UJesu esebabizele kuye abali-12, wabanika amandla negunya lokukhipha amadimoni nokuphilisa abagulayo. Wabathuma ukuba bashumayele ngombuso kaNkulunkulu nokuba baphilise abagulayo. Wathi kubo: “Ningaphathi lutho lwendlela: naludondolo, nasikhwama sokuthekela, nasinkwa, namali; ningawaphathi amabhantshi amabili. Noma yiyiphi indlu eningenisa kuyo, hlalani kuyo, nize nihambe lapho. Bonke abangayukunamukela, anothi uma senisuka kulowo muzi, nithintithe uthuli ezinyaweni zenu, ukuze kube ngubufakazi obumelene nabo.”
Baphuma-ke, badabula imizi ngemizi, bevangela, futhi bephilisa abagulayo ezindaweni zonke.
Kwathi uHerode, uMthethrakhi, ezwa ngakho konke okwakwenzeka, wadideka kakhulu, ngokuba abanye bathi kuye uJohane uvukile kwabafileyo, abanye bathi u-Eliya uvukile, nabanye bathi kuvuke umphrofethi othile wasemandulo. Kepha uHerode wathi: “UJohane ngamnquma ikhanda; pho-ke ngubani lo engizwa ngaye ngalezi zinto na?”
Wafuna ukumbona.
Sebebuyile abaphostoli, bamlandisa ngakho konke abakwenzileyo; wabathatha, wahamba nabo ngasese, baya emzini okuthiwa yiBhethsayida. Kepha izixuku sezazi ngalokho zamlandela; wazemukela, wakhuluma kuzo ngombuso kaNkulunkulu, wabaphulukisa abadinga ukuphiliswa.
Kuthe seliyozilahla kunina, abafundi abali-12 beza kuye, bathi: “Baxoshe abantu baye emizaneni nasemakhaya azungezileyo, bangenise khona, ukuba bathole ukudla, ngokuba lapha sisendaweni eyihlane.”
Wathi kubo: “Bapheni nina ukudla.”
Kepha bathi: “Esinakho yizinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili kuphela, ngaphandle-ke uma singahamba siyothengela bonke laba bantu ukudla.”
Lapho kwakukhona amadoda ayelinganiselwa ezi-5 000.
Wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Bahlaliseni ngamaqembu angama-50.”
Benza kanjalo, babahlalisa bonke. Wazithatha izinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili, wabheka ngasezulwini, wazibusisa, wazihlephula, wazinika abafundi ukuba bazabele isixuku sabantu. Badla, basutha bonke, kwabuthwa imvuthuluka eyasala kubo, engamaqoma ali-12.
Kwathi esakhuleka eyedwa, abafundi benaye, wayesebabuza ethi: “Abantu bathi ngingubani na?”
Baphendula bathi: “UJohane uMbhabhadisi”, kepha abanye bathi: “Ngu-Eliya”, abanye bathi: “Kuvuke umphrofethi othile wasemandulo.”
Wayesethi kubo: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na?”
UPhethro waphendula wathi: “UnguKhristu kaNkulunkulu.”
Wabadonsa ngendlebe, wabayala ukuba bangakutsheli muntu lokho, wathi: “INdodana yomuntu imelwe ukuhlupheka ngokuningi, ilahlwe ngamalunga nabaphristi abakhulu nezazimthetho, ibulawe, ivuswe ngosuku lwesithathu.”
Wayesethi kubo bonke: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukungilandela, makazidele, athathe isiphambano sakhe imihla ngemihla, angilandele. Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe, uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha lowo olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami, uyakukusindisa. Ngokuba kuyakumsiza ngani umuntu ukuzuza izwe lonke, kepha yena alahlekelwe noma alimaze ukuphila kwakhe na? Ngokuba yilowo nalowo onamahloni ngami nangamazwi ami, iNdodana yomuntu iyakuba namahloni ngalowo lapho iza ngenkazimulo yayo, nekaYise neyezingelosi ezingcwele. Kepha nginitshela iqiniso ukuthi bakhona abanye kwabemi lapha abangayukufa, baze bawubone umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”
Kwathi cishe emva kwezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili ekukhulumile lokho, wathatha uPhethro, uJohane, noJakobe; wenyukela nabo entabeni ukuba ayokhuleka. Esakhuleka, isimo sobuso bakhe saguquka, nezingubo zakhe zaba mhlophe qwa, zacwebezela. Kwase kubonakala amadoda amabili, uMose no-Eliya, bekhuluma naye; abonakala ngenkazimulo, ekhuluma naye ngohambo lwakhe okumele aluphothule eJerusalema. Kepha uPhethro nababenaye babelele zwi, kodwa kuthe sebephapheme, babona inkazimulo yakhe namadoda amabili ayemi naye. Kuthe esehlukene naye, uPhethro wathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, kuhle ukuba sibe lapha; masakhe amadokodo amathathu, elinye kube ngelakho, elinye kube ngelikaMose, elinye kube ngelika-Eliya.”
Wayengazi ukuthi uthini.
Esakhuluma lokhu, kwafika ifu, labasibekela; besaba lapho ifu libamboza. Kwezwakala izwi efini, lithi: “Lo uyiNdodana yami ekhethiweyo; yizweni.”
Kuthe selizwakele izwi, uJesu wabonakala esesele yedwa. Bathula du, abangatshela muntu lokho ababekubonile ngaleyo mihla.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
