Omkhulu embusweni kaZimu
(Mk 9:33-37; Lk 9:46-48)
1Ngesikhatheso abafundi beza kuJesu babuza bathi: “Ngubani omkhulu embusweni wezulu na?”
2UJesu wabiza umntwana, wamjamisa phakathi kwabo, 3wathi: “Ngiqinisile ngiyanitjela bona ngaphandle kobanyana niphenduke nibe njengabantwana, angekhe nangena embusweni wezulu. 4Ngalokho-ke nanyana ngubani ozithoba njengomntwana lo uzakuba ngongomkhulu embusweni wezulu. 5Naloyo owamukela umntwana onjengalo ebizweni lami, wamukela mina. 6Kodwana nanyana ngubani obangela omunye wabancanaba abakholwa kimi bona one, kuzakuba ngcono kuye kobana abotjhelelwe ilitje lokugaya entanyeni bese acwiliswe ekuzikeni kwelwandle.
7“Maye kilo iphasi ngebanga leenkhubekiso! Iinkhubekiso zizakulokhu zivela, kodwana maye emuntwini eziza ngaye!
8“Nangabe isandla sakho namkha inyawo lakho liyakukhuba, liqunte ulilahle. Kungcono ukungena ekuphileni uyingunwana namkha usirhurhubi kunobana ube nezandla zombili namkha iinyawo zombili kodwana uphoselwe emlilweni wesiphelani. 9Nangabe ilihlo lakho liyakukhuba, ligobhodlhe ulilahle! Kulula kuwe ukungena ekuphileni nelihlo elilodwa, kunobanyana ube namehlo amabili, kodwana uphoselwe ngemlilweni wesirhogo.
Umfanekiso ngemvu elahlekileko
(Lk 15:3-7)
10“Qinisekani bonyana aninyazi ngitjho namunye wabancancanaba. Ngambala ngiyanitjela bona iingilozi zabo ezulwini zihlala njalo ziphambi kwakaBaba ezulwini, 11ngombana iNdodana yoMuntu ize ukusindisa abalahlekileko.
12“Uthini umbono wenu na? Nakube umuntu unezimvu ezilikhulu, kuthi eyodwa idurhe, akazukutjhiya ezimatjhumi alithoba nethoba emibundwini ayokufuna edurhileko na? 13Kuthi angayifumana, ngiqinisile ngiyanitjela wehlelwa lithabo elikhulu ngemvu eyodwa leyo kunalezo ezimatjhumi alithoba nethoba ezingazange zidurhe. 14Ngokunjalo-ke noYihlo ezulwini akathandi bona kudurhe ngitjho noyedwa wabancancanaba.
Umfo okonako
(Lk 17:3)
15“Nakube umfowenu uyakona, khamba uyombonisa iphoswakhe, kube phakathi kwenu kwaphela. Nakube uyakulalela, uzabe umzuzile umfowenu. 16Kodwana nakube uyakhunyalala, thatha munye namkha babili abantu bakhambe nawe ukuze yoke indaba iqiniswe ngabofakazi ababili namkha abathathu. 17Nakube nabo akabalaleli, bikela ibandla. Nakube nebandlelo akafuni ukulilalela, khona-ke mphathe njengomrhedeni namkha umthelisi.”
18“Ngiqinisile ngiyanitjela bona nanyana yini eniyibopha ephasini izakubotjhwa nezulwini nenikuthukululako ephasini kuzakuthukululwa nezulwini.
19“Godu ngiqinisile ngiyanitjela bona nangabe ababili benu ephasini bavumelana ngananyana yini eniyikhombelako, uBaba osezulwini uzanenzela yona. 20Ngambala lapho ababili namkha abathathu bahlangene khona ngebizo lami, nami ngilapho nabo.”
Umfanekiso ngenceku enganasirhawu
21Nje-ke uPitrosi weza kuJesu wambuza wathi: “Kosi, ngimlibalele kangaki umfowethu naphikelele ukungona na? Kghani bekube kalikhomba?”
22UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Awa, ingasi bekube kalikhomba, kodwana kube ngokubuyelelwe amatjhumi alikhomba nakhomba. 23Ngalokho-ke umbuso wezulu ufana nekosi eyafuna ukulungisa iimali neenceku zayo. 24Kwathi lokha nayithoma ukubala, kwalethwa kiyo indoda ebegade ikoloda ikosi leyo iinkulungwana ezilitjhumi zamatalende. 25Njengombana beyingakghoni ukukhokha isikolodo sayo, ikosi yathi ayithengiswe, yona, umkayo, abantwabayo nakho koke enakho ukuze kukhokhelwe isikolodweso. 26Inceku yawa ngamadolo phambi kwekosi leyo, yarabhela yathi, ‘Akhese ungibekezelele, ngizakukhokhela koke.’ 27Ikosi yayizwela ubuhlungu, yasula isikolodo sayo, yayitjhaphulula bona ikhambe.
28“Kodwana kwathi lokha inceku leyo nayiphumako, yahlangana nesinye seensebenzi esisebenza nayo ebegade siyikoloda ikhulu labodenariyu. Yasibamba ngomphimbo, yasikhahlameza yathi, ‘Khokha isikolodo sakho ongibamba sona!’
29“Isisebenzeso saguqa phasi sayirabhela sathi, ‘Yewungibekezelele, ngizakukhokhela!’ 30Kodwana yabhala; ebangeni lalokho yenza bona isisebenzeso sidlhunywe ngesikhungweni bekube kumhlana sikhokha isikolodweso. 31Kwathi bona ezinye iinsebenzi zibone okwenzakeleko, zadana khulu zaya ekosini zayitjela koke okwenzakeleko. 32Yeke ikosi yayo yayibiza yathi: ‘Wena sikhohlakali senceku! Ngesule soke isikolodo sakho ngombana ungirabhele bonyana ngikulibalele sona. 33Alo, bewungakameli ukuba nesirhawu esisebenzini esisebenza nawe njengombana nami ngibe nesirhawu kuwe na?’ 34Ikosi yayo yathukuthela beyayinikelela ezandleni zabaphathisikhungo kobana bayihlunguphaze beyikhokhe koke ekukolodako.
35“Ngiyo-ke indlela le uBaba osezulwini azokuphatha ngayo omunye nomunye wenu naningalibaleli abafowenu ngeenhliziyo zenu zoke.”
