1 Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu wahambahamba eGalile, kazathanda ukuya eJudiya ngoba amaJuda alapho ayefuna indlela yokumbulala. 2 Kwathi uMkhosi wamaJuda weziHonqo ususondele 3 abafowabo bakaJesu bathi kuye, “Sekumele usuke lapha uye eJudiya ukuze abafundi bakho babone imimangaliso oyenzayo. 4 Kakho umuntu othi efuna ukuba lodumo asebenzele ensitha. Njengoba usenza izinto lezi ziveze emhlabeni.” 5 Ngoba labafowabo babengakholwa kuye.

6 Ngakho uJesu wabatshela wathi, “Kasikafiki isikhathi sami salokho; kini loba yisiphi isikhathi sililungele. 7 Umhlaba ngeke ulizonde, kodwa mina uyangizonda ngoba ngiveza ukuthi lokho okwenzayo kubi. 8 Hambani lina emkhosini. Mina kangikayi emkhosini lowo ngoba kimi kasikafiki isikhathi esifaneleyo.” 9 Esetsho lokhu wazihlalela eGalile.

10 Kodwa ngemva kokuba abafowabo sebehambile emkhosini laye waya khona, hatshi obala kodwa wahamba ensitha. 11 Khonapho emkhosini amaJuda ayemlindele ebuza esithi, “Ingaphi indoda leyana?”

12 Phakathi kwamaxuku abantu kwakulokunyenyezelana ngaye. Abanye bathi, “Ungumuntu olungileyo.”

Abanye baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, ukhohlisa abantu.” 13 Kodwa kakho owakhuluma ngaye obala ngokwesaba amaJuda.

14 Kwathi isikhathi somkhosi sesiphakathi laphakathi uJesu wasesiya egumeni lethempeli waqalisa ukufundisa. 15 AmaJuda amangala, abuza athi, “Indoda le yaluzuza kanjani ulwazi olungaka yona ingafundanga?”

16 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Imfundiso yami kayisiyami. Ivela kulowo ongithumileyo. 17 Nxa umuntu ekhetha ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu uzabona ingabe imfundiso yami ivela kuNkulunkulu loba ngiyazikhulumela. 18 Lowo ozikhulumelayo wenzela ukuzizuzela udumo, kodwa lowo osebenzela udumo lwalowo omthumileyo ngumuntu weqiniso; kakulankohliso kuye. 19 UMosi kalinikanga yini umthetho? Kodwa kakho lamunye kini owugcinayo umthetho. Kungani lifuna ukungibulala na?”

20 Ixuku labantu laphendula lathi, “Ulamadimoni wena. Ngubani ofuna ukukubulala?”

21 UJesu wathi kubo, “Ngenza umangaliso owodwa lamangala kakhulu lonke. 22 Kodwa ngoba uMosi walipha ukusoka (loba iqiniso liyikuthi kakuvelanga kuMosi kodwa kubokhokho), liyamsoka umntwana ngeSabatha. 23 Manje-ke, nxa umntwana engasokwa ngeSabatha kungabi yikuwephula umthetho kaMosi, pho mina lingizondelani ngokuthi ngisilise umuntu ngokupheleleyo ngeSabatha na? 24 Khawulani ukusola ngokubona kwamehlo kodwa yahlulelani ngokuqondileyo.”

25 Ngalesosikhathi abanye abantu baseJerusalema babuza bathi, “Kanti kasuye yini umuntu lo abafuna ukumbulala na? 26 Nangu phela ekhuluma egcekeni kodwa kabatsho lutho kuye. Kambe iziphathamandla zingabe sezibone ukuthi nguye uKhristu na? 27 Kodwa siyakwazi thina lapha indoda le edabuka khona; nxa uKhristu esefika, kakho ozakwazi lapho avela khona.”

28 Kwathi uJesu elokhu esafundisa egumeni lethempeli, wamemeza wathi, “Yebo, liyangazi njalo liyakwazi lapho engivela khona. Kangizibuyelanga lapha kodwa lowo ongithumileyo uqinisile. Kalimazi 29 kodwa mina ngiyamazi ngoba ngivela kuye, nguye ongithumileyo.”

30 Besizwa lokhu bazama ukumbamba kodwa kakho owambeka isandla ngoba isikhathi sakhe sasingakafiki. 31 Loba kunjalo, abanengi exukwini labantu bakholwa kuye. Bathi, “Nxa uKhristu angafika, kambe uzakwenza imimangaliso okwedlula umuntu lo?”

32 AbaFarisi bezwa abantu benyenyeza izinto ezinjalo ngaye. AbaFarisi labaphristi abakhulu basebethuma amanxusa ethempelini ukuba ayembopha.

33 UJesu wathi, “Ngilani okwesikhathi esifitshane, besengihamba ngisiya kuye ongithumileyo. 34 Lizangidinga kodwa lingangifumani; lalapho engikhona lingeke lifike.”

35 AmaJuda abuzana athi, “Umuntu lo ufuna ukuya ngaphi lapho esingeke samfumana khona na? Uzakuya ebantwini bakithi abahlakazekileyo abahlala phakathi kwamaGrikhi, afundise amaGrikhi na? 36 Ubesitshoni esithi, ‘Lizangidinga, kodwa lingangifumani,’ njalo wathi, ‘Lapho engikhona lingeke lifike’?”

37 Ngelanga lokucina elaliqakatheke kakhulu emkhosini, uJesu wasukuma wakhuluma ngelizwi elikhulu wathi, “Nxa ekhona owomileyo keze kimi azonatha. 38 Loba ngubani okholwa kimi njengoba uMbhalo utshilo, imifula yamanzi aphilayo izageleza ngaphakathi kwakhe.” 39 Ngalokhu wayesitsho uMoya, okwakuzakuthi labo abakholwa kuye bamamukele ngesikhathi esizayo. Kuze kube yilesosikhathi uMoya wawungakathelwa ebantwini, njengoba uJesu wayengakakhazimuliswa.

40 Sebewazwile amazwi akhe abanye bathi, “Ngeqiniso umuntu lo nguye umphrofethi.”

41 Abanye bathi, “Nguye uKhristu.”

Abanye njalo babuza bathi, “Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi uKhristu avele eGalile na? 42 UMbhalo kawutsho yini ukuthi uKhristu uzavela kusendo lukaDavida, eBhethilehema, umuzi lapho uDavida ayehlala khona.” 43 Kanjalo abantu badabukana phakathi ngenxa kaJesu. 44 Abanye babefuna ukumbamba, kodwa kakho owambeka isandla.

45 Amanxusa ethempelini acina esebuyela kubaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi athi, “Kungani lingezanga laye?”

46 Amanxusa afakaza athi, “Kakho osewake wakhuluma njengaloyamuntu.”

47 AbaFarisi bakhwaza bathi, “Litsho ukuthi lani uselikhohlisile? 48 Ukhona na kubabusi loba kubaFarisi osebeke ithemba lakhe kuye? 49 Hatshi! Kodwa inkunkuma yabantu le engazilutho ngezomthetho, iqalekisiwe.”

50 UNikhodimasi owayeye kuJesu mandulo, owayengomunye wabo wabuza wathi, 51 “Kanti umthetho wakithi uyamlahla na umuntu engaqalanga wabuzwa ukuthi yena uthini ngokwakhe?”

52 Baphendula bathi, “Lawe uvela eGalile yini? Ake ukudingisise, uzabona ukuthi kakulamphrofethi ongaphuma eGalile.”*Ingwalo ezaqalayo kanye labanye ofakazi kabala UJohane 7.53 – 8.11. Ingwalo ezimbalwa zigoqela indinyana lezi, kungaba yingxenye yazo kumbe ngokugcweleyo UJohane 7.36, UJohane 21.25, ULukha 21.38 kumbe ULukha 24.53.

[ 53 Ngakho bonke basuka baya emizini yabo.