Emva kwezinsuku ezimbili kwaba khona iPhasika nomkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo; abapristi abakhulu nababhali bafuna isu lokumbamba ngobuqili, bambulale. Ngakho bathi: “Makungabi ngomkhosi, kungaze kube khona isiyaluyalu esizweni.”
Kwathi eseBethaniya endlini kaSimoni owayenochoko, ehlezi ekudleni, kwafika owesifazane ephethe umfuma we-alabaste* wamafutha enadi* lodwa elibiza kakhulu; wachoboza umfuma wathela amafutha ekhanda lakhe.
Kepha kwakukhona abanye abakhuluma bodwa ngokuthukuthela, bethi: “Kwenzelweni lokho kuchithwa kwamafutha na? Ngokuba lawa mafutha nga ethengisiwe ngawodenariyu* abangaphezu kwamakhulu amathathu, kwaphiwa abampofu.” Bamthukuthelela kakhulu.
Kepha uJesu wathi: “Myekeni; nimhluphelani na? Usebenzile umsebenzi omuhle kimi. Ngokuba abampofu ninabo njalo; nanini, uma nithanda, ningabenzela okuhle: kepha mina aninami njalo. Wenzile abengakwenza; wandulele ukuwugcobela umzimba wami ukumbelwa. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Nomaphi lapho liyakushunyayelwa khona ivangeli ezweni lonke, kuyakukhulunywa nangalokho akwenzileyo, kube yisikhumbuzo ngaye.”
UJuda Iskariyothe, omunye wabayishumi nambili, wayeseya kubapristi abakhulu ukuba amkhaphele kubo. Sebezwile bathokoza, bathembisa ukumnika imali. Wayesefuna ithuba lokumkhaphela.
Ngosuku lokuqala lwesinkwa esingenamvubelo okwakuhlatshwa ngalo iphasika abafundi bakhe bathi kuye: “Uthanda ukuba siye silungiselephi ukuba udle iphasika na?”
Wayesethuma ababili kubafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: “Hambani niye emzini; khona nizakuhlangana nomuntu othwele imbiza yamanzi; mlandeleni. Lapho engena khona, anothi kumninindlu: ‘Uthi uMfundisi: Iphi indlu yami, lapho ngingadlela khona iphasika nabafundi bami, na?’ Yena uzakunikhombisa ikamelo elikhulu eliphezulu, elendlelweyo, lilungisiwe; silungiseleni khona.”
Bahamba abafundi bafika emzini, bafumana kunjengokusho kwakhe kubo; base belungisa iphasika.
Kusihlwa wafika nabayishumi nambili. Sebehlezi ekudleni, uJesu wathi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Omunye kini, odla nami, uzakungikhaphela.”
Baqala ukudabuka, bathi kuye ngamunye: “Kungaba yimi na?”
Wathi kubo: “Ngomunye wabayishumi nambili, okha kanye nami esitsheni. INdodana yomuntu iyamuka kambe njengokulotshiwe ngayo, kepha maye kulowo muntu iNdodana yomuntu ekhashelwa ngaye! Nga kukuhle kulowo muntu ukuba kazalwanga.”
Kwathi besadla, uJesu wathabatha isinkwa, wasibusisa, wasihlephula, wabanika, wathi: “Thabathani nidle; lokhu kungumzimba wami.”
Wayesethabatha isitsha, wabonga, wabanika; baphuza kuso bonke.
Wathi kubo: “Lokhu kuyigazi lami lesivumelwano elithululwa ngenxa yabaningi. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Angisayikuphuza okwesithelo somvini, kuze kufike lolo suku engiyakusiphuza ngalo sisisha embusweni kaNkulunkulu.”
Kwathi sebehlabelele igama lokubonga, baphuma baya eNtabeni Yeminqumo.
UJesu wathi kubo: “Nonke nizakukhubeka, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Ngiyakushaya umalusi, izimvu zihlakazeke.’ Kepha emva kokuvuswa kwami ngiyakunandulela ukuya eGalile.”
UPetru wathi kuye: “Noma beyakukhubeka bonke, hhayi mina.”
UJesu wathi kuye: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: Namhlanje ngalobu busuku, lingakakhali kabili iqhude, uzakungiphika kathathu.”
Kepha waqinisa ngamandla, wathi: “Noma ngingaze ngife nawe, angisoze ngakuphika.” Basho njalo bonke.
Bafika endaweni ethiwa iGetsemane; wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Hlalani lapha, ngisaya kukhuleka.” Wathatha oPetru noJakobe noJohane, waqala ukuba novalo nosizi. Wathi kubo: “Umphefumulo wami ulusizi kakhulu kuze kube sekufeni; hlalani lapha, nilinde.”
Waqhubeka ingcosana, wawa phansi, wakhuleka ukuba, uma kungenzeka, kudlule kuye lo mzuzu. Wathi: “Aba, Baba, konke kungenzeka kuwe; ake ususe kimi lesi sitsha, kepha kungabi njengokuba ngithanda mina, kodwa njengokuba uthanda wena.”
Wayeseza, wabafumana belele; wathi kuPetru: “Simoni, ulele na? Ubungelinde ihora libe linye na? Lindani, nikhuleke ukuba ningangeni ekulingweni; umoya uyavuma, kepha inyama ibuthakathaka.”
Wabuye wasuka waya kukhuleka, esho lona lelo zwi. Esebuya futhi wabafumana belele, ngokuba amehlo abo ayenzima; babengazi ukuthi bazakumphendula ngokuthini.
Weza ngokwesithathu, wathi kubo: “Nisalele namanje niphumula. Kwanele, ihora lifikile; bhekani, iNdodana yomuntu isiyakhashelwa ezandleni zezoni. Sukumani sihambe. Bhekani, ongikhaphelayo usesondele.”
Khona masinyane esakhuluma, kwafika uJuda, omunye wabayishumi nambili, enesixuku esinezinkemba nezinduku, sivela kubapristi abakhulu nababhali namalunga. Kepha omkhaphelayo wayebanike isiboniso sokuthi: “Lowo engiyakumanga, nguye; mbambeni, nihambe naye, nimqinise.”
Esefikile wasondela kuye masinyane, wathi: “Rabi!” Wamanga. Base bembeka izandla, bambamba. Omunye kwababemi khona wahosha inkemba, wayigenca inceku yompristi omkhulu, wayinquma indlebe.
UJesu wathatha wathi kubo: “Niphumile kungathi nize kumphangi, niphethe izinkemba nezinduku ukungibamba. Benginani imihla ngemihla ethempelini ngifundisa, anangibamba; kepha nga kugcwaliseka imibhalo.” Bamshiya bonke, babaleka.
Insizwa ethile yamlandela yembethe indwangu nje emzimbeni; bayibamba. Yayisiyishiya indwangu, yabaleka ze.