IZenzo 12

12 ¹Ngaleso sikhathi inkosi uHerode yahlasela abanye ababengabebandla, ihlose ukubalimaza. ²Wabulala uJakobe, umfowabo kaJohane, ngenkemba. ³Ebona ukuthi lokhu kwawajabulisa amaJuda, uHerode waqhubeka wabamba noPhethro futhi, ngezinsuku zesinkwa esingenamvubelo. ⁴Wambopha, wamfaka etilongweni, wamnikela emaqenjini amane, iqembu ngalinye linamasosha amane, ukuba amlinde, ehlose ukumkhiphela ebantwini ngemva kwePhasika.

⁵UPhethro wagcinwa etilongweni, kodwa ibandla lakhuleka ngokushiseka kuBaba wethu ngenxa yakhe. ⁶Ngalobo busuku, uHerode engakamkhiphi, uPhethro wayelele phakathi kwamasosha amabili, eboshwe ngamaketanga amabili; abalindi ababephambi komnyango babelinda itilongo. ⁷Ngokuphazima ingelosi kaBaba wethu yema eceleni kwakhe, ukukhanya kwagcwala ekamelweni. Yamshaya uPhethro ohlangothini, yamvusa, yathi: “Vuka ngokushesha.” Amaketanga awa ezandleni zakhe. ⁸Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Gqoka ufake namanyathela akho.” UPhethro wenza njalo. Yabe isithi: “Embatha ingubo yakho ungilandele.” ⁹Ngakho uPhethro waphuma walandela, engazi ukuthi okwenziwa yingelosi kwakungokoqobo—wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono. ¹⁰Bedlula indawo yokuqapha yokuqala neyesibili, bafika esangweni lensimbi eliya emzini, elazivulekela bona. Baphuma, bahamba umgwaqo owodwa, ngokuphazima ingelosi yamshiya.

¹¹UPhethro wasanguluka, wathi: “Manje sengiyazi ngempela: uBaba wethu uthumele ingelosi yakhe wangophula esandleni sikaHerode nakukho konke abantu bamaJuda ababekulindele.” ¹²Esekuqonda lokhu, waya endlini kaMariya, unina kaJohane obizwa ngokuthi uMarku, lapho abaningi babebuthene khona bekhuleka. ¹³Lapho uPhethro engqongqoza emnyango wesango, incekukazi egama layo linguRoda yeza ukuzovula. ¹⁴Eqaphela izwi likaPhethro, wathokoza kakhulu waze wagijimela ngaphakathi engavulanga isango, ememezela ukuthi uPhethro umi khona lapho.

¹⁵Bathi: “Uyahlanya.” Kodwa waphikelela ethi kuyiqiniso. Ngakho bathi: “Yingelosi yakhe.” ¹⁶Kodwa uPhethro waqhubeka engqongqoza, kwathi lapho bevula umnyango bambona, bamangala kakhulu. ¹⁷Eqhweba ngesandla ukuba bathule, wabachazela ukuthi uBaba wethu wayemkhiphe kanjani etilongweni. Wathi: “Tshelani uJakobe nabazalwane lokhu,” wabe esemuka waya kwenye indawo.

¹⁸Kwathi sekusile, kwaba nesiphithiphithi esingesincane phakathi kwamasosha ngokuthi kwenzekeni ngoPhethro. ¹⁹UHerode, esemfunile engamtholanga, wabuza abalindi wayala ukuba babulawe. Wabe esehla eJudiya waya eKhesariya, wahlala khona.

UBaba wethu Umbhubhisa uHerode

²⁰UHerode wayethukuthele kakhulu ngabaseThire nabaseSidoni. Beza kuye bebambene, sebemzuzile uBlastu, induna yesigodlo senkosi, bacela ukuthula, ngokuba izwe labo laliphila ngezwe lenkosi ngokudla. ²¹Ngosuku olumisiwe uHerode wagqoka izingubo zobukhosi, wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi, wabethula inkulumo. ²²Isixuku saqhubeka simemeza, sithi: “Leli yizwi likankulunkulu, hhayi elomuntu!” ²³Ngokushesha ingelosi kaBaba wethu yamshaya phansi ngenxa yokuba engamnikanga uBaba wethu udumo, izimpethu zamdla, wafa.

²⁴Kodwa izwi likaBaba wethu laqhubeka likhula lisabalala. ²⁵UBarnaba noSawulu babuya eJerusalema, sebeqedile umsebenzi wabo, bethatha noJohane obizwa ngokuthi uMarku.