyo;
23:30 Futhi nithi: 'Ukube sasikhona ezinsukwini zokhokho bethu, sasingeke
waba nesabelo nabo egazini labaprofethi.
23:31 Ngakho niyazifakazela nina ukuthi ningabantwana
ababulala abaprofethi.
23:32 Gcwalisani-ke isilinganiso sawoyihlo.
23:33 Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, ningakubalekela kanjani ukulahlwa na?
isihogo?
23:34 Ngakho, bhekani, mina ngithumela kini abaprofethi, nabahlakaniphileyo, nababhali.
abanye babo niyakubabulala, nibabethele; labanye babo lizabanikela
nibashaye emasinagogeni enu, nibashushise imizi ngemizi;
23:35 Ukuze kufike phezu kwenu lonke igazi elilungile elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela
egazini lika-Abela olungileyo kuze kube segazini likaZakariya indodana ka
uBharakhiya enambulala phakathi kwethempeli ne-altare.
23:36 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke lokhu kuyakufika phezu kwalesi sizukulwane.
23:37 O Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi futhi abakhanda ngamatshe
ezithunyelwe kuwe, kangaki ngithanda ukubuthela abantwana bakho
ndawonye njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amatshwele aso ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso, nani
ngeke!
23:38 Bheka, indlu yenu isisala nani.
23:39 Ngoba ngithi kini: Anisayikungibona kusukela manje, nize nithi:
Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni leNkosi.