Kwathi sekusile, bonke abapristi abakhulu namalunga esizwe benza icebo ngoJesu lokuba bambulale; bambopha, bamuka naye, bamnikela kuPilatu umbusi.
Khona uJuda owamkhaphelayo, ebona ukuthi ulahliwe, wazisola, wabuyisela izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingamashumi amathathu kubapristi namalunga, wathi: “Ngonile ukuba ngikhaphele igazi elingenacala.”
Bona bathi: “Kuyini lokho kithi na? Zibonele wena.”
Wayesephonsa izinhlamvu zesiliva ethempelini, wamuka, waziphanyeka.
Kepha abapristi abakhulu bazithatha izinhlamvu zesiliva, bathi: “Akuvunyelwe ukuzifaka emnikelweni, ngokuba kuyimali yegazi.” Benza icebo, bathenga ngayo insimu yombumbi, ibe ngeyokumbela abafokazi. Ngalokho insimu leyo ithiwa insimu yegazi kuze kube namuhla. Khona kwagcwaliseka okwashiwo ngomprofethi uJeremiya ukuthi: “Bathatha izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingamashumi amathathu, inani lowamiselwa inani onani lakhe lamiswa ngamadodana ka-Israyeli; bakhokha ngazo insimu yombumbi, njengokuba iNkosi ingiyalile.”
Kepha uJesu wayemi phambi kombusi; umbusi wambuza wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na?”
UJesu wathi kuye: “Usho khona.”
Kwathi lapho abapristi abakhulu namalunga bemthwesa icala, kaphendulanga lutho. Khona uPilatu wathi kuye: “Awuzwa yini lokho okungaka abakufakaza ngawe na?” Akaze amphendula nakwelilodwa izwi, umbusi waze wamangala kakhulu.
Kepha ngomkhosi umbusi wayejwayele ukukhululela isixuku isiboshwa sibe sinye esasisithanda. Ngaleso sikhathi babe nesiboshwa esidumileyo esithiwa uBaraba. Ngakho sebebuthene, uPilatu wathi kubo: “Nithanda ukuba nginikhululele bani, uBaraba nokuba uJesu othiwa uKristu, na?” Ngokuba wayekwazi ukuthi bamnikele ngomhawu.
Esahlezi esihlalweni sokwahlulela, umkakhe wathumela kuye, wathi: “Ungabi nandaba kulowo muntu olungileyo; ngokuba ngihluphekile kakhulu namuhla ngaye ephusheni.”
Kepha abapristi abakhulu namalunga bancenga izixuku ukuba zicele uBaraba, zimbulale uJesu.
Wayesephendula umbusi, wathi kubo: “Nithanda ukuba nginikhululele muphi kulaba ababili na?”
Bathi: “UBaraba.”
UPilatu wathi kubo: “Pho-ke, ngimenze njani uJesu othiwa uKristu na?”
Bonke bathi: “Makabethelwe esiphambanweni.”
Wayesethi: “Ngokuba wenze bubi buni na?”
Kepha bamemeza kakhulu, bathi: “Makabethelwe esiphambanweni.”
UPilatu esebona ukuthi akanakwenza lutho nokuthi isiphithiphithi sesanda kakhulu, wathatha amanzi, wahlamba izandla phambi kwesixuku, wathi: “Anginacala egazini lalo muntu; ziboneleni nina.”
Abantu bonke base bephendula bethi: “Igazi lakhe malibe phezu kwethu naphezu kwabantwana bethu.”
Wayesebakhululela uBaraba, kepha wamshaya uJesu, wamnikela ukuba abethelwe esiphambanweni.
Khona amabutho ombusi ayesemthatha uJesu, amngenisa enqabeni, aqoqela kuye ibutho lonke. Amhlubula, amembathisa ingubo ebomvu, aluka umqhele wameva, awufaka ekhanda lakhe, nomhlanga esandleni sakhe sokunene, aguqa ngamadolo phambi kwakhe, ambhinqa athi: “Bayede, nkosi yabaJuda!” Amkhafulela ngamathe, athatha umhlanga, amshaya ekhanda lakhe. Esembhinqile amhlubula ingubo, amembathisa izingubo zakhe, amuka naye ukuyombethela esiphambanweni.
Esaphuma afumana umuntu waseKhurene, nguSimoni igama lakhe; amcindezela lowo ukuba athwale isiphambano sakhe.
Esefikile endaweni ethiwa iGolgotha okungukuthi iNdawo Yekhanda, amphuzisa iwayini elixutshwe nenyongo; kepha kuthe elizwa, akathandanga ukuliphuza. Esembethele esiphambanweni abelana izingubo zakhe, enzelana inkatho; ahlala amlinda khona. Abeka ngaphezu kwekhanda lakhe icala lakhe libhalwe ngokuthi: LO NGUJESU, INKOSI YABAJUDA. Kwabethelwa kanye naye abaphangi ababili, omunye ngakwesokunene nomunye ngakwesokhohlo. Kepha abadlulayo bamhlambalaza benikina amakhanda abo, bathi: “Wena odiliza ithempeli, ubuye ulakhe ngezinsuku ezintathu, zisindise, uma uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wehle esiphambanweni.”
Kanjalo nabapristi abakhulu bambhinqa kanye nababhali namalunga, bathi: “Wasindisa abanye, angezisindise yena; uyinkosi yakwa-Israyeli, akehle manje esiphambanweni, sikholwe nguye. Wethembile uNkulunkulu; makamkhulule manje, uma emthanda, ngokuba wathi: ‘NgiyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.’ ” Kepha nabaphangi ababebethelwe esiphambanweni kanye naye bamdumaza kanjalo.
Kepha kusukela ngehora lesithupha kwaba mnyama emhlabeni wonke, kwaze kwaba yihora lesishiyagalolunye. Kepha ngehora lesishiyagalolunye uJesu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Eli, Eli, lama sabaktani?” okungukuthi: “Nkulunkulu wami, Nkulunkulu wami, ungishiyeleni na?”
Abanye kwababemi khona bekuzwa bathi: “Lo ubiza u-Eliya.”
Masinyane omunye kubo wagijima, wathatha ilula, waligcwalisa ngoviniga, walihloma emhlangeni, wamphusiza. Kepha abanye bathi: “Yeka, sibone uma u-Eliya eza ukumsindisa.”
UJesu wabuye wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wafa.
Bheka-ke, isihenqo sethempeli sadabuka kabili, kusukela phezulu kuze kufike phansi; umhlaba wazamazama, amadwala aqhekezeka; amathuna avuleka, imizimba eminingi yabangcwele ababelele yavuka; baphuma emathuneni emva kokuvuka kwakhe, bangena emzini ongcwele, babonakala kwabaningi.
Kepha induna yekhulu nababe nayo belinda uJesu sebebona ukuzamazama nalokho okwenzekileyo besaba kakhulu, bathi: “Nempela lo ube yiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Kwakukhona lapho abesifazane abaningi bebukela, bekude, ababemlandele uJesu bevela eGalile, bemkhonza; phakathi kwabo kwakukhona oMariya Magdalena, unina kaJakobe nokaJose, nonina wamadodana kaZebedewu.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
