NgokukaLuka 7

7 ¹Kwathi eseqedile ukusho konke lokhu kubantu, wangena eKapernawume. ²Inceku yenduna yekhulu eyayithandeka kuyo yayigula, isisondele ekufeni. ³Yathi isizwa ngoJesu, induna yekhulu yathuma amalunga amaJuda, imcela ukuba eze azophulukisa inceku yayo. ⁴Bathi befika kuJesu, bamncenga ngokukhulu bathi: ufanele ukuba umenzele lokhu, ⁵ngokuba uyasithanda isizwe sethu, futhi nguye owasakhela isinagoge lethu. ⁶UJesu wahamba nabo. Wathi esezosondela endlini, induna yekhulu yathuma abangane ukuba bathi: “Nkosi, ungazikhathazi—angifanele ukuba ungene ngaphansi kophahla lwami. ⁷Yingakho ngingazange ngibe nesibindi sokuza kuwe. Kodwa khuluma izwi, inceku yami iphulukiswe. ⁸Ngokuba nami ngingumuntu ophansi kwegunya, nginamabutho angaphansi kwami. Ngithi koyedwa, ‘Hamba,’ ahambe; komunye, ‘Woza,’ eze; encekwini yami, ‘Yenza lokhu,’ ikwenze.”

⁹UJesu wathi ekuzwa lokhu, wamangala ngenduna yekhulu, waphendukela esixukwini esasimlandela, wathi: “Ngithi kini, angizange ngilufumane ukholo olunje ngisho kwa-Israyeli.”

¹⁰Kwathi labo ababethunyiwe sebebuyela endlini, bayifica inceku isiphilile.

UJesu Uvusa Indodana Yomfelokazi

¹¹Ngemva kwalokho waya emzini othiwa iNayini, kanye nabafundi bakhe nesixuku esikhulu. ¹²Wathi esondela esangweni lomuzi, bheka kwakuthwalwa ofileyo—indodana eyodwa kunina, ongumfelokazi—nesixuku esikhulu somuzi sasikanye naye.

¹³Yathi iNkosi imbona, yamhawukela, yathi kuye: “Ungakhali.” ¹⁴Wasondela wathinta uhlaka; abathwali bema, wathi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe, vuka.”

¹⁵Ofileyo wavuka wahlala, waqala ukukhuluma, uJesu wamnikela kunina.

¹⁶Bonke babanjwa uvalo; badumisa uBaba wethu bathi: “Kuvele umprofethi omkhulu phakathi kwethu!” “UBaba wethu ubahambele abantu bakhe!” ¹⁷Lolu daba ngaye lwanda kulo lonke elaseJudiya nakuzo zonke izindawo ezizungezile.

UJohane Uyabuza: Unguwe Yini Lowo?

¹⁸Abafundi bakaJohane bamtshela ngazo zonke lezi zinto. UJohane wabe esebiza ababili kubafundi bakhe, ¹⁹wabathuma eNkosini ethi: “Unguwe yini lowo ozayo, noma kufanele silindele omunye na?” ²⁰Kwathi lamadoda efika kuye, athi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi usithume kuwe, ebuza ukuthi: ‘Unguwe yini lowo ozayo, noma silindele omunye na?’”

²¹Ngalelo hora waphulukisa abaningi ezifweni, nasezinhlungwini, nakimimoya emibi, waphinde wavula amehlo eziphofu eziningi.

²²Wabaphendula wathi: “Hambani niyotshela uJohane lokhu enikubonile nenikuzwile: iziphofu ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanzeka, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, nabampofu bashunyayelwa izindaba ezinhle. ²³Ubusisiwe lowo ongakhubekiyo ngami.”

²⁴Kwathi izithunywa zikaJohane sezihambile, uJesu wakhuluma nezixuku ngoJohane wathi: “Naphumela ukuyobonani ehlane? Umhlanga onyakaziswa umoya na? ²⁵Pho naphumela ukuyobonani? Umuntu embethe izingubo ezithambile na? Bhekani—labo abembethe ezibukekayo, abaphila ebumnandini, basezigodlweni zamakhosi. ²⁶Kodwa naphumela ukuyobonani—umprofethi na? Yebo, ngithi kini: ongaphezu komprofethi. ²⁷Nguye lo okukhulunywa ngaye emibhalweni ukuthi: ‘Bheka, ngithuma isithunywa sami phambi kwakho, ukuba silungise indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’

²⁸Ngithi kini: phakathi kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akekho omkhulu kunoJohane—kodwa omncane kunabo embusweni kaBaba wethu mkhulu kunaye.”

²⁹(Kwathi bonke abantu, kanye nabathelisi, sebekuzwa lokhu, bavuma ukuthi uBaba wethu ulungile, ngoba babebhapathiziwe ngombhapathizo kaJohane, ³⁰kodwa abaFarisi nabezomthetho bayilahla injongo kaBaba wethu ngabo, ngokuba bengazange babhapathizwe nguye.).

³¹“Pho ngibafanise nani abantu balesi sizukulwane, bafana nani? ³²Bafana nabantwana abahlezi ezigcawini, bememezelana bethi: ‘Sanibhinela imitshingo, anizange nisine; sahlabelela isililo, anizange nikhale.’ ³³Ngokuba uJohane uMbhapathizi weza engadli sinkwa, enganathi wayini, nathi nina: ‘Unedemoni.’ ³⁴INdodana yomuntu yeza idla iphuza, nathi nina: ‘Bheka, isiminzi nesidakwa, umngane wabathelisi nezoni!’ ³⁵Kanti ukuhlakanipha kufakazelwa yibo bonke abantwana bako.” ^a a v35 Ukuhlakanipha kuzifakazela ngalokho okukuvezayo—ukuphulukisa kukaJesu nezindaba ezinhle kubonisa ukuthi ungubani ngempela.

Owathethelelwa Kakhulu, Wathanda Kakhulu

³⁶Omunye umFarisi wammema ukuba adle naye; wangena endlini yomFarisi, wahlala etafuleni. ³⁷Owesifazane womuzi, oyisoni, wezwa ukuthi uhlezi etafuleni endlini yomFarisi, waletha ithumba le-alabasta eligcwele amakha. ³⁸Emile ngemuva kwakhe ezinyaweni zakhe, ekhala, waqala ukumanzisa izinyawo zakhe ngezinyembezi zakhe, wazesula ngezinwele zakhe, wazanga izinyawo zakhe, wazigcoba ngamakha. ³⁹Wathi umFarisi owayemmemile ekubona lokhu, wacabanga wathi: “Uma lo ubengumprofethi, ubeyokwazi ukuthi ngubani omthintayo nokuthi ungowuhlobo luni owesifazane—oyisoni.”

⁴⁰UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Simoni, nginento engizoyisho kuwe.” Wathi yena: “Yisho, Mfundisi.”

⁴¹“Kwakukhona umbolekisi wemali owayenabantu ababili ababemkweleta. Oyedwa wayemkweleta amadenariyu angamakhulu amahlanu, omunye angamashumi amahlanu. ⁴²Njengoba bobabili bengakwazanga ukukhokha, wabaxolela sonke isikweletu. Pho yimuphi kubo oyomthanda kakhulu na?”

⁴³USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngicabanga ukuthi ngulowo axolele isikweletu esikhulu.” UJesu wathi: “Wahlulele kahle.”

⁴⁴Waphendukela kowesifazane, wathi kuSimoni: “Uyambona lo wesifazane? Ngingene endlini yakho—awunginikanga manzi ezinyaweni zami, kodwa yena umanzise izinyawo zami ngezinyembezi zakhe, wazesula ngezinwele zakhe. ⁴⁵Awunginikanga ukwanga, kodwa yena, kusukela ngingena, akayekanga ukwanga izinyawo zami. ⁴⁶Wena awuzange ugcobe ikhanda lami ngamafutha, kodwa yena ugcobe izinyawo zami ngamakha. ⁴⁷Ngakho ngithi kuwe, izono zakhe eziningi zithethelelwe, ngokuba ethande kakhulu. Kodwa othethelelwe kancane uthanda kancane.” ⁴⁸Wayesethi kuye: “Izono zakho zithethelelwe.”

⁴⁹Base beqala ababehlezi naye etafuleni ukubuzana bodwa bathi: “Ngubani lo othethelela ngisho nezono na?”

⁵⁰Wathi kowesifazane: “Ukholo lwakho lukusindisile; hamba ngokuthula.”