UHerode Ubetha iBandla

UHerode ubulala uYakobi, afake uPetros entolongweni. Isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sinqumla imixokelelwane ebusuku, avuleke amasango ngokwawo; uPetros ucinga ukuba uyaphupha. Kwintlanganiso yomthandazo, isicakakazi sixelelwa ukuba siyaphambana. UHerode, obongwa ngokuba nguthixo, uyafa.

Isahluko 12.

Malunga nelo xesha, ukumkani uHerode walwa nabathile beli bandla, efuna ukubenzakalisa. UYakobi, umzalwana kaYohane, wambulala ngekrele. Akubona ukuba oku kuyawakholisa amaYuda, uHerode wandula wambamba noPetros, ngaloo mihla yezonka ezingenagwele. Wambamba, wamfaka entolongweni, wamnikela kumasoldati angamaqela amane, iqela ngalinye linamadoda amane, ukuba amgcine, efuna ukumkhuphela ebantwini emva kwepasika.

UPetros wayegcinwe entolongweni; kodwa ibandla lalithandazela yena ngenkuthalo kuBawo wethu. Ngobo busuku, uHerode engekamkhuphi, uPetros wayelele phakathi kwamasoldati amabini, ekhonkxwe ngemixokelelwane emibini; abalindi phambi komnyango bayigcina intolongo. Kwankqu kwema ngakuye isithunywa sikaBawo wethu, kwakhanya nokukhanya egumbini. Sabetha uPetros ecaleni, samvusa, sathi: “Vuka ngokukhawuleza.” Yawa imixokelelwane ezandleni zakhe. Isithunywa sathi kuye: “Yambatha, ufake neembadada zakho.” UPetros wenjenjalo. Saza sathi: “Yambatha ingubo yakho yokwaleka, undilandele.” Waphuma ke uPetros, walandela, engazi ukuba oko kusenziwa sisithunywa kuyinyaniso; wayecinga ukuba ubona umbono. Bakudlula kuloo ndawo yokulinda yokuqala neyesibini, bafika esangweni lesinyithi lokungena emzini, elathi lazivula ngokwalo. Baphuma, bahamba isitrato esinye, saza ke isithunywa samshiya kwankqu.

Wandula wabuyela ezingqondweni uPetros, wathi: “Ngoku ndiyazi ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba uBawo wethu uthumele isithunywa sakhe, wandihlangula esandleni sikaHerode nakuko konke abekulindele amaYuda.” Eqonda oku, waya endlwini kaMariya, unina kaYohane ekuthiwa nguMarko, apho abaninzi babehlanganisene bethandaza khona. Uthe uPetros akunkqonkqoza emnyango wesango, kwafika umkhonzazana ogama linguRoda ukuba aphendule. Akuliva ilizwi likaPetros, ngenxa yovuyo akawuvulanga umnyango, koko wabalekela ngaphakathi, wabikela ukuba uPetros umi ngaphandle.

Bathi kuye: “Uyaphambana.” Kodwa yena waqinisela ukuthi kunjalo. Baza bathi: “Sisithunywa sakhe eso.” Kodwa uPetros wamana enkqonkqoza; bathe bawuvula umnyango, bambona, bamangaliswa. Ebaqhweba ngesandla ukuba bathi cwaka, wabacacisela indlela uBawo wethu awamkhupha ngayo entolongweni. Wathi: “Baxeleleni uYakobi nabazalwana oku.” Wandula wemka, waya kwenye indawo.

Kwakusa, kwabakho isiphithiphithi esingencinci phakathi kwamasoldati, besithi ehle phi na uPetros. Uthe uHerode, akuba emfunile engamfumani, wababuza abalindi, wayalela ukuba babulawe. Wandula wehla evela kwelakwaYuda, waya eKesareya, wahlala khona.

UBawo Wethu Ubetha uHerode

UHerode wayebathukuthelele kakhulu abaseTire nabaseTsidon. Beza kuye bendawonye, bathi, bakuba bemtsalele uBlasto, umphathi wendlu yokumkani, bacela uxolo, kuba ilizwe labo lalixhomekeke ezweni lokumkani ngokudla. Ngomhla omisiweyo uHerode wambatha iingubo zobukumkani, wahlala etroneni, wenza intetho kubo. Baza abantu bamemeza besithi: “Lilizwi loothixo, asililo elomntu!” Kwaoko isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sabetha uHerode, ngenxa yokuba engamniki uBawo wethu uzuko; zamdla iimpethu, wafa.

Kodwa ilizwi likaBawo wethu laqhubeka ukukhula, landa. UBharnabhas noSawule babuya eYerusalem, bakuba beyifezile inkonzo yabo, bathabatha noYohane, ekuthiwa nguMarko.