1 UJesu wabizela ndawonye abalitshumi lambili wabapha amandla lemvumo yokuthi baxotshe wonke amadimoni, belaphe lemikhuhlane, 2 njalo wasebathuma ukuyatshumayela umbuso kaNkulunkulu lokuphilisa abagulayo, 3 Wabatshela wathi, “Lingathwali lutho kuloluhambo, loba udondolo, isikhwama, loba isinkwa, imali loba isigqoko sokuntshintsha. 4 Loba yiphi indlu elingena kuyo, hlalani kuyo lize lisuke kulelodolobho. 5 Nxa abantu bengalemukeli, sukani kulelodolobho lithintithe uthuli ezinyaweni zenu, kube yibufakazi bokubalahla.” 6 Basebesuka bangena imizi ngemizi, betshumayela ivangeli njalo besilisa abantu ezindaweni zonke.

7 Ngalesosikhathi uHerodi umbusi wakuzwa konke lokho okwakusenzakala. Wakhathazeka kakhulu ngoba abanye babesithi uJohane wayesevusiwe kwabafileyo, 8 abanye labo bathi u-Elija wayebonakele, kanti abanye njalo bathi omunye wabaphrofethi bekadeni wayesevukile waphila. 9 Kodwa uHerodi wathi, “UJohane ngamquma ikhanda. Pho ungubani-ke lo engizwa izinto ezinje ngaye?” Wazama ukuthi ambone.

10 Abapostoli sebebuyile babika kuJesu ngakho konke ababekwenzile. Wasebathatha waya labo edolobheni elalithiwa yiBhethisayida beyibo bodwa, 11 kodwa amaxuku abantu ezwa ukuthi ukhonale basebemlandela. Wabemukela wabatshela ngombuso kaNkulunkulu, wasilisa labo ababekuswela ukusiliswa.

12 Emini abalitshumi lambili beza kuye bathi, “Wothi abantu bahambe ukuze baye emadolobheni lasemizini bayezidingela ukudla lezindawo zokulala ngoba lapha sisendaweni ekhatshana eyisikhala.”

13 Waphendula wathi, “Bapheni lina ukudla.”

Baphendula bathi, “Thina silezinkwa ezinhlanu lenhlanzi ezimbili kuphela, ngaphandle kokuthi sihambe siyothenga ukudla kwabantu bonke laba.” 14 (Kwakulamadoda angaba zinkulungwane ezinhlanu khonapho.)

Kodwa wathi kubafundi bakhe, “Bahlaliseni phansi ngamaxuku abantu abangamatshumi amahlanu ngalinye.” 15 Benza njalo abafundi, wonke umuntu wahlala phansi. 16 Ethatha izinkwa ezinhlanu lenhlanzi ezimbili wakhangela ezulwini, wabonga wazihlephula. Waseziqhubela abafundi ukuba bazabele abantu. 17 Bonke badla basutha, abafundi basebebutha bagcwalisa izitsha ezilitshumi lambili imvuthu ezasalayo.

18 Ngesinye isikhathi uJesu wathi ekhuleka ekusithekeni, abafundi bakhe belaye, wabuza wathi, “Kanti abantu abanengi bathi ngingubani na?”

19 Baphendula bathi, “Abanye bathi unguJohane uMbhaphathizi; abanye bathi ungu-Elija; kuthi abanye njalo bathi ungomunye wabaphrofethi bekadeni osephila njalo.”

20 Wabuza bona wathi, “Pho lina-ke? Lithi ngingubani?”

Waphendula uPhethro wathi, “UnguKhristu kaNkulunkulu.”

21 UJesu wabaqonqosela ukuthi lokhu bangakutsheli muntu. 22 Wasesithi, “iNdodana yoMuntu kumele ihlupheke kakhulu, yaliwe ngabadala bebandla, abaphristi abakhulu labafundisi bomthetho, njalo lokuthi kumele ibulawe, kuthi ngelanga lesithathu ivuswe kwabafileyo.”

23 Wasesithi kubo bonke: “Nxa ekhona ofisa ukungilandela kufanele azidele athwale isiphambano sakhe insuku zonke angilandele. 24 Ngoba lowo ofisa ukulondoloza impilo yakhe izamlahlekela, kodwa lowo olahlekelwa yimpilo yakhe ngenxa yami uzayiphephisa. 25 Kumsizani umuntu ukuzuza wonke umhlaba, kodwa alahlekelwe loba ancitshwe ubunguye bakhe na? 26 Lowo oyangeka ngami kanye lamazwi ami, iNdodana yoMuntu izayangeka ngaye nxa isifikile ngenkazimulo yayo langenkazimulo kaYise lezingilosi ezingcwele.

27 Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi abanye abemi khonapha kabayikukuzwa ukufa bengakawuboni umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”

28 Emva kwensuku eziyisificaminwembili uJesu ekukhulumile lokho, wathatha uPhethro loJohane loJakhobe waya entabeni ukuyakhuleka. 29 Wathi ekhuleka isimo sobuso bakhe saguquka lezigqoko zakhe zakhazimula njengokuphazima kombane. 30 Amadoda amabili, uMosi lo-Elija, 31 abonakala ecwebezela ngenkazimulo, ekhuluma loJesu. Babekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe okwasekusondele ukuthi kugcwaliseke eJerusalema. 32 UPhethro labakhula bakhe babe lobuthongo kakhulu, kodwa sebephapheme, bayibona inkazimulo yakhe lamadoda amabili ayemi laye. 33 Kwathi amadoda lawo esesuka kuJesu uPhethro wathi kuye, “Nkosi, kumnandi kithi ukuba lapha. Kasakhe izihonqo ezintathu, esakho, esinye esikaMosi lesinye esika-Elija.” (Wayengakwazi lokho ayekutsho.)

34 Wathi esakhuluma, iyezi labuya labagubuzela, baba lokwesaba ekungeneni kwabo eyezini. 35 Ilizwi labuya livela eyezini lisithi, “Le yiNdodana yami engiyikhethileyo; ilaleleni.” 36 Ilizwi selikhulumile, uJesu bambona eseyedwa. Abafundi bakugcina ezifubeni zabo lokhu kabaze batshela muntu ngalesosikhathi ngababekubonile.

37 Ngosuku olulandelayo sebehlile entabeni, wahlangabezwa lixuku labantu abanengi. 38 Enye indoda exukwini yamemeza yathi, “Mfundisi, ngiyakuncenga, khangela indodana yami yiyo yodwa umntwana engilaye. 39 Umoya uyamjuma abeseklabalala; uyamgiqa abhinqike abuye abhubhudle amagwebu emlonyeni. Usuhlezi udlala ngaye nje usufuna ukumbulala. 40 Bengicele abafundi bakho ukuthi bawuxotshe, kodwa behlulekile.”

41 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Oh, sizukulwane esingakholwayo, esixhwalileyo, ngihlale lani kuze kube nini ngilokhu ngilibekezelela na? Ilethe lapha indodana yakho.”

42 Kwathi lapho umfana elokhu esalethwa kuye idimoni lambhuqa phansi ebhinqika. Kodwa uJesu wawukhuza umoya omubi, wamsilisa umfana wambuyisela kuyise. 43 Bonke bamangala kakhulu ngobukhulu bukaNkulunkulu.

Kwathi wonke umuntu esamangele ngalokho uJesu ayekwenzile, wathi kubafundi bakhe, 44 “Likulalele kuhle lokhu esengizalitshela khona: Indodana yoMuntu izanikelwa ezandleni zabantu.” 45 Kodwa kabezwisisanga ukuthi lokhu kwakusitshoni. Kwakufihliwe kubo, yikho kabakubambisisanga, kodwa besaba ukumbuza ngakho.

46 Kwaba lokuphikisana kubafundi ngokuthi ngubani kubo owayezabamkhulu kulabanye. 47 UJesu eyazi imicabango yabo wathatha umntwana omncinyane wamisa eceleni kwakhe. 48 Wasesithi kubo, “Lowo owamukela lo umntwana omncane ngebizo lami wamukela mina, lalowo owamukela mina wamukela lowo ongithumileyo. Ngoba lowo onguye omncinyane kulani lonke phakathi kwenu lonke, nguye omkhulu kini lonke.”

49 UJohane wathi, “Nkosi, sibone indoda ikhupha amadimoni ngebizo lakho sazama ukuyenqaba ngoba ingayisuye omunye wethu.”

50 UJesu wathi, “Lingamaleli ngoba lowo ongamelani lani ukanye lani.”

51 Kwathi isikhathi sesisondele ukuthi athathwe aye ezulwini, uJesu wazimisela ukuthi aye eJerusalema. 52 Wasethuma izithunywa phambi kwakhe zaya eSamariya emzini othile ukumlungisela ukufika kwakhe; 53 kodwa abantu bakhona kabamemukelanga ngoba wayesedlulela eJerusalema. 54 Kwathi abafundi uJakhobe loJohane bekubona lokho bathi, “Nkosi, uyafuna na ukuthi sibize umlilo uvele ezulwini uzobabhubhisa?” 55 Kodwa uJesu waphenduka wabakhuza 56 Yikho yena labafundi bakhe basebesiya komunye umuzi.

57 Bathi belokhu behamba endleleni, enye indoda yathi kuye, “Ngizakulandela loba ungaze uye ngaphi.”

58 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Amakhanka alemilindi lezinyoni zemoyeni zilezidleke, kodwa iNdodana yoMuntu kayilandawo yokufihla ikhanda layo.”

59 Wathi kwenye indoda, “Ngilandela.”

Kodwa indoda yaphendula yathi, “Nkosi, akuthi ngiqale ngihambe ngiyengcwaba ubaba wami.”

60 UJesu wathi kuyo, “Yekela abafileyo bangcwabe abafileyo babo, kodwa wena hamba uyememezela umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”

61 Kwathi omunye njalo wathi, “Ngizakulandela, Nkosi, kodwa akuthi kengiyevalelisa abakithi.”

62 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Kakho othi angabamba ikhuba elima athalaze emuva owufaneleyo umsebenzi oqondane lombuso kaNkulunkulu.”