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.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
