Matthew 24

Izibonakaliso Zokucina Kwesikhathi

1UJesu wathi esuka ethempelini esehamba abafundi bakhe beza kuye bathi kake ananzelele izakhiwo zalo.

2Wathi, “Liyazibona na zonke lezi izinto? Ngiyalitshela kakulalitshe lapha elizasala liphezu kwelinye; wonke azabhidlizwa.”

3Kwathi uJesu ehlezi eNtabeni yama-Oliva abafundi bakhe beza kuye ngasese bathi, “Sitshele, kuzakwenzakala nini lokhu na, njalo kuzakuba lesiboniso bani sokuza kwakho lokucina kwesikhathi na?”

4UJesu waphendula wathi, “Qaphelani ukuze lingakhohliswa muntu. 5Ngoba abanengi bazakuza ngebizo lami besithi, ‘Nginguye uKhristu,’ bakhohlise abanengi. 6Lizakuzwa ngezimpi lamahungahunga ezimpi, kodwa lingaze lethuka. Izinto ezinjalo zizakwenzeka, kodwa ukucina kulokhu kuseza. 7Isizwe sizahlasela isizwe, lombuso uhlasele umbuso. Kuzakuba lendlala lokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ezitshiyeneyo. 8Konke lokhu kuyikuqalisa kobuhlungu bokuhelelwa.

9“Lapho lizanikelwa ukuba lihlutshwe njalo libulawe, futhi lizazondwa yizizwe zonke ngenxa yami. 10Ngalesosikhathi abanengi bazadela ukukholwa banikelane njalo bazondane, 11kuvele abaphrofethi abanengi abazakhohlisa abantu abanengi. 12Ngenxa yokwanda kobubi, uthando lwabanengi luzaphola, 13kodwa lowo oma aqine kuze kube sekupheleni uzasindiswa. 14Njalo lelivangeli lombuso lizatshunyayelwa kuwo wonke umhlaba njengobufakazi kuzo zonke izizwe, besekufika ukucina.

15“Nxa libona kumi endaweni engcwele ‘amanyala aletha incithakalo’, okwakhulunywa ngomphrofethi uDanyeli – ofundayo kezwisise –

16lapho-ke akuthi labo abaseJudiya babalekele ezintabeni. 17Akungabi khona osephahleni lwendlu yakhe owehlela phansi ukuthatha loba yini endlini.

18Lowo osemasimini kangabuyeli ngekhaya ukuthatha ijazi lakhe.

19Kuzakuba buhlungu kanganani ngalezozinsuku kumakhosikazi akhulelweyo lalawo amunyisayo!

20Thandazani ukuba ukuphaphatheka kwenu kungabi sebusika loba ngeSabatha.

21Ngoba ngalesosikhathi kuzakuba lokuhlupheka okukhulu, okungazange kube khona kulokhu kwadabuka umhlaba kuze kube manje – njalo kakusoze kube khona futhi. 22Uma lezosinsuku bezingaphungulwanga, kakho obezaphepha, kodwa ngenxa yabakhethiweyo lezozinsuku zizaphungulwa. 23Nxa ngalesosikhathi omunye esithi kini, ‘Khangela, nangu uKhristu!” loba ‘Ulaphaya!’ lingakukholwa lokho. 24Ngoba oKhristu bamanga labaphrofethi bamanga bazavela benze imimangaliso emikhulu ukukhohlisa kanye labakhethiweyo – aluba lokho kungenzeka. 25Zwanini, sengihle ngalitshela mandulo kwesikhathi.

26“Ngakho-ke nxa umuntu elitshela esithi, ‘Nanguyana, laphayana egangeni,’ lingayi khona; loba athi, ‘Nangu lapha ezindlini ezingaphakathi,’ lingaze lakukholwa lokho.

27Ngoba njengombane osuka empumalanga uhle ubonakale lasentshonalanga, kuzakuba njalo ukufika kweNdodana yoMuntu. 28Lapho okulesidumbu khona kulapho amanqe abuthana khona.

29“Masinyane ngemuva kokuhlupheka kwalezozinsuku “ ‘ilanga lizafiphala lenyanga kayiyikukhanya; izinkanyezi zizakuwa esibhakabhakeni, konke okusemkhathini kuzaxukuxwa.’

30“Kulesosikhathi isiboniso seNdodana yoMuntu sizavela emkhathini, kuthi zonke izizwe zomhlaba zilile. Zizabona iNdodana yoMuntu isiza ngamayezi esibhakabhakeni, ilamandla lobukhosi obukhulu. 31Njalo izathumela izingilosi zayo zitshaya icilongo ngomsindo omkhulu, beseziqoqa abakhethiweyo bayo kumagumbi womane omhlaba, kusukela ngapha kwasezulwini kusiya ngale.

32“Manje-ke fundani lesisifundo emkhiwaneni. Amahlumela awo angaqalisa ukutebha lamahlamvu awo ahlume, selihle lisazi ukuthi ihlobo selisondele. 33Kanjalo-ke lapho selizibona zonke lezi izinto, lizakwazi ukuthi sekusondele, khonapho emnyango.

34Ngiqinisile, lesisizukulwane kasiyikudlula zingakenzakali zonke lezi izinto. 35Izulu lomhlaba kuzadlula, kodwa amazwi ami kasoze edlule lanini.

Usuku Lehora Kakwaziwa

36“Kakho owaziyo ngalolosuku kumbe ngehora, hatshi, kanye lezingilosi zasezulwini, kanye leNdodana, kodwa nguBaba kuphela.

37Njengoba kwakunjalo ezinsukwini zikaNowa, kuzabanjalo ekufikeni kweNdodana yoMuntu.

38Ngoba ezinsukwini kungakabi khona uzamcolo, abantu babesidla benatha, bethatha njalo besendisa, kwaze kwaba lusuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini; 39futhi babengazi lutho ngalokho okwakuzakwenzeka uzamcolo waze wafika wabatshabalalisa. Kuzakuba njalo ekufikeni kweNdodana yoMuntu. 40Kuzakuthi amadoda emabili esensimini, oyedwa uzathathwa, omunye atshiywe. 41Kuzakuthi abesifazana bebabili bechola ngomtshina wezandla, oyedwa uzathathwa omunye atshiywe.

42“Ngakho lindani ngokuba kalikwazi ukuthi iNkosi yenu izafika ngaluphi usuku. 43Kodwa zwisisani lokhu: Uba umninindlu wayekwazile ukuthi isela lizafika ngasiphi isikhathi sobusuku ngabe walinda kaze avumela ukuthi indlu yakhe igqekezwe.

44Ngakho lani hlalani lilindile, ngokuba iNdodana yoMuntu izafika ngesikhathi leso elizabe lingayikhumbuleli sona.

45“Ngubani kambe oyinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo umninimuzi ayibeke esikhundleni sokukhangela izisebenzi zalapha ekhaya ukuthi azinike ukudla kwazo ngesikhathi esifaneleyo? 46Kuzakuba kuhle kuleyonceku inkosi yayo ezakuthi ibuya iyifumane isenza njalo. 47Ngiqinisile, izabekwa ibe ngumlawuli wayo yonke imfuyo yakhe.

48Kodwa ake kuthi inceku leyo ibe ngembi, izitshele ithi, ‘Umnumzana usesekhatshana ukubuya,’ 49ibisiqalisa ukuzitshaya ezinye izisebenzi, iyozitika inatha lezidakwa.

50Inkosi yaleyonceku izabuya ngosuku ingacatshangelwa langesikhathi inceku engasilindelanga.

51Izayiquma iziqayiqa, iyabele indawo kanye labazenzisi, lapho okuzakuba khona ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo.