Luke 16
1 UJesu wayesekhuluma futhi kubafundi bakhe, ethi: “Kwakukhona umuntu othile oyisicebi, owayenenduna; yamangalelwa kuye ngokuthi isaphaza impahla yakhe.
2 Wayibiza wathi kuyo: ‘Yini le engiyizwayo ngawe na? Ngilandise ngobunceku bakho, ngokuba ngeke usaqhubeka ukuba yinduna.’
3 “Yayisicabanga induna, ithi: ‘Ngizakwenzenjani, lokhu inkosi yami ingiyekisa ukuba yinduna na? Anginamandla okulima, futhi nginamahloni okunxiba.
4 Ngiyakwazi engiyakukwenza ukuze lapho sengikhishiwe ebuduneni, bangamukele ezindlini zabo.’
5 “Yababiza ngamunye ababekweleta inkosi yayo, yathi kowokuqala: ‘Uyikweleta okungakanani inkosi yami na?’
6 “Wathi: ‘Amabhati ayikhulu amafutha.’ “Yayisithi kuye: ‘Thatha incwadi yakho yesikweletu, usheshe uhlale phansi, ubhale angama-50.’
7 “Yayisithi komunye: ‘Wena-ke ukweleta okungakanani na?’ “Wathi: ‘Izilinganiso eziyikhulu zikakolo.’ “Yathi kuye: ‘Thatha incwadi yakho yesikweletu, ubhale ezingama-80.’
8 “Inkosi yayibabaza induna engathembekile, ngokuba yenza ngokuhlakanipha, ngokuba abantu balesi sikhathi esizukulwaneni sabo bahlakaniphile kunabantwana bokukhanya.
9 Nami ngithi kini: zenzeleni nina abangani ngomamona ongalungile, ukuze kuthi nxa esephelile, banemukele emakhaya aphakade.
10 “Othembekile kokuncinyane, uthembekile nakokukhulu; ongalungile kokuncinyane, kalungile nakokukhulu.
11 Ngakho uma ningathembekile ekuphatheni umcebo ongalungile, pho ngubani oyakuniphathisa umcebo woqobo na?
12 Uma futhi ningathembekile kokomunye, ngubani oyakuninika okungokwenu na?
13 “Akukho nceku engakhonza amakhosi amabili, ngokuba iyakuzonda enye, ithande enye; noma ibambelele kwenye, iyeyise enye. Ningeze nakhonza uNkulunkulu nengcebo.”
14 Kuthe abaFarisi ababethanda imali, bangakuzwa konke lokho, bamedelela.
15 Wayesethi kubo: “Nina nizenza abalungileyo phambi kwabantu, kodwa uNkulunkulu uyazazi izinhliziyo zenu, ngokuba lokho okutuseka kakhulu kubantu kuyisinengiso emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.
16 “Umthetho nabaphrofethi kwakukhona kwaze kwafika uJohane; kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, ivangeli lombuso kaNkulunkulu liyashunyayelwa, wonke umuntu uyafuzula ukuba angene kuwo.
17 Kepha kulula ukuba kudlule izulu nomhlaba kunokuba kusuke icashazana lokulotshwe emthethweni.”
18 “Yilowo nalowo olahla umkakhe, aganwe ngomunye, uyaphinga; noganwa ngolahlwe yindoda yakhe, uyaphinga.
19 “Kwakukhona umuntu othile onothileyo, owayegqoka ezibukhwebezane nezelineni elihle, ezithokozisa imihla ngemihla, etamasa.
20 Kwakukhona futhi othile ompofu, igama lakhe kunguLazaru. Wayebekiwe ngasesangweni lesicebi, egcwele izilonda,
21 elangazelela ukudla imvuthuluka ewa etafuleni lesicebi. Yebo, kweza nezinja zamkhotha izilonda.
22 “Wayesefa ompofu, wathwalwa yizingelosi, wayiswa esifubeni sika-Abhrahama. Safa nesicebi, sangcwatshwa.
23 Kuthe sesisendaweni yabafileyo sisezinhlungwini, saphakamisa amehlo aso, sabona u-Abhrahama ekude, noLazaru esesifubeni sakhe.
24 Samemeza sathi: ‘Baba Abhrahama, ngihawukele, uthume uLazaru, ukuba agcobhoze isihloko somunwe wakhe emanzini, apholise ulimi lwami, ngokuba ngisezinhlungwini ezinzima kabi kuleli langabi.’
25 “Kepha u-Abhrahama wathi: ‘Ndodana, khumbula ukuthi wamukela okuhle kwakho ngesikhathi usaphila, noLazaru ngokunjalo wamukela okubi, kodwa manje uyaduduzwa yena lapha, wena usuyahlupheka.
26 Ngaphezu kwakho konke lokho, kubekiwe umhosha omkhulu phakathi kwethu nani, ukuze abafuna ukusuka lapha baye kini bangaphumeleli; kanjalo nabalapho, bangaweleli kithi.’
27 “Isicebi sase sithi: ‘Ngakho-ke ngiyacela, baba, ukuba umthumele endlini kababa,
28 ngokuba nginabafowethu abayisihlanu, ukuze abaxwayise, funa nabo beze kule ndawo yobuhlungu.’
29 “Kepha u-Abhrahama wathi: ‘Abafowenu banemithetho kaMose nemibhalo yabaphrofethi, mabalalele bona.’
30 “Sathi-ke: ‘Qha, baba Abhrahama, kodwa uma kusuka umuntu kwabafileyo, aye kubo, bayakuphenduka.’
31 “Kepha u-Abhrahama wathi kuso: ‘Uma bengakulaleli okushiwo nguMose nabaphrofethi, abayukuzwa, noma kungavuka umuntu kwabafileyo.’ ”