17
Isono, Ukholo, Umlandu
UJesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Izinto ezenza abantu benze isono zizakuba khona kodwa maye kulowomuntu ezizafika ngaye. Bekungaba ngcono kuye ukuphoselwa olwandle kubotshelwe imbokodo entanyeni yakhe kulokuba yena akhubekise omunye walaba abancinyane ukuthi enze isono. Ngakho lina ziqapheleni.
Nxa umfowenu esenza isono, mkhuze, kuthi nxa ezisola, mthethelele. Nxa engakonela kasikhombisa ngosuku lunye, ebuye kuwe kasikhombisa esithi, ‘Ngiyaxolisa,’ mthethelele.”
Abapostoli bathi eNkosini, “Yengeza ukholo lwethu!”
Waphendula wathi, “Nxa lilokukholwa loba kukuncinyane njengentanga yemastadi, lingathi kulesisihlahla somabhulosi, ‘Quphuka lapha uyowela olwandle,’ sizalilalela.
Kesithi omunye wenu ulesisebenzi, silima loba siselusa izimvu. Kambe kungenzeka yini ukuthi nxa isisebenzi singena sivela emasimini athi kuso, ‘Kulungile, hlala phansi udle’? Kambe kayikuqala athi, ‘Lungisa ukudla kwami, ulungele ukungiphakela ngize ngidle, nginathe; ngemva kwalokho lawe usungadla, unathe’? Angasibonga na isisebenzi ngoba senze lokho ebesikuyaliwe na? 10 Kunjalo lani nxa selenzile konke okuthiwe likwenze kufanele lithi, ‘Siyizinceku ezingafanelanga; sesenze kuphela lokho okungumlandu wethu.’ ”
UJesu Usilisa Abalitshumi Abalobulephero
11 Ngalesosikhathi eseqonde ukuya eJerusalema, uJesu wahamba ngendlela esemngceleni phakathi kweSamariya leGalile. 12 Wathi efika komunye umuzi, wahlangabezwa ngamadoda alitshumi ayelobulephero. Ema bucwala, 13 amemeza ngelizwi elikhulu athi, “Jesu, Nkosi, sihawukele!”
14 Wathi ewabona wathi kuwo, “Hambani liyoziveza kubaphristi.” Athi esahamba ahlambuluka.
15 Omunye wawo wathi ngokubona ukuthi usesilile waphenduka, edumisa uNkulunkulu ngelizwi elikhulu. 16 Wazilahla phansi ezinyaweni zikaJesu wambonga, yena wayengumSamariya.
17 UJesu wabuza wathi, “Kanti kabahlanjululwanga bonke abalitshumi yini? Bangaphi abanye abayisificamunwemunye na? 18 Ubengekho yini obengabuya azoletha udumo kuNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwalo owezizweni na?” 19 Wasesithi kuye, “Phakama uhambe; ukukholwa kwakho kukusilisile.”
Ukuza Kombuso KaNkulunkulu
20 Ngesinye isikhathi uJesu ebuzwe ngabaFarisi ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu wawuzafika nini, waphendula wathi, “Umbuso kaNkulunkulu kawuzi ngendlela yokucubungula kwenu ukuma kwezinto, 21 njalo abantu kabayikutsho bathi, ‘Nanku lapha,’ loba bathi, ‘Nanko laphaya,’ ngoba umbuso kaNkulunkulu uphakathi kwenu.”
22 Wasesithi kubafundi bakhe, “Siyeza isikhathi lapho elizaloyisa khona ukubona olunye lwezinsuku zeNdodana yoMuntu kodwa kalisoze lilubone. 23 Abantu bazalitshela bathi, ‘Nanguyana laphaya!’ kumbe, ‘Nangu lapha!’ Lingathatheki ngabo. 24 Ngoba ngosuku lwayo iNdodana yoMuntu izakuba njengombane ophazima ukhanyise umkhathi kusukela ngapha kusiyafika ngale. 25 Kodwa kumele iqale ihlupheke ezintweni ezinengi njalo ilahlwe yilesisizukulwane.
26 Njengoba kwakunjalo ensukwini zikaNowa, kuzakuba njalo ensukwini zeNdodana yoMuntu. 27 Abantu babesidla, benatha, bethathana njalo besendiselana kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini. Kwasekufika uzamcolo wababhubhisa bonke.
28 Kwakunjalo futhi ngezinsuku zikaLothi. Abantu babesidla, benatha, njalo bethenga, bethengisa, behlanyela njalo besakha. 29 Kodwa ngosuku uLothi aphuma ngalo eSodoma, umlilo lesalufa kwathululeka kuvela ezulwini kwababhubhisa bonke.
30 Kuzakuba njalo langosuku lapho iNdodana yoMuntu ifika. 31 Ngalolosuku kakho ozakuthi ephezulu ophahleni lwendlu yakhe, impahla zakhe ziphakathi, ehle ukuyazithatha. Njalo kakho osensimini ozakuyathatha loba yini. 32 Khumbulani umkaLothi! 33 Lowo ozama ukulondoloza impilo yakhe izamlahlekela, lalowo olahlekelwa yimpilo yakhe uzayilondoloza. 34 Ngiyalitshela, kuzakuthi ngalobobusuku abantu bebabili embhedeni omunye uzathathwa, kodwa omunye atshiywe. 35 Abesifazane ababili bazabe bechola elitsheni ndawonye; omunye uzathathwa omunye atshiywe. [ 36 Ababili bazabe besensimini; oyedwa uzathathwa omunye atshiywe.]*
37 Babuza bathi, “Ngaphi, Nkosi?”
Waphendula wathi, “Lapho okulesidumbu khona, kulapho okuqoqana khona amanqe.”
* 17:36 Livesi kayikho kwamanye amaBhayibhili esiLungu.