UJohane 12:1-50
12 Kwathi sekusele amalanga ayisithupha ukuthi kube liPhasika, uJesu wafika eBhethani lapho uLazaro ayekhona, indoda ayeyivuse kwabafileyo.
2 Basebemenzela idili lantambama khonapho njalo uMatha nguye owayebalungisela ukudla. LoLazaro wayekhona kwababesidla* laye.
3 UMariya wathatha amafutha anukelelayo ayingxenye yelitha, inadi yoqobo edula kakhulu, wawathela enyaweni zikaJesu, wamesula inyawo ngenwele zakhe zaze zoma. Indlu yonke yanukelela ngenxa yamafutha la.
4 Kodwa uJudasi Iskariyothi, omunye wabafundi bakhe owayesezamthengisa, wathi:
5 “Kungani amafutha la anukelelayo engathengiswanga ngabodenariyu abangu-300, imali yakhona yasiphiwa abayanga?”
6 Lokhu wayengakukhulumeli ukuthi wayelendaba labayanga, kodwa wakutsho ngoba wayelisela futhi wayelebhokisi lemali, ejayele ukuntshontsha imali eyayifakwa kulo.
7 UJesu wasesithi: “Myekeleni ukuze agcine isiko leli elungiselela ilanga lokungcwatshwa kwami.
8 Abayanga lihlala lilabo, kodwa mina kalisoze lihlale lilami.”
9 Kusenjalo ixuku elikhulu lamaJuda lazi ukuthi uJesu wayekuleyondawo, laselisiza lapho lingalandanga yena kuphela kodwa lizobona loLazaro, lowo ayemvuse kwabafileyo.
10 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo basebebumba icebo lokuthi babulale laye uLazaro,
11 njengoba kunguye owayesenza ukuthi amaJuda amanengi abuye lapho futhi akholwe kuJesu.
12 Ngelanga elilandelayo ixuku elikhulu elalibuye emkhosini lezwa ukuthi uJesu wayesiza eJerusalema.
13 Ngakho lathatha izingatsha zesihlahla selala laphuma lisiyamhlangabeza, laqalisa ukumemeza lisithi: “Sicela umsindise! Ubusisiwe lowo oza ngebizo likaJehova. Ibusisiwe iNkosi yako-Israyeli!”
14 UJesu wathi ethola ithole likababhemi, wahlala phezu kwalo njengoba kubhaliwe ukuthi:
15 “Ungesabi ndodakazi yaseZiyoni. Khangela! Inkosi yakho iza ihlezi phezu kwethole likababhemi.”
16 Ekuqaliseni abafundi bakhe babengazizwisisi izinto lezi kodwa uJesu wathi esekhazinyulisiwe, bakhumbula ukuthi izinto lezi ezimayelana laye zazibhaliwe lokuthi bazenza kuye.
17 Abantu ababelaye lapho ebiza uLazaro ukuthi aphume ethuneni ngesikhathi emvusa kwabafileyo baqhubeka befakaza.
18 Lokhu ngokunye okwenza ukuthi ixuku limhlangabeze. Lalizwile ukuthi wenze isimangaliso leso.
19 Yikho abaFarisi bakhuluma bebodwa bathi: “Liyabona ukuthi kaliyindawo ngento le. Khangelani! Umhlaba wonke usumlandela.”
20 Phakathi kwalabo ababeze emkhosini bezokhonza kwakulamaGrikhi.
21 AmaGrikhi la alanda uFiliphu owayedabuka eBhethisayida yaseGalile, asemcela athi: “Mnumzana, sicela ukubona uJesu.”
22 UFiliphu wasuka wayatshela u-Andreya, bobabili basebesiyatshela uJesu.
23 Kodwa uJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Isikhathi* sokuthi iNdodana yomuntu ikhazinyuliswe sesifikile.
24 Ngiqinisile sibili ngithi kini, nxa uhlamvu lwengqoloyi lungazange luwele emhlabathini lufe, luhlala luluhlamvu olulodwa nje. Kodwa nxa lungafa, luthela amabele amanengi.
25 Loba ngubani othanda ukuphila* kwakhe uyakutshabalalisa, kodwa loba ngubani ozonda ukuphila* kwakhe emhlabeni lo uzakulondoloza athole ukuphila okungapheliyo.
26 Nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yinceku yami, kangilandele. Lapho engikhona lenceku yami izakuba lapho. Nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yinceku yami, uBaba uzamupha udumo.
27 Khathesi ngikhathazekile, pho ngingathini? Baba ngisindisa kulelihola. Lanxa kunjalo, lokhu yikho okwenze ngafika kulelihola.
28 Baba khazimulisa ibizo lakho.” Kwasekuzwakala ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: “Ngilikhazimulisile futhi ngizaphinda ngilikhazimulise.”
29 Ixuku elalimi lapho lalizwa ilizwi, laselisithi kwakube lomdumo wezulu. Abanye bathi: “Ingilosi ikhulume laye.”
30 UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Ilizwi leli lizwakele ukuze lincede lina, hatshi mina.
31 Khathesi kulokwahlulelwa komhlaba lo; umbusi womhlaba lo uzaxotshwa.
32 Kodwa nxa mina sengiphakanyisiwe emhlabeni,* ngizadonsela yonke imihlobo yabantu kimi.”
33 Wayesitsho lokhu ukuze atshengise ukuthi wayezakufa njani esikhathini esiseduze nje.
34 Ixuku laselimphendula lathi: “Thina sezwa eMthethweni ukuthi uKhristu uzahlala kuze kube nini lanini. Pho kungani usithi iNdodana yomuntu kumele iphakanyiswe?* Ingubani leyo Ndodana yomuntu?”
35 UJesu wasesithi kulo: “Ukukhanya kuzakuba kini okwesikhatshana nje. Hambani liseselokukhanya ukuze ubumnyama bungalikhuleli; loba ngubani ohamba emnyameni kakwazi ukuthi uyangaphi.
36 Nxa ukukhanya liseselakho, tshengisani ukuthi lilokholo ekukhanyeni ukuze libe ngamadodana okukhanya.”
Esekhulume lokhu, uJesu wasuka kubo wabacatshela.
37 Lanxa wenza izimangaliso ezinengi phambi kwabo, babengamkholwa
38 ukuze kugcwaliseke ilizwi lika-Isaya umphrofethi, owathi: “Jehova, ngubani osekukholiwe lokho abakuzwe ngathi?* Ingalo kaJehova yona ivezelwe bani?”
39 Okwakusenza bangakholwa yilokho okwaphinda kwatshiwo ngu-Isaya aze athi:
40 “Wenze ukuthi amehlo abo angaboni lokuthi izinhliziyo zabo zibe lukhuni, ukuze bangaboni ngamehlo abo, bangazwisisi ngezinhliziyo zabo futhi bangaphenduki ngibasilise.”
41 U-Isaya watsho izinto lezi ngoba wayibona inkazimulo yakhe wasekhuluma ngaye.
42 Loba kunjalo, ngitsho lababusi abanengi baba lokholo kuye, kodwa kabazange bakuvume lokhu ngenxa yabaFarisi. Babesenzela ukuthi bangaxotshwa esinagogeni,
43 ngoba babethanda inkazimulo yabantu ukwedlula inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu.
44 UJesu wasephakamisa ilizwi wathi: “Loba ngubani oba lokholo kimi, kabi lokholo kimi kuphela kodwa lakulowo ongithumileyo,
45 njalo loba ngubani obona mina ubona laLowo ongithumileyo.
46 Ngibuye ngiyikukhanya emhlabeni ukuze wonke umuntu okholwa kimi angaqhubeki esemnyameni.
47 Kodwa nxa umuntu esizwa amazwi ami ayekele ukuwagcina, kangimahluleli ngoba kangilandanga ukuzokwahlulela umhlaba, ngalanda ukuzowusindisa.
48 Ukhona ozakwahlulela loba ngubani ongelandaba lami njalo ongamukeli amazwi ami. Ilizwi engilikhulumileyo yilo elizamahlulela ngelanga lokucina,
49 ngoba kangikhulumi lokho engizicabangele khona. Kodwa uBaba ongithumileyo nguye ongiphe umlayo wokuthi ngithini futhi ngifundiseni,
50 njalo ngiyakwazi ukuthi umlayo wakhe unika ukuphila okungapheliyo. Yikho loba yikuphi engikukhulumayo, ngikukhuluma njengoba nje uBaba engitshelile.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “kwababehlezi etafuleni.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “Ihola.”
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo.”
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo ukubulawa esigodweni.
^ Lapha kutshiwo ukubulawa esigodweni.
^ Kumbe, “esikubikileyo?”
