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 ta longo okwiilikana
1 Ndele opa ningwa, Ye eshi a li monhele yonhumba ta ilikana, eshi a mana, umwe womovalongwa vaye okwe mu lombwela: “Omwene, tu longa okwiilikana ngaashi Johannes a longa ovalongwa vaye.” 2 Ndele Ye okwa tya kuvo: “Ngeenge tamu ilikana, tyeni:
‘Tate, edina loye nali yapulwe,
ouhamba woye nau uye,
ehalo loye nali wanifwe
kombada yedu yo ngaashi meulu,
3 tu pa efiku keshe omungome wetu womafiku aeshe,
4 ndele dima po omatimba etu,
osheshi nafye yo ohatu dimine po keshe tuu ou e noikolo nafye,
ino tu twala momayeleko,
ndelenee tu xupifa momunawii.’ ”
5 Ndelenee Ye okwe va lombwela: “Olyelye womunye e na kaume kaye te uya kuye mokati koufiku ndele ta ti: ‘Kaume kange, pe nge omingome nhatu, 6 osheshi kaume kange a dja mondjila e uya kwaame nondihe na eshi handi mu pakele po;’ 7 ndele winya womeumbo te mu nyamukula ndele ta ti: ‘Ino ningila nge oupyakadi, omuvelo owa patwa, nounona vange va nangala pwaame momutala, itandi dulu okupenduka ndi di ku pe.’ 8 Ohandi mu lombwele, ngeenge ita penduka e mu pe omolwoukaume, ota penduka omolwekenyeneko laye, ndele ote mu pe shi fike peemhumbwe daye. 9 Ndelenee handi mu lombwele: indileni, ndele tamu pewa, kongeni, ndele tamu mono, kongholeni, ndele tamu yeululwa. 10 Osheshi keshe tuu ou ta indile, ota pewa, nakeshe tuu ou ta kongo, ota mono, naau ta konghola, ota yeululwa. 11 Ndele olyelye womunye xe ou, omona waye ngeenge te mu indile oshi, te mu pe eyoka ponhele yoshi, 12 ile te mu indile ei, ndele te mu pe ngeno ondje?Ngeenge te mu indile ei, te mu pe ngeno ondje? 13 Hano nye ava muvai, ngeenge omu shii okupa ovana veni oipewa iwa, unene tuu Xo yeni yomeulu ota yandje Omhepo Iyapuki kwaava tave mu indile.”
Jesus te lipopile
14 Opo Ye okwa ta mo ondemoni ei ya fitika ondaka, ndele opa ningwa, ondemoni eshi ya tewa mo, omulumenhu omufitandaka okwa popya, neengudu dovanhu oda kumwa. 15 Ndele vamwe vomuvo ova tya: “Eendemoni ote di tefa Belsebul, omukulunhu weendemoni.” 16 Ndele vamwe ova hala oku mu yeleka ndele ove mu pula edidiliko lomeulu. 17 Ndele Ye eshi kwa li e wete omadiladilo avo okwe va lombwela: “Keshe tuu oshilongo ngeenge shi nondubo musho vene, otashi hanauka po, nongulu otai wile ikwao. 18 Ndele Satana ngeenge e nondubo muye mwene, oshilongo shaye otashi kala po ngahelipi? Ngaashi tamu ti, eendemoni ohandi di tefa Belsebul; 19 Ndele eendemoni ngeenge handi di tefa mo Belsebul, ovana veni otave di tefa mo lyelye? Onghee vo otava ningi ovatokoli veni. 20 Ndelenee shimwe ashike, eendemoni ngeenge handi di tefa nomunwe waKalunga, opo nee ouhamba waKalunga owe uya kunye.
21 “Omunaenghono ngeenge a homata oiti yaye, ndele ota kelele eumbo laye, emona laye ola amenwa. 22 Ndelenee ngeenge taku di ou e mu dule eenghono ndele te mu te, ote mu nyeka oilwifo yaye, kwa li e i lineekela, ndele ta tukula oshihakanwa e shi mu nyeka. 23 Ou ehe li pamwe naame, ye oku na ondubo naame, naau ita ongele pamwe naame, ye ota hanauna po.
24 “Omhepo ya nyata ngeenge tai di momunhu otai pumauka meenhele dihe nomeva, tai kongo etulumuko, ndele eshi itai li mono, otai ti: ‘Ohandi ka shuna meumbo lange nda dile mo.’ 25 Ndele ngeenge tai i mo, otai li hange la kombwa nola wapekwa, 26 yo otai i ndele tai ka kufa eemhepo dikwao heyali, edi di i dule mowii, notadi uya ndele tadi kala mo, nohauxuuninwa yomunhu ou otai ningi ii, i dule yotete mowii.”
27 Ndele fimbo kwa li ta tongo odo, omukainhu umwe womongudu a popya mokule ta ti: “Edimo le ku humbata oli na elao nomavele aa wa nyama.” 28 Ndele Ye okwa tya: “Oshili, ovanelao ovava tava udu eendjovo daKalunga ndele tave di diinine.”
Edidiliko laJona eshi tali ti
29 Ndelenee eengudu dovanhu eshi da ongala, Ye okwa hovela okupopya ta ti: “Epupi eli lii hali pula edidiliko, ndele itali pewa limwe li lili olo tuu eli lomuxunganeki Jona alike. 30 Osheshi ngaashi Jona a li edidiliko kOvaninive, osho nOmona wOmunhu ta kala edidiliko kepupi eli. 31 Ohamba omukainhu yokoumbuwanhu tai holoka petokolo lovalumenhu vepupi eli, ndele tai va pe etimba, osheshi yo oya dile keexulo dedu i ude eendunge daSalomo, ndele tala, ou e li apa, e dule Salomo. 32 Ovalumenhu Ovaninive otava ka nyumuka efiku letokolo, nepupi eli, ndele tave li pe etimba, osheshi vo ove lidilululifwa keudifo laJona, ndele tala, ou e li apa, e dule Jona.
Eisho oshela yolutu
33 “Ndele kape na omunhu ta tema olamba, ndele te i tula mekololo ile koshi yoshimbale, ndelenee ote i tula koshikwatelwalamba, opo ovo have uya mo va mone ouyelele.Kape na omunhu ta tema olamba, nde te i tula mekololo ile koshi yoshimbale. 34 Eisho loye olo olamba yolutu. Eisho loye fimbo li li nawa, nolutu loye alishe oli na ouyelele, ndele ngeenge olii, nolutu loye li nomilaulu. 35 Lungama hano, ouyelele womeni loye uha kale omulaulu. 36 Hano olutu loye alishe ngeenge la yela, muhe na nande ombinga i li momulaulu, otali ningi ouyelele auke, ove wa fa wa minikilwa komutemo wolamba.”
Ekondjifo loihelele yOufarisai
37 Ndele fimbo a popya edi, Omufarisai umwe okwe mu ifana komwisha, Ye okwa ya mo ndele a kala omutumba poshililo. 38 Ndele Omufarisai eshi a mona Ye ine likosha, eshi a ka lya, okwa kumwa. 39 Ndelenee Omwene okwe mu lombwela: “Nye Ovafarisai, ohamu kosho eholo netiti kombada, ndele meni leni omu yadi enyeko nowii. 40 Omalai nye, ou a shita eshi shokombada, haye tuu a shita eshi shomeni yo? 41 Eshi shomeni shi yandjeni oikwafa yeehepele, aishe notai mu koshokele.
42 “Ndelenee woo, nye Ovafarisai, eshi hamu yandje oitimulongo yombidi noyoidimba noyeembidi adishe, ndele hamu pitilile ouyuki nohole okuhola Kalunga, eshi oshi nokuwanifwa naashinya kashi na okweefiwa. 43 Woo nye Ovafarisai, eshi mu hole oipundi yokomesho moshinagoga nokupopifwa pomalandelo. 44 Woo nye ovanongo vomishangwa nOvafarisai, eshi mwa fa eembila dihe wetike, novanhu tava ende kombada yado, ndele vo kave shi shii.”
45 Opo umwe womovanongo vomishangwa a hovela okupopya ndele ta ti kuye: “Omuhongi, eshi to popi ngaha, oto tu fifa ohoni.” 46 Ndele Ye okwa tya: “Woo nanye yo ovanongo vomhango, eshi hamu twike ovanhu omitengi didjuu okuhumbata, nye vene ihamu di kumu nande okamunwe keni kamwe. 47 Woo nye, ovo hamu wapeke eembila dovaxunganeki, vo ova dipawa kooxo. 48 Hano osho ngaha onye eendobwedi doilonga yooxo, ndele mwe i itavela, osheshi vo ove va dipaa, ndele nye otamu tungu eembila davo. 49 Onghee ounongo waKalunga tau ti: ‘Ohandi va tumine ovaxunganeki novayapostoli, navamwe vomuvo otave va dipaa, navakwao tave va taataa,’ 50 epupi eli opo li pulwe ohonde yovaxunganeki aveshe ya tilwashi okeshito lounyuni, 51 okohonde yaAbel fiyo okohonde yaSakaria a dipaelwa pokati keyambelo notembeli. Heeno, ohandi mu lombwele oyo otai ka pulwa kepupi eli.
52 “Woo nye ovanongo vomhango, eshi mwa nyeka ko oshapi younongo, nye vene inamu ya mo, naavo va hala okuya mo, omwe va kelela.”
53 Ndele eshi e va lombwela oinima ei, ovanongo vomishangwa nOvafarisai va hovela oku mu fininika noku mu pula oinima ihapu, 54 noku mu nangela, va mone sha oku mu pa etimba.
