Wayesebabizela ndawonye abayishumi nambili, wabanika amandla negunya phezu kwamademoni onke nokuphulukisa izifo. Wabathuma ukushumayela umbuso kaNkulunkulu nokuphulukisa. Wathi kubo: “Ningaphathi lutho lwendlela, naludondolo, nasikhwama, nasinkwa, namali, ningabi namabhantshi amabili. Nakuyiphi indlu eningena kuyo, hlalani lapho, nize nimuke khona. Bonke abanganamukeliyo, anothi nxa nimuka kulowo muzi, nithintithe uthuli ezinyaweni zenu, kube ngubufakazi ngabo.” Bamuka-ke, bahamba imizi ngemizi beshumayela ivangeli, bephulukisa ezindaweni zonke.
Kwathi uHerode umtetrarki* ekuzwa konke okwenzekayo, wasambatheka ngokusho kwabanye ukuthi uJohane uvukile kwabafileyo, ngokwabanye ukuthi u-Eliya ubonakele, ngokwabanye ukuthi kuvukile umprofethi othile kwabadala. Kepha uHerode wathi: “UJohane ngamnquma ikhanda mina; kodwa ngubani lo engizwa ngaye okunje?” Wafuna ukumbona.
Abaphostoli sebebuyile bamlandisa konke abakwenzileyo; wabathatha, wamuka nabo bebodwa ukuya emzini othiwa iBetsayida. Kepha izixuku sezazi zamlandela; wazithakazela, wakhuluma kuzo ngombuso kaNkulunkulu, wabaphulukisa abaswela ukuphulukiswa.
Seliqala ukushona, beza kuye abayishumi nambili, bathi: “Bamukise abantu ukuba baye emizaneni nasezweni elizungezileyo, bangenise, bathole ukudla, ngokuba lapha sisendaweni eyihlane.”
Kepha wathi kubo: “Bapheni nina ukudla.”
Bathi-ke: “Esinakho yizinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili kuphela ngaphandle kokuba siyobathengela bonke laba bantu ukudla.” Ngokuba kwakukhona amadoda okungathi izinkulungwane eziyisihlanu.
Wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Bahlaliseni ngezigaba ngamashumi ayisihlanu.” Benze njalo, babahlalisa bonke. Wazithabatha izinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili, wabheka ngasezulwini, wazibusisa, wazihlephula, wanika abafundi ukuba babele isixuku. Badla, basutha bonke, kwabuthwa imvuthuluka eyasala kubo, iziqabetho eziyishumi nambili.
Kwathi ekhuleka ngasesitha, abafundi babe naye; wababuza ethi: “Abantu bathi ngingubani na?”
Baphendula bathi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi; kepha abanye bathi: Ngu-Eliya; abanye kodwa bathi: Kuvukile umprofethi othile wabadala.”
Wayesethi kubo: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na?”
UPetru waphendula wathi: “UnguKristu kaNkulunkulu.”
Wabayala, wagcizelela ukuba bangatsheli muntu lokho, wathi: “INdodana yomuntu imelwe ukuhlupheka ngokuningi, ilahlwe ngamalunga nabapristi abakhulu nababhali, ibulawe, ivuswe ngosuku lwesithathu.”
Wayesethi kubo bonke: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe imihla ngemihla, angilandele. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami uyakukusindisa. Ngokuba kuyakumsizani umuntu, uma ezuzile izwe lonke, yena uqobo alahleke nokuba alimale, na? Ngokuba yilowo nalowo onezinhloni ngami nangamazwi ami ngaye lo iNdodana yomuntu iyakuba nezinhloni, lapho iza ngenkazimulo yayo nekaYise neyezingelosi ezingcwele. Kepha nginitshela ngesiminya ukuthi bakhona abanye kwabemi lapha abangayikuzwa ngempela ukufa, baze babone umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”
Kwathi emva kwalawo mazwi kungathi izinsuku zaba yisishiyagalombili wathatha oPetru, noJohane, noJakobe, wenyukela entabeni ukuyokhuleka. Kwathi ekukhulekeni kwakhe isimo sobuso bakhe saba ngesinye, nezingubo zakhe zaba mhlophe, zacwebezela. Bheka, kwakhuluma naye amadoda amabili ayengoMose no-Eliya; abonakala ngenkazimulo, akhuluma ngokumuka kwakhe abemelwe ukukufeza eJerusalema. UPetru nababe naye babekhwelwe ngubuthongo; kepha sebephapheme babona inkazimulo yakhe namadoda amabili emi naye. Kwathi ekwahlukaneni kwawo naye uPetru wathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, kuhle ukuba silapha; masakhe amadokodo amathathu, elinye libe ngelakho, elinye libe ngelikaMose, elinye libe ngelika-Eliya;” wayengazi ukuthi uthini.
Esakhuluma lokhu, kwafika ifu, labasithibeza; besaba ekungeneni kwabo efwini. Kwavela izwi efwini, lathi: “Lo uyiNdodana yami ekhethiweyo; yizweni.” Kwathi livela izwi, uJesu wafunyanwa eyedwa. Bathula bona, ngaleyo mihla kabatshelanga muntu neyodwa yalezo zinto abazibonileyo.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
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