Kwathi uJesu eseqedile ukukhuluma wonke lawo mazwi kubantu, wangena eKhaphernawume. Induna yekhulu yayinenceku eyithandayo eyayisigulela ukufa. Isizwile ngoJesu, yathumela kuye amalunga abaJuda, ukuba ayomcela eze azokwelapha inceku yayo. Esefikile kuJesu, amncengisisa, ethi: “Ufanelekile lona ukuba umenzele lokhu, ngokuba uyasithanda isizwe sakithi, nguye futhi osakhele isinagoge.”
UJesu wayesehamba nawo.
Kuthe eseseduze nendlu yenduna yekhulu, induna yekhulu yathumela abahlobo bayo ukuba bathi kuye: “Nkosi, ungazihluphi, ngokuba angifanele ukuba ungangena phansi kophahla lwami. Ngakho-ke angifanele ukuba ngingeza kuwe, kodwa khipha izwi nje, ukuze inceku yami isinde. Ngokuba nami ngingumuntu ophethe, nginamabutho aphansi kwami. Ngithi kwelinye: ‘Hamba,’ lihambe. Kwelinye ngithi: ‘Woza,’ lize, nasencekwini yami ngithi: ‘Yenza lokhu,’ ikwenze.”
UJesu ewezwa lawo mazwi, wamangala ngayo, wayesephendukela esixukwini esasimlandela, wathi: “Ngithi kini: angikaze ngikufumane ukukholwa okungaka kwa-Israyeli.”
Lapho sebebuyela endlini yenduna yekhulu, bafika inceku isisindile.
Kwathi ngakusasa, uJesu waya emzini okuthiwa yiNayini; abafundi bakhe babehamba naye nesixuku esikhulu. Esesondele ngasesangweni lomuzi, wathola kukhona ofileyo owayethwelwe eyongcwatshwa, indodana eyodwa vo kunina, owayengumfelokazi. Kwakunesixuku esikhulu sabantu balowo muzi ababemphelekezela. INkosi yakubona lokho, yaba nesihe, yathi kuye: “Ungakhali.”
Yasondela, yathinta uhlaka; ababeluthwele bema. Yayisithi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe: vuka!”
Obefile wavuka, wahlala ngezinqe, waqala ukukhuluma. Wayesemnikeza unina.
Bonke behlelwa wukwesaba, bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi: “Kufike umphrofethi omkhulu phakathi kwethu,” bathi futhi: “UNkulunkulu ubahambele abantu bakhe.”
Lezi zindaba ngoJesu zasabalala kulo lonke iJudiya nasezindaweni ezakhelene nalo.
Abafundi bakaJohane bambikela ngazo zonke lezi zinto. UJohane wayesebiza ababili kubafundi bakhe, wabathumela eNkosini, wathi: “Unguye yini ozayo, noma silindele omunye na?”
Afika kuye lawo madoda, athi: “Sithunyiwe kuwe nguJohane uMbhabhadisi, obuza ukuthi: ‘Unguye yini ozayo, noma silindele omunye na?’ ”
Ngaleso sikhathi iNkosi yaphulukisa abaningi ababekhungethwe yizifo, nezinhlungu, nomoya ababi. Wavula namehlo ezimpumputhe eziningi, zabona.
UJesu waphendula, wathi kuwo: “Hambani nilandise uJohane ngalokho enikubonileyo nenikuzwileyo, nithi: izimpumputhe ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu bayashunyayezwa ivangeli. Ubusisiwe lowo ongayukukhubeka ngami.”
Kuthe sezihambile izithunywa zikaJohane, waqala ukukhuluma ezixukwini ngoJohane, ethi: “Naphuma naya ehlane ukuyobonani na? Umhlanga ontengantengiswa ngumoya na? Kanti naphuma ukuyobonani na? Umuntu owembethe izingubo ezintofontofo na? Phela abembethe okukhazimulayo, futhi betamasa, basezigodlweni zamakhosi. Kepha naphuma ukuyobonani na? Umphrofethi? Yebo, ngithi kini: owedlula umphrofethi. Nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi:
“ ‘Ngiyathuma isithunywa sami phambi kwakho,
esiyakulungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’
“Ngithi kini: akukho namunye kwabazelwe ngowesifazane omkhulu kunoJohane, kepha omncinyane embusweni kaNkulunkulu, mkhulu kunaye.”
Abantu bonke, yebo, nabathelisi sebekuzwile lokho bavuma ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulungile, babhabhadiswa ngombhabhadiso kaJohane. Kepha abaFarisi nezazimthetho abayemukelanga inhloso kaNkulunkulu emaqondana nabo, benqaba ukubhabhadiswa nguye.
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