Luka 23:1-56

Kwase kusuka isixuku sabo sonke, samyisa kuPilatu. Base beqala ukumthwesa icala, besithi: Simfumene lo edukisa isizwe, enqabela ukuthela kuKesari, esithi yena unguKristu iNkosi. UPilatu wambuza wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na? Wasephendula wathi kuye: Utsho wena. UPilatu wayesethi kubapristi abakhulu nasezixukwini: “Angitholi cala kulo muntu. Baqinisa kakhulu, bethi: “Uvusa abantu, efundisa kulo lonke iJudiya, eqala eGalile waze wafika lapha. UPilatu esezwile ngeGalile wabuza ukuthi lowomuntu ungowaseGalile yini. Kwathi esekwazi ukuthi ungowombuso kaHerodi, wamthumela kuHerodi, owayekhona laye eJerusalema ngalesosikhathi. UHerode embona uJesu wajabula kakhulu, ngokuba kwase kuyisikhathi eside efuna ukumbona, lokhu ebezwile ngaye; wayethemba ukuthi uzobona isibonakaliso senziwa nguye. Wasembuza ngamazwi amaningi; kodwa akamphendulanga lutho. Abapristi abakhulu nababhali babemi bemmangalela kakhulu. UHerodi lamabutho akhe bameyisa, bamklolodela, bamgqokisa isembatho esikhazimulayo, bambuyisela kuPilatu. Ngalolo suku oPilatu noHerode baba ngabangane, ngokuba ngaphambili babenobutha phakathi kwabo. Kwathi uPilatu esebizele ndawonye abapristi abakhulu lababusi labantu. Wathi kubo: “Nilethe kimi lo muntu njengophambukisa abantu; Qha, noHerode, ngokuba nginithumele kuye; bheka, akenzanga lutho olufanele ukufa kuye. Ngakho-ke ngiyakumshaya, ngimkhulule. (Ngokuba kufanele abakhululele oyedwa ngomkhosi.) Basebememeza kanyekanye, besithi: Susa lumuntu, usikhululele uBaraba; owaphonswa etilongweni ngenxa yesiyaluyalu esithile esasenzeka emzini, nangenxa yokubulala. Ngakho uPilatu ethanda ukumkhulula uJesu, wabuye wakhuluma kubo. Kodwa bamemeza, besithi: Mbethele, mbethele! Wasesithi kubo ngokwesithathu: Ngoba enze ububi bani? Kangitholanga kuye icala lokufa; ngakho ngizamtshaya, ngimyeke ahambe. Base beqinisa amazwi amakhulu befuna ukuba abethelwe. Futhi amazwi abo nawabapristi abakhulu aphumelela. UPilatu wanquma ukuthi kwenziwe njengokucela kwabo. Wayesebakhululela owayefakwe etilongweni ngenxa yesiyaluyalu nokubulala, ababemcelile; kodwa wamnikela uJesu entandweni yabo. Kwathi bemuka naye, babamba uSimoni waseKhurene evela endle, bambethela isiphambano, ukuba asithwale emva kukaJesu. Kwamlandela isixuku esikhulu sabantu, nabesifazane ababemkhalela, bemlilela. Kodwa uJesu ephendukela kubo wathi: Madodakazi aseJerusalema, lingangikhaleli mina, kodwa zikhaleleni lina labantwana benu. Ngokuba bhekani, ziyeza izinsuku abayakusho ngazo ukuthi: ‘Zibusisiwe izinyumba, nezizalo ezingazalanga, namabele angamunyisanga. Khona bayakuqala ukuthi ezintabeni: Welani phezu kwethu; nasezintabeni: Sisibekele. Ngokuba uma benza lokho esihlahleni esiluhlaza, kuyakwenziwani kowomileyo na? Kwakukhona-ke nezinye izelelesi ezimbili, zasiwa kanye laye ukuze zibulawe. Sebefikile endaweni ethiwa uKhalvari, bambethela khona kanye nezelelesi, esinye ngakwesokunene, nesinye ngakwesokhohlo. UJesu wayesethi: “Baba, bathethelele; ngoba kabakwazi abakwenzayo. Babelana izingubo zakhe, benza inkatho yokuphosa. Abantu bema bebukela. Nababusi bamhleka usulu, bathi: “Wasindisa abanye; akazisindise, uma enguKristu, okhethiweyo kaNkulunkulu. Namasosha amklolodela, eza kuye, amnika uviniga. Besithi: Uba wena uyinkosi yabaJuda, zisindise. Kwakukhona nombhalo phezu kwakhe ngezinhlamvu zesiGreki, nesiLatini, nesiHeberu, othi: LO UYINKOSI YABAJUDA. Nesinye sezelelesi ezaziphanyekiwe samthuka, sithi: “Uma wena unguKristu, zisindise wena nathi. Kepha omunye wamkhuza, wathi: “Awumesabi uNkulunkulu, njengokuba ukulokhu kulahlwa na? Kepha thina ngokweqiniso; ngoba thina samukela umvuzo wezenzo zethu; kodwa yena lo akenzanga lutho olubi. Yathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, ngikhumbule, nxa usufike embusweni wakho. UJesu wathi kuye: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: Namuhla uzakuba nami eParadisi. Kwathi kungaba yihora lesithupha, kwaba khona ubumnyama phezu komhlaba wonke kwaze kwaba yihora lesishiyagalolunye. Ilanga laba mnyama, iveli lethempeli ladabuka phakathi. UJesu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Baba, ezandleni zakho ngiyawubeka umoya wami.” Eseshilo lokho wafa. Induna yekhulu isibonile okwenzekileyo, yamdumisa uNkulunkulu, ithi: “Nempela lo ubengumuntu olungileyo. Isixuku sonke esasibuthene kulowo mbono, sibona okwenzekileyo, sabuyela emuva, sishaya izifuba. Bonke abazana naye, nabesifazane ababemlandela bevela eGalile, bema kude, bebuka lezo zinto. Bheka, kwakukhona indoda, igama layo linguJosefa, engumeluleki; futhi wayeyindoda elungileyo, elungile; Yena wayengavumelananga necebo nesenzo sabo; wayengowase-Arimathiya umuzi wamaJuda, naye owayelindele umbuso kaNkulunkulu. Yona yaya kuPilatu, yacela isidumbu sikaJesu. Yasehlisa, yasisonga ngelineni, yasibeka ethuneni eliqoshwe etsheni, okungakabekwa muntu kulo. Ngalolo suku kwakuwukulungiselela, nesabatha lase lisondela. Nabesifazane abeza naye bevela eGalile balandela, balibona ithuna, nokubekwa kwesidumbu sakhe. Base bebuya, balungisa amakha namafutha; waphumula ngosuku lwesabatha ngokomthetho.