IVangeli Elabhalwa NguMathewu
21 Bathi sebeseduze leJerusalema, sebefike eBhethifage entabeni yama-oliva, uJesu wathuma abafundi bakhe ababili+ 2 wathi kubo: “Hambani esigabeni lesiya elisikhangeleyo. Lizakuthi lifika lihle libone ubabhemi ebotshelwe ledonkana, libakhulule obabhemi labo libalethe kimi. 3 Kungaba lomuntu olibuzayo lithi kuye, ‘INkosi iyabafuna obabhemi laba.’ Lingatsho njalo uzahle alivumele ukuthi libuye labo.”
4 Lokhu kwenzakala ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa nguNkulunkulu esebenzisa umphrofethi owathi: 5 “Tshela indodakazi yeZiyoni uthi: ‘Khangela! Inkosi yakho iza kuwe+ ithobekile*+ futhi igade ubabhemi, yona kanye idonkana.’”+
6 Ngakho abafundi bahamba bayakwenza lokho uJesu ayebatshele khona.+ 7 Baletha ubabhemi kanye ledonkana, basebebeka izembatho zabo zangaphandle phezu kwabobabhemi labo, wahlala phezu kwazo.+ 8 Abantu abanengi babesendlala izembatho zabo zangaphandle emgwaqweni,+ abanye begamula izingatsha zezihlahla bezendlala phansi. 9 Abantu ababehamba phambi kwakhe lababemlandela babelokhu bememeza besithi: “Sicela uyisindise iNdodana kaDavida!+ Ubusisiwe lowo oza ngebizo likaJehova!*+ Wena ophezulu emazulwini, sicela umsindise!”+
10 Wathi engena eJerusalema kwaba lokuxokozela edolobheni lonke, abantu besithi: “Kanti ngubani lo?” 11 Abantu ababelaye bona babelokhu besithi: “Lo ngumphrofethi uJesu+ weNazaretha yaseGalile!”
12 UJesu wasengena ethempelini waxotshela phandle bonke ababethengisa lababethenga, wagenqula amatafula alabo ababetshintsha imali kanye lamabhentshi alabo ababethengisa amajuba.+ 13 Wathi kubo: “Kubhaliwe ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokuthandazela,’+ kodwa lina seliyenza ubhalu lwamasela.”+ 14 Abayiziphofu labagogekileyo labo bafika ethempelini wabelapha.
15 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo lababhali bazonda bafa+ bebona izinto ezimangalisayo ayezenza, besizwa labafana ababememeza ethempelini besithi, “Sicela uyisindise iNdodana kaDavida!”+ 16 Basebesithi kuye: “Uyabezwa yini ukuthi bathini abantwana laba?” UJesu wathi kubo: “Ye ngiyabezwa. Kanti alikaze liwabale yini amazwi athi, ‘Usubangele ukuthi imilomo yabantwana leyezinsane ikudumise’?”+ 17 Wasebatshiya waphuma edolobheni waya eBhethani, lapho afika walala khona.+
18 Uthe esephenduka edolobheni ekuseni kakhulu wezwa eselambile.+ 19 Wabona isihlahla somkhiwa eceleni komgwaqo, wasesiya kuso kodwa wathola singelazithelo, kungamahlamvu kuphela.+ Wathi kuso: “Ungaphindi uthele izithelo futhi.”+ Isihlahla somkhiwa sahle sabuna. 20 Abafundi bakhe bathi bekubona lokhu bamangala bathi: “Kanti kungani isihlahla somkhiwa sihle sabuna?”+ 21 UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, nxa lilokholo futhi lingathandabuzi alisoze lenze lokhu engikwenze esihlahleni somkhiwa kuphela, kodwa lizakuthi lasentabeni le, ‘Quphuka uyewela elwandle,’ lakanye kwenzakale.+ 22 Nxa lilokholo lizaziphiwa zonke izinto elizithandazelayo.”+
23 UJesu wathi esengene ethempelini, abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala besizwe bamlanda esafundisa bafika bathi: “Uwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi? Ngubani okuphe amandla la?”+ 24 UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Lami ngizalibuza into eyodwa. Nxa lingangiphendula ngizalitshela ukuthi ngiwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi: 25 Ubhabhathizo lukaJohane lwaluvela ngaphi? Ezulwini kumbe ebantwini?” Baqalisa ukucebisana besithi: “Nxa singathi, ‘Lwaluvela ezulwini,’ uzathi kithi, ‘Pho kungani lingamkholwanga?’+ 26 Kodwa nxa singathi, ‘Lwaluvela ebantwini,’ sesaba abantu ngoba bonke bathi uJohane wayengumphrofethi.” 27 Ngakho baphendula uJesu bathi: “Asikwazi.” Yena wasesithi kubo: “Lami angisoze ngilitshele ukuthi ngiwathatha ngaphi amandla okwenza izinto lezi.
28 “Libona njani? Kulendoda eyayilabantwana ababili. Yaya kowokuqala yafika yathi, ‘Mntanami, hamba uyesebenza ensimini yamagilebisi lamuhla.’ 29 Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Angisoze ngiye,’ kodwa wacina ezisola wasehamba. 30 Yasihamba kowesibili yatsho njalo lakuye. Yena waphendula wathi, ‘Ngizahamba baba,’* kodwa kahambanga. 31 Ngubani phakathi kwabantwana laba owenza intando kayise?” Bathi: “Ngowokuqala.” UJesu wathi kubo: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, abathelisi lezifebe bazaliqalela ukungena eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu, 32 ngoba uJohane weza kini walitshengisa indlela eqondileyo* kodwa alimkholwanga. Abathelisi lezifebe bona bamkholwa.+ Lanxa lakubona lokhu, alizisolanga futhi alimkholwanga.
33 “Zwanini omunye umzekeliso: Kulomuntu owayelensimu owahlanyela amagilebisi ensimini+ yakhe waseyibiya, wagebha igodi lokuvoxela amagilebisi waphinda wakha lomphotshongo.+ Waqhatshisa leyonsimu kubalimi, wasesiya elizweni elikhatshana.+ 34 Isikhathi sokuvuna sathi sesifikile wathuma izinceku zakhe kubalimi ukuthi ziyethatha izithelo zakhe. 35 Kodwa abalimi bazibamba izinceku lezo, enye bayitshaya, enye bayibulala, enye bayikhanda ngamatshe.+ 36 Waphinda wathuma ezinye izinceku ezinengi kulezakuqala kodwa lazo baziphatha njalo.+ 37 Ekucineni wathuma indodana yakhe esithi, ‘Indodana yami bazayihlonipha.’ 38 Abalimi bathi beyibona indodana yakhe bacebisana bathi, ‘Le yiyo indlalifa.+ Buyani siyibulale sithathe ilifa layo!’ 39 Ngakho bayibamba bayikhiphela phandle kwensimu bayibulala.+ 40 Manje nxa umnikazi wensimu yamagilebisi efika, uzabenzani abalimi labo?” 41 Bathi kuye: “Uzababulala ngendlela elesihluku ngenxa yokuthi babi futhi insimu leyo uzayiqhatshisa kwabanye abalimi abazamnika amagilebisi nxa isikhathi sokuvuna sesifikile.”
42 UJesu wathi kubo: “Alikaze likubale yini eMibhalweni ukuthi, ‘Ilitshe elaliwa ngabakhi selibe lilitshe eliyisiqokoqela.*+ Livela kuJehova* futhi lihle kakhulu emehlweni ethu’?+ 43 Yikho ngisithi kini, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu lizawuthathelwa uphiwe isizwe esithela izithelo zawo. 44 Kanti njalo umuntu owela elitsheni leli uzaphahlazeka+ futhi loba ngubani elizawela phezu kwakhe lizamhlifiza.”+
45 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi bathi besizwa imizekeliso yakhe, bananzelela ukuthi wayekhuluma ngabo.+ 46 Lanxa babefuna ukumbamba,* besaba abantu ngoba babesithi ungumphrofethi.+