UMathewu 11:1-30
11 UJesu wathi eseqedile ukupha abafundi bakhe abangu-12 imilayo, wasuka lapho waya kwamanye amadolobho ukuze ayefundisa futhi atshumayele kuwo.
2 Kodwa ngesikhathi uJohane esejele, wezwa ngemisebenzi kaKhristu, wasethuma abafundi bakhe
3 ukuthi bayembuza bathi: “UNguye Ozayo yini, kumbe kufanele silindele omunye?”
4 UJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Hambani liyetshela uJohane lokho elikubonayo lelikuzwayo:
5 Iziphofu sezibona, izigoga sezihamba, abalobulephero bayahlanjululwa, izacuthe sezisizwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, futhi abayanga batshelwa izindaba ezinhle.
6 Uyathokoza lowo ongatholi isizatho sokukhubeka ngami.”
7 Abafundi bakaJohane bathe sebesukile, uJesu waqalisa ukukhuluma lamaxuku ngoJohane, esithi: “Lasuka lisiyabonani enkangala? Umhlanga ophetshulwa ngumoya?
8 Pho laphuma lisiyabonani? Indoda egqoke izembatho ezibutshelezi?* Phela abagqoka izembatho ezibutshelezi basezindlini zamakhosi.
9 Manje laphumelani? Lalisiyabona umphrofethi yini? Ye, ungumphrofethi sibili futhi uqakatheke kulabo bonke abaphrofethi.
10 Lo nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi: ‘Ngithuma isithunywa sami wena ungakafiki,* sona sizalungisa indlela yakho wena ungakafiki!’
11 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, kwabazelwe ngabesifazana, akukaveli loyedwa omkhulu kuloJohane uMbhabhathizi, kodwa omncane eMbusweni wamazulu mkhulu kulaye.
12 Kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJohane uMbhabhathizi kuze kube khathesi, abantu bebezama ngamandla wonke ukuthola uMbuso wamazulu, futhi labo abaphikelelayo bayawuthola.
13 Phela bonke abaPhrofethi kanye loMthetho baphrofetha kwaze kwafika uJohane,
14 njalo nxa lizimisele ukukwamukela, lo nguye ‘u-Elija ozayo.’
15 Olendlebe kalalele.
16 “Isizukulwane lesi ngizasifanisa lobani? Sifanana labantwana abancane abahlezi emamakethe, abamemeza abadlala labo
17 besithi: ‘Silitshayele umqangala* kodwa kalizange ligide; sakhala kodwa kalizange litshaye izifuba zenu lilila.’
18 LoJohane weza engadli futhi enganathi, kodwa abantu bathi, ‘Uledimoni.’
19 INdodana yomuntu yona yeza isidla njalo inatha, kodwa abantu bathi, ‘Khangelani! Indoda eyisihwaba, ephilela ukunatha iwayini futhi engumngane wabathelisi lezoni.’ Lanxa kunjalo, ukuhlakanipha kukhanya ngemisebenzi yakho* ukuthi kulungile.”
20 Waseqalisa ukusola amadolobho ayefike wenza khona izimangaliso zakhe ezinengi, ngoba abantu balapho babengaphendukanga. Wathi:
21 “Maye kuwe Khorazini! Maye kuwe Bhethisayida! ngoba aluba izimangaliso ezenzakala kini zazenzakale eThire kanye laseSidoni, ngabe abantu balapho kudala baphenduka, bembethe izembatho zamasaka futhi behlezi emlotheni.
22 Kodwa ngithi kini, okuzakwehlela iThire leSidoni ngoSuku Lokwahlulela kuzabe kungcono kakhulu kulalokho okuzalehlela.
23 Lawe Khaphenawume, uzaphakanyiselwa ezulwini yini? Hatshi! Uzakwehlela eNgcwabeni* ngoba aluba izimangaliso ezenzakala kuwe zazenzakale eSodoma, ngabe ilokhu ikhona kuze kube lamuhla.
24 Kodwa ngithi kuwe, okuzakwehlela indawo yaseSodoma ngoSuku Lokwahlulela kuzabe kungcono kakhulu kulalokho okuzakwehlela.”
25 Ngalesosikhathi uJesu wathi: “Ngikudumisa phambi kwabo bonke Baba, Nkosi yezulu lomhlaba, ngoba izinto lezi uzifihlele abahlakaniphileyo labafundileyo, waziveza ebantwaneni abancane.
26 O! Baba, le yiyo kanye indlela owayamukelayo.
27 UBaba usengiphe zonke izinto, njalo kakho oyazi ngokugcweleyo iNdodana ngaphandle kukaBaba; futhi kakho omazi ngokugcweleyo uBaba ngaphandle kweNdodana, kanye lalowo iNdodana efuna ukumveza kuye.
28 Wozani kimi lina lonke elikhatheleyo lelisindwayo, ngizaliphumuza.*
29 Thwalani ijogwe lami lifunde kimi ngoba ngimnene futhi ngithobekile enhliziyweni. Lingenza njalo lizathola ukuphumula
30 ngoba ijogwe lami lilula, lomthwalo wami kawusindi.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “zohlonzi.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “phambi kobuso bakho.”
^ Kumbe, “ifluthu.”
^ Kumbe, “ngempumela yakho.”
^ Kumbe, “eHayidesi.” Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “ngizalivuselela.”
