Marku 6:1-29

Wasemuka lapho, waya ezweni lakubo; labafundi bakhe bamlandela. Kwathi sekufikile isabatha, waqala ukufundisa esinagogeni; abaningi abamuzwayo bamangala, bathi: “Lo ukuthathaphi lokhu na? Yikuhlakanipha kuni lokhu akuphiweyo, ukuthi le misebenzi yamandla enje yenziwa ngezandla zakhe na? Lo akasiye umbazi, indodana kaMariya, nomfowabo kaJakobe, noJose, noJuda, noSimoni? Nodadewabo abakho yini lapha kithi na? Base bekhubeka kuye. Kepha uJesu wathi kubo: “Umprofethi kadelelwa, kuphela ezweni lakubo, nasezihlotsheni zakubo, nasendlini yakubo. Wayengenakwenza khona umsebenzi wamandla lapho, kuphela wabeka izandla phezu kwabagulayo abayingcosana, wabaphulukisa. Wamangala ngokungakholwa kwabo. Wahamba imizi ngemizi efundisa. Wasebiza abayishumi nambili, waqala ukubathuma ngababili; wabanika amandla phezu kwawomoya abangcolileyo; Wabalaya ukuthi bangaphathi lutho lwendlela, ngaphandle kodondolo lodwa; nasikhwama, nasinkwa, namali emixhakeni yabo; Kodwa bagqoke izimbadada; futhi lingagqoki amabhantshi amabili. Wathi kubo: “Nomaphi lapho ningena khona endlini, hlalani khona nize nimuke kuleyo ndawo. Nabaninganamukeli, enganizwa, anothi nimuka lapho, nivuthulule uthuli oluphansi kwezinyawo zenu, kube ngubufakazi kubo. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Kuyakuba ngcono kulo iSodoma neGomora ngosuku lokwahlulelwa kunakulowo muzi. Basebephuma batshumayela ukuthi abantu baphenduke. Bakhipha amademoni amaningi, bagcoba abagulayo abaningi ngamafutha, babaphulukisa. 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.