NgokukaLuka
16 Washo nalokhu kubafundi: “Isicebi esithile sasinomphathi* owamangalelwa ngokusaphaza impahla yaso. 2 Ngakho sambiza sathi kuye, ‘Yini le engiyizwayo ngawe? Buyisa izincwadi zobuphathi bakho, ngoba ngeke usaqhubeka nokuphatha indlu.’ 3 Umphathi wathi ngaphakathi kuye, ‘Ngizokwenzenjani njengoba inkosi yami ingiyekisa ukuba umphathi? Anginawo amandla anele okumba, nginamahloni okucela kubantu. 4 O! Ngiyakwazi engizokwenza ukuze kuthi lapho ngikhishwa ebuphathini, abantu bangamukele emizini yabo.’ 5 Wabiza ngamunye kulabo abakweleta inkosi yakhe, wathi kowokuqala, ‘Kungakanani okukweleta inkosi yami?’ 6 Wathi, ‘Izilinganiso* eziyikhulu zamafutha omnqumo.’ Wathi kuye, ‘Thatha isivumelwano sakho esibhaliwe, uhlale phansi, ubhale masinyane izilinganiso ezingu-50.’ 7 Wathi kolandelayo, ‘Wena ukweleta okungakanani?’ Wathi, ‘Izilinganiso* ezinkulu eziyikhulu zikakolweni.’ Wathi kuye, ‘Thatha isivumelwano sakho esibhaliwe ubhale izilinganiso ezingu-80.’ 8 Inkosi yakhe yamncoma umphathi, nakuba engalungile, ngoba enze ngokuhlakanipha;* ngoba amadodana alesi simiso sezinto* ahlakaniphe kakhulu esizukulwaneni sawo kunamadodana okukhanya. +
9 “Futhi ngithi kini: Zenzeleni abangani ngengcebo engalungile, + ukuze kuthi lapho ihluleka, banamukele ezindaweni zokuhlala zaphakade. + 10 Umuntu othembekile kokuncane kakhulu uthembekile nakokukhulu, nomuntu ongalungile kokuncane kakhulu akalungile nakokukhulu. 11 Ngakho-ke, uma ningazibonisanga nithembekile endleleni enisebenzisa ngayo ingcebo engalungile, ubani oyoniphathisa ingcebo yangempela? 12 Futhi uma ningazibonisanga nithembekile ezintweni zomunye umuntu, ubani oyoninika okungokwenu? + 13 Ayikho inceku engaba isigqila samakhosi amabili, ngoba iyozonda enye ithande enye, noma iyonamathela kwenye idelele enye. Anikwazi ukuba izigqila zikaNkulunkulu nezeNgcebo.” +
14 AbaFarisi, ababethanda imali, babezilalele zonke lezi zinto, baqala ukumklolodela. + 15 Ngenxa yalokho wathi kubo: “Niyilabo abathi balungile phambi kwabantu, + kodwa uNkulunkulu uyazazi izinhliziyo zenu. + Ngoba okuphakeme kubantu kuyanyanyeka emehlweni kaNkulunkulu. +
16 “UMthetho nabaProfethi kwakukhona kwaze kwafika uJohane. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, uMbuso kaNkulunkulu umenyezelwa njengezindaba ezinhle, zonke izinhlobo zabantu ziphikelela kuwo. + 17 Ngempela, kulula ukuba izulu nomhlaba kudlule kunokuba ingxenyana eyodwa yoMthetho ingagcwaliseki. +
18 “Wonke umuntu odivosa umkakhe ashade nomunye uyaphinga, futhi noma ubani oshada nowesifazane odivose umyeni wakhe uyaphinga. +
19 “Kwakukhona isicebi esithile esasivame ukugqoka okuphephuli nelineni, sizijabulisa usuku nosuku sikhomba ngophakathi. 20 Kodwa isinxibi* esigama laso linguLazaru sasivame ukubekwa esangweni lakhe, sigcwele izilonda, 21 sifisa ukusuthiswa ngezinto eziwa etafuleni lesicebi. Ngisho nezinja zaziza zikhothe izilonda zaso. 22 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, isinxibi safa, izingelosi zasithwala zasiyisa eceleni kuka-Abrahama.*
“Isicebi naso safa sangcwatshwa. 23 SiseThuneni* saphakamisa amehlo, njengoba sisezinhlungwini, sabona u-Abrahama ekude noLazaru eseceleni* kwakhe. 24 Ngakho samemeza sathi, ‘Baba Abrahama, yiba nesihe kimi, uthume uLazaru ukuba agcobhoze isihloko somunwe wakhe emanzini apholise ulimi lwami, ngoba ngisezinhlungwini kulo mlilo ovutha amalangabi.’ 25 Kodwa u-Abrahama wathi, ‘Mntwana, khumbula ukuthi wena waba nezinto eziningi ezinhle usaphila, kodwa uLazaru yena wathola izinto ezimbi. Manje, yena uthola induduzo lapha, wena usezinhlungwini. 26 Ngaphandle kwakho konke lokho, kumiswe umhosha omkhulu phakathi kwethu nani, ukuze labo abafuna ukuwelela kini besuka lapha bangakwazi, nabantu bangaweleli kithi besuka lapho.’ 27 Sabe sesithi, ‘Uma kunjalo, ngiyakucela baba, ukuba umthume endlini kababa, 28 ngoba nginabafowethu abahlanu, ukuze afakaze ngokugcwele kubo, ngenjongo yokuba nabo bangezi kule ndawo yobuhlungu.’ 29 Kodwa u-Abrahama wathi, ‘BanoMose nabaProfethi; mabalalele bona.’ + 30 Sona sathi, ‘Baba Abrahama, ngeke babalalele, kodwa uma othile ovela kwabafile eya kubo, bazophenduka.’ 31 Kodwa wathi kuso, ‘Uma bengamlaleli uMose + nabaProfethi, ngeke balalele noma kuvuka umuntu kwabafile.’ ”