1 UJesu wasuka lapho waya edolobheni lakibo, ehamba labafundi bakhe. 2 Kwathi ngeSabatha wafundisa esinagogweni, abanengi abamuzwayo bamangala.

Babuzana bathi, “Indoda le yazithatha ngaphi izinto zonke lezi? Yinhlakanipho enganani le ayiphiwayo aze akwazi lokwenza imimangaliso! 3 Kanti angithi nguye yini umbazi lo? Kayisindodana kaMariya yini le, umnewabo kaJakhobe, loJosefa, loJuda loSimoni? Odadewabo angithi bakhona khonapha?” Lokho kwenza bamsola.

4 UJesu wathi kubo, “Umphrofethi kalalo udumo kuphela edolobheni lakibo, phakathi kwezihlobo zakhe lendlini yakwabo.” 5 Wayengeke enze izimangaliso khona, ngaphandle kokubeka izandla ebantwini abalutshwana abagulayo ukuba abasilise. 6 Njalo wamangaliswa yikusilela kwabo ekukholweni.

UJesu wasenquma efundisa imizi ngemizi. 7 Wabiza abalitshumi lambili beza kuye, wabathumela ngababili wabapha amandla phezu kwemimoya emibi.

8 Imilayo yakhe yayiyile: “Lingathwali lutho kuloluhambo ngaphandle kwentonga, lingathwali isinkwa, isikhwama loba yimali emabhantini enu. 9 Ligqoke amanyathela kodwa lingathwali esinye isigqoko. 10 Lapho lingena endlini ethile, hlalani khona lize lisuke kulelodolobho. 11 Nxa indawo ethile ingalamukeli loba ingalilaleli, dlulani kuleyondawo lithintithe uthuli ezinyaweni zenu kube yibufakazi bokubalahla.”

12 Basuka bahamba betshumayela ukuthi abantu kabaphenduke. 13 Bakhupha amadimoni amanengi njalo bagcoba abantu abanengi abagulayo ngamafutha babasilisa.

14 Inkosi uHerodi yezwa ngalokhu, ngoba ibizo likaJesu laselisaziwa kakhulu. Abanye babesithi, “UJohane uMbhaphathizi uvukile kwabafileyo, yikho amandla amangalisayo esebenza kuye.”

15 Abanye bathi, “Ungu-Elija.”

Kwabuye njalo abanye bathi, “Ungumphrofethi, njengomunye wabaphrofethi basendulo.”

16 Kodwa kwathi uHerodi ekuzwa lokhu wathi, “UJohane, indoda engayiquma ikhanda usevukile kwabafileyo!”

17 Ngoba uHerodi yena ngokwakhe wayekhuphe ilizwi lokuthi uJohane abanjwe, wathi kabotshwe aphoselwe entolongweni. Wakwenza lokho ngenxa kaHerodiyasi, umfazi womfowabo uFiliphu ayesemthethe. 18 Ngoba uJohane wayelokhu esithi kuHerodi, “Kawuvunyelwa ukuthi uthathele umfowenu umfazi.” 19 Ngakho uHerodiyasi wahlala elesikhwili loJohane efuna ukumbulala. Kodwa waswela indlela yokumbulala, 20 ngoba uHerodi wayemesaba uJohane emvikela, ngokumazi ukuthi wayeyindoda elungileyo njalo engcwele. Nxa wayemuzwa uJohane, wayedideka kakhulu, kodwa ethanda ukumlalela.

21 Ekucineni lafika elingaliyo. Ngelanga lesikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kwakhe uHerodi wenza idili lezikhulu zakhe labalawuli bempi kanye labakhokheli abaziwayo eGalile. 22 Kuthe indodakazi kaHerodiyasi isifikile yagida kamnandi yathokozisa uHerodi lezethekeli zakhe edilini.

Inkosi yasisithi entombazaneni, “Ngicela loba yini, ngizakupha.” 23 Wamthembisa wafunga wathi, “Loba yini oyicelayo ngizakupha kungaze kube yingxenye yombuso wami.”

24 Yaphuma intombazana yayakuthi kunina, “Kambe ngiceleni?”

Waphendula wathi, “Ikhanda likaJohane uMbhaphathizi.”

25 Masinyane intombazana yatheleka enkosini isilesicelo leso, yathi: “Ngifuna ukuthi ungiphe khathesi nje ikhanda likaJohane uMbhaphathizi lisemganwini.”

26 Inkosi yakhathazeka kakhulu, kodwa ngenxa yezifungo zayo langenxa yezethekeli zayo kayithandanga ukusala isicelo. 27 Ngakho yahle yathumela umbulali ukuba alethe ikhanda likaJohane. Yahamba indoda yamquma ikhanda uJohane entolongweni, 28 yaliletha ikhanda lisemganwini. Yalethula entombazaneni, yona yalipha unina. 29 Bathi bekuzwa lokho abafundi bakaJohane beza bathatha isidumbu bayasingcwaba ethuneni.

30 Abapostoli babuthana kuJesu bambikela konke ababekwenzile labakufundisayo. 31 Kwathi ngoba kwakufika abantu abanengi kakhulu abanye besuka baze baswele ithuba lokudla, wathi kubo, “Ngilandelani lodwa siye endaweni ethuleyo ukuze siphumule.”

32 Yikho bahamba bebodwa ngesikepe baya endaweni esithekileyo. 33 Kodwa abanengi abababonayo besuka babananzelela babaxhuma begijima ngezinyawo bevela kuwo wonke amadolobho babaqalela ukuyafika. 34 UJesu uthe esehla esikepeni wabona ixuku labantu elikhulu wabazwela usizi ngoba babenjengezimvu ezingelamelusi. Ngakho wasebafundisa izinto ezinengi.

35 Ngalesi isikhathi kwasekusemini kakhulu, ngakho abafundi bakhe beza kuye bathi, “Le yindawo esesikhaleni, njalo sekusemini kakhulu. 36 Tshela abantu bahambe ukuze baziyele emadolobheni lasemizini bayezithengela abangakudla.”

37 Kodwa waphendula wathi, “Bapheni lina ukudla.”

Bathi kuye, “Lokho kungathatha umholo wendoda owenyanga eziyisificaminwembili! Uthi sihambe siyochitha imali engako sithenge isinkwa sibaphe badle?”

38 Wabuza wathi, “Lilezinkwa ezingaki na? Ake liyokhangela.”

Sebezibonile bathi, “Zinhlanu lenhlanzi ezimbili.”

39 UJesu wasebalaya ukuthi bahlalise bonke abantu phansi etshanini ngamaxuku. 40 Yikho bahlala phansi ngamaxuku alikhulu. Abanye ngamatshumi amahlanu. 41 Ethatha izinkwa ezinhlanu lenhlanzi ezimbili wakhangela ezulwini, wabonga, wasehlephuna izinkwa. Waseziqhubela abafundi bakhe ukuba bazabele abantu. Waphinda wabehlukanisela inhlanzi zombili. 42 Bonke badla basutha, 43 abafundi basebebutha imvuthu zezinkwa lenhlanzi bagcwalisa izitsha ezilitshumi lambili. 44 Abadlayo babengamadoda azinkulungwane ezinhlanu.

45 Masinyane uJesu wenza ukuthi abafundi bakhe bangene esikepeni bahambe bamandulele eBhethisayida, yena esavalelisana labantu. 46 Esehlukene labo, waya ewatheni lwentaba ukuyakhuleka.

47 Kwathi sekuhlwile isikepe sasiphakathi laphakathi kwechibi, yena eyedwa emhlabathini. 48 Wabona abafundi begwedla ngamandla emagagasini ngoba umoya wawuphambana labo. Kwathi ngomlindo wesine ebusuku waya kubo ehamba phezu kwechibi. Wayengathi usesedlula kubo 49 kodwa bathi bembona ehamba phezu kwesiziba bacabanga ukuthi lithonga. Bahlaba umkhosi 50 ngoba bonke bambona besaba.

Masinyane wabakhulumisa wathi, “Manini isibindi! Yimi. Lingesabi.” 51 Wasengena kubo esikepeni umoya wahle wathula. Bamangala kakhulu, 52 ngoba babengazwisisanga ngezinkwa; inhliziyo zabo zazilukhuni.

53 Bathi sebechaphile, bafikela eGenesaretha bamisa khonapho. 54 Bonela ukuphuma esikepeni abantu bahle bamnanzelela uJesu. 55 Bagijima indawana yonke kulowomango bethwala abagulayo ngamacansi bebasa kuzozonke indawo ababemzwela khona. 56 Loba wayengaze aye ngaphi, emizini, emadolobheni loba emaphandleni, babeka abagulayo ezindaweni zokuthengisela. Bamncenga ukuthi abavumele bathinte nje umphetho wesigqoko sakhe, kwathi bonke labo abamthintayo basila.

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