1 Ke kaloku, babesondela kuye bonke ababuthi berhafu naboni, ukuba bamve.
2 Babekrokra ke abaFarisi nababhali, besithi, Lo wamkela aboni, adle nabo.
3 Wathetha ke kubo lo mzekeliso, esithi,
4 Nguwuphi na umntu kuni othi, enekhulu lezimvu, ize kulahleke enye kuzo, angazishiyi ezingamashumi asithoba anesithoba entlango, asinge kuleyo ilahlekileyo, ade ayifumane?
5 Athi ke akuyifumana, ayibeke emagxeni akhe, evuya.
6 Athi akufika ekhaya, ababizele ndawonye abahlobo nabamelwane, esithi kubo, Vuyisanani nam, ngokuba ndiyifumene imvu yam ebilahlekile.
7 Ndithi kuni, ngokukwanjalo kuya kubakho uvuyo emazulwini ngomoni eba mnye oguqukayo, kunamashumi asithoba anesithoba amalungisa, angaswele nguquko.
8 Kanjalo nguwuphi na umfazi eneedrarhima zilishumi, ongethi, ukuba ithe yalahleka enye idrarhima, alumeke isibane, ayitshayele indlu, afune enyamekile, ade ayifumane?
9 Athi akuyifumana, ababizele ndawonye abahlobo nabamelwane, esithi, Vuyisanani nam, ngokuba ndiyifumene idrarhima ebindilahlekile.
10 Ngokukwanjalo ndithi kuni, kubakho uvuyo emehlweni ezithunywa zikaThixo ngomoni eba mnye oguqukayo.
11 Ke kaloku wathi, Umntu othile ube enoonyana ababini.
12 Wathi omnci wabo kuyise, Bawo, ndinike isahlulo sempahla esilunge nam. Wababela imfuyo leyo.
13 Kuthe kungekabi ntsuku zininzi, wahlanganisa into yonke unyana omnci, wesuka kwelakowabo, waya ezweni elikude; wathi khona apho wayichitha impahla yakhe ngentlalo yokuzibhubhisa.
14 Akubon ukuba udle konke, kwabakho indlala enzima kwelo zwe, waqala ukuswela naye.
15 Waya wanamathela komnye kubemi belo zwe; wathi yena wamthumela emihlabeni yakhe, ukuba aye kwalusa iihagu.
16 Ubenqwenela ke ukusizalisa isisu sakhe ngeengxam ezabe zidliwa ziihagu; bekungekho mntu umphayo.
17 Ke kaloku, akuba nokuziqonda, wathi, Kanene bangakanani na abaqeshwa bakabawo, abadikwa zizonka; nanku ke mna ndiphela yindlala?
18 Ndiya kusuka ndiye kubawo, ndithi kuye, Bawo, ndonile kuwo amazulu, nasemehlweni akho.
19 Andisafanele kubizwa ngonyana wakho; ndenze ndibe njengomnye kubaqeshwa bakho.
20 Wesuka weza kuyise. Ke kaloku, akubon ukuba usekude lee, uyise wambona, wasikwa yimfesane, wagidima, wawa entanyeni yakhe, wamanga.
21 Wathi ke unyana kuye, Bawo, ndonile kuwo amazulu, nasemehlweni akho; andisafanele kubizwa ngonyana wakho.
The Return of the Prodigal Son 22 Uthe ke uyise kubakhonzi bakhe, Rholani ingubo ende, eyona intle, nimambathise, nifake umsesane esandleni sakhe, neembadada ezinyaweni zakhe.
23 Nizise ithole, eliya lityetyisiweyo, nixhele; sidle, sibe nemihlali.
24 Ngokuba lo nyana wam ubefile, wabuya waphila; ubelahlekile, wafunyanwa. Baqala ke ukuba nemihlali.
25 Ke kaloku unyana wakhe omkhulu ebesentsimini; wathi xa azayo, wasondela endlwini, weva ukugwala nokududa.
26 Wabizela kuye omnye kubakhonzi, wambuza ukuba zingaba ziyini na ezi zinto.
27 Uthe ke yena kuye, Umninawa wakho ufikile; uyihlo ke uxhele ithole, eliya lityetyisiweyo; ngokuba ebuye wamzuzu ephilile.
28 Waqumba ke, akavuma nokungena. Uphumile ke uyise wambongoza.
29 Waphendula ke yena wathi kuyise, Uyabona, le minyaka ingakanana ndiyakukhonza, andizanga ndigqithe mthetho wakho; ukanti akuzanga undinike netakane eli, ukuze ndenze imihlali nezam izihlobo;
30 kodwa xenikweni afikileyo lo nyana wakho, wayidlayo wayigqiba impilo yakho namahenyukazi, umxhelele ithole eliya lityetyisiweyo.
31 Uthe ke yena kuye, Mntwana wam, wena uhleli unam, nazo zonke izinto zam zezakho.
32 Besimelwe kukuthi senze imihlali ke, sivuye; ngokuba umninawa wakho lo ubefile, wabuya waphila; ubelahlekile, wafunyanwa. |
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