ULukha 23:1-56
23 Ixuku lonke laselisuka, lamqhuba limusa kuPhilathu.
2 Laqalisa ukummangalela lisithi: “Sithole indoda le idukisa isizwe sethu, isithi abantu bangabhadali imithelo kuKhesari futhi isithi yona inguKhristu inkosi.”
3 UPhilathu wasembuza wathi: “UyiNkosi yamaJuda yini?” Yena waphendula wathi: “Njengoba nje usitsho.”
4 UPhilathu wathi kubaphristi abakhokhelayo lasexukwini: “Mina kangiliboni icala elenziwe yindoda le.”
5 Kodwa baphikelela besithi: “Imfundiso yakhe yenza ukuthi kube lokuxokozela kulo lonke elaseJudiya, kusukela eGalile kuze kufike lapha.”
6 UPhilathu uthe ekuzwa lokho wabuza wathi: “Indoda le ingumGalile yini?”
7 Wathi esezwile ukuthi uJesu wayevela endaweni eyayibuswa nguHerodi wamdlulisela kuye. Ngalezonsuku uHerodi laye wayeseJerusalema.
8 UHerodi wathaba okumangalisayo ebona uJesu. Kwasekulesikhathi eside efuna ukumbona ngoba wayesezwe okunengi ngaye futhi wayefisa ukumbona esenza isimangaliso.
9 Ngakho waqalisa ukumbuza imibuzo eminengi kodwa yena kazange amphendule.
10 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo lababhali bazonda badla amalahle, njalo babelokhu besukuma bemmangalela.
11 UHerodi lamasotsha akhe bamchothoza, njalo wamgqokisa isembatho esiyibucwazicwazi emenza inhlekisa, wasembuyisela kuPhilathu.
12 Lanxa uHerodi loPhilathu babekade beyingwe lenja, ngalelolanga bahle baba ngabangane.
13 UPhilathu wasebiza abaphristi abakhokhelayo lababusi kanye labantu,
14 wathi kubo: “Lilethe indoda le kimi lisithi itshotshozela abantu ukuthi bahlamuke. Ngiyithonisise phambi kwenu kodwa kangisitholanga isizatho sokuyibeka icala ngalokho eliyimangalela ngakho.
15 UHerodi laye katholanga lutho, nanko phela uyiphendukisile kithi. Indoda le kayenzanga lutho olungenza ibulawe.
16 Yikho ngizayijezisa besengiyikhulula.”
17 *——
18 Kodwa ixuku lonke lamemeza lathi: “Yisusele amanqe indoda le,* usikhululele uBharabha!”
19 (UBharabha wayephoselwe ejele ngoba yena labanye babevukele umbuso kulelodolobho njalo wayelecala lokubulala.)
20 UPhilathu waphinda wakhuluma labo ngoba wayefuna ukukhulula uJesu.
21 Baqalisa ukuklabalala besithi: “Kabethelwe esigodweni! Kabethelwe esigodweni!”
22 Wakhuluma labo okwesithathu wathi: “Ngenxa yani? Kuyini okubi okwenziwe yindoda le? Mina kangisitholanga isizatho sokuthi ibulawe, yikho ngizayijezisa besengiyikhulula.”
23 Lapho-ke babamba inkani bamemeza kakhulu besithi kabulawe,* uPhilathu waze wacina esedela.
24 Wasesenza isinqumo sokuthi kwenziwe lokho ababekufuna.
25 Wayikhulula indoda ababesithi ikhululwe, leyo eyayiphoselwe ejele ngenxa yokuvukela umbuso lokubulala, kodwa wathi uJesu kabamenze abakufunayo.
26 Bathi sebemqhuba, babamba indoda yaseKhurene okwakuthiwa nguSimoni eyayivela emaphandleni, basebeyethesa isigodo sokuhlutshwa* bathi isithwale ilandele uJesu.
27 Wayelandelwa ngabantu abanengi kakhulu kanye labesifazana ababehamba betshaya izifuba zabo belila futhi bephakathi kosizi.
28 UJesu wasetshibilika wakhangela abesifazana laba wathi: “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, yekelani ukungikhalela. Zikhaleleni lina labantwabenu,
29 ngoba insuku ziyeza lapho abantu abazakuthi, ‘Bayathokoza abesifazana abazinyumba lalabo abangazalanga kanye labalamabele angamunyisanga!’
30 Bazaqalisa lokuthi ezintabeni, ‘Welani phezu kwethu!’ baphinde bathi emaqaqeni, ‘Simbokotheni!’
31 Nxa besenza izinto lezi isihlahla siluhlaza, pho kuzakwenzakalani nxa sesiswabile?”
32 Babemqhuba elamanye amadoda amabili ayeyizigebenga, lawo esiyabulawa kanye laye.
33 Bathi befika endaweni eyayibizwa ngokuthi yiNdawo Yokhakhayi bambethela esigodweni, ephahlwe yizigebenga ezimbili, esinye sikwesokudla, esinye kwesenxele.
34 Kodwa uJesu wathi: “Baba, bathethelele ngoba kabakwazi abakwenzayo.” Baphinda benza inkatho* ukuze babelane izembatho zakhe.
35 Abantu bama babukela. Kodwa ababusi babekhuluma okokweyisa besithi: “Abanye wabasindisa, laye kazisindise nxa kuyikuthi unguKhristu kaNkulunkulu, lowo oKhethiweyo.”
36 Amasotsha lawo amenza inhlekisa, asondela kuye amnika iwayini elimunyu,
37 esithi: “Zisindise nxa uyiNkosi yamaJuda.”
38 Ngaphezu kwakhe kwakubhalwe amabala athi: “Le YiNkosi YamaJuda.”
39 Esinye isigebenga esasiseceleni kwakhe samthethisa sathi, “Kayisuwe yini uKhristu? Zisindise phela, usisindise lathi!”
40 Sasesikhuzwa ngesinye, sathi: “Kanti kawumesabi ngitsho uNkulunkulu? Kawuboni yini ukuthi sonke sithole isigwebo esifananayo?
41 Kodwa thina sisifanele ngoba sithola umvuzo wezinto esazenzayo. Indoda le yona kayonanga lutho.”
42 Isigebenga leso saphinda sathi: “Jesu, ungikhumbule nxa ufika eMbusweni wakho.”
43 Wasesithi kuso: “Ngikutshela iqiniso lamuhla ngithi, uzakuba lami ePharadayisi.”
44 Ngalesosikhathi kwasekulihola lesithupha,* kodwa kwaba mnyama kuyo yonke indawo kwaze kwaba lihola lesitshiyagalolunye*
45 ngoba ilanga lalingasakhanyisi. Kusenjalo ikhetheni lendawo engcwele ladabuka phakathi laphakathi.
46 UJesu wasememeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Baba, umoya wami ngiwubeka ezandleni zakho.” Esekutshilo lokhu, waphela.*
47 Umkhokheli webutho uthe esebone okwakwenzakele wakhazimulisa uNkulunkulu wathi: “Indoda le ibilungile sibili.”
48 Abantu bonke ababebuthanele isehlakalo lesi bathi sebezibonile izinto lezi babuyela emakhaya betshaya izifuba zabo belila.
49 Bonke ababemazi babemele khatshana. Kanti njalo abesifazana ababehambe laye esuka eGalile babekhona futhi bazibona izinto lezi.
50 Kwakulendoda okwakuthiwa nguJosefa eyayililunga loMthethwandaba Omkhulu wamaJuda. Yayilomusa futhi ilungile.
51 (Indoda le kayizange ilivotele icebo labo kanye lalokho ababekwenza.) Yayidabuka e-Arimathiya, idolobho laseJudiya, njalo yayilindele uMbuso kaNkulunkulu.
52 Yahamba kuPhilathu yafika yacela isidumbu sikaJesu,
53 yasisethula yasigoqela ngelineni lohlonzi, yasibeka ethuneni elaligujwe edwaleni. Kwakungakaze kubekwe isidumbu ethuneni lelo.
54 Manje kwakuliLanga Lokulungiselela futhi iSabatha laselizaqalisa.
55 Kodwa abesifazana ababeze laye besuka eGalile balandela bafika balibona ithuna, babona lokuthi isidumbu sakhe sasibekwe njani.
56 Basebebuyela bayalungisa amakha lamafutha anukelelayo. Kodwa baphumula ngeSabatha njengoba nje umlayo wawusitsho.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ivesi le kayitholakali kweminye imibhalo yasendulo njalo ubufakazi obukhona butshengisa ukuthi yayingekho eMibhalweni ephefumulelweyo.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “Msuse lowo.”
^ Kumbe, “kabulawe ngokubethelwa esigodweni.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Ngabo-12 emini.
^ Ngabo-3 emini.
^ Kumbe, “waphefumula okokucina.”
