Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

¹Khona uJesu wakhuluma ezixukwini nakubafundi bakhe,

²wathi: “Ababhali nabaFarisi bahlezi esihlalweni sikaMose.

³Ngakho-ke konke abanitshela khona, kwenzeni, nikugcine, kodwa ningenzi njengemisebenzi yabo; ngokuba bayakhuluma, bangenzi;

⁴babopha imithwalo enzima, bayibeke emahlombe abantu; kepha bona abavumi ukuyifukula ngomunwe wabo.

⁵“Kepha imisebenzi yonke yabo bayenza ukuba babonwe ngabantu; amafilakteriyu abo bawenza abe banzi, bawenze abe makhulu amachopho.

⁶Bathanda izindawo ezingenhla ekudleni nezihlalo eziphambili emasinagogeni,

⁷nokubingelelwa ezigcawini, nokubizwa ngabantu ngokuthi ‘Rabi’.

⁸“Kepha nina maningabizwa ngokuthi ‘Rabi’; ngokuba munye umfundisi wenu, nina nonke ningabazalelwane.

⁹Ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo; ngokuba munye uyihlo, osezulwini.

¹⁰Futhi ningabizwa ngokuthi abaholi; ngokuba munye umholi wenu, uKristu.

¹¹Kodwa omkhulu kini akabe yisikhonzi senu.

¹²Kepha yilowo nalowo oziphakamisayo uzakuthothiswa, nalowo ozithobayo uzakuphakanyiswa.

¹³“Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nivalela abantu umbuso wezulu! Ngokuba aningeni nina, nabangenayo anibavumeli ukungena.

¹⁴Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nidla izindlu zabafelokazi, nangokuzenzisa nenza imikhuleko emide! Ngalokho-ke niyakwamukeliswa ukulahlwa okukhulu.

¹⁵“Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nihamba ulwandle nomhlaba ukuba nithole nokuba iproselite lilinye, lithi selaba njalo nilenze indodana yesihogo ngokuphindiwe kunani!

¹⁶“Maye kinina baholi abayizimpumputhe enithi: ‘Ofunga ithempeli akulutho, kodwa ofunga igolide lethempeli uzibophile!’

¹⁷Ziwula, zimpumputhe, ngokuba yikuphi okukhulu kunegolide nethempeli elingcwelisa igolide na?

¹⁸Futhi: ‘Yilowo ofunga i-altare akulutho, kodwa ofunga umnikelo ophezu kwalo uzibophile.’

¹⁹Zimpumputhe, yikuphi okukhulu kunomnikelo ne-altare elingcwelisa umnikelo na?

²⁰Ngakho-ke ofunga i-altare ufunga lona nakho konke okuphezu kwalo.

²¹Nofunga ithempeli ufunga lona nohlezi kulo.

²²Nofunga izulu ufunga isihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu nohlezi phezu kwaso. 23:22 Math. 5:34.

²³“Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nithela okweshumi kwesinkuntshane, nokwentshungu, nokodonqa, niyeke okunzima komthetho: ukwahlulela nesihawu nokukholwa! Benimelwe ukwenza lokhu, ningakuyeki nalokho.

²⁴Baholi abayizimpumputhe, nihluza insensane, niginge ikamela.

²⁵“Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazensizi, ngokuba nihlambulula ingaphandle lenkezo nesitsha, kepha ngaphakathi kugcwele impango nokuhuheka!

²⁶Mfarisi oyimpumputhe, hlanza kuqala ingaphakathi lenkezo, ukuze kuhlanzeke nengaphandle layo.

²⁷“Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nifana namaliba acakiweyo abonakala emahle ngaphandle, kanti ngaphakathi agcwele amathambo abafileyo nokungcola konke!

²⁸Kanjalo nani ngaphandle nibonakala kubantu nilungile, kanti ngaphakathi nigcwele ukuzenzisa nobubi.

²⁹“Maye kinina babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nakha amaliba abaprofethi, nihlobisa amathuna abalungileyo!

³⁰Nithi: ‘Uma sasikhona emihleni yawobaba, sasingayikuhlanganyela nabo egazini labaprofethi.’

³¹Kanjalo niyazifakazela nina ukuthi ningamadodana ababulala abaprofethi.

³²Nani gcwalisani isilinganiso sawoyihlo.

³³“Zinyoka, nzalo yamabululu, niyakukubalekela kanjani ukulahlwa kwasesihogweni na?

³⁴Ngakho-ke, bhekani, mina ngithuma kini abaprofethi, nabahlakaniphileyo, nababhali; abanye kubo niyakubabulala, nibabethele; abanye niyakubashaya emasinagogeni enu, nibaxoshe imizi ngemizi

³⁵ukuba kufike phezu kwenu igazi lonke elilungileyo elachithwa emhlabeni, kusukela egazini lika-Abela olungileyo kuze kube segazini likaZakariya indodana kaBarakiya enambulala phakathi kwethempeli ne-altare.

³⁶Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Konke lokhu kuyakufika phezu kwalesi sizukulwane.

³⁷“Jerusalema, Jerusalema, wena obulala abaprofethi nokhanda ngamatshe abathunyelwe kuwe, kukangaki ngithanda ukubuthela ndawonye abantwana bakho njengesikhukukazi sibuthela amazinyane aso phansi kwamaphiko aso, kepha anivumanga.

³⁸Bhekani, indlu yenu isisala nani.

³⁹Ngokuba ngithi kini: Anisayikungibona nize nithi: ‘Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni leNkosi.’ ”