UMATEWU 25

₁“Ngelo xesha ulawulo lukaThixo luya kufana nokweentombi ezilishumi, ezazithathayo izibane zazo, zaya kuhlangabeza umyeni. ₂Ke ezintlanu kuzo zazizizidenge, ezintlanu zizizilumko. ₃Ezizizidenge zazithatha izibane zazo, kodwa azayipatha ioyile yokongeza. ₄Zona ezizizilumko zathi kunye nezibane zazo zahamba ziphethe ioyile ngezitya. ₅Umyeni walibazisa ukufika, zaza iintombi ezi zonke zozela zalala.

₆“Ezinzulwini zobusuku kwamenyezwa kusithiwa: ‘Nanko umyeni; phumani niye kumhlangabeza!’ ₇Zavuka ke zonke iintombi ezo, zazilungisa izibane zazo. ₈Zaza ezizizidenge zathi kwezizizilumko: ‘Sipheni kwioyile yenu leyo, kuba izibane zethu ziyacima.’ ₉Kodwa zalandula ezizizilumko, zisithi: ‘Hleze inganeli kuthi nakuni, yiyani kwabayithengisayo, nizithengele.’ ₁₀Kwathi ke, zisaya, wafika umyeni, zaza ezo ntombi bezisezilungile zangena kunye naye emsithweni, kwaza kwavalwa emnyango.

₁₁“Kamva zafika nezinye iintombi ezo, zathi: ‘Nkosi, sivulele.’ ₁₂Yaphendula yona yathi: ‘Ndithi kuni, inene, nina àndinazi.’

₁₃“Phaphani ke ngoko, ngokuba ningayazi imini kwanalo ilixa.”

₁₄“Kuya kuba njengomntu owathi, eza kuhambela kwelinye ilizwe, wazibiza izicaka zakhe, wayigcinisa kuzo impahla yakhe. ₁₅Esinye usinike imali ekumawaka amahlanu eerandi, esinye ekumawaka amabini, nesinye ekwiwaka elinye, ezinika ngokwamandla azo. Wahamba ke. ₁₆Eso sanikwa ekumawaka amahlanu, sithe kwangoko sasebenza ngawo, sazuza amanye amahlanu. ₁₇Ngokukwanjalo neso sanikwa ekumawaka amabini, sazuza amanye amabini. ₁₈Ke sona eso sasinikwe ekwiwaka elinyé, semka saya kuyimbela siyifihla imali yenkosi yaso.

₁₉“Emva kwexesha elide yabuya inkosi yezi zicaka, yafuna ingxelo kuzo. ₂₀Seza eso sasinikwe ekumawaka amahlanu, siphethe kwanamanye amahlanu, sathi: ‘Nkosi, ubundigcinise imali ekumawaka amahlanu eerandi. Nantsi ke enye, mhlekazi, ekumawaka amahlanu endithe ndayizuza.’ ₂₁Yaza yathi kuso inkosi yaso: ‘Ngxatsho ke, sicaka sam esilungileyo, esithembekileyo! Ubuthembekile kwizinto ezimbalwa; ndiya kukuphathisa izinto ezininzi. Ngena uchwayite kunye nenkosi yakho.’

₂₂“Seza neso sicaka sasinikwe ekumawaka amabini, sathi: ‘Nkosi, ubundigcinise imali ekumawaka amabini eerandi. Nantsi ke, mhlekazi, enye ekumawaka amabini endithe ndayizuza.’ ₂₃Yaza yathi kuso inkosi yaso: ‘Ngxatsho ke, sicaka sam esilungileyo, esithembekileyo! Ubuthembekile kwizinto ezimbalwa; ndiya kukuphathisa izinto ezininzi. Ngena uchwayite kunye nenkosi yakho.’

₂₄“Seza ke neso sicaka sasinikwe ekwiwaka elinyé, sathi: ‘Nkosi, bendikwazi wena ukuba ungumntu ongqongqo, ovuna ongakuhlwayelanga, uqokelele ongakulimanga. ₂₅Bendisoyika, ndaza ndaya kuyembela ndayifihla imali yakho. Nantsi ke imali yakho, mhlekazi.’ ₂₆Yaphendula inkosi yaso, yathi kuso: ‘Sicakandini esikhohlakeleyo, esilivila, ubusazi nje ukuba ndingumntu ovuna apho angahlwayelanga khona, aqokelele apho angachithanga khona. ₂₇Ubumelwe ke ngoko ukuyifaka ebhankini imali yam, ndize ndithi, ndakufika, ndiyifumane inenzala. ₂₈Ke ngoko esi sicaka sihlutheni iwaka elo, nilinike eso siphethe ekumawaka alishumi. ₂₉Wonke umntu onolutho uya kunikwa, abe nezinto ngakumbi; kodwa lowo ungenanto uya kuhluthwa naloo nto anayo. ₃₀Ke sona esi sifede sesicaka siphoseni phandle lee ebumnyameni, apho kuya kubakho ukulila nokungcungcutheka.’ ”

₃₁“Xa athe wafika *uNyana woLuntu esebuqaqawulini bakhe, enazo zonke izithunywa zezulu, uya kuhlala enkundleni yakhe yobungangamsha, ₃₂zihlanganiselwe phambi kwakhe zonke iintlanga. Wothi ke abahlule abanye kwabanye ngokomalusi esahlula iigusha ezibhokhweni. ₃₃Zona iigusha wozibeka ngasekunene kwakhe, iibhokhwe ngasekhohlo. ₃₄Ukumkani ke uya kuthi kwabangasekunene: ‘Yizani, nina basikelelweyo nguBawo, nixhamle uyolo lolawulo enalulungiselelwayo kwasekusekweni kwehlabathi; ₃₅kuba ndandilambile, nandipha ukutya; ndandinxaniwe, nandipha amanzi; ndandingowasemzini, nandamkela; ₃₆ndandihamba ze, nandambathisa; ndandigula, nandihambela; ndandisentolongweni, nandivelela.’

₃₇“Omphendula ke amalungisa esithi: ‘Nkosi, ngaba sakubona nini na ulambile, sakupha ukutya; unxaniwe, sakunika amanzi? ₃₈Ngaba sakubona nini na ungowasemzini, sakwamkela; uhamba ze, sakwambathisa? ₃₉Ngaba sakubona nini na ugula, okanye usentolongweni, sakuhambela?’ ₄₀Wophendula ukumkani athi kuwo: ‘Ndithi kuni, inene, ekubeni nithe nenjenjalo nakomnye kula mawethu angawona agqusha eluthulini, nithe nenjenjalo nakum.’

₄₁“Wothi ke kwabo bangasekhohlo: ‘Mkani kum, nina baqalekisiweyo nguThixo, niye emlilweni ongunaphakade, olungiselelwe umtyholi nezithunywa zakhe; ₄₂kuba ndandilambile, naza ànandipha kutya; ndandinxaniwe, naza anandipha manzi; ₄₃ndandingowasemzini, naza anandamkela; ndandihamba ze, naza anandambathisa; ndandigula, ndandisentolongweni, naza ànandihambela.’

₄₄“Bophendula ke bathi: ‘Nkosi, ngaba sakubona nini na ulambile, unxaniwe, ungowasemzini, uhamba ze, ugula, okanye usentolongweni, saza àsakunceda?’ ₄₅Wobaphendula ke athi: ‘Ndithi kuni, inene, ekubeni ningenzanga njalo nakumnye waba bangabona bancinane, anenzanga njalo nakum.’ ₄₆Baya kumka aba, baye esohlwayweni esingunaphakade. Ke wona amalungisa aya kuya ebomini obungunaphakade.”