Ngaleso sikhathi uHerode, uMthethraki, wezwa kubikwa ngoJesu, waseyesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Lo nguJohane uMbhabhadisi, uvukile kwabafileyo, yingakho-ke lawa mandla esebenza kuye nje.”
Ngokuba nguye uHerode owayebambe uJohane, wamfaka ejele ngenxa kaHerodiya, umkaFiliphu, umfowabo. Lokhu uJohane wayesho kuye ukuthi: “Awuvunyelwe ukuba umthathe.”
Kwathi nakuba ayefuna ukumbulala, kodwa wesaba abantu ngokuba babethi ungumphrofethi.
Kepha ngosuku lokuzalwa kukaHerode, indodakazi kaHerodiya yasina phambi kwabo, yamjabulisa uHerode, wayeseyethembisa ngokufunga ukuthi uyakuyinika lokho eyakukucela. Kuthe eseyicebisile unina, yathi: “Ngiphe ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane, uMbhabhadisi.”
Lokho kwayephula umoya inkosi, kepha ngenxa yezifungo eyayizenzile, nangenxa yababehleli nayo esidlweni, yayaleza ukuba inikwe. Yathumela, yamnquma uJohane ikhanda ejele. Ikhanda lakhe lalethwa ngoqwembe, lanikwa intombazane; yayisilinika unina. Kwafika abafundi bakaJohane basithatha isidumbu sakhe, basimbela, base beyobikela uJesu.
Kwathi uJesu esekuzwile lokho, wasuka lapho ngesikebhe waya endaweni eyihlane, yedwa. Zithe ukuba izixuku zikuzwe lokho, zamlandela ngezinyawo, ziphuma emizini. Waphuma esikebheni, wabona isixuku esikhulu; waba nesihe ngaso, waphulukisa abagulayo babo.
Kuthe selishonile, abafundi bakhe beza kuye, bathi: “Le ndawo iyihlane futhi nelanga selizilahle kunina; tshela izixuku zihambe ziye emizaneni, ziyozithengela ukudla.”
Kepha uJesu wathi kubo: “Akudingekile ukuba bahambe; bapheni nina ukudla.”
Bathi kuye: “Asinalutho lapha, kuphela izinkwa ezinhlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili.”
Wayesethi: “Kuletheni lapha kimi.”
Wayeseyala izixuku ukuba zihlale phansi otshanini, wathatha izinkwa ezinhlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili, wabheka ngasezulwini, wakubusisa, wakuhlephula, wakunika abafundi, baphakela izixuku. Badla bonke, basutha, babutha imvuthuluka eyayisele, yagcwala iziqabetho ezili-12. Labo abadlayo kwakungamadoda abalelwa ezi-5 000, ngaphandle kwabesifazane nezingane.
Wabacindezela abafundi bakhe ukuba bangene esikebheni masinyane, bamendulele, baye ngaphesheya, ukuze ahlakaze izixuku. Esezihlakazile, wenyukela entabeni eyedwa eyokhuleka; kwasekuhlwile, futhi eyedwa lapho. Kepha isikebhe sasesiqhele ibanga ogwini, sishukunyiswa ngamaza, ngokuba umoya wawuphambana nabo.
Kuthe ngomlindo wesine wobusuku uJesu weza kubo ehamba phezu kolwandle. Kepha abafundi sebembonile ehamba phezu kolwandle bashaywa wuvalo, bethi ngumungcwi; bakhala ngokwesaba.
UJesu wakhuluma nabo ngokushesha, wathi: “Yimani isibindi; yiMina, ningesabi.”
UPhethro wayesephendula, wathi kuye: “Nkosi, uma kunguwe ngempela, yisho ukuba ngize kuwe phezu kwamanzi.”
UJesu wayesethi: “Woza.” UPhethro wehla-ke esikebheni, wahamba phezu kwamanzi, waya kuJesu. Kepha kuthe ebona umoya onamandla, wesaba; eseqala ukucwila wakhala wathi: “Nkosi, ngisindise!”
Masinyane uJesu welula isandla, wambamba, wathi kuye: “Wena onokukholwa okuncinyane, ungabazeleni na?”
Sebegibele esikebheni, umoya wathula. Ababesesikebheni bakhuleka kuye, bathi: “Ngempela uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Sebewelele ngaphesheya, bafika eGenezaretha. Kwathi ukuba amadoda akuleyo ndawo ambone, athumela izigijimi kulo lonke izwe; baletha kuye bonke abagulayo. Bamnxusa ukuba bathinte nje umphetho wengubo yakhe; bonke abawuthintayo baphiliswa.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
