Luka
7 Lapho eseqedile ukukhuluma kubantu, wangena eKapernawume.+ 2 Inceku yesikhulu esithile sebutho, eyayithandeka kuso, yayigula futhi isizoshona.+ 3 Lapho sizwa ngoJesu, sathumela kuye amadoda amadala amaJuda ukuba amcele eze asindise inceku yaso. 4 Khona-ke labo abeza kuJesu bamncengisisa, bethi: “Uyakufanelekela ukuba umenzele lokhu, 5 ngoba uyasithanda isizwe sakithi+ futhi yena ngokwakhe wasakhela isinagoge.” 6 Ngakho uJesu wahamba nabo. Kodwa lapho engasekude nendlu, isikhulu sebutho kakade sase sithumele abangane ukuba bathi kuye: “Mnumzane, ungazihluphi, ngoba angifaneleki ukuba ungene ngaphansi kophahla lwami.+ 7 Ngaleso sizathu angizicabangelanga njengokufanelekele ukuza kuwe. Kodwa yisho izwi, inceku yami ilulame. 8 Ngoba nami ngingumuntu obekwe ngaphansi kwegunya, nginamasosha angaphansi kwami, futhi ngithi kuleli, ‘Hamba!’ lihambe, nakwelinye ngithi, ‘Woza!’ lize, nasencekwini yami ngithi, ‘Yenza lokhu!’ ikwenze.”+ 9 Lapho uJesu ezwa lezi zinto wamangala ngaso, waphendukela esixukwini esasimlandela wathi: “Ngiyanitshela, Ngisho nakwa-Israyeli angilutholanga ukholo olukhulu kangaka.”+ 10 Lapho labo ababethunyiwe bebuyela endlini, bathola inceku iphile kahle.+
11 Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu waya emzini okuthiwa iNayini, abafundi bakhe nesixuku esikhulu babehamba naye. 12 Njengoba esondela eduze kwesango lomuzi, bheka! kwakuthwelwe umuntu ofile+ kuphunywa naye, indodana ezelwe yodwa+ kunina. Ngaphandle kwalokho, wayengumfelokazi. Isixuku esikhulu esivela emzini naso sasinaye. 13 Lapho iNkosi imbona, yamhawukela,+ yathi kuye: “Yeka ukukhala.”+ 14 Ngemva kwalokho yasondela yathinta uhlaka, ababeluthwele bema, yathi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe, Vuka!”+ 15 Lo muntu ofile wavuka wahlala futhi waqala ukukhuluma, yamnika unina.+ 16 Manje bonke bagajwa ukwesaba,+ bakhazimulisa uNkulunkulu, bethi: “Kuvezwe umprofethi+ omkhulu phakathi kwethu,” bethi futhi, “UNkulunkulu ubanakile abantu bakhe.”+ 17 Lezi zindaba eziphathelene nayo zasakazekela kulo lonke elaseJudiya nakuyo yonke indawo.
18 Abafundi bakaJohane bambikela zonke lezi zinto.+ 19 Ngakho uJohane wabiza ababili kubafundi bakhe wabathumela eNkosini ukuba bathi: “Ingabe wena unguYe Ozayo noma kumelwe silindele omunye?”+ 20 Lapho efika kuyo la madoda athi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi usithumé kuwe ukuba sithi, ‘Ingabe unguYe Ozayo noma kufanele silindele omunye?’” 21 Ngalelo hora yelapha ukugula okuningi+ nezifo ezimbi nemimoya emibi, futhi yapha izimpumputhe eziningi umusa wokubona. 22 Ngakho iphendula yathi kulaba ababili: “Hambani+ nibikele uJohane lokho enikubonile nenikuzwile: izimpumputhe+ ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa nezithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu batshelwa+ izindaba ezinhle.+ 23 Uyajabula ongakhubekanga ngami.”+
24 Lapho izithunywa zikaJohane sezihambile, yaqala ukuthi ezixukwini ngokuphathelene noJohane: “Yini enaphumela ukuyoyibona ehlane? Umhlanga unyakaziswa umoya?+ 25 Khona-ke, yini enaphumela ukuyoyibona? Umuntu ogqoké izingubo zangaphandle ezintofontofo?+ Phela, abagqoké izingubo eziwubukhazikhazi futhi bephila ngokunethezeka basezindlini zobukhosi.+ 26 Khona-ke, yini ngempela enaphumela ukuyoyibona? Umprofethi?+ Yebo, ngiyanitshela, futhi ongaphezulu kakhulu komprofethi.+ 27 Lona nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi, ‘Bheka! Ngithuma isithunywa sami phambi kwakho,+ esizolungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’+ 28 Ngiyanitshela, Phakathi kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akekho noyedwa omkhulu+ kunoJohane; kodwa omncane kunabanye embusweni kaNkulunkulu mkhulu kunaye.”+ 29 (Futhi bonke abantu nabathelisi, lapho bezwa lokhu, bathi uNkulunkulu ulungile,+ njengoba babebhapathizwe ngobhapathizo lukaJohane.+ 30 Kodwa abaFarisi nalabo ababeyizazi zoMthetho abayinakanga injongo+ kaNkulunkulu kubo, njengoba babengabhapathizwanga nguye.)
31 “Ngakho-ke, ngingabaqhathanisa nobani abantu balesi sizukulwane, futhi bafana nobani?+ 32 Bafana nabantwana abahlezi esigcawini bememezana, bethi, ‘Sinibethelé umtshingo, kodwa anidansanga; sibangalasile, kodwa anikhalanga.’+ 33 Ngokufanayo, uJohane uMbhapathizi uze engadli sinkwa futhi engaphuzi wayini, kodwa nathi, ‘Unedemoni.’+ 34 INdodana yomuntu yona ize idla futhi iphuza, kodwa nithi, ‘Bhekani! Umuntu ominzayo nothanda ukuphuza iwayini, umngane wabathelisi nezoni!’+ 35 Noma kunjalo, ukuhlakanipha+ kubonakaliswa kulungile yibo bonke abantwana bako.”+
36 Manje othile kubaFarisi wayicela ukuba idle naye. Ngakho yangena endlini+ yalo mFarisi futhi yahlala etafuleni. 37 Bheka! owesifazane owaziwayo emzini ukuthi uyisoni wezwa ukuthi yayihlezi ekudleni endlini yomFarisi, weza nomfuma we-alabhaste+ wamafutha anamakha, 38 ehlala ngemuva ezinyaweni zayo, wakhala, waqala ukumanzisa izinyawo zayo ngezinyembezi zakhe ezisula ngezinwele zekhanda lakhe. Wanga izinyawo zayo wazigcoba ngamafutha anamakha. 39 Lapho lo mFarisi owayeyimemile ekubona lokhu wathi ngaphakathi kuye: “Lo muntu, ukube ubengumprofethi,+ ngabe uyazi ukuthi lona wesifazane omthintayo ungubani nokuthi uluhlobo luni, ukuthi uyisoni.”+ 40 Kodwa uJesu ephendula wathi kuye: “Simoni, nginokuthile engifuna ukukusho kuwe.” Wathi: “Mfundisi, kusho!”
41 “Amadoda amabili ayekweleta umbolekisi othile; enye yayikweleta odenariyu abangamakhulu amahlanu,+ enye abangamashumi amahlanu. 42 Lapho engenalutho ayengakhokha ngalo, wawathethelela ngokukhululekile+ womabili. Ngakho-ke, iyiphi kuwo eyomthanda kakhulu?” 43 USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngicabanga ukuthi yileyo ayithethelele okuningi ngokukhululekile.” Wathi kuye: “Wahlulele kahle.” 44 Ngemva kwalokho waphendukela kowesifazane, wathi kuSimoni: “Uyambona lona wesifazane? Ngingene endlini yakho; awuzange unginike amanzi+ ezinyawo zami. Kodwa lona wesifazane umanzise izinyawo zami ngezinyembezi zakhe wazisula ngezinwele zakhe. 45 Awuzange ungange;+ kodwa lona wesifazane, kusukela ngehora engifike ngalo, akayekanga ukwanga izinyawo zami ngesisa. 46 Awuzange uligcobe ikhanda lami ngamafutha;+ kodwa lona wesifazane ugcobe izinyawo zami ngamafutha anamakha. 47 Ngenxa yalokhu, ngiyakutshela, izono zakhe, nakuba ziziningi, zithethelelwe,+ ngoba ethande kakhulu; kodwa lowo othethelelwa okuncane, uthanda kancane.” 48 Khona-ke wathi kowesifazane: “Izono zakho zithethelelwe.”+ 49 Labo ababehlezi naye etafuleni bathi ngaphakathi kubo: “Ungubani lo muntu oze athethelele ngisho nezono?”+ 50 Kodwa wathi kowesifazane: “Ukholo lwakho lukusindisile;+ hamba ngokuthula.”+