Matthew 21 (NDE)

1Bathi sebesondela eJerusalema, bafika eBhethifage eNtabeni yama-Oliva, uJesu wathuma abafundi ababili,As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,

2wathi kubo, “Yanini emzini ophambi kwenu, khonapho lizabona inkonyane kababhemi lobabhemi ebotshelwe khonapho. Libakhulule libuye labo kimi.saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.

3Nxa kungaba lozalibuza, limtshele ukuthi iNkosi yiyo ebafunayo, uzahle abayekele bahambe masinyane.”If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4Lokhu kwenzeka ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngomphrofethi ukuthi:This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5“Tshela iNdodakazi yaseZiyoni ukuthi, ‘Khangela, inkosi yakho iyeza kuwe, imnene igade ubabhemi, iphezu kwenkonyane, inkonyane kababhemi.’”“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6Abafundi bahamba benza njengokulaywa kwabo nguJesu.So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

7Baletha inkonyane kababhemi lobabhemi, bendlala amajazi abo phezu kwabobabhemi ukuze uJesu ahlale phezu kwawo.They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.

8Ixuku elikhulu lendlala amajazi alo endleleni, kukanti abanye bephula ingatsha ezihlahleni bazendlala endleleni.A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9Amaxuku ayehamba phambi kwakhe lalawo ayelandela amemeza athi, “Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida!” “Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo!” “Hosana ezulwini eliphezulu!”The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

10Kwathi uJesu esengenile eJerusalema, umuzi wonke wanyakazela, abantu babuzana bathi, “Kanti ngubani lo?”When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11Amaxuku aphendula athi, “Lo nguJesu, umphrofethi waseNazaretha eGalile.”The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

12UJesu wangena egumeni lethempeli wabaxotsha bonke ababethenga lababethengisa khona. Wagenqula amatafula alabo ababentshintshela abanye izimali lezihlalo zabathengisa amajuba.Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.

13Wathi kubo, “Kulotshiwe ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokukhuleka,’ kodwa lina seliyenza ‘ubhalu lwabaphangi.’”And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

14Iziphofu labaqhugezelayo beza kuye ethempelini wabasilisa.The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.

15Kodwa kwathi abaphristi abakhulu labafundisi bomthetho bebona izimanga ayezenza labantwana bememeza egumeni lethempeli besithi, “Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida,” banengeka.But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”

16Bambuza bathi, “Uyabezwa nje abantwana laba ukuthi bathini?” Waphendula uJesu wathi, “Yebo, kalikaze lifunde ukuthi, ‘Ezindebeni zabantwana lensane wena Nkosi uyimisile indumiso’?”“Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”

17Wasebatshiya waphuma edolobheni waya eBhethani lapho alala khona.Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

18Ekuseni kakhulu esebuyela edolobheni wezwa eselambile.In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.

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.Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

20Abafundi bathi bekubona lokhu bamangala kakhulu. Babuza bathi, “Kwenzeke kanjani ukuthi isihlahla somkhiwa sibune masinyane kangaka?”When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

21UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi nxa lilokukholwa njalo lingathandabuzi, kalisoze lenze okwenziwe kulesi isihlahla somkhiwa kuphela kodwa njalo lingathi kule intaba, ‘Suka, uziphosele olwandle,’ lakanye kuzenzeka.“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

22Nxa likholwa, lizaphiwa loba yini eliyicelayo ngomkhuleko.”If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

23UJesu wangena ethempelini, kwathi elokhu efundisa abaphristi abakhulu labadala babantu beza kuye. Bambuza bathi, “Izinto lezi uzenza ngawaphi amandla na? Ngubani okunike amandla la?”When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”

24UJesu waphendula wathi, “Lami ngizalibuza umbuzo owodwa. Lingangiphendula, ngizalitshela ukuthi ngizenza ngawaphi amandla lezizinto.“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

25Ubhaphathizo lukaJohane lwavela ngaphi na? Lwavela ezulwini loba ebantwini na?” Bangunguna bodwa ngalokho bathi, “Nxa singathi, ‘Lwavela ezulwini,’ uzakuthi, ‘Pho kungani lingazange limkholwe na?’What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26Kodwa singathi, ‘Lwavela ebantwini,’ sesaba abantu ngoba bonke uJohane bamthatha njengomphrofethi.”But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”

27Ngakho bamphendula uJesu bathi, “Kasikwazi.” Ngakho wasesithi, “Lami kangiyikulitshela ukuthi izinto lezi ngizenza ngamandla bani.”So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28“Likhumbulani kambe? Kwakulendoda eyayilamadodana amabili. Yaya kweyokuqala yathi, ‘Ndodana, lamuhla hamba uyesebenza esivinini.’But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29Yaphendula yathi, ‘Kangisoze ngiye mina,’ kodwa yaphinde yazisola yahamba.‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.

30Uyise wasesiya kwenye indodana watsho okufanayo. Yaphendula yathi, ‘Ngizahamba, baba,’ kodwa kayihambanga.Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.

31Yiphi phakathi kwawo womabili eyenza lokho okwakufunwa nguyise na?” Baphendula bathi, “Ngeyakuqala.” UJesu wathi kubo, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi abathelisi lezifebe bazangena embusweni kaNkulunkulu kuqala kulani.Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.

32Ngoba uJohane weza kini ukuzalitshengisa indlela yokulunga kodwa kalimkholwanga ikanti abathelisi lezifebe bamkholwa. Kwathi lokuba selikubonile konke lokhu kalimkholwanga.”For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

33“Zwanini omunye umzekeliso: Kwakukhona umnini wesiqinti owahlanyela isivini. Wasihonqolozela ngomduli, wagebha isikhamelo sewayini phakathi, wasesakha isilindo. Waseqhatshisa isivini leso kubalimi wasuka wathatha uhambo.Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

34Kuthe sekufika isikhathi sokuvuna wathuma izinceku zakhe kulabobalimi ukuyathatha izithelo.When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.

35Abalimi bazibamba izinceku zakhe; eyinye bayitshaya, eyinye bayibulala kwathi eyesithathu bayikhanda ngamatshe.But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36Wasethuma ezinye izinceku kubo, ezinengi kulezakuqala, njalo abalimi baziphatha ngendlela efanayo.Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.

37Ekucineni wasethumela indodana yakhe kubo. Wathi, ‘Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.’Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38Kodwa kwathi abalimi beyibona indodana batshelana bathi, ‘Lo yindlalifa. Wozani simbulale sithathe ilifa lakhe.’But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’

39Ngakho bamdumela bamphosela ngaphandle kwesivini bambulala.So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40Ngakho-ke nxa umninisivini esesiza uzabathini abalimi labo na?”Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”

41Baphendula bathi, “Uzababonisa into yamehlo, abeseqhatshisa isivini sakhe kwabanye abalimi abazamnika ingxenye yakhe yezithelo ngesikhathi sokuvuna.”“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”

42UJesu wathi kubo, “Kalibalanga yini emibhalweni ukuthi: ‘Ilitshe elalahlwa ngabakhi seliyilona ilitshe lensika; iNkosi ikwenzile lokhu, njalo kuyamangalisa emehlweni ethu?’Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43Ngakho ngiyalitshela ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu lizawuthathelwa uphiwe abantu abazathela izithelo zawo.Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

44Lowo ozawela phezu kwalelilitshe uzavadlaka kodwa lowo elizawela phezu kwakhe uzafihlizwa.”He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

45Kwathi abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi besizwa imizekeliso kaJesu, bakwazi ukuthi wayekhuluma ngabo.When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.

46Badinga indlela yokumbopha kodwa besaba ixuku labantu ngoba abantu bambona njengomphrofethi.Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.

Matthew 21

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Matthew 21

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