UMakho 8:1-38
8 Ngalezonsuku kwaphinda kwabuthana abantu abanengi kakhulu, njalo babengelakudla. Ngakho wabiza abafundi wasesithi kubo:
2 “Ngibazwela usizi abantu laba ngoba sebehlale lami okwamalanga amathathu futhi kabalakudla.
3 Nxa ngingathi babuyele emakhaya belambile,* bangaphela amandla endleleni, njalo abanye babo bavela khatshana.”
4 Kodwa abafundi bakhe bamphendula bathi: “Kambe endaweni le ekhatshana lemizi kulomuntu ongathola izinkwa ezeneleyo ezingasuthisa abantu bonke laba?”
5 Sebetsho njalo, wababuza wathi: “Lilezinkwa ezingaki?” Bona bathi: “Eziyisikhombisa.”
6 Wasetshela ixuku ukuthi lihlale phansi. Wathatha izinkwa lezo eziyisikhombisa, wabonga uNkulunkulu, wazihlephuna wasezinika abafundi bakhe ukuthi baziphe abantu, abafundi babapha.
7 Babelenhlanzi ezincane ezilutshwana, futhi wathi esebonge uNkulunkulu, wabatshela ukuthi lazo baziphe abantu.
8 Yikho-ke badla basutha njalo babutha iziqephu ezazisele, bagcwalisa amabhasikiti amakhulu* ayisikhombisa.
9 Amadoda ayelapho ayengaba ngu-4 000. Ngemva kwalokho wathi abantu kabahambe.
10 Yena wahle wangena esikepeni labafundi bakhe, waya emangweni waseDalimanutha.
11 AbaFarisi basebemlanda bafika bathi kabatshengise isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini, befuna ukumlinga.
12 Ngakho wakhathazeka kakhulu emoyeni wakhe, wasesithi: “Kanti isizukulwane lesi sisifunelani isibonakaliso? Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, isizukulwane lesi kasisoze siphiwe isibonakaliso.”
13 Wasebatshiya khonapho, wangena futhi esikepeni, waya ngaphetsheya kolwandle.
14 Kodwa abafundi bakhohlwa ukuthatha izinkwa, basebehamba bengelakudla esikepeni ngaphandle kwesinkwa esisodwa.
15 Wabaxwayisa ebaqonqosela esithi: “Hlalani livule amehlo enu; liqaphele imvubelo yabaFarisi lemvubelo kaHerodi.”
16 Yikho baqalisa ukuphikisana ngokuthi babengelasinkwa.
17 Ebona lokhu wathi kubo: “Kungani liphikisana ngokuthi kalilasinkwa? Kanti lilokhu lingananzeleli futhi lingazwisisi na? Izinhliziyo zenu zilokhu zibuthundu ekuzwisiseni yini?
18 ‘Kungani lisehluleka ukubona lina lilamehlo, lisehluleka ukuzwa lina lilendlebe?’ Kalikhumbuli yini
19 ukuthi ngize ngihlephune izinkwa ezinhlanu ezaphiwa amadoda angu-5 000 labutha amabhasikiti amangaki ayegcwele iziqephu?” Bathi kuye: “Angu-12.”
20 “Ngesikhathi ngihlephunela amadoda angu-4 000 izinkwa eziyisikhombisa, iziqephu elizibuthileyo zigcwale amabhasikiti amakhulu* amangaki?” Bathi kuye: “Ayisikhombisa.”
21 Sebetsho njalo wathi kubo: “Lilokhu lingazwisisi na?”
22 Bafika bama eBhethisayida. Abantu basebeletha kuye indoda eyisiphofu, bamncenga ukuthi ayithinte.
23 Wasebamba isandla sendoda leyo eyisiphofu, waphuma layo ngaphandle kwedolobho. Esekhafulele emehlweni ayo, wabeka izandla zakhe phezu kwayo wayibuza wathi: “Kulolutho olubonayo yini?”
24 Indoda le yavusa amehlo, yathi: “Ngibona abantu, kodwa bakhanya angani yizihlahla ezihambahambayo.”
25 Waphinda wabeka izandla zakhe emehlweni endoda le, yasibona kuhle. Kwathi dlwe emehlweni ayo, njalo konke yayisikubona kucacile.
26 Wayitshela ukuthi ihambe ngekhaya, wasesithi: “Ungangeni edolobheni leli.”
27 UJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya ezigabeni zaseKhesariya Filiphi, njalo sebesendleleni waqalisa ukubabuza esithi: “Abantu bathi ngingubani?”
28 Bamphendula besithi: “Bathi unguJohane uMbhabhathizi, kodwa abanye bathi ungu-Elija, abanye bona bathi ungomunye wabaphrofethi.”
29 Wasebabuza wathi: “Kodwa lina lithi ngingubani?” UPhetro waphendula wathi: “UnguKhristu.”
30 Yena wasebaqonqosela ukuthi bangatsheli muntu ngaye.
31 Waseqalisa ukubafundisa ukuthi iNdodana yomuntu kumele yehlelwe zinhlupho ezinengi futhi ilahlwe ngabadala labaphristi abakhokhelayo kanye lababhali, ibulawe, ibisivuka ngemva kwamalanga amathathu.
32 Lokhu wakubeka kwacaca sibili, kodwa uPhetro wamdonsela eceleni wamkhuza.
33 Yena wasetshibilika wakhangela abafundi bakhe, wakhuza uPhetro esithi: “Yana emva kwami Sathane! ngoba kawucabangi imicabango kaNkulunkulu kodwa ucabanga eyabantu.”
34 Ngemva kwalokho wabiza ixuku kanye labafundi bakhe, wasesithi kubo: “Loba ngubani ofuna ukungilandela kazidele, athwale isigodo sakhe sokuhlutshwa,* aqhubeke engilandela,
35 ngoba loba ngubani ofuna ukusindisa ukuphila* kwakhe kuzamlahlekela, kodwa loba ngubani olahlekelwa yikuphila* kwakhe ngenxa yami langenxa yezindaba ezinhle uzakusindisa.
36 Kambe umuntu kuzamnceda ngani sibili ukuthi azuze umhlaba wonke abeselahlekelwa yikuphila kwakhe?*
37 Kuyini sibili umuntu angabhadala ngakho ukuze athole ukuphila kwakhe?*
38 Loba ngubani oba lenhloni ngami kumbe ngamazwi ami kulesisizukulwane esingathembekanga* njalo esonayo, iNdodana yomuntu layo izakuba lenhloni ngaye nxa isisiza isenkazimulweni kaYise ilezingilosi ezingcwele.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “bezile ukudla.”
^ Kumbe, “amabhasikiti okuthwala ukudla.”
^ Kumbe, “amabhasikiti okuthwala ukudla.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo.”
^ Kumbe, “ngumphefumulo.”
^ Kumbe, “ngumphefumulo wakhe.”
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo wakhe.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “esiphingayo.”
