NgokukaMathewu 13:1-32

Ngalolo suku uJesu waphuma endlini, wahlala phansi ngaselwandle. Kwase kubuthana kuye izixuku eziningi, waze wangena emkhunjini, wahlala phansi, uquqaba lonke lumi ogwini. Wakhuluma kubo okuningi ngemifanekiso, wathi: “Bhekani, kwaphuma umhlwanyeli ukuyohlwanyela. Ekuhlwanyeleni kwakhe enye imbewu yawela ngasendleleni; kwafika izinyoni, zayidla zayiqeda. Kepha enye yawela edwaleni, lapho yayingenamhlabathi omningi khona; yamila masinyane, ngokuba ingenamhlabathi ojulileyo. Kodwa seliphumile ilanga, yahwamuka; nangokuba ingenampande, yabuna. Kepha enye yawela emeveni; ameva akhula, ayiminyanisa. Kepha enye yawela emhlabathini omuhle; yathela isithelo, enye ngekhulu, enye ngamashumi ayisithupha, enye ngamashumi amathathu. Onezindlebe makezwe.” Kwase kufika abafundi bakhe, bathi kuye: “Ukhulumelani kubo ngemifanekiso na?” Waphendula-ke, wathi kubo: “Nina niphiwe ukwazi izimfihlakalo zombuso wezulu; kodwa bona kabakuphiwanga. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo onakho uyakuphiwa, kuvame; kodwa lowo ongenakho uyakwamukwa nalokho anakho. Kungalokhu ngikhuluma kubo ngemifanekiso, ngokuba noma bebona, kababoni, noma bezwa, kabezwa, kabaqondi. Kugcwaliseka kubo isiprofetho sika-Isaya sokuthi: “ ‘Ngokuzwa niyakuzwa, ningaze naqonda; ngokubona niyakubona, ningaze nabonisisa; ngokuba inhliziyo yalesi sizwe isiyaba lukhuni, bezwa kanzima ngezindlebe, amehlo abo bawacimezile, funa mhlawumbe babone ngamehlo, bezwe ngezindlebe, baqonde ngenhliziyo, baphenduke, ngibaphulukise.’ “Kodwa abusisiwe amehlo enu, lokhu ebona, nezindlebe zenu, lokhu zizwa. Ngokuba ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Baningi abaprofethi nabalungileyo ababefisa ukubona enikubonayo, abakubonanga, nokuzwa enikuzwayo, abakuzwanga. “Yizwani-ke nina umfanekiso womhlwanyeli. Yilowo nalowo olizwa izwi lombuso engaliqondi ufikelwa ngomubi ohlwitha okuhlwanyelwe enhliziyweni yakhe. Yilowo ohlwanyelwe ngasendleleni. Ohlwanyelwe edwaleni nguye olizwa izwi, alamukele masinyane ngokuthokoza; kepha kanampande phakathi kwakhe, kodwa uhlala isikhashana nje, kuthi sekuvele ukuhlupheka nokuzingelwa ngenxa yezwi, akhubeke masinyane. Futhi-ke ohlwanyelwe emeveni nguye olizwa izwi, kepha iminako yalesi sikhathi nokukhohlisa kwengcebo kuminyanisa izwi, abe ngongatheliyo. Kepha ohlwanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle nguye olizwa izwi, aliqonde, athele impela isithelo, omunye aveze ngekhulu, omunye ngamashumi ayisithupha, omunye ngamashumi amathathu.” Omunye umfanekiso wawubeka kubo, wathi: “Umbuso wezulu ufaniswa nomuntu owahlwanyela imbewu enhle ensimini yakhe; kepha abantu besalele, kwafika isitha sakhe, sahlwanyela ukhula phakathi kwamabele, samuka. Kwathi ukuba likhule ikhaba, kuthele isithelo, khona kwabonakala nokhula. “Kwase kufika izisebenzi zomnumzane, zathi kuye: ‘Nkosi, awuhlwanyelanga imbewu enhle ensimini yakho na? Pho, ilutholephi ukhula na?’ “Wathi kuzo: ‘Lokhu kwenziwe ngumuntu oyisitha.’ “Izisebenzi zathi kuye: ‘Uthanda ukuba siye ukulubutha na?’ “Kodwa wathi: ‘Qha, funa nithi, nxa nibutha ukhula, nisiphule amabele kanye nalo. Yekani kukhule kokubili ndawonye, kuze kuvunwe; ngesikhathi sokuvuna ngiyakuthi kwabavunayo: Buthani kuqala ukhula, nilubophe izinyanda ukuba lushiswe, nibuthele amabele engotsheni yami.’ ” Omunye umfanekiso wawubeka kubo, wathi: “Umbuso wezulu ufana nenhlamvu yesinaphi ayithatha umuntu, wayihlwanyela ensimini yakhe; yona kambe incinyane kunazo zonke izimbewu, kepha uma isikhulile, inkulu kunezilimo, iba ngumuthi, kuze kufike izinyoni zezulu, zakhele emagatsheni awo.”