1 Kwathi ngolunye lwezinsuku lezo esafundisa abantu ethempelini, eshumayela ivangeli, abapristi abakhulu nababhali bekanye namalunga bamvukela.
2 Bakhuluma, bathi kuye: “Sitshele ukuthi lokhu ukwenza ngagunya lini, nokuba ngubani okunike leli gunya na?”
3 Waphendula, wathi kubo: “Nami ngizakunibuza izwi, nize ningitshele.
4 Ukubhapathiza kukaJohane kwavela ezulwini noma kubantu na?”
5 Bazindlisana bodwa, bathi: “Uma sithi: ‘Ezulwini,’ uzakuthi: ‘Anikholwanga nguye ngani na?’
6 Kepha uma sithi: ‘Kubantu,’ abantu bonke bazakusikhanda ngamatshe, ngokuba bakholiwe ukuthi uJohane ungumprofethi.”
7 Base bephendula ukuthi abazi lapho evela khona.
8 UJesu wayesethi kubo: “Nami-ke anginitsheli ukuthi ngenza lokhu ngagunya lini.”
9 Wayeseqala ukulandisa lo mfanekiso, ethi kubantu: “Umuntu watshala isivini, wasiqashisa kubalimi, waya kwelinye izwe isikhathi eside.
10 Ngenkathi efaneleyo wayesethumela inceku kubalimi ukuba bamnike ezithelweni zesivini; kepha abalimi bayishaya, bayimukisa ze.
11 Waphinda wathuma enye inceku; naleyo bayishaya, bayidumaza, bayimukisa ze.
12 Wayesephinda ethuma neyesithathu; nalena bayilimaza, bayiphonsa ngaphandle.
13 “Khona wathi umninisivini: ‘Ngizakwenze njani na? Ngizakuthuma indodana yami ethandekayo; mhlawumbe lena bazakuyazisa.’
14 “Kepha abalimi beyibona bakhulumisana bathi: ‘Lo uyindlalifa; masiyibulale ukuba ifa libe ngelethu.’
15 Bayiphonsa ngaphandle kwesivini, bayibulala; ngakho-ke umninisivini uzakwenze njani kubo na?
16 Uzakuza, ababhubhise labo balimi, isivini asinike abanye.”Bekuzwa bathi: “Qha, makungabi njalo.”
17 Kepha wababheka, wathi: “Yini, pho, lokhu okulotshiweyo ukuthi:“ ‘Itshe abalinqabayo abakhilona laba yinhloko yegumbi’?
18 “Yilowo nalowo owayo phezu kwalelo tshe uyakuphohlozwa, kepha lowo eliyakuwela phezu kwakhe liyakumcolisa.”
19 Ababhali nabapristi bafuna ukumbamba khona lapho, kepha besaba abantu, ngokuba bazi ukuthi uwukhulumile lo mfanekiso ngabo.
20 Bamqaphela, bathuma izinhloli ezizishaya abalungileyo ukuba bamhile ngezwi lakhe, baze bamkhaphele emandleni nasegunyeni lombusi wezwe.
21 Bambuza-ke bathi: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuthi ukhuluma, ufundisa ngokuqondileyo, awukhethi buso bamuntu, kepha ufundisa indlela kaNkulunkulu ngokuqinisileyo.
22 Sivunyelwe ukuthela kuKesari noma qha?”
23 Kepha eqonda ubuqili babo wathi kubo:
24 “Ngiboniseni udenariyu;* unomfanekiso nombhalo kabani?”Bathi: “OkaKesari.”
25 Wayesethi kubo: “Ngakho-ke nikani uKesari okukaKesari noNkulunkulu okukaNkulunkulu.”
26 Abaze baba namandla ukumhila ngezwi lakhe phambi kwabantu; bamangala ngokuphendula kwakhe, bathula.
27 Kwase kufika kuye abathile babaSadusi abathi akukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo;
28 bambuza bathi: “Mfundisi, uMose wasilobela ukuthi, uma kufa umfowabo womuntu enomfazi kepha engenamntwana, umfowabo makamthathe umkakhe, amvusele umfowabo inzalo.
29 Kwakukhona izelamani eziyisikhombisa; owokuqala wathatha umfazi; wafa engenamntwana,
30 nowesibili;
31 nowesithathu wamthatha; kanjalo-ke abayisikhombisa; bafa bengashiyanga bantwana.
32 Ukugcina wafa nomfazi.
33 Ngakho-ke ekuvukeni owesifazane uyakuba ngumfazi wamuphi kubo, lokhu abayisikhombisa babe naye engumkabo.”
34 UJesu wathi kubo: “Abantwana bale nkathi bayaganwa, bayendiswa.
35 Kepha labo abazakuthiwa bafanele ukufinyelela kuleyo nkathi nasekuvukeni kwabafileyo kabaganwa, kabendiswa;
36 ngokuba bangebuye bafe, banjengezingelosi; bangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu bengabantwana bokuvuka.
37 Kepha ukuthi bayavuswa abafileyo, noMose wakubonakalisa esihlahleni, lapho eyibiza iNkosi ngokuthi uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, noNkulunkulu ka-Isaka, noNkulunkulu kaJakobe.
38 UNkulunkulu kasiye owabafileyo kodwa owabaphilayo, ngokuba bonke baphila kuye.”
39 Abathile bababhali baphendula bathi: “Mfundisi, ukhulume kahle.”
40 Ngokuba babengasenasibindi sokumbuza lutho.
41 Wayesethi kubo: “Basho kanjani ukuthi uKristu uyindodana kaDavide na?
42 lokhu uDavide uqobo uthi eNcwadini yamaHubo:“ ‘INkosi yathi eNkosini yami:“Hlala ngakwesokunene sami,
43 ngize ngibeke izitha zakhozibe yisenabelo sezinyawo zakho.” ’
44 “Ngakho uDavide umbiza ngokuthi iNkosi; pho, uyindodana yakhe kanjani na?”
45 Besalalele abantu bonke, wathi kubafundi bakhe:
46 “Xwayani ababhali abafuna ukuhamba bembethe izingubo ezinde, bethanda ukubingelelwa ezigcawini nokuhlala phambili emasinagogeni* nasezindaweni ezingenhla ekudleni,
47 abadla izindlu zabafelokazi, bekhuleka isikhathi eside ngokuzenzisa; laba bayakwamukeliswa ukulahlwa okukhulu.”