UMathewu

27 Kwathi sekusekuseni, bonke abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala besizwe bahlanganisa amakhanda ukuze babone ukuthi bangambulala njani uJesu. 2 Ngemva kokumbopha, bamqhuba bamusa kuPhilathu usibalukhulu.

3 UJudasi owayemthengisile uthe ebona ukuthi uJesu wayesegwetshelwe ukufa wazisola kakhulu, wasebuyisela inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30 kubaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala, 4 wathi: “Ngonile ngokuthengisa igazi elingelacala.” Bona bathi kuye: “Kulani lathi lokho? Zibonele ukuthi uzakwenzani!”* 5 Ngakho waphosela inhlamvu zesiliva ethempelini, wasuka lapho wayazibophela. 6 Kodwa abaphristi abakhokhelayo bathatha lezonhlamvu zesiliva bathi: “Akukho emthethweni ukuthi sizifake lapho okugcinwa khona iminikelo yethempeli ngoba ziyimali yegazi.” 7 Bathe sebeluhlafunile udaba lolu, bathatha imali le bathenga insimu yombumbi ukuze bangcwabele khona izihambi. 8 Yikho-ke insimu leyo ilokhu ibizwa ngokuthi yiNsimu Yegazi kuze kube lamuhla. 9 Lokhu kwagcwalisa amazwi akhulunywa kusetshenziswa umphrofethi uJeremiya athi: “Basebethatha inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30, imali okwathengiswa ngayo lowomuntu, leyo amanye amadodana ako-Israyeli avumelana ukuthi amthenge ngayo, 10 basebethenga ngayo insimu yombumbi, njengoba nje uJehova wayengilayile.”

11 UJesu uthe esemiswe phambi kukasibalukhulu, usibalukhulu wambuza wathi: “UyiNkosi yamaJuda yini?” UJesu waphendula wathi: “Njengoba nje usitsho.” 12 Kodwa abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala bathi sebemthonisisa kazange aphendule. 13 UPhilathu wasesithi kuye: “Kanti awuzizwa izinto lezi abakumangalela ngazo?” 14 Kodwa kazange amphendule ngitsho, usibalukhulu waze wasala ebambe owangaphansi.

15 Kwakungumkhuba kasibalukhulu ukuthi kungaba lomkhosi akhulule loba yisiphi isibotshwa ixuku eliyabe lifuna sikhululwe. 16 Ngalesosikhathi kwakubotshwe isigebenga sezigebenga esasithiwa nguBharabha. 17 Ngakho uPhilathu wathi exukwini elalibuthene: “Lifuna ngilikhululele bani, uBharabha kumbe uJesu lowo abamuthi nguKhristu?” 18 UPhilathu wayekwazi ukuthi babemlethe kuye ngenxa yokuthi babelomona, 19 njalo wathi esahlezi esihlalweni sokwahlulela, umkakhe wathumela umbiko kuye esithi: “Ungayingeni indaba yendoda le elungileyo ngoba ngiyiphuphile lamuhla futhi iphupho lelo lingihluphe kakhulu.” 20 Kodwa abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala batshotshozela amaxuku ukuthi acele ukuthi uBharabha akhululwe, uJesu abulawe. 21 Usibalukhulu wasesithi ebantwini: “Ngubani phakathi kwalaba ababili elifuna ngilikhululele yena?” Bathi: “NguBharabha.” 22 UPhilathu wathi kubo: “Manje ngenzeni ngoJesu lo abamuthi nguKhristu?” Bonke bathi: “Kabethelwe esigodweni!” 23 Wathi: “Ngenxa yani? Kuyini okubi akwenzileyo?” Lanxa kunjalo, bamemeza kakhulu besithi: “Kabethelwe esigodweni!”

 24 UPhilathu wabona ukuthi ayekuzama kwakungancedi ngalutho lokuthi kwasekusiba lesiphithiphithi, wasethatha amanzi wageza izandla zakhe phambi kwexuku esithi: “Mina kangilacala ngegazi lendoda le. Ziboneleni elingakwenza.” 25 Esetsho njalo bonke abantu bathi: “Igazi lakhe kalibe phezu kwethu laphezu kwabantwabethu.” 26 Ngakho wabakhululela uBharabha wasesithi uJesu kabhaxabulwe, abesethathwa ayebulawa ngokubethelwa esigodweni.

27 Amasotsha kasibalukhulu asethatha uJesu amusa esigodlweni sikasibalukhulu, abuthanisa kuye lonke ibutho. 28 Amkhipha impahla, asemembathisa ijazi elibomvu gebhu, 29 eluka umqhele wameva asewubeka ekhanda lakhe, ambambisa umhlanga ngesandla sakhe sokudla. Aguqa phambi kwakhe amenza inhlekisa esithi: “Sakubona,* wena Nkosi yamaJuda!” 30 Aphinda amkhafulela amthathela umhlanga amtshaya ngawo ekhanda. 31 Athi esemenze inhlekisa, amkhipha ijazi ayemembathise lona amgqokisa izembatho zakhe zangaphandle asemqhuba esiyambethela esigodweni.

32 Esephuma abona indoda yaseKhurene okuthiwa nguSimoni. Ayibamba ngenkani, ayithwalisa isigodo sakhe sokuhlutshwa.* 33 Afika endaweni okuthiwa yi-Goligotha, okutsho iNdawo Yokhakhayi, 34 asemnika iwayini elalihlanganiswe lomhluzi obabayo ukuthi alinathe; kodwa wathi eselinambithile wala ukulinatha. 35 Esembethele esigodweni, abelana izembatho zakhe zangaphandle ngenkatho,* 36 ahlala khonapho emlindile. 37 Afaka lebhakane ngaphezu kwekhanda lakhe, libhalwe lokho ayemangalelwa ngakho, ukuthi: “Lo NguJesu INkosi YamaJuda.”

38 Kwakulezigebenga ezimbili ezigodweni ezazimphahlile, esinye sikwesokudla, esinye kwesenxele. 39 Abantu ababedlula lapho babemthethisa, benyikinya amakhanda 40 besithi: “Wena owawusithi uzadiliza ithempeli ulakhe ngensuku ezintathu, zisindise phela! Nxa uyindodana kaNkulunkulu yehla esigodweni sokuhlutshwa!”* 41 Labaphristi abakhokhelayo, lababhali kanye labadala labo baqalisa ukumchothoza besithi: 42 “Abanye wabasindisa; kodwa yena kenelisi ukuzisindisa! Nxa eyiNkosi yako-Israyeli, kehle esigodweni sokuhlutshwa* sibone, khona sizamkholwa. 43 Uthembe uNkulunkulu; kamkhulule nxa kuyikuthi uyamthanda, ngoba wathi, ‘NgiyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.’” 44 Izigebenga ezazisezigodweni ezazimphahlile lazo zamthethisa.

45 Kwaba mnyama kuyo yonke indawo kusukela ngehola lesithupha* kwaze kwaba lihola lesitshiyagalolunye.* 46 Kwasekusithi khonapho ngehola lesitshiyagalolunye, uJesu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu esithi: “Eli, Eli, lama sabakithani?” okutsho ukuthi, “Nkulunkulu wami, Nkulunkulu wami, ungitshiyeleni na?” 47 Abanye ababemi khonapho bathi bekuzwa lokhu bathi: “Indoda le ibiza u-Elija.” 48 Masinyane nje, omunye wabo wagijima wayathatha isipontshi wasigxamuza phakathi kwewayini elimunyu wasihloma emhlangeni, wamnika ukuthi anathe. 49 Kodwa abanye bathi: “Myekele enjalo! Wothi sibone ukuthi u-Elija uzabuya yini azomsindisa.” 50 UJesu waphinda wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu, wasesifa.*

51 Ikhetheni lendawo engcwele* ladabuka kusukela phezulu kusiya phansi, laba zingxenye ezimbili, umhlaba wazamazama lamadwala aqhekezeka. 52 Amathuna avuleka, lezidumbu ezinengi zabangcwele abasebelele zaphuma, 53 zabonwa ngabantu abanengi. (Abantu ababevela emathuneni ngemva kokuvuswa kwakhe bangena edolobheni elingcwele.) 54 Kodwa umkhokheli webutho kanye lalabo ababelinde uJesu bathi sebebone izinto ezazisenzakala kanye lokuzamazama komhlaba, besaba kakhulu bathi: “Lo ubeyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu sibili.”

55 Kwakulabesifazana abanengi ababemele khatshana bebukele. Babephelekezele uJesu esuka eGalile ukuze bamncedise. 56 Abanye babo kwakunguMariya Magadalena, loMariya unina kaJose loJakhobe kanye lonina wamadodana kaZebhedi.

57 Kwathi sekusemini yantambama, kwafika enye indoda enothileyo yase-Arimathiya okuthiwa nguJosefa eyayisingumfundi kaJesu. 58 Indoda le yalanda uPhilathu yacela isidumbu sikaJesu. UPhilathu wasesithi kayisiphiwe. 59 UJosefa wathatha isidumbu leso wasigoqela ngelineni lohlonzi elihlanzekileyo, 60 wasesibeka ethuneni lakhe elitsha ayeligubhe edwaleni. Wathi esegiqele ilitshe elikhulu entubeni yethuna, wasuka wahamba. 61 Kodwa uMariya Magadalena lomunye uMariya baqhubeka behlezi phambi kwengcwaba.

62 Lokhu kwenzakala ngelanga lokulungiselela iSabatha. Ngelanga elilandelayo, abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi babuthana ndawonye kuPhilathu, 63 bathi: “Mnumzana, siyakhumbula ukuthi iqili leliyana lisaphila lake lathi, ‘Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu ngizavuswa.’ 64 Ngakho-ke wothi ingcwaba lilindwe kuze kube lusuku lwesithathu ukuze abafundi bakhe bangabuyi bazomntshontsha besebesithi ebantwini, ‘Uvusiwe kwabafileyo!’ Ubuqili lobu bungaba bubi kulobakuqala.” 65 UPhilathu wathi kubo: “Thathani abalindi liyelinda, lenze konke elikubona kufanele.” 66 Ngakho baya engcwabeni bafika balivala ngci ngelitshe elalilapho, basebefaka abalindi.