UBawo Uthumela Izwi Lakhe
UYohane washumayela entlango, waza wabuzwa ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukuba abantu kufuneka benze ntoni ngokwenene: yabelani ngengubo, ningabizi ngaphezulu, ningaphangi. Walichaza isono sikaHerode, waza wavalelwa entolongweni ngenxa yaso. UYesu wabhaptizwa phakathi kwabanye bonke, waza uYise wambiza ngoNyana oyintanda.
3 1Ngomnyaka weshumi elinesihlanu wolawulo lukaTiberiyo uKesare, xa uPontiyo Pilato wayeyirhuluneli yelakwaYuda, uHerode engumlawuli welaseGalili, umnakwabo uFilipu engumlawuli wommandla waseIturaya naseTrakoniti, noLisaniya elawula eAbilene, 2ngexesha likaAnas noKayafa ababingeleli abakhulu, lafika ilizwi likaBawo wethu kuYohane unyana kaZekariya entlango. 3Wahamba kuwo wonke ummandla waseYordan, evakalisa ubhaptizo lwenguquko, ukuze kuxolelwe izono, 4njengoko kubhaliwe encwadini yamazwi ka-Isaya umprofeti, kusithiwa: “Lilizwi lalowo umemezayo entlango, lisithi: Yilungiseni indlela yeNkosi, yenzani zithi tye iindlela zayo. 5Yonke imifula iya kuzaliswa, zonke iintaba neenduli zigungxulwe. Iindlela ezigwegwayo ziya kuthi tye, nemixawuka ibe thabazi, 6yaye yonke inyama iya kulubona usindiso lukaBawo wethu.”
7Wayesithi ke uYohane kwizihlwele ezaziza kuba zibhaptizwe nguye: “Nina nzala yamarhamba, ngubani na onixeleleyo ukuba niyibaleke ingqumbo ezayo? 8Velisani ngoko iziqhamo eziyifaneleyo inguquko. Ningaqali ukuzithethela nithi: ‘SinoAbraham ongubawo wethu.’ Kuba ndithi kuni, uBawo wethu unako ukumvelisela uAbraham abantwana kula matye. 9Sele libekiwe izembe engcanjini yemithi; yaye yonke imithi engenasiqhamo sihle iyagawulwa, ize iphoswe emlilweni.”
10Zambuza ke izihlwele, zathi: “Pho, sothini na thina?”
11Waphendula wathi kuzo: “Lowo unezihanjwa ezibini, makaphe lowo ongenazo; nalowo unokudla, makenjenjalo.”
12Kweza nababuthi berhafu ukuze babhaptizwe, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, sothini na thina?”
13Wathi kubo: “Ningabuthi nto ingaphezu kweniyimiselweyo.”
14Ambuza namadoda omkhosi, athi: “Thina ke, sothini na?” Wathi kuwo: “Musani ukuxhakamfula mntu ngenkani nangobuxoki; yanelani yimivuzo yenu.”
15Babelindele abantu, becamanga bonke ezintliziyweni zabo, ukuba uYohane hleze abe nguye uKrestu. 16Waphendula uYohane kubo bonke, wathi: “Mna ndinibhaptiza ngamanzi. Kodwa uyeza lowo unamandla kunam, endingafanelekileyo ukuwuthukulula umtya wembadada yakhe. Yena uya kunibhaptiza ngoMoya oyiNgcwele nangomlilo. 17Uphethe esandleni sakhe umnyazi wokwela; isanda sakhe uya kusicokisa kuthi tu, ayibuthele ingqolowa yakhe kuvimba, kodwa wona umququ awutshise ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.”
18Ngamanye amazwi amaninzi okuvuselela, uYohane wawashumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo abantu. 19Kodwa uYohane wamohlwaya uHerode umlawuli ngenxa kaHerodiya, umkamntakwabo, nangenxa yako konke ukungendawo abekwenzile uHerode, 20waza uHerode wongeza nale nto koko konke: wamvalela entolongweni uYohane.
UBawo Uthi uNyana Wakhe Uyintanda
21Kwathi, bakubon' ukuba babhaptizwe bonke abantu, wabhaptizwa noYesu. Akuba ethandaza, lavuleka izulu,
22wehla phezu kwakhe uMoya oyiNgcwele, enesimo somzimba esifana nehobe. Kwavakala izwi livela ezulwini, lisithi: “Wena unguNyana wam endimthandayo; ndikholisiwe nguwe.”
23Ke uYesu, wayemalunga neminyaka emashumi mathathu ezelwe, ekuqaleni kobulungiseleli bakhe, engunyana — njengoko kwakucingwa — kaYosefu, unyana kaHeli, 24unyana kaMatati, unyana kaLevi, unyana kaMeleki, unyana kaYanayi, unyana kaYosefu, 25unyana kaMatatiya, unyana ka-Amos, unyana kaNahum, unyana kaEseli, unyana kaNagayi, 26unyana kaMahati, unyana kaMatatiya, unyana kaSemeyi, unyana kaYoseki, unyana kaYoda, 27unyana kaYohanan, unyana kaResa, unyana kaZerubhabheli, unyana kaSalatiyeli, unyana kaNeri, 28unyana kaMeleki, unyana ka-Adi, unyana kaKosam, unyana kaElmadam, unyana kaEre, 29unyana kaYoshuwa, unyana kaEliyezere, unyana kaYorim, unyana kaMatati, unyana kaLevi, 30unyana kaSimon, unyana kaYuda, unyana kaYosefu, unyana kaYonam, unyana kaEliyakim, 31unyana kaMeleya, unyana kaMena, unyana kaMatata, unyana kaNatan, unyana kaDavide, 32unyana kaYese, unyana kaObhedi, unyana kaBhohazi, unyana kaSalemon, unyana kaNashon, 33unyana ka-Aminadabhi, unyana ka-Adimin, unyana ka-Arni, unyana kaHetseron, unyana kaPeretse, unyana kaYuda, 34unyana kaYakobi, unyana ka-Isake, unyana ka-Abraham, unyana kaTera, unyana kaNahore, 35unyana kaSerugi, unyana kaRehu, unyana kaPelege, unyana ka-Ebhere, unyana kaShela, 36unyana kaKenan, unyana ka-Arpakishadi, unyana kaShem, unyana kaNowa, unyana kaLameki, 37unyana kaMethusela, unyana ka-Enoki, unyana kaYerede, unyana kaMahalaleli, unyana kaKenan, 38unyana ka-Enoshe, unyana kaSete, unyana ka-Adam, unyana kaBawo wethu.
