Marku 6:14-29

Inkosi uHerode yasizwa ngaye; (ngokuba igama lakhe laduma) wathi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi uvukile kwabafileyo, ngakho-ke imisebenzi yamandla iyabonakala kuye. Abanye bathi: UnguEliya. Abanye bathi: Ungumprofethi, noma unjengomunye wabaprofethi. Kodwa uHerodi esezwile wathi: UJohane engamquma ikhanda; Ngokuba uHerode uqobo wayethumele wambamba uJohane, wambopha etilongweni ngenxa kaHerodiya umkaFiliphu umfowabo, ngokuba wayemthathile. Ngokuba uJohane wayethe kuHerode: “Awuvunyelwe ukuba nomkamfowenu. Ngakho uHerodiya waba nokusola kwakhe, wafuna ukumbulala; kodwa akakwazanga: Ngokuba uHerode wayemesaba uJohane emazi ukuthi uyindoda elungileyo engcwele, wamgcina; kwathi emuzwa, wenza izinto eziningi, wamuzwa ngokuthokoza. Kwathi sekufikile usuku oluhle, uHerode ngosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe wenzela izikhulu zakhe, nezinduna zezikhulu, nezikhulu zaseGalile idili; Kwathi ingena indodakazi kaHerodiya lowo, yasina, yamjabulisa uHerode nababehlezi naye. Wafunga kuye wathi: “Noma yini ongayicela kimi ngiyakukunika yona, kuze kube yinxenye yombuso wami. Wasephuma, wathi kunina: Ngizacelani? Wasesithi: Ikhanda likaJohane uMbhabhathizi. Yangena masinyane enkosini ngokuphangisa, yacela, yathi: “Ngithanda ukuba unginike manje ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi. Inkosi yadabuka kakhulu; nokho ngenxa yesifungo sakhe nangenxa yabahlezi naye, akathandanga ukumlahla. Khona masinyane inkosi yathuma umlindi, yayala ukuba kulethwe ikhanda lakhe; Letha ikhanda lakhe ngoqwembe, walinika intombazana; intombazana yalinika unina. Kwathi abafundi bakhe bekuzwa, beza bathatha isidumbu sakhe, basibeka ethuneni.