IVangeli Elabhalwa NguLukha
3 Ngomnyaka wesi-15 wokubusa kukaThibheriyu Khesari, ngesikhathi uPhontiyu Philathu engumbusi* weJudiya, uHerodi*+ engumbusi wesabelo* seGalile, lomfowabo uFiliphu engumbusi wesabelo se-Ithuriya leseTrakhonithi, uLisaniya yena engumbusi wesabelo se-Abhilene, 2 ngensuku zabaphristi abakhokhelayo u-Anasi loKhayifasi,+ ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika enkangala+ kuJohane+ indodana kaZakhariya.
3 Ngakho wahamba umango wonke weJodani etshumayela esithi abantu babhabhathizwe betshengisa ukuthi sebephendukile ukuze bathethelelwe izono,+ 4 njengoba nje kubhaliwe ebhukwini elilamazwi omphrofethi u-Isaya ukuthi: “Ilizwi lalowo omemeza esenkangala lithi: ‘Lungisani indlela kaJehova!* Yenzani imigwaqo yakhe iqonde.+ 5 Izigodi zonke kumele zigcwaliswe, kudilizwe zonke izintaba kanye lamaqaqa. Izindlela ezimazombezombe kumele ziqonde lezimibundubundu zibe zinhle. 6 Bonke abantu bazayibona insindiso kaNkulunkulu.’”*+
7 Wakhuluma lamaxuku ayesiza kuye ezobhabhathizwa wathi: “Lina bantwana bamabululu, ngubani olixwayisileyo ukuthi libalekele intukuthelo ezayo?+ 8 Thelani izithelo ezitshengisa ukuthi seliphendukile. Lingaqali ukuziyenga lisithi, ‘Ubaba wethu ngu-Abrahama,’ ngoba ngilitshela ukuthi uNkulunkulu angenza ukuthi amatshe la abe ngabantwana baka-Abrahama. 9 Ihloka selibekiwe empandeni zesihlahla. Loba yisiphi isihlahla esingatheli izithelo ezinhle sizaganyulwa siphoselwe emlilweni.”+
10 Abantu abanengi babembuza besithi: “Manje kumele senzeni?” 11 Yena wayebaphendula athi: “Umuntu olezembatho ezimbili kathathe esisodwa aphe ongelaso, lalowo olokudla kaphe ongelakho.”+ 12 Labathelisi bamlanda bezobhabhathizwa+ bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, thina kumele senzeni?” 13 Wabaphendula wathi: “Lingabhadalisi abantu umthelo owedlula lowo okumele bawubhadale.”+ 14 Amasotsha lawo ayembuza esithi: “Kumele senzeni?” Yena athi kuwo: “Lingahlukuluzi muntu* futhi lingethesi muntu icala angalenzanga,+ kodwa suthisekani ngelikuholayo.”
15 Njengoba abantu babelindele uKhristu, bonke babelokhu bezibuza ngoJohane besithi: “Kambe kungabe kunguye yini uKhristu?”+ 16 UJohane wathi kubo: “Mina ngilibhabhathiza ngamanzi kodwa olamandla kulami uyeza njalo akungifanelanga ukuthukulula intambo zamanyathela akhe.+ Yena uzalibhabhathiza ngomoya ongcwele langomlilo.+ 17 Ifotsholo yakhe yokwela isesandleni sakhe. Uzayenza ihlanzeke ngokupheleleyo indawo abhulela kuyo, abuthe ingqoloyi ayifake esiphaleni sakhe kodwa amakhoba awatshise ngomlilo ongacitshekiyo.”
18 Waphinda wabakhuthaza ngezindlela ezinengi, waqhubeka etshumayela izindaba ezinhle ebantwini. 19 UHerodi umbusi wesabelo wathi esekhuzwe nguJohane ngoHerodiya inkosikazi yomfowabo langazo zonke izinto ezimbi ayezenzile, 20 waphinda wenza enye into embi, wavalela uJohane ejele.+
21 Abantu bonke sebebhabhathiziwe, uJesu laye wabhabhathizwa.+ Wathi esathandaza izulu lavuleka,+ 22 umoya ongcwele wehlela phezu kwakhe unjengejuba, kwezwakala ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: “Wena uyiNdodana yami engiyithandayo, ngiyakwamukela.”+
23 UJesu+ wathi eqalisa umsebenzi wakhe wayeleminyaka engaba ngu-30.+ Abantu babesithi
uyindodana kaJosefa,+
indodana kaHeli,
24 indodana kaMathathi,
indodana kaLevi,
indodana kaMelikhi,
indodana kaJanayi,
indodana kaJosefa,
25 indodana kaMathathiya,
indodana ka-Amosi,
indodana kaNahume,
indodana ka-Esili,
indodana kaNagayi,
26 indodana kaMahathi,
indodana kaMathathiya,
indodana kaSemeyini,
indodana kaJosekhi,
indodana kaJoda,
27 indodana kaJohanani,
indodana kaResa,
indodana kaZerubhabheli,+
indodana kaSheyalithiyeli,+
indodana kaNeri,
28 indodana kaMelikhi,
indodana ka-Adi,
indodana kaKhosamu,
indodana ka-Elimadami,
indodana ka-Eri,
29 indodana kaJesu,
indodana ka-Eliyezeri,
indodana kaJorimu,
indodana kaMathathi,
indodana kaLevi,
30 indodana kaSimiyoni,
indodana kaJudasi,
indodana kaJosefa,
indodana kaJonami,
indodana ka-Eliyakhimu,
31 indodana kaMeleya,
indodana kaMena,
indodana kaMathatha,
indodana kaNathani,+
indodana kaDavida,+
indodana ka-Obhedi,+
indodana kaBhowazi,+
indodana kaSalimoni,+
indodana kaNashoni,+
33 indodana ka-Aminadabi,
indodana ka-Ani,
indodana kaHezironi,
indodana kaPherezi,+
indodana kaJuda,+
indodana ka-Isaka,+
indodana ka-Abrahama,+
indodana kaThera,+
indodana kaNahori,+
indodana kaRewu,+
indodana kaPhelegi+
indodana ka-Ebheri,+
indodana kaShela,+
36 indodana kaKhayinani,
indodana ka-Aphakhishadi,+
indodana kaShemu,+
indodana kaNowa,+
indodana kaLamekhi,+
indodana ka-Inokhi,
indodana kaJaredi,+
indodana kaMahalaleli,+
indodana kaKhayinani,+
indodana kaSethi,+
indodana ka-Adamu,+
indodana kaNkulunkulu.