Ukufa KukaJohane uMbhapathizi
UHerode, ebanjwe yisifungo somkhosi, unquma uJohane ikhanda. UJesu uyasuka ayodabuka, isixuku simlandela noma kunjalo, futhi usiphakela ngezinkwa ezinhlanu. Kamuva uPhethro uhamba phezu kwamanzi eya kuye, abone umoya, aqale ukucwila.
14 1Ngaleso sikhathi uHerode umtetrarki wezwa imibiko ngoJesu. 2Wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Lona nguJohane uMbhapathizi, ovuswe kwabafileyo—yingakho la mandla esebenza kuye.” 3Ngokuba uHerode wayembophile uJohane, wambopha ngamaketanga, wamvalela etilongweni ngenxa kaHerodiya, umkamfowabo uFiliphu, 4ngokuba uJohane wayelokhu emtshela: “Akukho emthethweni ukuba ube naye.” 5UHerode wayefuna ukumbulala, kodwa esaba isixuku, ngokuba sasithatha uJohane njengomprofethi. 6Kodwa kwathi kufika usuku lokuzalwa kukaHerode, indodakazi kaHerodiya yagida phambi kwabo yamthokozisa uHerode, 7kangangokuba wathembisa ngesifungo ukumnika noma yini ayeyicela. 8Ekhuthazwe ngunina, wathi: “Ngiphe lapha ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi emcengezini.”
9Inkosi yadabuka, kodwa ngenxa yezifungo zayo nezivakashi zayo ezazidla nayo, yakhipha umyalo, 10yathuma ukuba uJohane anqunywe ikhanda etilongweni. 11Ikhanda lakhe laletwa emcengezini, lanikwa intombazane, yona yalisa kunina. 12Khona-ke abafundi bakaJohane bafika, bathatha isidumbu, basingcwaba; bahamba bayotshela uJesu.
UJesu Usuthisa Abayizinkulungwane Ezinhlanu
13Ekuzwa lokhu, uJesu wasuka ngomkhumbi waya endaweni eyihlane eyedwa. Kodwa izixuku zezwa zamlandela ngezinyawo zivela emadolobheni. 14Lapho ephumela ogwini, wabona isixuku esikhulu, waba nesihawu ngaso, waphulukisa abagulayo baso. 15Kwathi sekuhlwile, abafundi beza kuye bathi: “Le ndawo iyihlane, nesikhathi sesihambile. Mukisa izixuku ukuze ziye emizini zizithengele ukudla.”
16Kodwa uJesu wathi kubo: “Akudingeki ukuba zimuke. Nina baphe ukudla.”
17Bathi kuye: “Asinalutho lapha ngaphandle kwezinkwa ezinhlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili.”
18Wathi: “Ziletheni lapha kimi.”
19Wayala izixuku ukuba zihlale phansi otshanini. Wathatha izinkwa ezinhlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili, waphakamisela amehlo ezulwini, wabonga, wazihlephula izinkwa, wazinika abafundi, bona bazinika izixuku. 20Badla bonke basutha, baqoqa amaqoma ayishumi nambili egcwele imvuthuluka eyaseleyo. 21Ababedlile babengamadoda angaba yizinkulungwane ezinhlanu, ngaphandle kwabesifazane nezingane.
UJesu Uhamba Phezu Kwamanzi
22Masinyane wenza abafundi bakhwela emkhunjini bamandulela ukuya ngaphesheya, yena esamukisa izixuku. 23Esezimukisile izixuku, wenyukela entabeni eyedwa ukuba akhuleke. Kwathi sekuhlwile, wayelapho eyedwa. 24Umkhumbi wawusukude nomhlabathi, ushaywa ngamagagasi, ngokuba umoya wawuphambene nabo. 25Cishe ngehora lesithathu ekuseni weza kubo, ehamba phezu kolwandle. a a v25 Umlindo wesine wobusuku wawucishe usukela ngehora lesithathu kuze kube yisithupha ekuseni—isikhathi esimnyama nesibanda kakhulu ngaphambi kokusa. 26Bembona ehamba phezu kolwandle, abafundi besaba kakhulu, bathi: “Isipoki!” bamemeza ngokwesaba.
27Kodwa uJesu wakhuluma nabo ngaso leso sikhathi: “Yimani isibindi! Yimi; ningesabi.”
28UPhethro wamphendula: “Nkosi, uma kunguwe, ngiyale ukuba ngize kuwe phezu kwamanzi.”
29Wathi: “Woza.” UPhethro wehla emkhunjini, wahamba phezu kwamanzi, waya kuJesu.
30Kodwa ebona umoya onamandla, wesaba, kwathi eseqala ukucwila, wamemeza: “Nkosi, ngisindise!”
31Masinyane uJesu welula isandla sakhe, wambamba, wathi: “Wena onokholo oluncane, ungabazeleni na?”
32Kwathi sebengene emkhunjini, umoya wathula. 33Khona-ke ababesemkhunjini bamkhulekela, bathi: “Ngempela wena uyiNdodana kaBaba wethu.”
34Sebewelile, bafika emhlabathini eGenesaretha. 35Kwathi amadoda aleyo ndawo embona, athumela izwi kulo lonke lelo zwe, amletha bonke abagulayo. 36Amncenga ukuba abavumele bathinte nje umphetho wengubo yakhe, futhi bonke abawuthinta baphulukiswa.
