Ngaleso sikhathi uHerode inkosi welula isandla sakhe ukuba ahluphe abathile bebandla. Wabulala ngenkemba uJakobe umfowabo kaJohane. Esebonile ukuthi lokhu kuyabathokozisa abaJuda, waqhubeka wabamba noPhethro. Kwakuyizinsuku zezinkwa ezingenamvubelo. Esembambile, wamfaka etilongweni, wamnikela emaviyweni amane, yilelo nalelo linamabutho amane, ukuba amlinde, ehlose ukuba emuva kwePhasika, amkhuphulele kubantu.
Ngakho-ke uPhethro wagqunywa ejele. Ibandla lamkhulekela ngesineke kuNkulunkulu.
Kwathi ngosuku uHerode ayehlose ukumkhuphula ngalo amyise kubantu, ngalobo busuku uPhethro walala phakathi kwamabutho amabili, eboshwe ngamaketanga amabili, kukhona nabalindi phambi komnyango ababeqaphe ijele. Nakho-ke sekufika ingelosi yeNkosi, kwakhanya bha ejele. Ingelosi yamthinta ohlangothini uPhethro, yamvusa ithi: “Sukuma ngokushesha.”
Ayesewa amaketanga ezandleni zakhe.
Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Gqoka, ufake nezicathulo zakho.”
Wenza kanjalo; yayisithi kuye: “Yembatha ingubo yakho, ungilandele.”
Waphuma, wayilandela; wayengazi ukuthi lokhu okwenzekayo ngengelosi kuyiqiniso, kodwa wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono nje. Sebedlulile kubalindi bokuqala nakwabesibili, bafika esangweni lensimbi eliya emzini, elazivulekela ngokwalo, baphuma, badlula umgwaqo owodwa, ingelosi yayisimshiya ngokushesha. Isisangulukile ingqondo kaPhethro, wathi: “Manje sengiyazi ngokweqiniso ukuthi iNkosi ithumele ingelosi yayo, ingikhululile esandleni sikaHerode nakukho konke okubhekwe yisizwe sabaJuda.”
Sekumkhanyele lokho, wafika endlini kaMariya, unina kaJohane okuthiwa uMakhu, lapho kwakubuthene khona abaningi bekhuleka. Kwathi esengqongqozile esivalweni sesango, kweza intombazana ukuba ilalele; igama layo kunguRoda. Kuthe ukuba ilizwe izwi likaPhethro ayavula esangweni ngenxa yokuthokoza, kodwa yagijima yayobika ukuthi uPhethro umi ngasesangweni.
Kepha bathi kuyo: “Uyahlanya.”
Kepha yagcizelela ithi: “Ngempela kunjalo.” Bona bathi: “Yingelosi yakhe.”
Kepha uPhethro waqhubeka engqongqoza. Kuthe sebevulile babona ukuthi nguye impela, bamangala. Esebathulisile ngesandla, wabalandisa ukuthi iNkosi imkhiphe kanjani ejele, wathi: “Bikelani uJakobe nabazalwane ngalokho.”
Waphuma, waya kwenye indawo. Ngakusasa, kwasuka isidumo esinamathambo phakathi kwabalindi, bengazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kuPhethro. UHerode esemfune waze wancama engamtholi, wabuzisisa kubalindi, wayeseyala ukuba babulawe. Yena wehla eJudiya, waya eKhesariya, wahlala khona.
UHerode wayebathukuthelele abantu baseThire nabaseSidoni, kodwa beza kuye benhliziyonye. Kuthe sebevumelene noBlastu, induna yesigodlo senkosi, bacela ukuba babe nokuthula, ngokuba izwe lakubo lalondliwa ngelenkosi.
Kwathi ngosuku olumisiweyo, uHerode wagqoka ingubo yakhe yobukhosi, wahlala esihlalweni sokwehlulela, wayesekhuluma kubantu. Abantu bamemeza bathi: “Yizwi likaNkulunkulu, akusilo elomuntu.”
Kepha ingelosi yeNkosi yamshaya khona lapho, ngokuba engamnikanga uNkulunkulu udumo; wadliwa yizimpethu, wafa.
Izwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka, lasabalala.
UBharnabha noSawula babuyela eJerusalema, ngokuba base bekuqedile ukukhonza kwabo, behamba noJohane okuthiwa nguMakhu.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
