Matthew 21

Ukungena Kobukhosi Omkhulu EJerusalema

1Bathi besondela eJerusalema, sebefike eBhethifage eNtabeni yama-Oliva uJesu wathuma abafundi ababili 2wathi kubo, “Yanini emzini ophambi kwenu, khonapho lizabona ubabhemi ebotshelwe, lethole lakhe likhonapho. Mthukululeni lize labo bobabili kimi. 3Nxa kusiba lomuntu otsho ulutho kini, mtsheleni ukuthi iNkosi iyabaswela, uzahle abayekele bahambe masinyane.”

4Lokhu kwenzeka ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngomphrofethi ukuthi:

5“Tshela iNdodakazi yaseZiyoni ukuthi, ‘Khangela, inkosi yakho iyeza kuwe, imnene ikhwele ubabhemi, iphezu kwethole, inkonyane kababhemi.’ ”

6Abafundi bahamba benza njengokulaywa kwabo nguJesu. 7Bamletha ubabhemi lethole, bendlala izingubo zabo phezu kwabobabhemi uJesu wahlala phezu kwazo. 8Ixuku elikhulu labantu lendlala izingubo zalo endleleni.

9Amaxuku ayehamba phambi kwakhe lalawo ayelandela amemeza athi, “Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida!” “Ubusisiwe yena ozayo ngebizo leNkosi!” “Hosana phezulu kwaphezulu!”

10Kwathi uJesu esengenile eJerusalema umuzi wonke wanyakazela abantu babuzana bathi, “Kanti ngubani lo?”

11Amaxuku aphendula athi, “Lo nguJesu, umphrofethi waseNazaretha eGalile.”

UJesu Ethempelini

12UJesu wangena esigcawini sethempeli wabaxotsha bonke ababethenga lababethengisa khona. Wagenqula amatafula alabo ababentshintshela abanye izimali lezihlalo zabathengisa amajuba. 13Wathi kubo, “Kulotshiwe ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokukhuleka,’ kodwa lina seliyenza ‘ubhalu lwabaphangi.’ ”

14Iziphofu labaqhugezelayo beza kuye ethempelini wabasilisa. 15Kodwa kwathi abaphristi abakhulu labafundisi bomthetho bebona izimanga ayezenza labantwana bememeza esigcawini sethempeli besithi, “Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida,” banengeka.

16Bambuza bathi, “Uyabezwa nje abantwana laba ukuthi bathini?” “Yebo,” waphendula uJesu, “Kalikaze lifunde ukuthi, “ ‘Ezindebeni zabantwana lezinsane uyimisile indumiso’?”

17Wasebatshiya waphuma edolobheni waya eBhethani lapho alala khona.

Isihlahla Somkhiwa Siyabuna

18Ekuseni kakhulu esebuyela edolobheni wezwa eselambile.

19Wabona isihlahla somkhiwa eceleni kwendlela waqambukela kuso kodwa wathola kungelalutho kuso ngaphandle kwamahlamvu nje. Wasesithi kuso, “Ungaphindi uthele izithelo lanini!” Khonapho nje isihlahla sahle sabuna.

20Abafundi bathi bekubona lokhu bamangala kakhulu. Babuza bathi, “Kwenzeke kanjani ukuthi isihlahla somkhiwa sibune masinyane kangaka?”

21UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi uma lilokukholwa njalo lingathandabuzi, kalisoze lenze nje okwenziwe kulesi isihlahla somkhiwa, kodwa njalo lingathi kule intaba, ‘Suka, ziphosele olwandle,’ lakanye kwenzeke. 22Uma likholwa lizaphiwa loba yini eliyicelayo ngomthandazo.”

Kubuzwa Ngemvelo Yamandla KaJesu

23UJesu wangena ethempelini, kwathi elokhu efundisa abaphristi abakhulu labadala babantu beza kuye. Bambuza bathi, “Izinto lezi uzenza ngawaphi amandla na? Ngubani okunike amandla la?”

24UJesu waphendula wathi, “Lami ngizalibuza umbuzo owodwa. Lingangiphendula, ngizalitshela ukuthi izinto lezi ngizenza ngawaphi amandla. 25Ukubhaphathiza kukaJohane – kwavela ngaphi na? Kwakuvela ezulwini na loba ebantwini?” Bangunguza bodwa ngalokho bathi, “Uma sisithi, ‘Kwavela ezulwini,’ uzakuthi, ‘Pho kungani lingamkholwanga na?’ 26Kodwa singathi, ‘Kwavela ebantwini – sesaba abantu ngokuba bonke uJohane bamthatha njengomphrofethi.”

27Ngakho bamphendula uJesu bathi, “Kasikwazi.” Ngakho wasesithi, “Lami kangiyikulitshela ukuthi izinto lezi ngizenza ngamandla bani.

Umzekeliso Wamadodana Amabili

28“Lithini kambe? Kwakulendoda eyayilamadodana amabili. Yaya kweyokuqala yathi, ‘Ndodana, lamuhla hamba uyosebenza esivinini.’

29“Yaphendula yathi, ‘Kangisoze ngiye mina,’ kodwa yaphinde yazisola yahamba.

30“Uyise wasesiya kwenye indodana watsho okufanayo. Yaphendula yathi, ‘Ngizahamba, baba,’ kodwa kayihambanga.

31“Yiyiphi phakathi kwawo womabili eyenza lokho okwakufunwa nguyise na?” Baphendula bathi, “Ngeyakuqala.” UJesu wathi kubo, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi abathelisi lezifebe bazangena embusweni kaNkulunkulu kuqala kulani. 32Ngoba uJohane weza kini ukuzalitshengisa indlela yokulunga, kodwa kalimkholwanga, ikanti abathelisi lezifebe bamkholwa. Kwathi lokuba selikubonile konke lokhu kalimkholwanga.

Umzekeliso Wabalimi Esivinini

33“Zwanini omunye umzekeliso: Kwakukhona umnini wesiqinti owahlanyela isivini. Wasihonqolozela ngomduli, wagebha isikhamelo sewayini phakathi wasesakha isilindo. Waseqatshisa isivini leso kubalimi wasuka wathatha uhambo. 34Kuthe sekufika isikhathi sokuvuna wathuma izisebenzi kulabobalimi ukuyathatha izithelo.

35“Abalimi bazibamba izisebenzi zakhe; basitshaya esinye, basibulala esinye kwathi esesithathu basikhanda ngamatshe.

36Wasethuma ezinye izisebenzi kubo, ezinengi kulezakuqala, njalo abalimi baziphatha ngendlela yinye. 37Ekucineni wasethumela indodana yakhe kubo. Wathi, “Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.”

38“Kodwa kwathi abalimi beyibona indodana batshelana bathi, ‘Lo yindlalifa. Wozani simbulale silithathe ilifa lakhe.’

39Ngakho bamdumela bamphosela ngaphandle kwesivini bambulala.

40“Pho-ke nxa umnini wesivini esesiza uzabathini abalimi labo na?”

41Baphendula bathi, “Uzababonisa into yamehlo, abeseqatshisa isivini sakhe kwabanye abalimi abazamnika ingxenye yakhe yezithelo ngesikhathi sokuvuna.”

42UJesu wathi kubo, “Kalibalanga yini eMibhalweni ukuthi: “Ilitshe elaliwe ngabakhi seliyilona insika yegumbi; yiNkosi ekwenzileyo lokhu, yikho kuyamangalisa ngokubona kwethu?’

43“Ngakho ngiyalitshela ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu lizawuthathelwa uphiwe abantu abazathela izithelo zawo. 44Lowo ozawela phezu kwalelilitshe uzacubuzeka, kodwa lowo elizawela phezu kwakhe uzahlifizwa.”

45Kwathi abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi besizwa imizekeliso kaJesu bakwazi ukuthi wayekhuluma ngabo.

46Badinga indlela yokumbopha, kodwa besaba ixuku labantu ngokuba abantu bambona njengomphrofethi.