UMATEWU 24

₁Xa uYesu wayephuma *endlwini kaThixo bafika abafundi bakhe, bambonisa isakhiwo sendlu leyo. ₂Waphendula wathi kubo: “Niyazibona zonke ezi zinto? Ndithi kuni, inene, akuyi kusala litye phezu kwelitye apha elingayi kudilizwa.”

₃Kwathi, xa uYesu wayehleli phantsi eNtabeni yemiNquma, beza kuye bebodwa abafundi, bathi: “Sixelele ukuba ziya kubakho nini na ezo zinto, nokuba uya kuba yintoni na umqondiso wokuza kwazo nowokupheliswa kweli phakade?”

₄Waza waphendula uYesu wathi: “Lumkani, ningàlahlekiswa bani, ₅kuba baninzi abaya kuza besebenzisa igama lam, besithi banguye *uKrestu, balahlekise into eninzi yabantu. ₆Niya kuthi nive iimfazwe, namarhe eemfazwe; kodwa lumkani, ningabi navuso, kuba ezo zinto zimelwe kukubakho, kanti ke akukabi kuko ukuphela oko. ₇Uhlanga luya kuvukelana nohlanga, nokumkani avukelane nokumkani; kuya kubakho iindlala, neenyikima zomhlaba kwiindawo ngeendawo. ₈Kunjengokuqala kwenimba ke konke oku.

₉“Ngelo xesha baya kunibamba, baninikele ekutshutshisweni, banibulale. Niya kuthiywa ziintlanga zonke ngenxa yegama lam. ₁₀Ngelo xesha abaninzi baya kurhoxa elukholweni, bangcatshane, bathiyane. ₁₁Kuya kuvela *abashumayeli abaxokayo, balahlekise abantu abaninzi. ₁₂Ububi buya kwanda kangangokuba luphole uthando lwabaninzi. ₁₃Ke lowo uzingisa kude kube sekupheleni wosindiswa. ₁₄Ezi ndaba zimnandi zolawulo lukaThixo ziya kushunyayelwa kulo lonke ihlabathi, zibe bubungqina kuzo zonke iintlanga, size ke sifike isiphelo.”

₁₅“Xa ke ngoko nithe nalibona ‘isikizi elimanyumnyezi, mhla ngophanziso;’ elo *umshumayeli uDaniyeli athetha ngalo, limi ‘endaweni engcwele’ (ofundayo makaqiqe), ₁₆mabathi ngelo xesha abakwelakwaJuda babalekele ezintabeni. ₁₇Ophezu kwendlu ke makangehli ukuya kuthatha nto endlwini yakhe. ₁₈Nalowo usentsimini makangabi sayiphuthuma ingubo yakhe. ₁₉Hayi ke kwabanzima nabadlezane ngaloo mihla! ₂₀Thandazelani ukuba ukubaleka kwenu kungabi sebusika okanye *ngoMhla woPhumlo, ₂₁kuba ngelo xesha kuya kubakho imbandezelo engazange ibekho ukususela ekudalweni kwehlabathi kude kube ngoku, kwaye ingasayi kuphinda ibekho enjalo. ₂₂Ke ukuba uThixo ebengayicuthanga loo mihla, bekungayi kubakho bani usindayo; kodwa ngenxa yâbo banyuliweyo, uThixo woyicutha loo mihla.

₂₃“Ngelo xesha ke, ukuba ubani uthe kuni: ‘Nanku apha uKrestu;’ nokuba uthe: ‘Nankuya phaya;’ musani ukuyamkela loo nto; ₂₄kuba kuya kuvela abathi banguKrestu, abangenguye; kuvele *nabashumayeli abangengabo, benze imiqondiso nemimangaliso emikhulu kangangokuba bade babalahlekise, ukuba bekunokwenzeka oko, kwanabanyulwa bakaThixo. ₂₅Niyabona, ndinixelela ezi zinto zingekenzeki.

₂₆“Ukuba ke kuthiwa kuni: ‘Nankuya entlango,’ ze ningayi; nokuba kuthiwa: ‘Nankuya endlwini,’ ze ningakwamkeli oko; ₂₇kuba ukufika *koNyana woLuntu kuya kuba njengombane omenyezela empumalanga, ubonakale kude kuse entshonalanga.

₂₈“Apho sikhona isidumbu, kulapho aya kuhlanganisana khona amaxhalanga.”

₂₉“Kwangoko emva kwembandezelo yaloo mihla, ilanga liya kwenziwa mnyama, ithi nenyanga ingakhanyi, zithi neenkwenkwezi zivuthuluke ezulwini, nako konke okunamandla esibhakabhakeni kudunga-dungeke. ₃₀Ngelo xesha uya kubonakala ezulwini umqondiso *woNyana woLuntu, zize zonke iintlanga zehlabathi zenze isijwili, zimbona uNyana woLuntu esiza esemafini enamandla nobuqaqawuli obukhulu. ₃₁Liya kuvakala ke ixilongo elikhulu, azithumele eziphelweni zehlabathi izithunywa zakhe, zibahlanganisele ndawonye abanyulwa bakhe, bevela kumacala omane omhlaba, kususela esiphelweni somhlaba, kuye esiphelweni sawo.”

₃₂“Fundani kuwo umkhiwane ongumzekelo kuni. Xa sewuthe wathamba amasebe, wahluma amagqabi, niyazi ukuba ihlobo likufuphi. ₃₃Ngokukwanjalo ke, xa nithe nazibona ezo zinto zisenzeka, yazini ukuba kukufuphi, sekusemnyango. ₃₄Ndithi kuni, inene, esi sizukulwana asiyi kudlula zingadanga zenzeke zonke ezi zinto. ₃₅Liya kudlula izulu nehlabathi; ke wona amazwi am akasayi kuze adlule.”

₃₆“Ke akukho bani uwaziyo loo mhla nelo xesha. Kwanezithunywa ezisezulwini azazi, engazi naye uNyana lo. Kuphela nguYise owaziyo. ₃₇Njengoko kwakunjalo ngemihla kaNowa, koba kwanjalo ukufika kwakhe uNyana woLuntu. ₃₈Njengokuba babesithi ngemihla yangaphambi konogumbe badle, basele, bazeke, bendise, kwada kwayimini yokungena kukaNowa enqanaweni, ₃₉bengaqondi, wada wafika unogumbe wabakhukulisa bonke, koba kwanjalo ukufika kwakhe uNyana woLuntu. ₄₀Ngelo xesha kothi ababini besentsimini, omnye athathwe, omnye ashiywe. ₄₁Abafazi ababini boba besila elityeni lokusila, omnye athathwe, omnye ashiywe.

₄₂“Phaphani ngoko, kuba ningàwazi umhla wokufika kweNkosi yenu. ₄₃Kakade ukuba umninimzi ebesazi ukuba isela lofika nini na ebusuku, nge-egadile, waza àkavuma ukuba kuqhekezwe endlwini yakhe. ₄₄Nani ke ngoko hlalani nizilungiselele, kuba uNyana woLuntu wofika ngexesha eningalilindelanga.”

₄₅“Ngubani na oseso sicaka sithembekileyo siqondayo, eyathi inkosi yaso yasimisa phezu kwabendlu yayo, ukuze sibanike umxhesho wabo ngexesha elililo? ₄₆Siyachulumacha eso sicaka eyothi inkosi yaso yakufika isifumane sisenjenjalo. ₄₇Ndithi kuni, inene, eso sicaka inkosi yosiphathisa yonke impahla yayo. ₄₈Kodwa ukuba eso sicaka sikhohlakele, sisuke sicinge sithi: ‘Inkosi yam ilibele;’ ₄₉size sisuke sibabethe abazizicaka kunye naso, sidle sisele kunye namanxila; ₅₀yofika inkosi yeso sicaka ngemini esingayilindelanga, nangelixa esingalaziyo, ₅₁ize isixabele kubini njengokuba kusenziwa kwabangathembekanga. Kuya kubakho ukulila nokungcungcutheka apho.”