ULUKASI 9

₁UJesu wabizela kuye abafundi bakhe abalitjhumi nambili, wabapha amandla negunya lokuqotjha woke amadimoni nokupholisa izifo. ₂Yeke wabathuma bona bayokutjhumayela ngombuso kaZimu bebapholise nabagulako. ₃Wathi kibo: “Ningaphathi ilitho ekukhambeni kwenu, ingaba yintonga, imbada, isikwa, imali nanyana isambatho ngaphezu kwaleso enisembetheko. ₄Nanyana ngiyiphi ikumba eningena kiyo, hlalani lapho bekube kumhlana nikhambako emzini lowo. ₅Nakube abantu balapho abanamukeli, thintithani ithuli eenyaweni zenu naniphuma ngemzinabo, lokho kube bufakazi obujamelene nabo.”

₆Yeke bakhamba-ke bangena umuzi nomzana, batjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi, bapholisa nabantu kizo zoke iindawo.

₇UHerode umtetrarerhesi wezwa ngakho koke okwenzekako. Warareka khulu ngombana abanye bebasithi uJwanisi uvusiwe kabahlongakeleko. ₈Abanye bebasithi u-Eliya ubonakele, abanye godu bathi omunye wabaphorofidi bekadeni uvukile. ₉Kodwana uHerode wathi: “UJwanisi ngamqunta ihloko. Alo, ngubani-ke engizwa izinto ezinjalo ngaye lo?” Nje-ke walinga ukubonana naye.

₁₀Abapostoli nababuyako, babikela uJesu ngalokho abakwenzileko. Wabathatha wakhamba nabo bodwa baya edorobheni ebekuthiwa yiBhethe-Sayida. ₁₁Kodwana isiqubuthu sabantu sezwa ngalokho, samlandela. Wabamukela, wakhuluma nabo ngombuso kaZimu, wapholisa labo ebebafuna ukwelatjhwa.

₁₂Sekuhlwile ngemva kwedina, abafundi bakhe beza kuye bathi: “Besithi tjhaphulula abantwaba baye ngemizini neendaweni eziseduze bayokufuna okugonywako nendawo yokulala ngombana sisemmangweni lapha.”

₁₃Kodwana uJesu wathi kibo: “Bapheni okugonywako.”

Bamphendula bathi: “Esinakho sezizikwa ezihlanu neenhlambi ezimbili. Kuzakufuneka bona siyokuthengela soke isiqubuthwesi okugonywako.”

₁₄Bekunamadoda angaba ziinkulungwana ezihlanu.

UJesu wathi ebafundini bakhe: “Bahlaliseni phasi ngeenqhema zamatjhumi amahlanu ngasinye.”

₁₅Abafundi bakwenza lokho, yeke woke umuntu wahlala phasi. ₁₆UJesu wathatha izikwa ezihlanu neenhlambi ezimbili waqala ezulwini, wathokoza wazihlephula. Wanikela abafundi bakhe bona baphe isiqubuthu. ₁₇Boke bagoma basutha, abafundi bakhe babuthelela iintshutshuru bazalisa iinqwebu ezilitjhumi nambili.

₁₈Kwathi uJesu asathandaza ngasese, abafundi bakhe banaye lapho, wababuza wathi: “Abantu bathi ngingubani na?”

₁₉Bamphendula bathi: “Abanye bathi unguJwanisi uMbhabhadisi. Abanye bathi ungu-Eliya, godu abanye bathi ungomunye wabaphorofidi bekadeni ovukileko.”

₂₀Wababuza wathi: “Alo-ke, nina nithi ngingubani na?”

UPitrosi wamphendula wathi: “UnguKrestu kaZimu.”

₂₁UJesu wabadosa ngendlebe bona bangatjeli namunye ngalokho. ₂₂Godu wathi: “INdodana yoMuntu kumele itlhage ngezinto ezinengi beyilahlwe baphathi, baphristi abakhulu nabafundisi bomthetho. Godu kumele ibulawe bese elangeni lesithathu ivuswe ekufeni.”

₂₃Yeke wathi kibo boke: “Nakube kukhona ofuna ukungilandela, akazidele, atjathe isiphambano sakhe malanga woke angilandele. ₂₄Ngambala nanyana ngubani ofuna ukusindisa ipilwakhe, izomlahlekela, kodwana nanyana ngubani olahlekelwa yipilwakhe ngebanga lami, uzabe uyisindisile. ₂₅Kuzamsiza ngani umuntu ukuzuza iphaseli loke nje, kodwana yena alahleke namkha azilobe yena ngokwakhe na? ₂₆Nanyana ngubani oba neenhloni ngami nangamezwami, neNdodana yoMuntu izakuba neenhloni ngaye lokha nayifika ephazimulwenayo, nephazimulweni kaBaba kanye neengilozini ezicwengileko. ₂₇Kodwana nginitjela iqiniso, abanye benu abajame lapha angekhe bakuzwa ukufa bangakawuboni umbuso kaZimu.”

₂₈Emalangeni abunane ngemva kobana uJesu akhulume lokho, wathatha uPitrosi, uJwanisi noJakopo wakhuphukela nabo entabeni wayokuthandaza. ₂₉Kuthe asathandaza, ubuso bakhe baphenduka nezambatho zakhe zadarha njengokunyazima kombani. ₃₀Khonapho amadoda amabili, uMosi no-Eliya, ₃₁babonakala ngephazimulo ekulu, bakhuluma noJesu. Bakhuluma ngokwemuka kwakhe ebekuzakwenzeka eJerusalema. ₃₂UPitrosi nabangani bakhe gade baphethwe buthongo, kodwana kwathi nabaphaphamako babona iphazimulo kaJesu namadoda amabili agade ajame naye. ₃₃Kwathi lokha amadoda lawo nasuka kuJesu, uPitrosi wathi kuye: “Kosi, maye kuhle kangangani bona sibe lapha! Yeke asakheni imitlhatlhana emithathu, owodwa ube ngewakho, owodwa ube ngewakaMosi, owodwa ube ngewaka-Eliya.” Bekangazizwa bona uthini.

₃₄Kuthe asakhuluma njalo kwavela ilifu labagubuzesa, abafundi bethuka nabangena ngelifwini. ₃₅Kwezwakala ilizwi livela elifwini lithi: “Le yiNdodanami, engiyikhethileko, ilaleleni!”

₃₆Ngemva kobana ilizwelo likhulumile, bafunyana uJesu ayedwa. Abafundi bayigcina kibo indaba le, akhange batjele muntu ngalokho abakubonileko.

₃₇Ngelanga elilandelako nabehla entabeni, bahlangatjezwa siqubuthu esikhulu. ₃₈Kwarhuwelela indoda hlangana nesiqubuthu yathi: “Mfundisi, ngiyakurabhela! Akhe uqale indodanami ekungiyo kwaphela, umntwana enginaye! ₃₉Ummoya uyayibamba, khonapho bese iyarhuwelela, uyidule phasi ibe nesithunthwana, ibhubhudlhe amagwebu ngomlomo. Awuyiphi ithuba kanti nokuyilimaza uyayilimaza. ₄₀Fese ngarabhela abafundi bakhwaba bona bawuqotjhe, kodwana babhalelwa.”

₄₁UJesu waphendula wathi: “Nina sizukulwana esingakholwako nesikhohlakeleko! Ngizakuhlala nginani bekube kunini na? Letha indodanakho leyo lapha.”

₄₂Kuthe umsana aseza kuJesu, idimoni lamdula phasi, waba nesithunthwana. Kodwana uJesu wakhalimela ummoya omumbi lowo, wapholisa umsana bewambuyisela kuyise. ₄₃Boke abantu barareka ngobukhulu obungaka bakaZimu.

Kwathi woke umuntu asararekile ngakho koke okwenziwe nguJesu, wathi ebafundini bakhe: ₄₄“Lalelisisani kuhle lokho engizonitjela khona: INdodana yoMuntu izokukhatjhelwa ezandleni zabantu.” ₄₅Kodwana abafundi akhange bazwisise bona kutjho ukuthini lokhu. Bekufihlekile kibo ukuze bangalemuki, ngalokho bebesaba ukumbuza ngendaba le.

₄₆Kwaba khona ukuphikisana hlangana nabafundi bakaJesu, bafuna ukwazi bona ngubani ozokuba mkhulu hlangana nabo. ₄₇UJesu ngokwazi imikhumbulwabo, wathatha umntwana omncani wamjamisa eqadi kwakhe. ₄₈Wathi kibo: “Nanyana ngubani owamukela umntwana omncani lo ebizweni lami, wamukela mina; naloyo owamukela mina, wamukela loyo ongithumileko. Ngambala loyo ongomncani phakathi kwenu noke nguye ongomkhulu.”

₄₉UJwanisi wathi kuye: “Mfundisi, sibone umuntu aqotjha amadimoni ngebizo lakho, salinga ukumkhandela ngombana angasuye omunye wethu.”

₅₀Kodwana uJesu wathi: “Ningamkhandeli ngombana loyo ongararani nani ungowenu.”

₅₁Kwathi lokha isikhathi nasitjhidelako sokobana enyuselwe ezulwini, uJesu wakhumbula ukuya eJerusalema. ₅₂Wathumela iinthunywa ngaphambi kwakhe bona ziye ngemzini weSamariya ziyomlungisela. ₅₃Kodwana abantu balapho azange bamamukele ngombana bekasiya eJerusalema. ₅₄Kwathi lokha abafundi bakhe, uJakopo noJwanisi, nababona lokhu bathi kuye: “Kosi, ufuna bona sibize umlilo ezulwini wehle ubaqothule na?”

₅₅Kodwana uJesu waphenduka, wabakhalimela. ₅₆Yeke uJesu nabafundi bakhe baya emzini omunye.

₅₇Kwathi basakhamba endleleni, umuntu omunye wathi kuJesu: “Ngizakulandela koke lapha uya khona.”

₅₈UJesu wathi kuye: “Iimpungutjha zinemigodi, iinyoni zomkayi zineenhlakana, kodwana iNdodana yoMuntu ayinalapha ingabeka khona ihloko.”

₅₉Wathi emuntwini omunye: “Ngilandela!”

Kodwana umuntu loyo wathi: “Kosi, angibuyele ekhaya ngiyokubulunga ubaba qangi.”

₆₀UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Lisani abafileko babulunge abafileko babo. Kodwana wena khamba uyokumemezela umbuso kaZimu.”

₆₁Omunye godu wathi: “Kosi ngizakulandela, kodwana akhe ngibuyele ekhaya qangi, ngiyokulayelisa.”

₆₂UJesu wathi kuye: “Umuntu obeka isandla sakhe eplurhwini, aphele arhedlule emuva, akakafaneli ukusebenzela umbuso kaZimu.”