Kuthe esengene ethempelini, esafundisa, kweza kuye abaphristi abakhulu namalunga esizwe, bathi: “Ukwenza ngagunya lini lokhu na? Futhi ngubani okunike leli gunya?”
UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Nami ngizakunibuza izwi libe linye vo; uma ningiphendula, nami ngizakunitshela ukuthi lokhu ngikwenza ngagunya lini. Umbhabhadiso kaJohane wawuvelaphi, ezulwini noma kubantu na?”
Babonisana bodwa, base bethi: “Uma sithi: ‘Ezulwini,’ uzakuthi kithi: ‘Pho kungani ningakholwanga nguye na?’ Kepha uma sithi: ‘Kubantu,’ siyasesaba isixuku, ngokuba bonke bathi uJohane ungumphrofethi.”
Base bemphendula uJesu, bethi: “Asazi.”
Wayesethi naye kubo: “Nami angizukunitshela ukuthi lokhu ngikwenza ngagunya lini.”
“Nina-ke nithini na? Umuntu wayenamadodana amabili; waya kweyokuqala wathi: ‘Mntanami, hamba uyosebenza namuhla esivinini.’
“Kepha yaphendula yathi: ‘Angithandi,’ kodwa kamuva yaguqula umqondo wayo, yaya.
“Waya nakwenye, washo okufanayo kuyo. Yona yaphendula yathi: ‘Ngizoya, nkosi,’ kepha kayiyanga.
“Iyiphi kula madodana amabili eyenza intando kayise na?”
Bathi kuye: “Eyokuqala.”
UJesu wathi kubo: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: abathelisi nezifebe bangena ngaphambi kwenu embusweni kaNkulunkulu. Ngokuba uJohane weza kini ngendlela yokulunga, anikholwanga nguye, kodwa abathelisi nezifebe bakholwa nguye. Kepha nina, nakuba nikubona akwenzileyo, aniguqukanga nakamuva ukuba nikholwe nguye.”
“Lalelani nanku omunye umzekeliso. Kwakukhona umuntu ongumninindlu. Lo muntu watshala isivini, wasibiyela ngothango, wemba lapho isikhamo, wakha isiqongo sokulinda, wayeseqashisa ngaso kubalimi; waya kwelinye izwe. Kwathi sekusondele isikhathi sokuvuna, wathumela izinceku zakhe kubalimi ukuba zilande izithelo zakhe.
“Abalimi bazibamba izinceku zakhe, enye bayishaya, enye bayibulala, enye bayikhanda ngamatshe. Waphinda wathumela ezinye izinceku eziningi kunezakuqala. Nakulezo benza okufanayo. Ekugcineni wathumela kubo indodana yakhe, ethi: ‘Bazakuyihlonipha indodana yami.’
“Kepha abalimi, beyibona indodana yakhe, bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: ‘Le yindlalifa; wozani siyibulale, sidle ifa layo.’
“Bayibamba, bayiphonsa ngaphandle kwesivini, bayibulala.
“Pho-ke mhla kufika umninisivini, uzakubenzenjani labo balimi na?”
Bathi kuye: “Uzakubabhubhisa kabi labo benzi bokubi. Isivini sakhe asiqashise kwabanye abalimi abayakumnika isivuno ngesikhathi saso.”
UJesu wathi kubo: “Anizange nifunde yini emibhalweni ukuthi:
“ ‘Itshe abalinqabayo abakhi
yilona elaba yinhloko yegumbi.
Lona lavela eNkosini;
liyisimangaliso emehlweni ethu’ na?
“Ngalokho-ke ngithi kini: niyakwamukwa umbuso kaNkulunkulu, uphiwe isizwe esiyakuveza izithelo zawo. Owela phezu kwaleli tshe uyakuphohlozwa, kodwa yilowo nalowo eliyakuwela phezu kwakhe liyakumcolisa.”
Abaphristi abakhulu nabaFarisi sebeyizwile imizekeliso yakhe, baqonda ukuthi ukhuluma ngabo. Bafuna ukumbamba, kodwa besaba izixuku, ngokuba zazithi ungumphrofethi.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
