Kubalisa UMateyu
3 Ngaloo mihla uYohane+ umBhaptizi weza kushumayela+ entlango kwelakwaYuda, 2 esithi: “Guqukani, kuba sele buza kufika uBukumkani bamazulu.”+ 3 Wayethetha ngaye ke umprofeti uIsaya+ xa wayesithi: “Nalo ilizwi livakala entlango lisithi: ‘Lungisani indlela kaYehova!* Susani yonke into ekuyo.’”+ 4 UYohane lo wayenxiba iimpahla ezenziwe ngoboya benkamela, efaka nebhanti lesikhumba.+ Ukutya kwakhe kwakuziintethe nobusi basendle.+ 5 Babesiya kuye bonke abantu bevela eYerusalem, kwelakwaYuda nakwiilali ezikufutshane neYordan,+ 6 ukuze ababhaptize* kuMlambo iYordan,+ bevuma nezono zabo phambi kwabantu.
7 Wathi uYohane akubona abaFarisi nabaSadusi+ abaninzi beze kubhaptizwa, wathi kubo: “Nzalandini yamarhamba,+ ngubani onilumkisileyo ukuba niyibaleke intshabalalo kaThixo ezayo?+ 8 Ngoko ke, yenzani izinto ezibonisa ukuba niguqukile. 9 Sanukufane nithi, ‘Utata wethu nguAbraham.’+ Kuba ndithi kuni, uThixo angamvelisela abantwana nakula matye uAbraham. 10 Izembe selikulungele ukuyigawula ezingcanjini imithi. Ngoko ke, yonke imithi engavelisi ziqhamo zihle iza kugawulwa ize iphoswe emlilweni.+ 11 Mna ndinibhaptiza ngamanzi kuba niguqukile,+ kodwa yena lowo uza emva kwam ungaphezu kwam, kangangokuba andifaneleki nokukhulula iimbadada ezi zakhe.+ Yena uza kunibhaptiza ngomoya oyingcwele+ nangomlilo.+ 12 Umhlakulo wakhe wokwela usesandleni sakhe, yaye uza kulicoca ngokupheleleyo ibala lakhe lokubhula, ayiqokelelele kuvimba ingqolowa yakhe, aze wona umququ awutshise ngomlilo+ ongacimekiyo.”
13 Emva koko uYesu weza eYordan evela eGalili, ezokubhaptizwa nguYohane.+ 14 Kodwa uYohane wazama ukumnqanda, esithi: “Indim nje ekufuneka ebhaptizwe nguwe, kutheni usiza kum?” 15 UYesu wamphendula wathi: “Vuma okwangoku, kuba kumele kwenzeke ngale ndlela ukuze senze ukuthanda kukaThixo.” Ngoko ke uYohane wamyeka. 16 Emva kokuba uYesu ebhaptiziwe, waphuma emanzini; amazulu avuleka,+ waza wabona umoya kaThixo usihla njengehobe phezu kwakhe.+ 17 Kwavakala ilizwi livela emazulwini+ lisithi: “Lo nguNyana wam+ endimthandayo, nondivuyisayo.”+