NgokukaJohane 19:4-18, 20-37

UPilatu wabuye waphuma, wathi kubo: “Bhekani, ngimkhiphela kini, ukuze nazi ukuba angifumani cala kuye.” Wayesephuma uJesu ethwele umqhele wameva nengubo ebubende. Wathi kubo uPilatu: “Bhekani lo muntu!” Bathi bembona abapristi abakhulu nezikhonzi, bamemeza bathi: “Mbethele, mbethele esiphambanweni!” UPilatu wathi kubo: “Mthatheni nina, nimbethele esiphambanweni, ngokuba angifumani cala kuye.” Kepha abaJuda bamphendula bathi: “Sinomthetho thina; ngalo mthetho ufanele ukufa, ngokuba ezenzile iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” Kuthe uPilatu ezwa lelo zwi, kwayikhona esaba kakhulu, wabuye wangena enqabeni, wathi kuJesu: “Ungowaphi wena na?” Kepha uJesu kamphendulanga. Khona wathi uPilatu kuye: “Awukhulumi kimi na? Awazi ukuthi nginamandla okukukhulula, nginamandla futhi okukubethela esiphambanweni na?” UJesu waphendula wathi: “Ngabe awunamandla neze phezu kwami, ukuba awuwanikwanga ngaphezulu. Ngalokho-ke onginikele kuwe unesono esikhulu.” Ngalokho uPilatu wayefuna ukumkhulula. Kepha abaJuda bamemeza bathi: “Uma ukhulula lona, awusiye umhlobo kaKesari; osuka ezenza inkosi, umelene noKesari.” Kuthe uPilatu esezwa lawo mazwi wamkhiphela ngaphandle uJesu; wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela endaweni ethiwa eGandaywe ngamatshe kodwa ngesiHeberu iGabatha. Kwakungolokulungisela iPhasika kungathi ihora lesithupha. Wathi kubaJuda: “Bhekani inkosi yenu.” Ngakho bamemeza bathi: “Susa, susa, mbethele esiphambanweni!” Wathi kubo uPilatu: “Ngibethele inkosi yenu na?” Abapristi abakhulu baphendula bathi: “Asinankosi, uKesari kuphela.” Wayesemnikela kubo ukuba abethelwe esiphambanweni. Bamthatha-ke uJesu, bahamba naye. Waphuma ezithwalele isiphambano, waya endaweni ethiwa iNdawo Yekhanda, ethiwa ngesiHeberu iGolgotha. Bambethela khona nabanye ababili kanye naye ngalapha nangalapha, uJesu ephakathi.

Khona abaningi babaJuda bafunda leso saziso; ngokuba indawo leyo, lapho uJesu wabethelwa khona esiphambanweni, yayiseduze nomuzi. Kwakulotshiwe ngesiHeberu, nangesiRoma, nangesiGreki. Base bethi abapristi abakhulu babaJuda kuPilatu: “Ungalobi ukuthi: ‘Inkosi yabaJuda,’ kepha ukuba yena wathi: ‘NgiyiNkosi yabaJuda.’ ” UPilatu waphendula wathi: “Engikulobile ngikulobile.” Kuthe amabutho esembethele uJesu esiphambanweni, athatha izingubo zakhe, azenza izabelo ezine, kwaba yilelo nalelo butho laba nesabelo, neyembe futhi. Kepha iyembe lalingenamthungo, lalukiwe lonke kusukela phezulu. Ngakho-ke akhuluma odwa, athi: “Asingalidabuli, kodwa asilenzele inkatho yokuthi liyakuba ngelikabani,” ukuze kugcwaliseke umbhalo othi: “Babelana izingubo zami, benzelana inkatho ngesambatho sami.” Lokho-ke akwenza amabutho. Kepha kwakumi ngasesiphambanweni sikaJesu unina kanye nodadewabo kanina, uMariya umkaKleyophase, noMariya Magdalena. Kuthe uJesu ebona unina nomfundi amthandayo bemi ngakhona, wathi kunina: “Mame, bheka indodana yakho.” Wayesethi kumfundi: “Bheka unyoko.” Kusukela kuleso sikhathi umfundi lowo wamyisa kwakhe. Emva kwalokho uJesu, ekwazi ukuthi konke sekuphelelisiwe ukuba umbhalo ugcwaliseke, wathi: “Ngomile.” Kwakubekiwe khona isitsha sigcwele uviniga; khona bachoma ilula ligcwele uviniga othini lwehisopi,* baliyisa emlonyeni wakhe. Kwathi ukuba uJesu ewamukele uviniga, wathi: “Kufeziwe;” wagebisa ikhanda, wafa. Khona abaJuda, ngokuba kwakungolokulungisela, ukuze izidumbu zingahlali esiphambanweni ngesabatha, ngokuba lolo suku lwesabatha lwalulukhulu, banxusa uPilatu ukuba yaphulwe imilenze yabo, basuswe. Ayeseza-ke amabutho, ayaphula imilenze yowokuqala neyomunye owayebethelwe naye. Esefika kuJesu, ebona ukuthi usefile, kawayaphulanga imilenze yakhe; kodwa elinye lamabutho lamgwaza ohlangothini ngomkhonto, kwaphuma masinyane igazi namanzi. Obonileyo ufakazile, ubufakazi bakhe buqinisile; yena-ke uyazi ukuthi ukhuluma iqiniso, ukuze nikholwe nani. Ngokuba lokho kwenzeka ukuba kugcwaliseke umbhalo othi: “Akuyikwaphulwa thambo lakhe.” Futhi omunye umbhalo uthi: “Bayakumbheka abamgwazileyo.”