Mathewu 16

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

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

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

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

⁵Sebefike phesheya, abafundi bakhe babekhohliwe ukuphatha izinkwa.

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

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

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

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

¹⁰Nezinkwa eziyisikhombisa zezinkulungwane ezine nokuthi nabutha amaqoma amangaki na?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁰Khona wabayala abafundi ukuba bangatsheli muntu ukuthi nguye onguKristu.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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