ULUKA 7:1-30

Akuba uYesu egqibile ukuwathetha la mazwi ephulaphulwe ngabantu, waya kungena eKapernahum. Ke apho kwakukho mphathi-butho uthile wamajoni osicaka sakhe asithandayo sasigulela ukufa. Uthe ke akuva ngoYesu, wathumela kuye amadoda amakhulu amaJuda, ecela ukuba eze kusiphilisa isicaka sakhe. Akufika kuYesu, ambongoza enyamekile, esithi: “Mncede lo mntu, kuba uyaluthanda uhlanga lwethu; wada wasakhela *nendlu yesikhungo.” UYesu wahamba nabo. Kwathi ke xa akufuphi nomzi lowo, umphathi-butho wathumela kuye ngezihlobo, esithi: “Nkosi ungàzikhathazi, kuba andifanelekanga ukuba ungade ungene endlwini yam. Mna ngokwam andifanelanga ukuba ndize kuwe. Thetha nje ilizwi: sophila isicaka sam. Nam ndingumntu obekwe phantsi kwegunya, kwaye ndinamajoni aphantsi kwam: kweli ndithi: ‘Yiya,’ liye; kweliya: ‘Yiza,’ lize; kwisicaka sam: ‘Yenza oku,’ sikwenze.” Ezivile uYesu ezi zinto, wamangaliswa, wajika wathi kwindimbane eyayimlandela: “Ndithi kuni, nkqu nakwaSirayeli andifumananga lukholo lungaka.” Kwathi ke bakubuyela endlwini abo babethunyiwe, basifumana isicaka siphilile. Emva koko uYesu waya edolophini ekuthiwa yiNayin, ekunye neqela labafundi bakhe, nendimbane enkulu. Ke kaloku, akusondela esangweni ledolophu leyo, nako kuthwalelwa phandle umntu ofileyo. Umfi lowo wayekuphela konyana womhlolokazi. Loo mhlolokazi wayephelekwe yindimbane enkulu yasedolophini apho. Ithe ke iNkosi, yakumbona, yavelana naye, yathi kuye: “Sukulila.” Yasondela iNkosi, yawachukumisa amanqwanqwa ababemthwele ngawo umfi, baza bema ababemthwele. Yathi: “Mfanandini, vuka!” Wavuka wathi qwa umfi lowo, waza wathetha. INkosi ke yamnikela kunina. Bonke ke bangenwa luloyiko, bamdumisa uThixo, besithi: “Kuvele *umshumayeli omkhulu phakathi kwethu;” batsho besithi: “UThixo ubavelele abantu bakhe.” Ke ezi ndaba zingaye uYesu zavakala kulo lonke elakwaJuda, nakuwo wonke loo mmandla. Abafundi bakaYohane bambalisela zonke ezi zinto. UYohane ke, ebize babini kubafundi bakhe, wabathuma ukuba babuze kwiNkosi bathi: “Ungulowo uzayo na wena, okanye masilinde omnye?” Efikile ke kuYesu, amadoda lawo athi: “UYohane umbhaptizi usithume kuwe esithi: ‘Ungulowo uzayo na wena, okanye masilinde omnye?’ ” Ke kaloku, kwangelo xesha, uYesu wayephilisa abaninzi kwizifo zabo, nakwizibetho zabo, nakwiindimoni, waza neemfama ezininzi wazinika ukubona. Waphendula ke uYesu wathi kuwo: “Hambani niye kumbalisela uYohane izinto enizibonileyo nenizivileyo; okokuba iimfama zibuya zibone, iziqhwala ziyahamba, abaneqhenqa bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyeva, abafileyo bayavuswa, abasweleyo bayazishunyayezwa iindaba ezimnandi. Unoyolo ke othe akakhutyekiswa ndim!” Bakuba bemkile abathunywa bakaYohane, uYesu wathetha ngoYohane kwisihlwele, esithi: “Naphuma nisiya kubona ntoni na entlango? Yayiyingcongolo na, izanya-zanyiswa ngumoya? Naphuma nisiya kubona ntoni na kakade? Yayingumntu ohombileyo na? Niyabona, abo banxiba izivatho eziqaqambileyo, badle amanqatha elizwe, ngabasezindlwini zookumkani. Ngaba naphuma nisiya kubona ntoni na kakade? Yayingumshumayeli na? Ewe, ndithi kuni, nibone oyena *ungumshumayeli ngokupheleleyo. UYohane ngulowo uThixo atshoyo ngaye eziBhalweni ukuthi: “ ‘Naso isigidimi sam esiya kukwandulela, sikugabulele izigcawu.’ “Ndithi kuni, kubo bonke abazelwe kweli hlabathi akukho bani mkhulu kunoYohane; kanti noyena mncinane ùphantsi kolawulo olutsha lukaThixo mkhulu kunaye.” Bakukuva oku, bonke abantu, kwanabaqokeleli-rhafu, bakungqina ukulunga kukaThixo, ekubeni babebhaptiziwe ngobhaptizo lukaYohane. Ke bona *abaFarasi nabachazi-mthetho balidela icebo likaThixo lokubasindisa, kuba babengavumanga ukubhaptizwa nguYohane.