UPilatu wayesemthatha uJesu, wambhaxabula. Amabutho ayeluke umqhele wameva, awufaka ekhanda lakhe, amembathisa ingubo ebukhwebezane, aya kuye, athi: “Bayede, nkosi yabaJuda!”
Ammukula. UPilatu waphuma futhi, wathi kubo: “Niyabona-ke, ngimnikela kini, ukuba nazi ukuthi mina angifumananga cala kuye.”
Wayesephumela ngaphandle uJesu ethwele umqhele wameva, embethe nengubo ebukhwebezane. Wayesethi kubo: “Nangu-ke lo muntu!”
Kwathi ukuba abaphristi abakhulu nezikhonzi bambone, bamemeza, bathi: “Mbethele, mbethele esiphambanweni!”
UPilatu wathi kubo: “Mthatheni nina, nimbethele esiphambanweni, ngokuba mina angifumani cala kuye.”
AbaJuda bamphendula, bathi: “Sinomthetho thina; ngokwalo mthetho ufanele ukuba afe, ngokuba uzenze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Kuthe lapho uPilatu ezwa leli lizwi, wesaba kakhulu, wabuye wangena endlini yokwehlulela, wathi kuJesu: “Ungowaphi wena na?”
Kepha uJesu akamphendulanga. UPilatu wayesethi kuye: “Kungani ungakhulumi nami na? Awazi yini ukuthi mina nginegunya lokukukhulula, negunya lokukubethela esiphambanweni na?”
UJesu waphendula, wathi: “Ngabe awunalo igunya phezu kwami, ukuba awulinikwanga ngaphezulu. Ngakho-ke onginikele kuwe, nguyena onesono esikhulu.”
Ngenxa yalokhu, uPilatu wayefuna ukumkhulula, kodwa abaJuda bamemeza, bathi: “Uma umkhulula lo muntu, awusiye umngani kaKhesari. Noma ngubani ozenza inkosi, umelene noKhesari.”
Ngakho-ke uPilatu esezwile lawo mazwi, wamkhiphela ngaphandle uJesu. Wahlala esihlalweni sokwehlulela endaweni okuthiwa: “EGandaywe Ngamatshe,” ngesiHebheru okuthiwa iGabhatha. Kwakulusuku lokulungiselela iPhasika, cishe sekuyihora lesithupha. UPilatu wathi kubaJuda: “Nansi-ke, inkosi yenu.”
Kepha bamemeza, bathi: “Msuse, msuse, mbethele esiphambanweni!”
Wathi kubo uPilatu: “Ngibethele inkosi yenu na?”
Abaphristi abakhulu baphendula, bathi: “Asinayo inkosi, kuphela uKhesari.”
Wayesemnikela kubo ukuba abethelwe esiphambanweni.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
