Kwathi sekusile, bonke abaphristi abakhulu namalunga esizwe bahlangana, bakha itulo lokumbulala uJesu. Bambopha, bahamba naye, bamnikela kuPilatu, umbusi.
Kuthe uJuda owayemkhaphelile ebona ukuthi icala limlahlile, wazisola, wayesezibuyisela kubaphristi namalunga izinhlamvu zesiliva ezigama-30, wathi: “Ngonile ngakhaphela ongenacala.”
Bona bathi: “Pho uthi asenzeni thina? Zibonele wena.”
Waziphonsa ethempelini izinhlamvu zesiliva, wahamba; esehambile, wazikhunga.
Kepha abaphristi abakhulu bazithatha izinhlamvu zesiliva, bathi: “Akuvunyelwe ukuba zifakwe emnikelweni, ngokuba ziyimali yegazi.”
Bakha icebo, base bethenga ngazo insimu yombumbi, yaba yindawo yokungcwaba abafokazi. Yingakho-ke leyo nsimu kuthiwa yinsimu yegazi kuze kube namuhla. Ngakho-ke kwagcwaliseka okwashiwo ngomphrofethi uJeremiya, ukuthi: “Bathatha izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingama-30, inani elamiswa ngabakwa-Israyeli lokuthengiselana. Bathenga ngazo insimu yombumbi, njengokuba iNkosi ingiyalile.”
Ngaleso sikhathi uJesu wayemi phambi kombusi, umbusi wambuza wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na?”
UJesu wathi kuye: “Usho khona.”
Nakuba abaphristi abakhulu namalunga bemethwesa icala, kodwa Yena akaphendulanga. Kepha uPilatu wathi kuye: “Awukuzwa yini ukuthi kungakanani abakufakaza ngawe na?”
Kepha uJesu akazange amphendule nangelilodwa izwi, umbusi wamangala kakhulu.
Kwakuthi njalo ngomkhosi, umbusi akhululele isixuku isiboshwa sibe sinye esisithandayo. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakukhona isiboshwa esiluhlupho okwakuthiwa uJesu Bharabha. Ngakho-ke sebebuthene, uPilatu wathi kubo: “Nifuna ukuba nginikhululele bani uJesu onguBharabha, noma uJesu okuthiwa nguKhristu na?”
UPilatu wayazi ukuthi uJesu bamnikele ngenxa yomona.
Esahleli esihlalweni sokwehlulela, umkakhe wathumela kuye, wathi: “Ungayingeni indaba yalowo muntu olungileyo, ngokuba ngikhathazeke kakhulu ngaye namuhla ephusheni.”
Kepha abaphristi abakhulu namalunga bazinxenxa izixuku ukuba zicele uBharabha, kodwa zimbulale uJesu.
Wayesephendula umbusi, wathi kubo: “Nithanda ukuba nginikhululele muphi kulaba ababili na?”
Bathi: “UBharabha.”
UPilatu wathi: “Pho ngenzenjani ngoJesu okuthiwa nguKhristu na?”
Bonke bathi: “Makabethelwe.”
Kepha uPilatu wathi: “Bubi buni abenzile na?”
Kepha bamemeza kakhulu kunakuqala, bathi: “Makabethelwe esiphambanweni!” Kuthe uPilatu esebona ukuthi akukho angakwenza, futhi sekuqala isiyaluyalu, wathatha amanzi, wageza izandla phambi kwesixuku, wathi: “Anginacala egazini lalo muntu; ziboneleni nina.”
Abantu bonke baphendula, bathi: “Igazi lakhe malibe phezu kwethu naphezu kwabantwana bethu.”
UPilatu wayesebakhululela uBharabha, kodwa eseshayiwe uJesu, wamnikela ukuba abethelwe esiphambanweni.
Amabutho ombusi ayesemthatha uJesu, amngenisa enqabeni, ayeseqoqela kuye iviyo lonke lamabutho. Amhlubula izingubo zakhe, amembathisa ingubo ebomvu, eluka umqhele wameva, awufaka ekhanda, amphathisa umhlanga esandleni sakhe sokunene, aguqa ngamadolo phambi kwakhe, ambhinqa, athi: “Bayede, nkosi yabaJuda!”
Amkhafulela ngamathe, athatha umhlanga, amshaya ekhanda. Esembhinqile, amkhumula ingubo, amembathisa izingubo zakhe, ahamba naye ayombethela esiphambanweni.
Kuthe amabutho esaphuma lapho, ahlangana nomuntu waseKhurene, nguSimoni igama lakhe; amphoqa ukuba athwale isiphambano sikaJesu.
Esefike endaweni okuthiwa yiGolgotha, okusho iNdawo Yekhanda, amphuzisa iwayini elixutshwe nenyongo, kodwa eselinambithile, akathandanga ukuliphuza. Amabutho esembethele esiphambanweni, abelana ngezingubo zakhe, enza unkatho, ayesehlala lapho, amqapha. Abeka ngaphezu kwekhanda lakhe icala ayethweswe lona, kubhalwe kwathiwa: LO NGUJESU, INKOSI YABAJUDA. Kwakubethelwe kanye naye abaphangi ababili; omunye engakwesokunene, omunye engakwesokhohlo. Ababedlula bamhlambalaza, benikina amakhanda abo, bethi: “Wena odiliza ithempeli, ubuye ulakhe ngezinsuku ezintathu, zisindise; uma uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, yehla esiphambanweni.”
Kanjalo nabaphristi abakhulu nezazimthetho namalunga nabo bambhinqa, bathi: “Wasindisa abanye, kodwa akakwazi ukuzisindisa Yena. Uyinkosi yakwa-Israyeli, akehle manje esiphambanweni; sizakukholwa nguye. Wethembele kuNkulunkulu; makamkhulule manje, uma emthanda, ngokuba wathi: ‘NgiyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.’ ”
Ngisho nabaphangi ababebethelwe esiphambanweni kanye naye, bamhlaza kanjalo.
Kusukela ngehora lesithupha, kwaba mnyama ezweni lonke, kwaze kwaba yihora lesishiyagalolunye. Kepha ngehora lesishiyagalolunye, uJesu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Eli, Eli, lama sabakthani?” okungukuthi: “Nkulunkulu wami, Nkulunkulu wami, ungishiyeleni na?”
Abanye kwababemi lapho bekuzwa lokho, bathi: “Lo ubiza u-Eliya.”
Omunye wabo wagijima, wathatha isiponji, wasicwilisa kuviniga, wayesesihloma emhlangeni, wamphuzisa. Kepha abanye bathi: “Myeke, sibone ukuthi u-Eliya uzakuza yini amsindise.”
UJesu wabuye wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wafa.
Isihenqo sethempeli sadabuka kabili; kusukela phezulu kuze kufike phansi. Umhlaba wazamazama, amadwala aqhekezeka, kwavuleka amathuna, izidumbu eziningi zabangcwele ababelele, zavuswa; baphuma emathuneni emva kokuvuka kwakhe, bangena emzini ongcwele, babonakala kwabaningi.
Induna yekhulu nalabo ababenayo beqaphe uJesu, bebona umhlaba uzamazama nalokho okwenzekileyo, besaba kakhulu, bathi: “Impela lo ubeyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Kwakukhona lapho abesifazane abaningi, ababemi buqamama, bebukela: babekadebemlandela uJesu, bevela eGalile, bemkhonza. Phakathi kwabo kwakukhona uMariya Magdalena, uMariya unina kaJakobe, uJose, nonina wamadodana kaZebedewu.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
