Mathewu Chapter 16

1. AbaFarisi nabaSadusi beza bemlinga bacela kuye ukuba ababonise isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini.

2. Kepha waphendula, wathi kubo: “Kusihlwa nithi: ‘Loba lisile, lokhu izulu libhejile;’

3. kuthi kusasa nithi: ‘Namuhla lizakuphendula, ngokuba libhejile, liguqubele.’ Kanti ukuma kwezulu niyakwazi ukukuchaza, kepha izibonakaliso zezikhathi aniziqondi na?

4. Isizukulwane esibi nesiphingayo sifuna isibonakaliso, kepha asiyikunikwa sibonakaliso, kuphela isibonakaliso sikaJona umprofethi.” Wabashiya, wamuka.

5. Sebefike phesheya, abafundi bakhe babekhohliwe ukuphatha izinkwa.

6. UJesu wayesethi kubo: “Anobheka nixwaye imvubelo yabaFarisi nabaSadusi.”

7. Baphendulana bodwa, bathi: “Kungokuba singaphathanga izinkwa.”

8. Kepha ekwazi lokho uJesu wathi: “Nina bokukholwa okuncane, yini ukuba niphendulane nodwa ngokuthi kungokuba ningenazinkwa na?

9. Anikaqondi yini, futhi anizikhumbuli izinkwa eziyisihlanu zezinkulungwane eziyisihlanu nokuthi nabutha iziqabetho ezingaki na?

10. Nezinkwa eziyisikhombisa zezinkulungwane ezine nokuthi nabutha amaqoma amangaki na?

11. Aniqondi ngani ukuthi bengingakhulumi kini ngesinkwa na? Kepha xwayani imvubelo yabaFarisi nabaSadusi.”

12. Khona baqonda ukuthi kashongo ukuba baxwaye imvubelo yezinkwa kepha isifundiso sabaFarisi nabaSadusi.

13. UJesu esefikile emaphandleni aseKesariya Filipi wababuza abafundi bakhe, wathi: “Abantu basho ukuthi iNdodana yomuntu ingubani na?”

14. Bathi: “Abanye basho uJohane uMbhapathizi; abanye basho u-Eliya; abanye basho uJeremiya noma omunye wabaprofethi.”

15. Wathi kubo: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na?”

16. USimoni Petru waphendula wathi: “Wena unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”

17. UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Ubusisiwe wena Simoni kaJona, ngokuba inyama negazi akukwambulelanga lokhu kodwa uBaba osezulwini.

18. Nami-ke ngithi kuwe: Wena unguPetru; phezu kwaleli dwala ngiyakulakha ibandla lami; amasango eHayidese awayikulahlula.

19. Ngiyakukunika izihluthulelo zombuso wezulu. Oyakukubopha emhlabeni koba kuboshiwe nasezulwini, nalokho oyakukukhulula emhlabeni koba kukhululiwe nasezulwini.”

20. Khona wabayala abafundi ukuba bangatsheli muntu ukuthi nguye onguKristu.

21. Kusukela kuleso sikhathi uJesu waqala ukubonisa abafundi bakhe ukuba umelwe ukuya eJerusalema, ahlushwe ngokuningi ngamalunga nangabapristi abakhulu nababhali, abulawe, kepha avuswe ngosuku lwesithathu.

22. UPetru wayesemthatha, waqala ukumkhuza, wathi: “Musa, Nkosi, lokho akusoze kwenziwa kuwe.”

23. Yena waphenduka, wathi kuPetru: “Buyela emva kwami, Sathane; uyisikhubekiso kimi, ngokuba awuqondi okukaNkulunkulu kepha okwabantu.”

24. Khona uJesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe, angilandele.

25. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami uyakukufumana.

26. Ngokuba kuyakumsizani umuntu, uma ezuza izwe lonke, onakalelwe ukuphila kwakhe, na? Yingabe uyakukhiphani umuntu, kube yisihlengo sokuphila kwakhe, na?

27. Ngokuba iNdodana yomuntu iyakuza ngenkazimulo kaYise kanye nezingelosi zayo; khona-ke iyakuvuza yilowo nalowo ngesenzo sakhe.

28. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Bakhona abanye kwabemi lapha abangayikuzwa ngempela ukufa, baze bayibone iNdodana yomuntu iza embusweni wayo.”