UMARKO 12:1-27

Waza ke uYesu wathetha nabo ngemizekeliso, esithi: “Umntu othile watyala isidiliya, wasibiyela, wemba isixovulelo seediliya, wakha imboniselo, wasiqeshisa kubalimi, wahambela kwelinye ilizwe. Ngexesha lokuvuthwa kweziqhamo ke, wathuma isicaka kwabo balimi, ukuze bamnike eziqhameni zesidiliya eso. Basuka bona basihlasela, basibetha, basindulula singaphathanga nto. Wabuya ke wathuma esinye isicaka kubo. Sona basigqebha iinduma, basihlazisa. Wabuya wathuma esinye, baza basibulala eso sicaka. Wathuma nezinye ke zazininzi, baza inxenye bayibetha, inxenye bayibulala. Wathi ngoko, kusele mntu mnye angámthumayo, unyana oyintanda, wamthuma kubo ekugqibeleni, esithi: ‘Baya kumhlonela yena unyana wam.’ Ke bona abo balimi bathi omnye komnye: ‘Yindlalifa le. Masiyibulale, ilifa libe lelethu.’ Bambamba ke unyana lowo, bambulala, bamphosa ngaphandle kwesidiliya. “Uya kwenza ntoni na ke ngoko umnini-sidiliya? Wofika abatshabalalise abo balimi, asinikele bantu bambi eso sidiliya. Niyifundile kaloku *eziBhalweni indawo ethi: “ ‘Ilitye abalidelayo abakhi lilo elaba lelona libalulekileyo lesiseko. Oku kwênzeka kuvela eNkosini; kungummangaliso emehlweni ethu.’ ” Ababingeleli abaziintloko nabachazi-mthetho namadoda amakhulu babefuna ukumbamba ke uYesu, kuba kwakuqondakele ukuba uzekelisa ngabo. Kodwa babesoyika isihlwele, baza bamyeka bemka. Kwathunyelwa ke kuYesu abathile *babaFarasi nabathile beqela *lamaHerode, ukuze bambambise ngamazwi. Befikile ke bona, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuba uthembekile, ungenamkhethe, kuba akucengi bani, kodwa uyifundisa ngenyaniso indlela kaThixo. Khawutsho ke, ngaba kuvumelekile na ukurhafa *kuKhesare, okanye akuvumelekanga; masiyirhole irhafu, singayirholi, kusini na?” Ke yena, ekwazi ukuhanahanisa kwabo, wathi kubo: “Nindilingelani na? Ndiziseleni imali ndiyibone.” Bayizisa ke, waza wathi kubo: “Ngokabani na lo mfanekiso neli gama?” Bathi kuye: “NgokaKhesare.” Waphendula ke uYesu, wathi kubo: “Ke, nikani uKhesare okufanele uKhesare, ninike uThixo okufanele uThixo.” Bamangaliseka yimpendulo yakhe. Kweza *nabaSadusi kuYesu (bona bathi akukho luvuko lwabafileyo), bambuza besithi: “Mfundisi, uMosis wasibhalela umthetho esithi: ‘Ukuba ubani uthe wafa, eshiya umfazi engekabi nabantwana, makathi umntakwabo amngene umfazi lowo, baze bamzalele abantwana umfi lowo.’ Ke kaloku kwakukho oonyana bomntu abasixhenxe, yaza inkulu yazeka umfazi, yasweleka ingenabantwana. Wathi ke owesibini wamngena, kodwa naye wasweleka engenabantwana. Benjenjalo ke bosixhenxe, kodwa abashiya mntwana. Emva kwabo bonke wasweleka naye umfazi. Ke ngoko eluvukweni lwabafileyo uya kuba ngumfazi wawuphi kubo? Kuba kaloku bosixhenxe babemthathile.” Wabaphendula uYesu wathi: “Nilahlekiswa kukuba ningaziqondi *iziBhalo, ningawazi namandla kaThixo. Kaloku xa abafileyo bathe babuya bavuka, àbazeki, àbendiswa; banjengezithunywa ezisezulwini. Ngokusingisele kukuvuswa kwabafileyo, anifundanga na encwadini kaMosis, kwisiqendu esithetha ngetyholo elivuthayo, okokuba uThixo wathetha naye esithi: ‘Mna ndinguThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake, uThixo kaYakobi’ ? AkaThixo wabafileyo; unguThixo wabaphilayo. Ke nina nilahleke kakhulu.”