ULukha 3 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Umsebenzi kaJohane uMbhaphathizi

¹ Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kukaKesari Tiberiyasi, uPontiyusi Pilatu engumbusi waseJudiya loHerodi engumbusi waseGalili, uFiliphu umfowabo engumbusi welizwe laseIturiya lelaseTrakoniti, loLisaniya engumbusi waseAbilene,

² ngesikhathi uAnasi engumpristi omkhulu langesikaKayafasi, ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuJohane indodana kaZekariya enkangala.

³ Weza elizweni lonke laseJordani etshumayela ubhaphathizo lokuphenduka ngokuthethelelwa kwezono,

⁴ njengokulotshiweyo encwadini yamazwi omprofethi uIsaya ukuthi: Ilizwi lomemezayo enkangala lithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, qondisani indledlana zayo.

⁵ Izigodi zonke zizakugqitshwa, amaqaqa wonke lezintaba zonke zizakwehliswa; kuqondiswe amazombezombe wonke, lamaxhakaxhaka wonke ezindlela azakulungiswa;

⁶ bonke abantu bazakubona ukusilisa kukaNkulunkulu.

⁷ Ngakhoke wathi emaxukwini ayelande ukubhaphathizwa nguye: Lina nzalo yezinyoka, ngubani olixwayise ukuba libalekele ulaka oluzayo na?

⁸ Thelani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka, lingaqali ukuthi phakathi kwenu: Silobaba uAbrahama. Ngoba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu ulamandla okuvezela uAbrahama abantwana kulamatshe.

⁹ Lakhathesi ihloka selibekiwe empandeni zezihlahla. Ngakho ileso lalesosihlahla esingatheli isithelo esihle siyaganyulwa, siphoselwe emlilweni.

¹⁰ Amaxuku ambuza athi: Pho, sizakwenzani na?

¹¹ Waphendula wathi kibo: Olengubo ezimbili kamuphe ongelayo; lolokudla kenze njalo.

¹² Kwafika labathelisi ukuba babhaphathizwe, bathi kuye: Mfundisi, sizakwenzani na?

¹³ Wathi kibo: Lingabizi lutho ngaphezu kwelikumiselweyo.

¹⁴ Lamabutho athi kuye: Thinake, sizakwenzani? Wathi kuwo: Lingamamuki muntu ulutho, lingadlelezeli; yaneliswani ngumvuzo wenu.

¹⁵ Njengoba abantu babesalindile, bezibuza enhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane ukuthi ingabe unguKristu yini,

¹⁶ uJohane waphendula, wathi kibo bonke: Mina ngilibhaphathiza ngamanzi, kodwa uyeza olamandla kulami engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wamanyathelo akhe; yena uzakulibhaphathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele langomlilo.

¹⁷ Ositsha sakhe sokwela sisesandleni sakhe; uzakuthanyela isibuya sakhe abuthele amabele esiphaleni sakhe; kodwa amakhoba uzakuwatshisa ngomlilo ongacimiyo.

¹⁸ Langokunye ukulaya okunengi watshumayela ivangeli ebantwini.

¹⁹ Kodwa uHerodi umbusi owayesolwe nguye ngoHerodiyasi umkafowabo langakho konke okubi ayekwenzile uHerodi,

²⁰ wengezelela lalokhu kokunye konke, wamvalela uJohane entolongweni.

Ukubhaphathizwa kukaJesu

²¹ Kwathi bebhaphathiziwe bonke abantu, laye uJesu esebhaphathiziwe, ekhuleka, izulu lavuleka,

²² uMoya oNgcwele elesimo sejuba wehlela phezu kwakhe; kwezwakala ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo; ngithokozile ngawe.

Izizukulwana zikaJesu

²³ Yena uJesu ekuqaliseni kwakhe umsebenzi wakhe wayengaba leminyaka engamatshumi amathathu, ngokunakana kwabantu eyindodana kaJosefa kaEli

²⁴ kaMathati kaLevi kaMeliki kaJanayi kaJosefa

²⁵ kaMatathiya kaAmosi kaNahume kaEseli kaNagayi

²⁶ kaMati kaMatathiya kaSemeyini kaJoseka kaJoda

²⁷ kaJohanani kaResa kaZerubabeli kaSalatiyeli kaNeri

²⁸ kaMeliki kaAdi kaKosamu kaElmadamu kaEri

²⁹ kaJoshuwa kaEliyezeri kaJorima kaMathati kaLevi

³⁰ kaSimeyoni kaJuda kaJosefa kaJonamu kaEliyakimi

³¹ kaMeleya kaMena kaMathata kaNathani kaDavida

³² kaJese kaObedi kaBowasi kaSala kaNashoni

³³ kaAminadaba kaAdamina kaArni kaHezironi kaPerezi kaJuda

³⁴ kaJakobe kaIsaka kaAbrahama kaTera kaNahori

³⁵ kaSerugi kaRewu kaPelegi kaEberi kaShela

³⁶ kaKayinani kaArpakishadi kaShemu kaNowa kaLameki

³⁷ kaMethusela kaEnoki kaJaredi kaMahalaleli kaKayinani

³⁸ kaEnosi kaSeti kaAdamu kaNkulunkulu.