NGOKUKAMATHEWU 23

₁Khona uJesu wakhuluma ezixukwini nakubafundi bakhe,

₂wathi: Ababhali nabaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMose.

₃Ngakho-ke konke abanitshela khona, kwenzeni, nikugcine, kodwa ningenzi njengemisebenzi yabo; ngokuba bayakhuluma, bangenzi;

₄babopha imithwalo enzima, bayibeke emahlombe abantu; kepha bona abavumi ukuyifukula ngomunwe wabo.

₅Kepha imisebenzi yonke yabo bayenza ukuba babonwe ngabantu; amafilakteriyu* abo bawenza abe-banzi, bawenze abe-makhulu amachopho.

₆Bathanda izindawo ezingenhla ekudleni nezihlalo eziphambili emasinagogeni*,

₇nokubingelelwa ezigcawini, nokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi Rabi.

₈Kepha nina maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi; ngokuba munye umfundisi wenu, nina nonke ningabazalelwane.

₉Ningabizi-muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo; ngokuba munye uyihlo, osezulwini.

₁₀Futhi ningabizwa ngokuthi abaholi; ngokuba munye umholi wenu, uKristu.

₁₁Kodwa omkhulu kini akabe-yisikhonzi senu.

₁₂Kepha yilowo nalowo oziphakamisayo uzakuthotshiswa, nalowo ozithobayo uzakuphakanyiswa.

₁₃Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nivalela abantu umbuso wezulu! Ngokuba aningeni nina, nabangenayo anibavumeli ukungena.

₁₄Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nidla izindlu zabafelokazi, nangokuzenzisa nenza imikhuleko emide! Ngalokho-ke niyakwamukeliswa ukulahlwa okukhulu.

₁₅Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nihamba ulwandle nomhlaba ukuba nithole nokuba iproselite* lilinye, lithi selaba-njalo nilenze indodana yesihogo ngokuphindiwe kunani!

₁₆Maye kinina-baholi abayizimpumputhe enithi: Ofunga ithempeli akulutho, kodwa ofunga igolide lethempeli uzibophile!

₁₇Ziwula, zimpumputhe, ngokuba yikuphi okukhulu kunegolide nethempeli elingcwelisa igolide na?

₁₈Futhi yilowo ofunga ialtare akulutho, kodwa ofunga umnikelo ophezu kwalo uzibophile.

₁₉Zimpumputhe, yikuphi okukhulu kunomnikelo nealtare elingcwelisa umnikelo na?

₂₀Ngakho-ke ofunga ialtare ufunga lona nakho konke okuphezu kwalo.

₂₁Nofunga ithempeli ufunga lona nohlezi kulo.

₂₂Nofunga izulu ufunga isihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu nohlezi phezu kwaso.

₂₃Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nithela okweshumi kwesinkuntshane, nokwentshungu, nokodonqa, niyeke okunzima komthetho: ukwahlulela nesihawu nokukholwa! Benimelwe ukwenza lokhu, ningakuyeki nalokho.

₂₄Baholi abayizimpumputhe, nihluza insensane, niginge ikamela.

₂₅Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nihlambulula ingaphandle lenkezo nesitsha, kepha ngaphakathi kugcwele impango nokuhuheka!

₂₆MFarisi oyimpumputhe, hlanza kuqala ingaphakathi lenkezo, ukuze kuhlanzeke nengaphandle layo.

₂₇Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nifana namaliba acakiweyo abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo nokungcola konke!

₂₈Kanjalo nani ngaphandle nibonakala kubantu nilungile, kanti ngaphakathi nigcwele ukuzenzisa nobubi.

₂₉Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nakha amaliba abaprofethi, nihlobisa amathuna abalungileyo!

₃₀Nithi: Uma sasikhona emihleni yawobaba, sasingayikuhlanganyela nabo egazini labaprofethi.

₃₁Kanjalo niyazifakazela nina ukuthi ningamadodana ababulala abaprofethi.

₃₂Nani gcwalisani isilinganiso sawoyihlo.

₃₃Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, niyakukubalekela kanjani ukulahlwa kwasesihogweni na?

₃₄Ngakho-ke, bhekani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi, nabahlakaniphileyo, nababhali; abanye kubo niyakubabulala, nibabethele; abanye niyakubashaya emasinagogeni* enu, nibaxoshe imizi ngemizi

₃₅ukuba kufike phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini lika-Abela olungileyo kuze kube-segazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya enambulala phakathi kwethempeli nealtare.

₃₆Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke lokhu kuyakufika phezu kwalesisizukulwane.

₃₇Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi nokhanda ngamatshe abathunyelwe kuwe, kukangaki ngithanda ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho njengesikhukukazi sibuthela amazinyane aso phansi kwamaphiko aso, kepha anivumanga.

₃₈Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala nani.

₃₉Ngokuba ngithi kini: Anisayikungibona nize nithi: Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni leNkosi.