1Ngelinye ilanga uJesu wayekhuleka kwenye indawo. Wathi eseqedile, omunye wabafundi bakhe wathi kuye, “Nkosi, sifundise ukukhuleka, njengoJohane owafundisa abafundi bakhe.”
2Wathi kubo, “Nxa likhuleka, alibokuthi:
3Siphe ukudla kwethu kwansukuzonke usuku ngosuku.
4Sithethelele izono zethu,
5Wasesithi kubo, “Akesithi omunye wenu ulomngane, aye kuye phakathi kobusuku athi, ‘Mfowethu, akungeboleke izinkwa ezintathu,
6kulomngane wami ophakathi kohambo ozofihla ikhanda kwami, kodwa kangilalutho engingamupha lona.’
7Besekusithi osendlini aphendule athi, ‘Ungangikhathazi. Umnyango usukhiyiwe njalo mina labantwabami sesilele. Ngingezake ngivuke ngikuphe loba yini.’
8Ngiyalitshela ukuthi loba ubengafuni ukuvuka amuphe isinkwa ngoba engumngane, kodwa ngenxa yokuphikelela kwendoda uzaze avuke amuphe konke akufunayo.
9Ngakho ngithi kini: Celani lizaphiwa; dingani lizafumana; qoqodani lizavulelwa.
10Ngoba wonke ocelayo uyaphiwa; lowo odingayo uyafumana; lalowo oqoqoda emnyango uzavulelwa.
11Ngubani kini bobaba, okuthi nxa indodana yakhe icela inhlanzi yena ayiphe inyoka?
12Loba icela iqanda ayiphe inkume na?
13Nxa lina, elithi loba libabi likwazi ukupha abantwabenu izipho ezilungileyo, pho uYihlo osezulwini uzabapha ngokwengezwe kangakanani uMoya oNgcwele labo abacela kuye!”
14UJesu wayexotsha idimoni elaliyisimungulu. Lathi idimoni seliphumile, indoda eyayiyisimungulu yakhuluma, ixuku labantu lamangala.
15Kodwa abanye bathi, “Ukhupha amadimoni ngoBhelizebhubhi inkosi yamadimoni.”
16Abanye bamlinga ngokumcela isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini.
17UJesu wayeyazi imicabango yabo wasesithi kubo: “Umbuso ongabambananga uyadilika, lendlu engabambananga iyawa.
18Nxa uSathane engabambananga, umbuso wakhe ungema kanjani na? Ngikutsho lokhu ngoba lithi mina ngikhupha amadimoni ngoBhelizebhubhi.
19Nxa ngikhupha amadimoni ngoBhelizebhubhi, pho abalandeli benu bawakhupha ngobani? Ngakho, bazakuba ngabahluleli benu.
20Kodwa nxa ngikhupha amadimoni ngomunwe kaNkulunkulu, kutsho ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu usufikile kini.
21Nxa indoda eyisiqhwaga ihlome yaphelela, ilinde indlu yayo, impahla zayo zivikelekile.
22Kodwa kungahlasela umuntu olamandla kulayo ayehlule, uyayemuka izikhali ebikade izithembile, abesezehlukanisela impango.
23Lowo ongemanga lami uphikisana lami, lalowo ongabuthi lami uyachithiza.
24Lapho umoya omubi uphuma emuntwini, uyazula enkangala udinga ukuphumula, kodwa nxa ungakuswela, uyathi ‘Ngizabuyela endlini engaphuma kuyo.’
25Uthi ufika, uthole leyondlu ithanyelwe yahlanzeka konke kumi kuhle.
26Ubusuhamba uyethatha eminye imimoya eyisikhombisa exhwale ukwedlula wona, ingene ihlale khona. Isiphetho salowomuntu sizakuba sibi kulasekuqaleni.”
27Kwathi uJesu elokhu esakhuluma lezizinto, owesifazane wamemeza exukwini wathi, “Ubusisiwe lowomama owakuzalayo wakondla.”
28Waphendula wathi, “Kungenani, ababusisiweyo yilabo abalizwayo ilizwi likaNkulunkulu baliphile.”
29Kwathi amaxuku esanda uJesu wathi, “Lesi yisizukulwane esixhwalileyo. Sidinga isibonakaliso kodwa kasisoze sisiphiwe ngaphandle kwesibonakaliso sikaJona.
30NjengoJona owaba yisibonakaliso kwabaseNiniva, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu izakuba njalo kulesisizukulwane.
31INdlovukazi yaseNingizimu izavuka ekwahlulelweni kanye labantu balesi sizukulwane ibalahle ngoba yeza ivela emaphethelweni omhlaba izokuzwa inhlakanipho kaSolomoni kodwa manje lowo omkhulu kuloSolomoni usekhona lapha.
32Abantu baseNiniva bazasukuma kanye lalesi sizukulwane ngosuku lokwahlulelwa basilahle ngoba bona baphenduka ekutshumayeleni kukaJona, kodwa khathesi lowo omkhulu kuloJona uselapha.”
33“Kakho olumathisa isibane abesesibeka ekusithekeni kumbe ngaphansi kwesitsha. Kodwa usibeka esiqobaneni ukuze labo abangenayo babone ukukhanya.
34Ilihlo lakho liyisibane somzimba. Nxa amehlo akho elungile umzimba wakho wonke ugcwele ukukhanya. Kodwa nxa emabi, umzimba wakho lawo ugcwele ubumnyama.
35Qaphelani-ke ukuthi ukukhanya okuphakathi kwenu kakusibumnyama.
36Ngakho-ke, nxa umzimba wakho wonke ugcwele ukukhanya kungekho ingxenye esemnyameni, wonke uzagcwala ukukhanya njengokukhanya kwesibane kukukhanyisa.”
37UJesu eseqedile ukukhuluma umFarisi othile wamnxusa ukuthi azokudla laye; wasehamba wayahlala etafuleni.
38Kodwa umFarisi wananzelela ukuthi uJesu kaqalanga ngokugeza engakadli, kwamangalisa.
39INkosi yathi kuye, “Lina baFarisi ligezisa inkezo lomganu ngaphandle kodwa ngaphakathi ligcwele ubuhwaba lobubi.
40Lina bantu abayiziwula! Lowo owenza ingaphandle kenzanga lengaphakathi na?
41Ngakho-ke, mayelana lokungaphakathi kwenu, wobani lomusa kwabampofu, lapho-ke konke kuzabe sekuhlanzekile kini.
42Maye kini baFarisi, ngoba lipha uNkulunkulu okwetshumi kweminti, lazozonke izithelo zesivande senu, kodwa lidele ukwenza okulungileyo kanye lokuthanda uNkulunkulu. Kumele likwenze konke okulungileyo, ukuthanda uNkulunkulu lokukhipha lokwetshumi.
43Maye kini baFarisi, ngoba lithanda izihlalo eziqakathekileyo emasinagogweni njalo lithanda lokubingelelwa ezindaweni zokuthengisela.
44Maye kini, ngoba linjengamathuna angakhelwanga, abantu abahamba phezu kwawo bengazi ukuthi akhona.”
45Omunye wezazi zomthetho wamphendula wathi, “Mfundisi, nxa usitsho njalo uyasithuka lathi.”
46UJesu waphendula wathi, “Lani zazi zomthetho, maye kini, ngoba lethesa abantu ngemithwalo abangeke bayithwale, ikanti lani livele kalithi thika lokuyithwala.
47Maye kini, ngoba lakha amathuna abaphrofethi, bona ababulawa ngokhokho benu.
48Lifakaza ukuthi liyakuvuma lokho okhokho benu abakwenzayo; bababulala abaphrofethi, lina-ke selisakha amangcwaba abo.
49Ngenxa yalokhu, uNkulunkulu wathi, ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, ‘Ngizabathumela abaphrofethi labapostoli, abanye bazababulala abanye babaphathe ngochuku.’
50Ngakho-ke, lesisizukulwana yiso esizathwala umlandu wegazi labaphrofethi bonke elachithwa kusukela ekudabukeni komhlaba,
51kusukela egazini lika-Abheli kusiya egazini likaZakhariya owabulawa phakathi laphakathi kwe-alithari lendlu engcwele. Yebo, ngiyalitshela, isizukulwane lesi sizakwetheswa umlandu wakho konke.
52Maye kini zazi zomthetho, ngoba seliyivalile intuba yolwazi. Lina ngokwenu kalingenanga, laphinda lavimbela labo abebefuna ukungena.”
53UJesu wathi esesuka lapho, abaFarisi labafundisi bomthetho baqala ukuphikisana laye kubi, bemthela ngemibuzo,
54bezama ukumgcona ngokunye ayengakutsho.