Emva kwezinsuku ezimbili, kwaba khona iPhasika nomkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo; abaphristi abakhulu nezazimthetho babefuna ithuba lokuthi bangambamba kanjani ngobuqili, bambulale. Base bethi: “Makungabi ngomkhosi, funa kusuke isiyaluyalu esizweni.”
Kwathi eseseBhethaniya ehleli edla, endlini kaSimoni owayenochoko, kwafika owesifazane ephethe umfuma we-alabhaste wamafutha enadi lodwa, elibiza inani elikhulu. Wawuchoboza umfuma, wathela amafutha ekhanda likaJesu.
Kepha abanye bathukuthela base bekhuluma bodwa, bethi: “Kungani kumoswa lawa mafutha na? Ngokuba lawa mafutha ngabe athengisiwe ngodaneriyu abangaphezu kwama-300, kwaphiwa abampofu.”
Base bemthukuthelela owesifazane.
Kepha uJesu wathi: “Myekeni; nimhluphelani na? Wenze umsebenzi omuhle kimi. Abampofu niyohlala ninabo njalo; ningabenzela okuhle noma nini uma nithanda, kodwa Mina aninami njalo. Wenze okungangamandla akhe; uwugcobile umzimba wami, ewugcobela ukuba umbelwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Nomaphi lapho liyakushunyayelwa khona ivangeli ezweni lonke, kuyakukhulunywa nangalokho akwenzileyo, kube yisikhumbuzo ngaye.”
UJuda Iskariyothe, ongomunye wabali-12, waya kubaphristi abakhulu ukuba akhaphele uJesu kubo. Sebekuzwile lokho bathokoza, bathembisa ukumnika imali. Wayesefuna ithuba elihle lokumkhaphela.
Kwathi ngosuku lokuqala lwesinkwa esingenamvubelo okwakuhlatshwa ngalo iPhasika, abafundi bakhe bathi kuye: “Uthanda ukuba siyokulungiselela kuphi ukuba udle iPhasika na?”
Wayesethuma ababili kubafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: “Hambani niye emzini; nizakuhlangana nomuntu othwele imbiza yamanzi, mlandeleni. Lapho engena khona niyokuthi kumninindlu: ‘UMfundisi uthi: “Iphi indlu yami lapho ngingadlela khona iPhasika nabafundi bami na?” ’ Yena uzakunikhombisa ikamelo elikhulu eliphezulu, elendlelweyo, lilungisiwe; silungiseleni khona.”
Bahamba abafundi bafika emzini, bafica kunjengokuba eshilo; base belungisa iPhasika.
Wafika kusihlwa nabali-12. Sebehlezi ekudleni, uJesu wathi: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini omunye phakathi kwenu, odla kanye nami, uzakungikhaphela.”
Baqala ukuba nosizi, bathi kuye ngamunye: “Kungaba yimi na?”
Wathi kubo: “Ngomunye wabali-12, okha kanye nami esitsheni. INdodana yomuntu izakuhamba njengalokhu kulotshiwe ngayo, kodwa maye, kulowo muntu iNdodana yomuntu eyakukhashelwa ngaye! Kuyakuba ngcono kulowo muntu ukuba kazalwanga.”
Kuthe besadla, uJesu wathatha isinkwa, wasibusisa, wasihlephula, wanika abafundi bakhe, wathi: “Thathani lokhu: kungumzimba wami.”
Wayesethabatha indebe, wabonga, wabanika, baphuza kuso bonke.
Wathi kubo: “Lokhu kuyigazi lami lesivumelwano elithululwa ngenxa yabaningi. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: angisayukuphuza okwesithelo somvini, kuze kufike lolo lusuku engiyakusiphuza ngalo sisisha embusweni kaNkulunkulu.”
Kwathi sebehlabelele, baphuma baya eNtabeni Yeminqumo.
UJesu wathi kubo: “Nonke nizakukhubeka, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Ngiyakushaya umelusi, izimvu zihlakazeke.’ Kepha emva kokuvuswa kwami ngiyakunandulela ukuya eGalile.”
UPhethro wathi kuye: “Noma bonke bangakuhlamuka, kodwa mina ngeke.”
UJesu wathi kuye: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: namhlanje, ngalobu busuku, lingakakhali kabili iqhude, uzakungiphika kathathu.”
Kepha uPhethro wagcizelela ngamandla, wathi: “Noma ngabe kubiza ukuba ngife nawe, angisoze ngakuphika.”
Basho kanjalo bonke.
Base befika endaweni okuthiwa iGethsemane; wayesethi kubafundi bakhe: “Hlalani lapha, ngisaya kokhuleka.”
Wayesethatha uPhethro, uJakobe, noJohane; waqala ukubhocobala nokuba nosizi. Wathi kubo: “Umphefumulo wami ulusizi kakhulu kuze kube sekufeni; hlalani lapha, nilinde.”
Wayeseqhubeka ibangana, wawa phansi, wathandaza ukuba uma kungenzeka, mawedlule lo mzuzu. Wathi: “Abba, Baba! Konke kungenzeka kuwe. Susa kimi lesi sitsha, kodwa kungabi njengokuthanda kwami, kepha njengokuba Wena uthanda.”
Wayesebuyela kubafundi bakhe, wabafumana belele; wayesethi kuPhethro: “Simoni, ulele na? Ubungelinde nje ihora libe linye na? Lindani, nikhuleke ukuze ningangeni ekulingweni. Umoya uyavuma, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.”
Wabuye wasuka wayokhuleka, ephinda lona lelo lizwi. Waphinde wabuyela kubo, wabafica futhi belele, ngokuba amehlo abo ayesinda ubuthongo; abazanga ukuthi bangamphendula bathini.
Wabuyela kubo ngokwesithathu, wathi: “Namanje nisalele, niphumule. Kwanele, selifikile ihora; iNdodana yomuntu isizokhashelwa ezandleni zezoni. Sukumani sihambe. Niyabona-ke, ongikhaphelayo usesondele.”
Kuthe nje uJesu engakaligwinyi, kwase kufika uJuda, omunye wabali-12, nesixuku esihlome ngezinkemba nezinduku, sithunywe abaphristi abakhulu, izazimthetho namalunga. Lo omkhaphelayo wayebanike uphawu lokuthi: “Lowo engiyakumanga, nguye; mbambeni, nihambe naye nimqaphile.”
Esefikile uJuda wasondela kuJesu ngokushesha, wathi: “Rabi!” Wayesemanga. Base bemdumela, bambopha. Omunye kwababemi lapho wahosha inkemba, wayigenca inceku yomphristi omkhulu, wayinquma indlebe.
UJesu wathatha wathi kubo: “Niphume sengathi nize kumphangi, niphethe izinkemba nezinduku ukuba nizongibamba. Benginani imihla ngemihla ethempelini, ngifundisa, anizange ningibambe; kodwa ifanele ukugcwaliseka imibhalo.”
Base bemshiya bonke, babaleka. Insizwa ethile eyayimlandela, yayembethe ingubo yelineni emzimbeni; bayibamba, kodwa yayishiya ingubo yayo yelineni, yabaleka inqunu.