NgokukaLuka 3

3 ¹Ngonyaka weshumi nanhlanu wokubusa kukaKhesari uTiberiyu, ngesikhathi uPontiyu Pilatu engumbusi waseJudiya, uHerode engumbusi waseGalile, umfowabo uFiliphu engumbusi wesifunda sase-Ithureya naseTrakoniti, uLisaniya engumbusi wase-Abilene, ²ngesikhathi u-Anase noKhayafase bengabapristi abakhulu, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuJohane indodana kaZakariya ehlane. ³Wahamba wayizungeza yonke indawo eseduze neJordani, eshumayela umbhapathizo wokuphenduka ukuze kuthethelelwe izono, ⁴njengoba kulotshiwe encwadini yamazwi ka-Isaya umprofethi, ukuthi: “Izwi lomemezayo ehlane, lithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, nenze imikhondo yayo iqonde. ⁵Zonke izigodi ziyakugcwaliswa, zonke izintaba namagquma kwehliswe. Imigwaqo egwegwile iyakuqondiswa, nezindlela ezimahhadlahhadla zibe bushelelezi, ⁶yonke inyama iyakubona insindiso kaBaba wethu.”

⁷UJohane wayesethi ezixukwini ezaziza kuye ukuba zibhapathizwe: “Nzalo yezinyoka! Ngubani onixwayise ukuba nibalekele ulaka oluzayo? ⁸Ngakho thelani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka. Ningaqali ukuzitshela nithi, ‘Sinobaba u-Abrahama.’ Ngokuba ngithi kini, uBaba wethu angamvusela u-Abrahama abantwana kulawa matshe. ⁹Manje izembe selibekiwe empandeni yezihlahla; sonke isihlahla esingatheli izithelo ezinhle siyagawulwa siphonswe emlilweni.”

¹⁰Izixuku zambuza, zathi: “Pho, senzeni na?”

¹¹Waphendula wathi: “Lowo onezambatho ezimbili makabele ongenazo; onokudla naye enze njalo.”

¹²Nabathelisi beza ukuba babhapathizwe, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, senzeni na?”

¹³“Ningabizi okwedlula lokho enikumiselwe,” washo kubo.

¹⁴Namabutho ambuza, athi: “Thina-ke senzeni na?” Wathi kuwo: “Ningaphangi muntu ngodlame noma ngokummangalela ngamanga; yaneliswani ngemiholo yenu.”

¹⁵Abantu babelindele, bonke bezibuza ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi uJohane kungenzeka yini ukuthi unguKhristu. ¹⁶UJohane wabaphendula bonke, wathi: “Mina nginibhapathiza ngamanzi. Kodwa kuza onamandla kunami—engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wezicathulo zakhe. Yena uyakunibhapathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele nangomlilo. ¹⁷Imfoloko yokwela isesandleni sakhe, uyakuhlanza isibuya sakhe, abuthele ukolweni enqolobaneni yakhe, kodwa ashise amakhoba ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.”

¹⁸Ngamanye amazwi amaningi okuyala, uJohane washumayela izindaba ezinhle kubantu. ¹⁹Kodwa uJohane wamsola uHerode umbusi ngenxa kaHerodiya, umkamfowabo, nangenxa yakho konke okubi ayekwenzile uHerode, ²⁰uHerode wanezela lokhu kukho konke: wamvalela uJohane etilongweni.

uBaba Ubiza iNdodana Yakhe Ngothandekayo

²¹Kwathi sebebhapathiziwe bonke abantu, noJesu wabhapathizwa. Esathandaza, izulu lavuleka,

²²uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwakhe ngesimo somzimba njengejuba. Kwavela izwi ezulwini, lithi: “Wena uyiNdodana yami engiyithandayo; ngiyathokoza ngawe.”

²³UJesu wayeneminyaka engaba ngamashumi amathathu lapho eqala inkonzo yakhe, eyindodana—njengoba kwakucatshangwa—kaJosefa, indodana kaHeli, ²⁴indodana kaMathati, indodana kaLevi, indodana kaMeleki, indodana kaJanayi, indodana kaJosefa, ²⁵indodana kaMatathiya, indodana ka-Amose, indodana kaNahume, indodana ka-Esli, indodana kaNagayi, ²⁶indodana kaMahati, indodana kaMatathiya, indodana kaSemeyini, indodana kaJoseki, indodana kaJoda, ²⁷indodana kaJohanani, indodana kaResa, indodana kaZerubabeli, indodana kaSheyalithiyeli, indodana kaNeri, ²⁸indodana kaMeleki, indodana ka-Adi, indodana kaKosamu, indodana ka-Elmadamu, indodana ka-Eri, ²⁹indodana kaJoshuwa, indodana ka-Eliyezeri, indodana kaJorimu, indodana kaMathati, indodana kaLevi, ³⁰indodana kaSimeyoni, indodana kaJuda, indodana kaJosefa, indodana kaJonamu, indodana ka-Eliyakimu, ³¹indodana kaMeleya, indodana kaMena, indodana kaMatatha, indodana kaNathani, indodana kaDavide, ³²indodana kaJese, indodana ka-Obede, indodana kaBhowazi, indodana kaSalimoni, indodana kaNaheshoni, ³³indodana ka-Aminadaba, indodana ka-Adimini, indodana ka-Arni, indodana kaHesroni, indodana kaPheresi, indodana kaJuda, ³⁴indodana kaJakobe, indodana ka-Isaka, indodana ka-Abrahama, indodana kaThera, indodana kaNahori, ³⁵indodana kaSerughi, indodana kaRehu, indodana kaPelegi, indodana ka-Eberi, indodana kaShela, ³⁶indodana kaKhenani, indodana ka-Arpakishadi, indodana kaShemu, indodana kaNowa, indodana kaLameki, ³⁷indodana kaMethushela, indodana ka-Enoke, indodana kaJaredi, indodana kaMahalaleli, indodana kaKhenani, ³⁸indodana ka-Enoshe, indodana kaSeti, indodana ka-Adamu, indodana kaBaba wethu.