Zvino akati apedzisa mashoko ake ose, vanhu vachianzwa, akapinda Kapenaume. Muranda womumwe mukuru wezana aidikanwa naye, akanga achirwara, achitandadza. Zvino akati anzwa zvaJesu, akatuma vakuru vavaJudha kwaari achikumbira kuti auye kuzoporesa muranda wake. Ivo vakati vachisvika kuna Jesu, vakakumbira zvikuru kwaari, vachiti, “Iye akafanira kuti mumuitire izvozvo; nokuti anoda rudzi rwedu, ndiye akativakira sinagoge redu.”
Jesu akaenda navo. Zvino ava pedyo neimba, mukuru wezana akatuma shamwari dzake, kuzoti kwaari, “Ishe, musazvitambudza; nokuti handina kufanirwa kuti mupinde mumba mangu; naizvozvo ndakati handifaniri kuuya kwamuri; asi taurai henyu shoko, muranda wangu achapora. Nokuti neniwo ndiri munhu akaiswa pasi pavamwe, ndinavarwi pasi pangu; kana ndikati kune mumwe, ‘Enda!’ Anoenda; kune mumwe, ‘Uya!’ Anouya; nokumuranda wangu, ‘Ita ichi,’ anoita.”
Jesu akati achinzwa izvozvo, akashamiswa naye, akatendeuka, akati kuvazhinji vakanga vachimutevera, “Ndinoti kwamuri, handina kumboona kutenda kwakadai, kunyange napakati pavaIsiraeri.”
Vakanga vatumwa vachidzokera kumba, vakandowana muranda apora.
Zvino nezuva rinotevera, akaenda kuguta rainzi Naini; vadzidzi vake navanhu vazhinji-zhinji vakaenda naye.
Zvino, akati achiswedera pedyo nesuo reguta, akaona vanhu vakanga vakatakura munhu akafa, mwanakomana mumwe oga wamai vake, yaiva chirikadzi; navanhu vazhinji veguta vakanga vanaye. Zvino Ishe akati achimuona, akamunzwira tsitsi, akati kwaari, “Usachema.” Ipapo akaswedera, akabata hwanyanza; vakanga vachitakura vakamira. Akati, “Jaya, ndinoti kwauri, muka.” Iye akanga afa akagara, akatanga kutaura; akamupa mai vake.
Vose vakabatwa nokutya; vakarumbidza Mwari, vachiti, “Muporofita mukuru akamuka pakati pedu; uyezve Mwari akashanyira vanhu vake.”
Shoko iri pamusoro pake rikazwika muJudhea rose nenyika yose yakapoteredza.
Vadzidzi vaJohani vakamuudza izvozvo zvose. Johani akadana vadzidzi vake vaviri, akavatuma kuna Ishe neshoko rokuti, “Ko ndimi iye akanga achinzi anouya here, kana tichakatarira mumwe?”
Zvino varume vachisvika kwaari, vakati, “Johani Mubhabhatidzi akatitumira kwamuri neshoko rokuti, ko ndimi iye akanga achinzi anouya here, kana tichakatarira mumwe?”
Nenguva iyo akaporesa vazhinji hosha dzavo, nohurwere, nemweya yakaipa; namapofu mazhinji akavasvinudza meso avo.
Akapindura, akati kwavari, “Endai, mundoudza Johani zvamakaona nezvamakanzwa; zvokuti, mapofu anoona, vanokamhina vanofamba, vanamaperembudzi vanonatswa, vamatsi vanonzwa, vakafa vanomutswa, navarombo vanoparidzirwa Vhangeri. Akaropafadzwa asingagumburwi neni.”
Nhume dzaJohani dzakati dzabva, akatanga kuudza vanhu vazhinji pamusoro paJohani, achiti, “Makanga mabuda kundooneiko kurenje? Rutsanga runozununguswa nemhepo here? Asi makanga mabuda kundooneiko? Munhu akapfeka nguo nyoro here? Tarirai, vane nguo dzinobwinya, navanogara zvinonaka, vari mudzimba dzamadzimambo. Asi makanga mabuda kundooneiko? Muporofita here? Hongu, ndinoti kwamuri, ‘Anopfuura zvikuru muporofita.’ Uyu ndiye akanyorwa pamusoro pake, zvichinzi,
‘Tarira, ndinotuma munyai wangu
pamberi pako,
Achakugadzirira nzira yako pamberi pako.’ ”
Ndinoti kwamuri, “Kuna vakaberekwa navakadzi, hakuna mukuru kuna Johani Mubhabhatidzi; asi muduku muushe hwaMwari mukuru kwaari.”
Zvino vanhu vose navateresi vakati vachizvinzwa vakati Mwari akarurama, zvavakanga vabhabhatidzwa norubhabhatidzo rwaJohani. Asi vaFarisi navadudziri vomurayiro vakaramba kufunga kwaMwari pamusoro pavo, vakasabhabhatidzwa naye.
“Naizvozvo vanhu vorudzi urwu ndichavafananidza neiko? Vakafanana nei? Vakafanana navana vagere padare, vanodanidzira, vachiti, ‘Takakuridzirai nyere, mukasatamba; takakuririrai, mukasachema.’ Nokuti Johani Mubhabhatidzi akauya, asingadyi chingwa, asinganwi waini, zvino moti, ‘Ane mweya wakaipa.’ Mwanakomana womunhu akauya achidya, achinwa, zvino moti, ‘Tarirai, munhu anokara, nomunwi, neshamwari yavateresi navatadzi.’ Asi uchenjeri hunoruramiswa navana vahwo vose.”
Zvino mumwe wavaFarisi akamukumbira kuti adye naye. Akapinda mumba momuFarisi uyu, akagara pakudya. Zvino tarira, muguta iro makanga muno mukadzi aiva mutadzi; iye akati anzwa kuti agere pakudya mumba momuFarisi, akauya nechinu chearibhasitera chaiva namafuta okuzora, akamira patsoka dzake mumashure make, achingochema, akatanga kunyorovesa tsoka dzake nemisodzi, akadzipukuta nevhudzi romusoro wake, ndokutsvoda tsoka dzake ndokudzizodza namafuta. Zvino muFarisi akanga amudana, akati achizviona, akareva mumwoyo make, achiti, “Munhu uyu, dai aiva muporofita, angadai aiziva mukadzi uyu anomubata kuti ndiani, uye kuti akadini, nokuti mutadzi.”
Ipapo Jesu akapindura, akati kwaari, “Simoni ndine shoko newe.” Akati, “Taurai henyu, mudzidzisi”
Jesu akati, “Vanhu vaviri vakanga vane chikwerete kumunhu mumwe; mumwe akanga ane chikwerete chamadhenari ana mazana mashanu, mumwe chamakumi mashanu. Vakati vashayiwa chokuripa nacho, akangovakanganwira vose vari vaviri. Zvino ndoupiko kwavari achanyanya kumuda?”
Simoni akapindura, akati, “Handiti ndiye wakakanganwirwa zvizhinji here?” Akati kwaari, “Wareva kwazvo.” Zvino akatendeukira kumukadzi, akati kuna Simoni, “Unoona mukadzi uyu here? Ndakapinda mumba mako, ukasandipa mvura yetsoka dzangu; asi uyu akanyorovesa tsoka dzangu nemisodzi yake, akadzipukuta nevhudzi rake. Hauna kunditsvoda, asi uyu chinguri chandapinda, haana kurega kutsvoda tsoka dzangu.
“Hauna kundizodza musoro wangu namafuta, asi uyu akazodza tsoka dzangu namafuta okuzora. Naizvozvo ndinoti kwauri, ‘Zvivi zvake, zviya zvizhinji, wazvikanganwirwa, nokuti akada zvikuru; asi anokanganwirwa zvishoma, anoda zvishoma.’ ”
Zvino akati kwaari, “Wakanganwirwa zvivi zvako.” Vakanga vagere naye pakudya vakatanga kureva mumwoyo yavo, vachiti, “Uyu ndianiko anokanganwira zviviwo?”
Akati kumukadzi, “Kutenda kwako kwakuraramisa; enda hako norugare.”