IVangeli Elabhalwa NguLukha
16 Waqhubeka wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Kulendoda enothileyo eyayilomphathi* owayesolwa ngokuthi uphatha butshapha impahla yayo. 2 Ngakho yambiza yathi kuye, ‘Kuyini lokhu engikuzwayo ngawe? Ngipha umbiko wokuthi ubuyiphatha njani impahla yami ngoba ungeke uqhubeke ukhangela indlu yami.’ 3 Umphathi wathi enhliziyweni yakhe, ‘Manje ngizakwenzani njengoba inkosi yami isingithathela umsebenzi wokuba ngumphathi? Angilamandla okugebha futhi ngilenhloni zokucela. 4 Ya! Sengikwazi ukuthi ngizakwenzani ukuze abantu bangamukele emizini yabo nxa sengixotshiwe emsebenzini.’ 5 Ngakho wabiza labo ababelezikwelede zenkosi yakhe wathi kowokuqala, ‘Ulesikwelede esinganani enkosini yami?’ 6 Waphendula wathi, ‘Ngilesikwelede samafutha ama-oliva angamalitha angu-2 200.’* Wasesithi kuye, ‘Thatha nansi isivumelwano sakho esibhaliweyo, uhlale phansi uhle ubhale ukuthi angu-1 100.’ 7 Wasebiza omunye wathi kuye, ‘Wena ulesikwelede esinganani?’ Wathi, ‘Amasaka angu-100* engqoloyi.’ Wathi kuye, ‘Thatha nansi isivumelwano sakho esibhaliweyo, ubhale ukuthi angu-80.’ 8 Yikho inkosi yamncoma umphathi lanxa wayengalunganga ngoba wayetshengise ukuthi uhlakaniphile.* Phela indlela abantu bomhlaba lo* abaphatha ngayo isizukulwane sabo itshengisa ukuthi bahlakaniphile ukwedlula amadodana okukhanya.+
9 “Kanti njalo ngithi kini: Zenzeleni abangane ngenotho engalunganga+ ukuze balamukele ezindaweni zokuhlala zaphakade nxa inotho leyo ingaphela.+ 10 Umuntu othembeke kokuncane uthembekile lakokukhulu, lomuntu ongalunganga kokuncane kalunganga lakokukhulu. 11 Ngakho nxa indlela elisebenzisa ngayo inotho engalunganga itshengisa ukuthi alithembekanga, ngubani ozaliphathisa inotho yeqiniso? 12 Nxa indlela elisebenzisa ngayo izinto zabanye layo itshengisa ukuthi alithembekanga, ngubani ozalinika okumele kube ngokwenu?+ 13 Akulanceku engaba yisigqili samakhosi amabili ngoba izazonda enye ithande enye, kumbe izanamathela kwenye idelele enye. Ngeke libe yizigqili zikaNkulunkulu lezeNotho.”+
14 AbaFarisi ababelalele ekhuluma konke lokhu baqalisa ukumenza inhlekisa+ ngoba babeyithanda imali. 15 Ngakho wathi kubo: “Lina lizenza abalungileyo ebantwini+ kodwa uNkulunkulu uyazazi inhliziyo zenu+ ngoba lokho okuligugu ebantwini kuyenyanyeka kuNkulunkulu.+
16 “UMthetho labaPhrofethi kwasebenza kwaze kwafika uJohane. Kusukela lapho izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu bezitshunyayelwa njalo yonke imihlobo yabantu izama ngamandla wonke ukuthola lowoMbuso.+ 17 Kulula sibili ukuthi izulu lomhlaba kudlule kulokuthi ingxenyana encane yohlamvu lwebala eliseMthethweni ingagcwaliseki.+
18 “Wonke umuntu odivosa inkosikazi yakhe abesetshada lomunye uyafeba,* njalo loba ngubani otshada lowesifazana odivosiweyo uyafeba.+
19 “Kwakulendoda eyayinothile eyayihlala igqoke eziyibubende* lezenziwe ngelineni futhi izikholisela nsuku zonke, ikhomba ngophakathi. 20 Kodwa kwakulenye indoda eyayiphihlika izilonda emzimbeni wonke ababejayele ukuyihlalisa egedini lendoda enothileyo. Yayithiwa nguLazaro futhi yayiphila ngokucela, 21 ize ifise ukudla okwakukhithika etafuleni yesinothi leso. Ngitsho lezinja zazibuya zizoyikhotha izilonda. 22 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uLazaro wafa wathathwa zingilosi zamusa eceleni kuka-Abrahama.*
“Indoda eyayinothile layo yafa yangcwatshwa. 23 Ithe isengcwabeni ithwele nzima, yavusa amehlo yabona nanguya u-Abrahama, kuloLazaro eceleni kwakhe.* 24 Ngakho yamemeza yathi, ‘Baba Abrahama, woba lesihawu kimi uthume uLazaro azothintisa umunwe wakhe emanzini, apholise ulimi lwami ngoba ngisebuhlungwini emlilweni lo ovutha amalangabi.’ 25 U-Abrahama waphendula wathi: ‘Mntanami, khumbula ukuthi usaphila wathola izinto ezinengi ezinhle. ULazaro yena wathola ezimbi kodwa khathesi useduduzwa, wena ususebuhlungwini. 26 Singasayiphathi eyokuthi kulesihotsha esikhulu esifakwe phakathi kwethu lani, okokuthi labo abafuna ukusuka ngapha baze kini abenelisi, labakhonangapho abenelisi ukuchapha baze kithi.’ 27 Yasisithi, ‘Baba Abrahama nxa kunjalo ngicela umthume endlini kababa 28 ngoba ngilabafowethu abahlanu. Ngifuna ayebatshumayeza ngokugcweleyo ukuze bangacini sebebuya endaweni le ebuhlungu.’ 29 Kodwa u-Abrahama wathi, ‘BaloMosi labaPhrofethi, kabalalele bona.’+ 30 Yona yathi, ‘Hatshi baba Abrahama. Nxa omunye kwabafileyo angasuka aye kubo, bazaphenduka.’ 31 Kodwa u-Abrahama wathi kuyo, ‘Nxa bengamlaleli uMosi+ labaPhrofethi, abasoze batshintshe ingqondo kungaze kuvuke omunye kwabafileyo.’”