Prayer
(Matthew 6.9-13Matthew 7.7-11)1 When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”
2 So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way:
‘Father, help us
to honor your name.
Come and set up
your kingdom.
3 Give us each day
the food we need.
4 Forgive our sins,
as we forgive everyone
who has done wrong to us.
And keep us
from being tempted.’ ”
5 Then Jesus went on to say:
Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat.” 7 And suppose your friend answers, “Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.”
8 He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.
9 So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. 11 Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 12 Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? 13 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
Jesus and the Ruler of Demons
(Matthew 12.22-30Mark 3.20-27)14 Jesus forced a demon out of a man who could not talk. And after the demon had gone out, the man started speaking, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some people said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”
16 Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from God. 17 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:
A kingdom where people fight each other will end up in ruin. And a family that fights will break up. 18 If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? Yet you say that I force out demons by the power of Beelzebul. 19 If I use his power to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? They are the ones who will judge you. 20 But if I use God's power to force out demons, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you.
21 When a strong man arms himself and guards his home, everything he owns is safe. 22 But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, he will carry off the weapons in which the strong man trusted. Then he will divide with others what he has taken. 23 If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the crop with me, you scatter it.
Return of an Evil Spirit
(Matthew 12.43-45)24 When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when it doesn't find a place, it says, “I will go back to the home I left.” 25 When it gets there and finds the place clean and fixed up, 26 it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and that person ends up in worse shape than before.
Being Really Blessed
27 While Jesus was still talking, a woman in the crowd spoke up, “The woman who gave birth to you and nursed you is blessed!”
28 Jesus replied, “That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's message!”
A Sign from God
(Matthew 12.38-42Mark 8.12)29 As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said:
You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a sign from God. But what happened to Jonah is the only sign you will be given. 30 Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign to the people of today. 31 When the judgment comes, the Queen of the South will stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something far greater than Solomon. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah.
Light
(Matthew 5.15Matthew 6.22Matthew 23)33 No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so everyone who comes into the house can see the light. 34 Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. 35 So be sure your light isn't darkness. 36 If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you.
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Matthew 23.1-36Mark 12.38-40Luke 20.45-47)37 When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him home for a meal. Jesus went and sat down to eat. 38 The Pharisee was surprised that he did not wash his hands before eating. 39 So the Lord said to him:
You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes, but on the inside you are greedy and evil. 40 You fools! Didn't God make both the outside and the inside? 41 If you would only give what you have to the poor, everything you do would please God.
42 You Pharisees are in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your gardens, such as mint and rue. But you cheat people, and you don't love God. You should be fair and kind to others and still give a tenth to God.
43 You Pharisees are in for trouble! You love the front seats in the synagogues, and you like to be greeted with honor in the market. 44 But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves that people walk on without even knowing it.
45 A teacher of the Law of Moses spoke up, “Teacher, you said cruel things about us.”
46 Jesus replied:
You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't lift a finger to help them carry the loads. 47 Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build monuments to honor the prophets your own people murdered long ago. 48 You must think that was the right thing for your people to do, or else you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered.
49 Because of your evil deeds, the Wisdom of God said, “I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will murder some and mistreat others.” 50 You people living today will be punished for all the prophets who have been murdered since the beginning of the world. 51 This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You people will certainly be punished for all of this.
52 You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble! You carry the keys to the door of knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.
53 Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees wanted to get even with him. They tried to make him say what he thought about other things, 54 so they could catch him saying something wrong.
Jesus ma hongo okupanḓera pongumbiro
(Mt 6:9-13Mt 7:7-11)1 Eyuva rimwe Jesus aa kumbire poṋa porive, nu tja mana okukumba umwe wovahongewa ve wa tja ku ye: “Muhona, tu honga okukumba tjimuna Johanes tja honga ovahongewa ve.”
2 Jesus wa tjere ku wo: “Tji mamu kumbu itjeye nai:
‘Tate, ena roye nga ri yapurwe;
ouhona woye ngau ye.
3 Omboroto yetu yeyuva arihe tu pao ndino.
4 Nu tu isira ourunde wetu,
otja eṱe tji tu isira auhe ngu nondjo na eṱe.
Nu o tu hitisa momarorero.’ ”
5 Nu Jesus wa tja kovahongewa ve: “Owaṋi mokati keṋu ngu ma i kondjuwo yepanga re mokati kouṱuku na katja nai ku ye: ‘Mukwetu, ndji yazema ozomboroto ndatu ozombomba. 6 Omukwetu ngu ri mouyenda weya koyandje nambano nai, nu ami hi novikurya okumupa!’ 7 Nu ingwi omukweṋu ngu ri moukoto wondjuwo a ziri a tja: ‘O ndji kurungisa! Omuvero wa patwa rukuru, nami novanatje vandje tu ri momara. Ami hi nokuyenena okupenduka nokuyekukupa imbi mbi movanga.’ 8 Tjiri, ami me mu raere, nangarire kutja eye ke na okupenduka okumupa inḓa ozomboroto mena roupanga uriri, tjiri, eye ma sekamisiwa i ongurungisiro okumupa avihe mbi ma hepa, omukwao tjinga ama ningire ingwi okuningira.
9 “Ami opu me tjere nai ku eṋe: Ningireye nu mamu pewa; paheye nu mamu munu; kongoreye nu mamu patururirwa. 10 Orondu auhe ngu ma ningire ma pewa, nu ngu ma paha ma munu, nu ngu ma kongora ma patururirwa. 11 Nu ku eṋe mbu mu ri ovarumendu ovakwate, ouṋe mokati keṋu omuzandu we tje mu ningire ohi ngu me mu pe onyoka? 12 Poo tje mu ningire ei ngu me mu pe ondje? 13 Neṋe mbu mu ri ovanauvi tji mu tjiwa okuyandja oviṋa oviwa kovanatje veṋu, Tate ngu ri meyuru, tjiri, kena ku yandja vi oviwa tjinene okukapita? Ku imba mbu mave ningire eye meve pe Ombepo Ondjapuke!”
Jesus na Beelsebul
(Mt 12:22-30Mk 3:20-27)14 Eyuva rimwe Jesus wa pitisire ombepo ohakohoke momundu ngwa patere eraka. Nombepo ndji tji ya za nokupita mu ye, omundu ngwi arire tja utu okuhungira. Otjimbumba tjovandu tja himwa, 15 nungwari ovandu tjiva va tja: “OBeelsebul, omunane wozombepo ozohakohoke, ongu me mu pe omasa okupitisa ozombepo nḓa.”
16 Ovakwao varwe va vangere okurora omasa wa Jesus, notji ve mu ningira kutja eye a tjite otjiraisiro tji matji raisa kutja eye owa Ndjambi. 17 Nungwari Jesus aa tjiwa imbi mbyaa ve ripura, nopa tjera nai ku wo: “Ouhona mbwe rihaṋa ouini owo ouhona mbu mau yanda; nonganda ndje rihaṋa oini oyo onganda ndji mai haṋika mokati. 18 Nu nambano Satan tje hi noruwano mu ye omuini, ouhona we mau karerere vi? Eṋe mamu tja me pitisa ozombepo ozohakohoke mena rokutja Beelsebul u ndji pa omasa okutjita nao. 19 Ami hapo tji me pitisa ozombepo ozohakohoke momasa wa Beelsebul, imba ovemukongorere owo ve ze pitisa nombatero yauṋe? Owo mave raisa kutja mu ri posyo. 20 Ka tji pe ri! Ami mbi pitisa ozombepo ozohakohoke nomasa wa Ndjambi, nu ihi otjiraisiro tjokutja ouhona wa Ndjambi weya ku eṋe.
21 “Omunamasa ngwe ripangiṋa nawa novirwise tji ma tjevere ondjuwo ye, okutja ouini we mau kara mohange. 22 Nungwari warwe omunamasa pu ye tje mu rwisa, nu e mu havere, eye me mu yeka ovirwise vye avihe ke riyameka, nu a haṋa imbi mbya pundu.
23 “Auhe ngu he ri puna ami mendjipirukire; nu auhe ngu hi nakuwonga pamwe na ami, tjiri, ma rimbi.
Ombepo ohakohoke mai kotoka
(Mt 12:43-45)24 “Ombepo ohakohoke tji ya piti momundu i ryanga mokuti onguza amai paha orusuwo. Nu tji i he ru mwine, i rihungirira nai: ‘Ami me yaruka kondjuwo yandje.’ 25 Otji i kotoka ai vaza ondjuwo aya kohoka nu aya harekwa. 26 Noyo otji mai piti ai kapaha ozombepo ozohakohoke ozongwao hambombari ozombi tjinene pu yo, nozo maze ya aze tura mo. Korusenina omundu ngwi otje kara momuhingo omuvi tjinene komeho waindu rutenga.”
Ouṋingandu watjiri
27 Jesus tja za nokuhungira omambo nga, omukazendu umwe motjimbumba arire tja ravaere nai ku ye: “Eṋingandu ezumo nde ku tjindire, nomaṋingandu omavere nge ku nyamisisa!”
28 Nungwari Jesus wa zirire a tja: “Ii, posi yokutja ovaṋingandu imba mbe zuva embo ra Ndjambi nave ṱakamisa ro!”
Omaningiriro wotjihimise
(Mt 12:38-42)29 Ovandu ngunda ava woronganene pu Jesus, eye wa hungirire a tja: “Omuhoko wa nambano, tjiri, omuhoko omunauvi! Owo mau ningire otjihimise, nungwari kamaau pewa ko nangarire tjimwe posi yotjiraisiro tja Jona. 30 Otja Jona punga a ri otjizemburukiro kovature va Ninive, Omuna wOmundu wina opunga ama rire otjizemburukiro komuhoko wa nambano. 31 Meyuva rombanguriro ombara oserekaze ya Seba mai sekama nai yandja ondjo komuhoko wa nambano, orondu oyo ya kawondjere ondjira aihe okuza kehi rayo okuyekupuratena komahongero wounongo wa Salomo; nu me mu raere imba pena umwe ngu ri omunene pu Salomo! 32 Meyuva rombanguriro ovature va Ninive mave sekama nave yandja ondjo komuhoko wa nambano, orondu owo ve ritanaura kourunde wawo indu tji va zuvire Jona ama zuvarisa; nu imba pa kurama umwe omunanḓengu tjinene pu Jona!
Ondjerera yorutu
(Mt 5:15Mt 6:22-23)33 “Kape nomundu ngu yakisa emunine tjazumba e ri horeke poo e ri twa kehi yehoro; moruveze rwanao eye me ri twa kotjikurameno tjomamunine kutja imba mbu mave hiti, ve mune ondjerera. 34 Eho roye oro emunine rorutu rwoye, nu oro tji ri ri nawa, okutja orutu rwoye aruhe wina maru kara nondjerera. Nungwari eho roye tji ri he ri nawa, okutja orutu rwoye aruhe wina maru kara monḓorera. 35 Otji mo sokuṱakamisa nawa kutja ondjerera ndji ri move ai ha rire onḓorera. 36 Orutu rwoye aruhe tji ru nondjerera, naru ha kara nopoṋa pu ru ri monḓorera, orwo aruhe maru kara nondjerera tjimuna emunine tji mari ku yerisa nondjerera yaro.”
Jesus ma yandja ondjo kOvafarisei nozonongo zomambo
(Mt 23:1-36Mk 12:38-40)37 Tjimanga Jesus tja za nokuhungira, Omufarisei worive arire tje mu ṋanga kutja a karye puna ye, nu eye wa hiti na kakara pehi potjiriro. 38 Omufarisei ngwi wa himwa tja muna kutja Jesus ke rikohere omake komurungu wokurya. 39 Muhona wa tjere ku ye: “Eṋe Ovafarisei mu koha otjinwino notjiyaha kombanda uriri, nungwari tjandje eṋe oveni moukoto mwe ura noutwe nouvi. 40 Mayova oweṋe! Ndjambi ngwa ungura ovyopendje, kangu ri ye ngwi ngwa ungura ovyomoukoto wina are? 41 Nungwari yandjeye imbi mbi ri movinwino noviyaha vyeṋu kovasyona, nu oviṋa avihe mavi rire ovikohoke ku eṋe.
42 “Nu owee ku eṋe, Vafarisei! Eṋe mu yandja ku Ndjambi ihi otjitjamurongo tjominte noharavava, notjovihape ngamwa avihe vyarwe, nungwari ka munakonatja nokutjita ousemba kovandu varwe nokusuvera Ndjambi. Oviṋa mbi mamu sokuyenenisa nokuhinokuisa imbi ovyarwe pehi.
43 “Owee ku eṋe, Vafarisei! Eṋe mwa suvera okuhaama kovihavero vyovatengwandu mozosinagoge nokuminikwa nondengero potuveze twomarandisiro. 44 Owee ku eṋe! Eṋe mu ri otja omaendo nge hi na otjiraisiro nu nge ha munika ovandu ku ve yata mokuhinokutjiwa.”
45 Onongo imwe yOmatwako ya tja ku ye: “Muhonge, tji mo hungire omambo nga mo tu yamburura wina.”
46 Jesus wa zira a tja: “Owee ku eṋe wina, zonongo zomambo! Eṋe mu twako omitwaro omizeu komatambo wovandu, mbi ve ha sora okutoora, nungwari eṋe oveni kamu ṱunu ko nangarire nomunwe uriri okuvevatera. 47 Owee ku eṋe! Eṋe mu tungira ovaprofete omaendo, imba ovaprofete tjingewo ooiho mukururume mbu va zepa. 48 Otjiṋa ho otjiraisiro tjokutja eṋe mu nonyuṋe movitjitwa vyooiho mukururume; owo va zepa ovaprofete, neṋe mu ve tungira omaendo. 49 Ounongo wa Ndjambi opu wa za okutja nai: ‘Ami meve hindire ovaprofete novaapostele; owo mave zepa tjiva, nu tjiva ave tatumisa.’ 50 Omuhoko wa nambano otji mau vererwa omazepero wovaprofete, mba ṱa rukuru okuza kombutiro youye, 51 okuza komazepero wa Abel nga komazepero wa Sakaria ngwa ṱira pokati kotjipunguhiro nOtjouyapuke. Ii, me mu raere, omuhoko wa nambano mau vererwa omazepero aehe ngo!
52 “Owee ku eṋe, zonongo zomambo! Eṋe mwa ṱiza otjipaturure tjomuvero wondjuwo yondjiviro; eṋe oveni kamu nakuhita mu yo, nu mamu tjaere imba mbu mave vanga okuhita!”
53 Nu Jesus tja pita mondjuwo okuyenda, ozonongo zomambo nOvafarisei otji za uta okumuṋiṋikiza, nokumukondjisa kutja a hungire oviṋa ovingi, 54 amaze kondjo okumutjungira momambo kutja ma hungire ruṋe otjiṋa otjivi ku mave mu pere ondjo.
