NgokukaLuka 3 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

Umsebenzi kaJohane uMbhapathizi. Ukubhapathizwa kukaJesu

¹ Kwathi ngomnyaka weshumi nanhlanu wokubusa kukaTiberiyu Kesari, uPontiyu Pilatu engumbusi waseJudiya, uHerode engumtetrarki* waseGalile, uFiliphu umfowabo engumtetrarki wezwe lase-Itureya nelaseTrakhoniti, uLisaniya engumtetrarki wase-Abilene,

² u-Anase engumpristi omkhulu noKayafase, kwafika izwi likaNkulunkulu kuJohane indodana kaZakariya ehlane.

³ Weza ezweni lonke laseJordani eshumayela umbhapathizo wokuphenduka, kube ngukuthethelelwa kwezono,

⁴ njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yamazwi ka-Isaya umprofethi ukuthi: “Izwi lomemezayo ehlane, lithi: ‘Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, nenze imikhondo yayo iqonde.

⁵ Izigodi zonke ziyakugqitshwa, zonke izintaba namagquma kuyakwehliswa; kuqonde izinsongansonga, nemigoxigoxi ibe yizindlela ezilelezekile;

⁶ inyama yonke izakubona insindiso kaNkulunkulu.’ ”

⁷ Ngakho-ke wathi ezixukwini ezaziphumela ukubhapathizwa nguye: “Nzalo yezinyoka, ubani onibonise ukubalekela intukuthelo ezayo na?

⁸ Ngakho vezani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka, ningaqali ukuthi phakathi kini: ‘Sinobaba u-Abrahama;’ ngokuba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu unamandla okumvusela u-Abrahama abantwana kulawa matshe.

⁹ Namanje izembe selibekiwe empandeni yemithi; ngakho yonke imithi engatheli isithelo esihle iyanqunywa, iphonswe emlilweni.”

¹⁰ Izixuku zambuza zathi: “Pho, sizakwenzani na?”

¹¹ Waphendula, wathi kubo: “Onezingubo ezimbili akamuphe ongenayo; naye onokudla enze njalo.”

¹² Kwafika nabathelisi ukuba babhapathizwe, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, sizakwenzani na?”

¹³ Wathi kubo: “Ningabizi lutho ngaphezu kwenikumiselweyo.”

¹⁴ Namabutho ambuza athi: “Thina-ke, sizakwenzani na?” Wathi kuwo: “Ningamuki muntu lutho ngendluzula, ningamxabheleli; yaneliswani yizinkokhelo zenu.”

¹⁵ Abantu besabhekile, bezindla bonke ezinhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane ukuthi ingabe unguKristu yini,

¹⁶ uJohane waphendula, wathi kubo bonke: “Mina kambe nginibhapathiza ngamanzi, kepha uyeza onamandla kunami engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wezicathulo zakhe; yena uzakunibhapathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele nangomlilo;

¹⁷ oqoma lakhe lokwela lisesandleni sakhe ukushanelisisa isibuya sakhe nokubuthela ukolweni enqolobaneni yakhe; kepha amakhoba uzakuwashisa ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.”

¹⁸ Nangokunye okuningi washumayela ivangeli kubantu, ebayala.

¹⁹ Kepha uHerode umtetrarki,* esolwa nguye ngenxa kaHerodiya umkamfowabo nangenxa yakho konke okubi abekwenzile uHerode,

²⁰ wenezela nalokhu kokunye konke, wamvalela uJohane etilongweni.

²¹ Kwathi bebhapathiziwe abantu bonke, naye uJesu esebhapathiziwe, ekhuleka, izulu lavuleka,

²² uMoya oNgcwele enesimo somzimba njengejuba wehlela phezu kwakhe; kwavela izwi ezulwini, lithi: “Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo; ngithokozile ngawe.”

Izizukulwane zikaJesu

²³ Yena uJesu, ukuqala kwakhe, wayeneminyaka engaba ngamashumi amathathu, eyindodana, njengokushiwoyo, kaJosefa ka-Eli

²⁴ kaMathati kaLevi kaMeliki kaJanayi kaJosefa

²⁵ kaMatathiya ka-Amose kaNahume ka-Eseli kaNagayi

²⁶ kaMati, kaMatathiya kaSemeyini kaJosefa kaJuda

²⁷ kaJohanani kaResa kaZorobabeli kaSalatiyeli kaNeri

²⁸ kaMeliki ka-Adi kaKosamu ka-Elimadamu ka-Eri

²⁹ kaJose ka-Eliyezeri kaJorimi kaMathati kaLevi

³⁰ kaSimeyoni kaJuda kaJosefa kaJonamu ka-Eliyakimi

³¹ kaMeleya kaMena kaMathata kaNathamu kaDavide

³² kaJesayi ka-Obede kaBowasi kaSala kaNasoni

³³ ka-Aminadaba ka-Adameyini ka-Arani ka-Esiromu kaFaresi kaJuda

³⁴ kaJakobe ka-Isaka ka-Abrahama kaThara kaNahori

³⁵ kaSeruki kaRagawu kaFaleki ka-Ebere kaSala

³⁶ kaKayinamu ka-Arfakisadi kaSemi kaNowa kaLameka

³⁷ kaMathusala ka-Enoke kaJarethi kaMaleleyeli kaKayinani

³⁸ ka-Enose kaSeti ka-Adamu kaNkulunkulu.