UMakho 6:1-56
6 Wasuka lapho waya edolobheni lakibo, njalo abafundi bakhe babehamba laye.
2 Ngelanga leSabatha waqalisa ukufundisa esinagogeni futhi abanengi ababemuzwa bamangala kakhulu bathi: “Indoda le yazithatha ngaphi izinto lezi? Kungani yaphiwa ukuhlakanipha okungaka njalo kungani isenelisa ukwenza izimangaliso lezi?
3 Kanti lo kayisuye yini umbazi, indodana kaMariya lomfowabo kaJakhobe, loJosefa, loJudasi kanye loSimoni? Odadewabo bona kayisibo yini esilabo lapha?” Ngakho bamcaphukela.*
4 Kodwa uJesu wathi kubo: “Umphrofethi uhlonitshwa yonke indawo ngaphandle kwalapho adabuka khona lasezihlotsheni zakhe kanye lasemulini yangakibo.”
5 Yikho-ke kazange enze izimangaliso endaweni le ngaphandle kokwelapha lokubeka izandla abantu abalutshwana ababegula.
6 Waphelelwa sibili ebona ukuthi babengelakholo, njalo wahamba ebhoda isigaba ngesigaba efundisa.
7 Wasebiza abaliTshumi Lambili waqalisa ukubathuma ngababili futhi wabanika amandla phezu kwamadimoni.
8 Waphinda wabalaya wathi ekuhambeni kwabo bangathwali lutho ngaphandle kwezintonga zabo, bangathwali isinkwa lesikhwama sokudla futhi bangathwali imali* emabhantini abo,
9 kodwa wathi bagqoke amanyathela njalo bangagqoki izembatho ezimbili.*
10 Waqhubeka wathi kubo: “Loba yiwuphi umuzi elingena kuwo, hlalani kuwo lize lisuke kuleyondawo,
11 futhi nxa lingafika kuloba yiphi indawo bangalamukeli loba bangalilaleli, thintithani uthuli enyaweni zenu nxa selisuka ukuze kube yibufakazi kubo.”
12 Basuka-ke bayatshumayela betshela abantu ukuthi kumele baphenduke.
13 Bakhipha amadimoni amanengi, baphinda bagcoba ngamafutha abanengi ababegula futhi babasilisa.
14 INkosi uHerodi yasikuzwa lokhu ngoba ibizo likaJesu laselisaziwa yonke indawo, njalo abantu babesithi: “UJohane uMbhabhathizi usevusiwe kwabafileyo, yikho elamandla okwenza izimangaliso lezi.”
15 Kodwa abanye babesithi: “Ngu-Elija,” abanye bona besithi: “Ngumphrofethi onjengabaphrofethi bakudala.”
16 Lokhu kwafika endlebeni zikaHerodi, wasesithi: “UJohane engamquma ikhanda nguye lo osevusiwe.”
17 UHerodi lo nguye owayethumele ukuthi uJohane abotshwe, abesephoselwa ejele ebotshwe ngamaketane ngenxa kaHerodiya, umkaFiliphu umfowabo, ngoba wayesetshade laye.
18 Phela uJohane wayekade esithi kuHerodi: “Akukho emthethweni ukuthi wena uthathe umkamfowenu.”
19 Yikho uHerodiya wayebambele uJohane isikhwili futhi wayefuna ukumbulala, kodwa wayengenelisi.
20 Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi uHerodi wayemvikela uJohane njalo emesaba ngoba wayekwazi ukuthi wayeyindoda elungileyo futhi engcwele. Wayesithi angamuzwa ekhuluma, aswele lokuthi amenzeni. Lanxa kunjalo, wayeqhubeka ekholisa ukumlalela.
21 Kodwa uHerodiya wathola ithuba elihle lokwenza ayekuhlosile lapho uHerodi esenza idili lantambama ngelanga lakhe lokuzalwa. Wayebize izikhulu zakhe, lezinduna zamabutho kanye lamadoda aseGalile ayedume kakhulu.
22 Indodakazi kaHerodiya yangena yagida, yathokozisa iNkosi uHerodi lalabo eyayisidla labo.* Inkosi yasisithi entombazaneni le: “Cela loba kuyini okufunayo, ngizakunika.”
23 Yaze yafunga yathi kuyo: “Ungaze ucele loba kuyini ngizakupha, ngitsho lengxenye yombuso wami.”
24 Ngakho intombazana yaphuma yaya kunina yathi: “Ngiceleni?” Unina wathi: “Ikhanda likaJohane uMbhabhathizi.”
25 Yahle yahaluzela isiya enkosini yafika yacela isithi: “Ngifuna unginike ikhanda likaJohane uMbhabhathizi khathesi lisemganwini.”
26 Lanxa inkosi yezwa ubuhlungu kakhulu, kayizange ikwale okwakucelwe yintombazana ngoba yayifungile njalo kwakulezethekeli zayo.*
27 Yikho inkosi yahle yathuma umlindi yamtshela ukuthi abuye lekhanda likaJohane. Lakanye wahamba ejele, wafika wamquma ikhanda,
28 waseletha ikhanda lakhe lisemganwini. Walipha intombazana, yona yalinika unina.
29 Abafundi bakhe bathi bekuzwa lokhu beza bathatha isidumbu sakhe bayasibeka ethuneni.
30 Abaphostoli babuthanela uJesu bamlandisela zonke izinto ababezenzile lababezifundise abantu.
31 Yena wathi kubo: “Wozani lina lodwa siye endaweni engelabantu siyephumula kancane.” Phela kwakungasimuntu, abanye besuka abanye befika, njalo babengaselaso isikhathi sokuphumula badle.
32 Ngakho basuka ngesikepe, nampo besiya endaweni engelabantu ukuze babe bodwa.
33 Kodwa abantu bababona behamba futhi abanengi bakunanzelela lokhu, bagijima bonke ngenyawo bevela kuwo wonke amadolobho, babaqalela ukufika.
34 Wathi ephuma esikepeni wabona nanti ixuku elikhulu, walizwela usizi ngoba lalinjengezimvu ezingelamelusi, waseqalisa ukulifundisa izinto ezinengi.
35 Kwathi sekusemini yantambama abafundi bakhe beza kuye bathi: “Indawo le ikhatshana lemizi yabantu futhi lesikhathi sesihambile.
36 Batshele bahambe ukuze bayengena emizini lasezigabeni eziseduze bazithengele ukudla.”
37 Yena waphendula wathi: “Bapheni lina ukudla.” Basebesithi kuye: “Sisuke yini siyebathengela izinkwa ngabodenariyu abangu-200 sibaphe badle?”
38 Wathi kubo: “Lilezinkwa ezingaki? Hambani liyekhangela!” Sebevela khangela bathi: “Ezinhlanu, lenhlanzi ezimbili.”
39 Wasetshela abantu bonke ukuthi bahlale ngamaqembu etshanini obuluhlaza.
40 Bahlala-ke bengamaqembu, amanye elabantu abangu-100, amanye elabangu-50.
41 Wathatha izinkwa lezo ezinhlanu lenhlanzi ezimbili, wakhangela phezulu ezulwini wasethandaza.* Wasehlephuna izinkwa waqalisa ukuzinika abafundi bakhe ukuze baziphe abantu, wasebahlephunela lenhlanzi ezimbili ukuze bonke badle.
42 Ngakho bonke badla basutha,
43 njalo babutha iziqephu zagcwala amabhasikiti angu-12, babutha lenhlanzi ezazisele.
44 Abadla izinkwa lezo kwakungamadoda angu-5 000.
45 Ngemva kwalokho, wahle watshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi bangene esikepeni bahambe kuqala baye ekhunjini elingaphetsheya beqonde eBhethisayida, yena asale evalelisa ixuku labantu, abeselandela.
46 Kodwa wathi esevalelisane labo waya entabeni esiyathandaza.
47 Ntambama isikepe sasesiphakathi laphakathi kolwandle, yena elokhu eyedwa engakasuki emhlabathini.
48 Yikho wathi ebabona ngomlindo wesine wobusuku* besadalala ukugwedla njengoba umoya wawuphambana labo, wabalanda ehamba phezu kolwandle, kodwa kwakungathi uzabedlula.*
49 Bathi bembona ehamba phezu kolwandle baklabalala besithi: “Yinto bani le?”*
50 Bonke bambona bakhathazeka. Kodwa yena wahle wakhuluma labo wathi: “Wobani lesibindi! Yimi, lingesabi.”
51 Wasengena esikepeni ababekuso, umoya wathula. Bathi bekubona lokhu bamangala kakhulu
52 ngoba babengakazwisisi ukuthi isimangaliso sezinkwa sasibafundisani. Izinhliziyo zabo zazilokhu zibuthundu ekuzwisiseni.
53 Bathe sebechaphe ulwandle bafika eGenesaretha bamisa isikepe khonapho eduze.
54 Kodwa bathi bephuma nje esikepeni, abantu bamnanzelela.
55 Bagijima bagcwala sonke isabelo, beza lababegula bebathwele ngamathala,* bebasa lapho ababezwe ukuthi ukhona.
56 Wayesithi angafika esigabeni loba edolobheni kumbe emaphandleni, abantu balethe abagulayo emamakethe, bamncenge becela ukuthinta umphetho nje wesembatho sakhe sangaphandle. Bonke ababewuthinta babesila.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “bakhubeka ngenxa yakhe.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ithusi.”
^ Kumbe, “esinye isembatho.”
^ Kumbe, “eyayihlezi labo etafuleni.”
^ Kumbe, “kwakulababehlezi layo etafuleni.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “wasebusisa.”
^ Lesi yisikhathi esisukela kubo-3 ekuseni kusiya kubo-6 ekuphumeni kwelanga.
^ Kumbe, “wayesezabedlula.”
^ Kumbe, “Ngumbono!”
^ Ithala ngumbheda omncane wokuthwala umuntu ogulayo.
