Khona wamuka lapho, waya ezweni lakubo; abafundi bakhe bamlandela. Sekufikile isabatha, waqala ukufundisa esinagogeni.* Abaningi abamuzwayo bamangala bathi: “Lo ukuthathaphi lokhu na? Ukuhlakanipha kuni akunikiwe lona na? Nemisebenzi yamandla enje yenziwe ngezandla zakhe na? Lo akusiye umbazi, indodana kaMariya, nomfowabo kaJakobe, noJose, noJuda, noSimoni, na? Nawodadewabo abakho yini lapha kithi na?” Base bekhubeka ngaye.
Wayesethi kubo uJesu: “Umprofethi kadelelwa ngaphandle kwasezweni lakubo, nasezihlotsheni zakhe, nasendlini yakwabo.” Wayengenakwenza lapho nowodwa umsebenzi wamandla ngaphandle kokuthi wabeka izandla phezu kwabagulayo abayingcosana, wabaphulukisa. Wamangala ngokungakholwa kwabo.
Wahamba imizi ngemizi efundisa.
Wayesebabiza abayishumi nambili, waqala ukubathuma ngababili, wabanika amandla phezu kwawomoya abangcolileyo. Wabayala ukuba bangaphathi lutho lwendlela, kuphela udondolo lodwa, bangaphathi nasinkwa, nasikhwama, nathusi emixhakeni, kepha bafake izicathulo, bangembathi kodwa amabhantshi amabili. Wathi kubo: “Nakuphi lapho ningena khona endlini, hlalani kuyo, nize nimuke khona. Nayiphi indawo engayikunamukela, nalapho bengayikunizwa khona, anothi nimuka kuyo, nivuthulule uthuli oluphansi kwezinyawo zenu, kube ngubufakazi kubo.”
Base behamba beshumayela ukuba abantu baphenduke. Bakhipha amademoni amaningi, bagcoba abagulayo abaningi ngamafutha, babaphulukisa.
Yayisikuzwa inkosi uHerode, ngokuba lalidumile igama lakhe. Kwathiwa uJohane uMbhapathizi uvukile kwabafileyo; kungalokho lawa mandla asebenza kuye.
Kodwa abanye bathi: “Ngu-Eliya;” abanye bathi: “Ngumprofethi njengomunye wabaprofethi.”
Kepha uHerode ekuzwile wathi: “UJohane engamnquma ikhanda nguye ovukile.”
Ngokuba yena uHerode wayethumele wambamba uJohane, wambopha etilongweni ngenxa kaHerodiya umkaFiliphu umfowabo, ngokuba wayeganwe nguye. Ngokuba uJohane wayethe kuHerode: “Awuvunyelwe ukuthatha umkamfowenu.” Njalo uHerodiya wambambela amagqubu, wafuna ukumbulala; kepha kabanga namandla, ngokuba uHerode wayemesaba uJohane emazi ukuthi uyindoda elungileyo engcwele, wamlonda; nalapho emuzwa, wayesambatheka kaningi, nokho kwabamnandi kuye ukumuzwa.
Kwathi sekufikile usuku oluhle, lapho uHerode ngosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe ezenzela idili izikhulu zakhe, nezinduna zempi, nabanumzane baseGalile, kwangena indodakazi kaHerodiya uqobo, yasina, yajabulisa uHerode nababehlezi naye. Inkosi yayisithi entombazaneni: “Cela kimi noma yini okuthandayo, ngizakukunika.” Wafunga kuyo, wathi: “Noma yini ongakucela kimi ngizakukunika, nakuba kungaze kube yinxenye yombuso wami.”
Yayisiphuma, yathi kunina: “Ngizakucelani na?”
Yena wathi: “Ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”
Yakhawuleza yangena masinyane enkosini, yacela yathi: “Ngithanda ukuba ungiphe khona manje ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”
Inkosi yadabuka kakhulu, kepha ngenxa yezifungo nangenxa yababehlezi nayo ekudleni ayithandanga ukuyilandulela. Inkosi yayisithuma masinyane ibutho, waliyala ukuba lilethe ikhanda lakhe. Lahamba, lamnquma ikhanda etilongweni. Laletha ikhanda lakhe ngoqwembe, layinika intombazana, intombazana yamnika unina. Kwathi ukuba abafundi bakhe bakuzwe lokho, beza bathatha isidumbu sakhe, basibeka ethuneni.
Abaphostoli babuthana kuJesu, bambikela ababekwenzile nababekufundisile. Wayesethi kubo: “Zanini nina nodwa endaweni eyihlane, niphumule ingcosana.” Ngokuba babe baningi abezayo nabahambayo, abaze bathola nasikhathi sokudla.
Base bemuka ngomkhumbi, baya endaweni eyihlane bebodwa.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
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