ULukha 7:1-50
7 Wathi eseqedile ukukhuluma ayefuna ukukutshela abantu, wangena eKhaphenawume.
2 Manje kwakulenceku yomkhokheli webutho eyayiphethwe ngumkhuhlane, isigulela ukufa. Umkhokheli webutho wayeyithanda kakhulu.
3 Uthe esizwa ngoJesu, wathuma abanye ababengabadala bamaJuda ukuthi bayemcela ukuthi abuye azosilisa inceku yakhe.
4 Lakanye bafika kuJesu bamncenga kakhulu besithi: “Indoda le kufanele uyincede sibili
5 ngoba iyasithanda isizwe sethu, njalo yiyo eyasakhela isinagogi.”
6 Ngakho uJesu wahamba labo. Kodwa uthe esezafika endlini, umkhokheli webutho wathuma abangane bakhe ukuthi bathi kuye: “Mnumzana, ungazihluphi. Kambe ngiyini mina ukuthi ungangena ngaphansi kophahla lwami?
7 Yikho ngibone kungangifanelanga ukuthi ngize kuwe. Wena tshono ilizwi kuphela, usilise inceku yami.
8 Lami nginje ngilabanye engifakwe ngaphansi kwabo, futhi ngilamasotsha angaphansi kwami. Ngiyathi kwelinye, ‘Hamba!’ lakanye lihambe, ngithi kwelinye, ‘Buya lapha!’ lakanye libuye, njalo ngithi encekwini yami, ‘Yenza lokhu!’ ikwenze.”
9 UJesu uthe esizwa izinto lezi wamangala, wasetshibilika wathi exukwini elalimlandela: “Ngilitshela ukuthi ngitsho lako-Israyeli kangikamtholi umuntu olokholo olukhulu kangaka.”
10 Ababethunyiwe bathi befika endlini bathola inceku isiphilile, iqine saka.
11 Ngemva nje kwalokho, wasuka waya edolobheni okuthiwa yiNayini, ehamba labafundi bakhe kanye lexuku elikhulu.
12 Kwathi esezafika egedini ledolobho, nampa abantu bephuma bethwele indoda efileyo, iyiyo yodwa indodana* kunina. Phezu kwalokho wayengumfelokazi. Kwakulabantu bedolobho lelo abanengi ababehamba laye.
13 INkosi ithe imbona yamzwela usizi yasisithi kuye: “Thula, ungakhali.”
14 Wasesondela wathinta ithala* ababethwele ngalo isidumbu, ababelithwele bama mpo. Wasesithi: “Jaha, ngithi kuwe, vuka!”
15 Lakanye indoda eyayifile yavuka yahlala njalo yaqalisa ukukhuluma, uJesu waseyibuyisela kunina.
16 Bonke besaba kakhulu, basebekhazimulisa uNkulunkulu besithi: “Sekuvele umphrofethi omkhulu phakathi kwethu,” baphinda bathi, “UNkulunkulu ubakhumbulile abantu bakhe.”
17 Izindaba lezi ezimayelana laye zaduma kulo lonke elaseJudiya lakuzo zonke izindawo eziseduze lalowomango.
18 Abafundi bakaJohane basebebikela uJohane zonke izinto lezi.
19 Yikho uJohane wabiza abafundi bakhe ababili wasebathuma eNkosini ukuthi bayebuza bathi: “UNguye Ozayo yini, kumbe kufanele silindele omunye?”
20 Amadoda la afika kuye athi: “UJohane uMbhabhathizi usithume ukuthi sizokubuza ukuthi, ‘UNguye Ozayo yini, kumbe kufanele silindele omunye?’”
21 Ngalesosikhathi* welapha abantu abanengi ababegula lababelemikhuhlane ebuhlungu, lababelamadimoni, wapha leziphofu ezinengi isipho sokubona.
22 Wasewaphendula wathi: “Hambani liyetshela uJohane lokho elikubonileyo lelikuzwileyo: Iziphofu sezibona, izigoga sezihamba, abalobulephero bayahlanjululwa, izacuthe sezisizwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, futhi abayanga batshelwa izindaba ezinhle.
23 Uyathokoza lowo ongatholi isizatho sokukhubeka ngami.”
24 Izithunywa zikaJohane zithe sezihambile, uJesu waqalisa ukukhuluma lamaxuku ngoJohane, esithi: “Lasuka lisiyabonani enkangala? Umhlanga ophetshulwa ngumoya?
25 Pho laphuma lisiyabonani? Indoda egqoke izembatho ezibutshelezi?* Phela abagqoka izembatho eziyibucwazicwazi njalo abaphila buntofontofo basezindlini zesikhosini.
26 Manje laphuma lisiyabonani? Umphrofethi yini? Ye, ungumphrofethi sibili futhi uqakatheke kulabo bonke abaphrofethi.
27 Lo nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi: ‘Ngithuma isithunywa sami wena ungakafiki,* sona sizalungisa indlela yakho wena ungakafiki.’
28 Ngilitshela ukuthi kwabazelwe ngabesifazana, kakho loyedwa omkhulu kuloJohane, kodwa omncane eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu mkhulu kulaye.”
29 (Abantu bonke kanye labathelisi bathi bekuzwa lokhu bavuma ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulungile ngoba babebhabhathizwe ngobhabhathizo lukaJohane.
30 Kodwa abaFarisi lezazi zoMthetho kabazange basilalele iseluleko* sikaNkulunkulu ngoba bona babengazange babhabhathizwe nguJohane.)
31 “Pho abantu besizukulwane lesi ngingabafanisa lobani futhi banjengani?
32 Banjengabantwana abancane abahlezi emakethe, abamemezanayo besithi: ‘Silitshayele umqangala* kodwa kalizange ligide; sakhala kodwa kalizange lilile.’
33 LoJohane uMbhabhathizi uze engadli isinkwa njalo enganathi iwayini, kodwa lina lithi: ‘Uledimoni.’
34 INdodana yomuntu yona ize isidla njalo inatha, kodwa lithi: ‘Khangelani! Indoda eyisihwaba, ephilela ukunatha iwayini futhi engumngane wabathelisi lezoni!’
35 Lanxa kunjalo, ukuhlakanipha kukhanya ngabantwana bakho bonke* ukuthi kulungile.”
36 Omunye umFarisi wayelokhu emcela ukuthi azokudla laye. Ngakho wangena endlini yomFarisi lo wahlala etafuleni.
37 Owesifazana owayesaziwa kulelodolobho ukuthi uyisoni wezwa ukuthi wayesidla* endlini yomFarisi, wasesiza lapho elamafutha anukelelayo esembodleleni ye-alabhasta.
38 Waqonda ngemva kwakhe, enyaweni zakhe, wafika wakhala, waqalisa ukumanzisa inyawo zakhe ngezinyembezi zakhe, wazesula ngenwele zekhanda lakhe. Waphinda wamqabuqabuza enyaweni, wathela amafutha anukelelayo kuzo.
39 UmFarisi owayemnxusile uthe ebona lokhu wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Ngabe indoda le ibingumphrofethi sibili, ibizakwazi ukuthi owesifazana lo oyithintayo ungubani lokuthi unjani, ngoba uyisoni.”
40 Kodwa uJesu wakwazi ukuthi wayecabangani, wasesithi kuye: “Simoni, kulento engifuna ukukutshela yona.” Yena wathi: “Khuluma Mfundisi!”
41 “Amadoda amabili ayelezikwelede zomuntu obolekisa imali. Enye yayilesikwelede sabodenariyu abangu-500, enye abangu-50.
42 Athi eseswele ayengambhadala ngakho, womabili wawaxolela ngenhliziyo yonke. Manje yiphi ezamthanda kakhulu?”
43 USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngibona angathi yileyo eyaxolelwa isikwelede esikhulu.” Wathi kuye: “Wahlulele kuhle.”
44 Wasetshibilika wakhangela owesifazana, wathi kuSimoni: “Uyambona owesifazana lo? Ngingene endlini yakho, kawuzange ungiphe amanzi okugeza inyawo. Kodwa owesifazana lo umanzise inyawo zami ngezinyembezi zakhe, wazesula ngenwele zakhe.
45 Kawuzange ungiqabuze, kodwa owesifazana lo ubelokhu eqabuqabuza inyawo zami kusukela ngesikhathi* engifike ngaso lapha.
46 Kawuzange uthele amafutha ekhanda lami, kodwa owesifazana lo uthele amafutha anukelelayo enyaweni zami.
47 Yikho-ke ngikutshela ukuthi ngenxa yalokho akwenzileyo, izono zakhe sezithethelelwe lanxa zizinengi,* ngoba uthande kakhulu. Kodwa lowo othethelelwe okuncane, uthanda kancane.”
48 Wasesithi kowesifazana: “Izono zakho sezithethelelwe.”
49 Ababehlezi laye etafuleni baqalisa ukukhuluma bebodwa besithi: “Kanti ungubani umuntu lo othethelela izono?”
50 Kodwa yena wathi kowesifazana: “Ukholo lwakho lukusindisile; hamba ngokuthula.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “iyindodana ezelwe yodwa.”
^ Ithala ngumbheda omncane wokuthwala umuntu ogulayo.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “Ngalelohola.”
^ Kumbe, “zohlonzi.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “phambi kobuso bakho.”
^ Kumbe, “isiqondiso.”
^ Kumbe, “ifluthu.”
^ Kumbe, “ngempumela yakho yonke.”
^ Kumbe, “wayehlezi etafuleni.”
^ Kumbe, “ngehola.”
^ Kumbe, “zizinkulu.”
