1 Wayesekhuluma nakubafundi bakhe, ethi: “Kwakukhona umuntu othile oyisicebi, owayenomphathi; yena wamangalelwa kuye ngokuthi uchitha impahla yakhe.
2 Wambiza, wathi kuye: ‘Kuyini lokhu engikuzwa ngawe na? Landa ngobuphathi bakho, ngokuba ungebe usaba ngumphathi.’
3 “Wayesethi umphathi phakathi kwakhe: ‘Ngizakwenze njani, lokhu inkosi yami ingaphuca ubuphathi? Anginamandla okulima, nginamahloni ukunxiba.
4 Ngiyakwazi engiyakukwenza ukuba bangamukele ezindlini zabo, nxa ngikhishwa ebuphathini.’
5 “Wababiza ngabanye abanamacala enkosini yakhe, wathi kowokuqala: ‘Unecala elingakanani enkosini yami na?’
6 “Wathi: ‘Amabhati* ayikhulu amafutha.’“Wayesethi kuye: ‘Thatha incwadi yakho, usheshe uhlale phansi, ulobe amashumi ayisihlanu.’
7 “Khona wathi komunye: ‘Wena-ke unecala elingakanani na?’“Wathi: ‘Izilinganiso eziyikhulu zikakolweni.’“Wathi kuye: ‘Thatha incwadi yakho, ulobe amashumi ayisishiyagalombili.’
8 “Inkosi yambabaza umphathi ongalungile ngokuthi wenze ngokuhlakanipha, ngokuba abantwana balesi sikhathi bahlakaniphile esizukulwaneni sabo kunabantwana bokukhanya.
9 Nami ngithi kini: Zenzeleni nina abahlobo ngokukaMamona* ongalungile, ukuze kuthi, nxa kuphelile, banamukele ezindlini eziphakade.
10 “Othembekile kokuncinyane uthembekile nakokukhulu; ongalungile kokuncinyane kalungile nakokukhulu.
11 Ngakho uma beningathembeki kokukaMamona* ongalungile, ubani oyakuniphathisa okuyikhonakhona na?
12 Futhi uma beningathembeki kokomunye, ubani oyakuninika okungokwenu na?
13 “Akukho nceku engakhonza amakhosi amabili, ngokuba kokunye iyakuzonda enye, ithande enye, noma ibambelele kwenye, iyeyise enye. Ningeze nakhonza uNkulunkulu noMamona.*”
14 AbaFarisi ababethanda imali bakuzwa konke lokho, bamklolodela.
15 Wayesethi kubo: “Nina ningabazishaya abalungileyo emehlweni abantu; kepha uNkulunkulu uyazazi izinhliziyo zenu, ngokuba lokho okuphakemeyo phakathi kwabantu kuyisinengiso emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.
16 “Umthetho nabaprofethi kwakukhona kwaze kwafika uJohane; kusukela kuleso sikhathi ivangeli lombuso kaNkulunkulu liyashunyayelwa, wonke umuntu uphika ngokufuzula kuwo.
17 Kepha kulula ukuba kudlule izulu nomhlaba kunokuba kuwe ibalana elilodwa lomthetho.
18 “Yilowo nalowo olahla umkakhe, aganwe ngomunye, uyaphinga; noganwa ngolahliwe yindoda uyaphinga.
19 “Kwakukhona umuntu othile onothileyo, owayegqoka ezibubende nezelineni elihle, ezijabulisa imihla ngemihla etamasa.
20 Kwakukhona futhi ompofu othile, nguLazaru igama lakhe, owayelahliwe ngasesangweni lakhe egcwele izilonda,
21 enxanela ukusuthiswa ngemvuthuluka ewa etafuleni lesicebi; yebo, kweza nezinja, zamkhotha izilonda.
22 “Kwase kuthi wafa ompofu, wathwalwa yizingelosi, wasiwa esifubeni sika-Abrahama; nesicebi safa, sembelwa.
23 SesiseHayidese* saphakamisa amehlo aso, sisebuhlungwini, sambona u-Abrahama ekude, noLazaru esesifubeni sakhe.
24 Samemeza sathi: ‘Baba Abrahama, ngihawukele, uthume uLazaru, agcobhoze isihloko somunwe wakhe emanzini, aphozise ulimi lwami, ngokuba ngiyahlushwa kuleli langabi.’
25 “Kepha u-Abrahama wathi: ‘Ndodana, khumbula ukuba wamukela okuhle kwakho usesekuphileni noLazaru kanjalo okubi; kodwa manje uyaduduzwa yena lapha, wena uyahlushwa.
26 Nangaphezu kwakho konke lokho kubekiwe umhosha omkhulu phakathi kwethu nani ukuba abafuna ukusuka lapha baye kini bangekwenze, nabalapho bangaweleli kithi.’
27 “Sase sithi: ‘Njalo ngiyakucela, baba, ukuba umthumele endlini kababa,
28 ngokuba nginabafowethu abayisihlanu, ukuze afakaze kubo, bangezi nabo kule ndawo yobuhlungu.’
29 “Kepha u-Abrahama wathi: ‘BanoMose nabaprofethi; mabezwe bona.’
30 “Sathi-ke: ‘Qha, baba Abrahama, kodwa uma kusuka umuntu kwabafileyo, aye kubo, bayakuphenduka.’
31 “Kepha wathi kuso: ‘Uma bengalaleli uMose nabaprofethi, kabayikuvunyiswa, noma kuvuka umuntu kwabafileyo.’ ”