NgokukaMathewu
11 Lapho uJesu eseqedile ukunika abafundi bakhe abangu-12 iziqondiso, wasuka lapho ukuze afundise futhi ashumayele kwamanye amadolobha. +
2 Kodwa uJohane, ezwe esejele + ngemisebenzi kaKristu, wathumela abafundi bakhe + 3 ukuba bambuze: “Ingabe wena unguYe Ozayo, noma kumele silindele omunye?” + 4 UJesu ephendula wathi kubo: “Hambani nibikele uJohane lokho enikuzwayo nenikubonayo: + 5 Izimpumputhe seziyabona + nezinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko + bayahlanzwa nezithulu ziyezwa, abafile bayavuswa futhi abampofu batshelwa izindaba ezinhle. + 6 Uyajabula ongasitholi isizathu sokukhubeka ngami.” +
7 Ngesikhathi laba behamba, uJesu waqala ukukhuluma nezixuku ngokuphathelene noJohane, wathi: “Yini enaphumela ukuyoyibona ehlane? + Umhlanga unyakaziswa umoya? + 8 Pho yini enaphumela ukuyibona? Umuntu ogqoke izingubo ezintofontofo?* Phela, abagqoke izingubo ezintofontofo basezindlini zamakhosi. 9 Khona-ke, naphumelani ngempela? Ukuyobona umprofethi? Yebo, ngiyanitshela, ongaphezulu kakhulu kunomprofethi. + 10 Lona nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi: ‘Bheka! Ngithuma isithunywa sami ngaphambi kwakho,* esizolungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho!’ + 11 Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, phakathi kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akuzange kuvele omkhulu kunoJohane uMbhapathizi kodwa omncane kunabanye eMbusweni wamazulu mkhulu kunaye. + 12 Kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJohane uMbhapathizi kuze kube manje, uMbuso wamazulu uwumgomo abantu abaphikelele kuwo, futhi labo abaphikelelayo bayawuthola. + 13 Ngoba bonke, abaProfethi noMthetho, baprofetha kwaze kwaba kuJohane; + 14 futhi uma nifuna ukukwamukela lokhu, yena ‘ungu-Eliya ozayo.’ + 15 Onezindlebe makalalele.
16 “Lesi sizukulwane ngizosifanisa nobani? + Sifana nabantwana abancane abahlezi ezigcawini abamemeza abadlala nabo, 17 bethi: ‘Sinishayele umtshingo kodwa anidansanga; salila kodwa anizange nibe lusizi.’* 18 Ngokufanayo, uJohane weza engadli futhi engaphuzi kodwa abantu bathi, ‘Unedemoni.’ 19 INdodana yomuntu ize idla futhi iphuza + kodwa abantu bathi, ‘Bhekani! Umuntu ominzayo nothanda ukuphuza iwayini, umngani wabaqoqi bentela nezoni.’ + Noma kunjalo, ukuhlakanipha kubonakaliswa kulungile yimisebenzi yako.” *+
20 Khona-ke waqala ukusola amadolobha okwakwenziwe kuwo eminingi yemisebenzi yakhe yamandla, ngoba abahlala kuwo bengazange baphenduke: 21 “Maye kuwe Khorazini! Maye kuwe Bhetsayida! ngoba ukube imisebenzi yamandla eyenziwe kini yayenziwe eThire naseSidoni, abahlala khona ngabe kudala baphenduka ngokugqoka indwangu yesaka nangokuhlala emlotheni. + 22 Kodwa ngithi kini, ngoSuku Lokwahlulela kuyoba nzima kakhulu kini kunaseThire naseSidoni. + 23 Nawe, Kapernawume, + ingabe mhlawumbe uyophakanyiselwa ezulwini? Uyokwehlela eThuneni; *+ ngoba ukube imisebenzi yamandla eyenziwe kuwe yayenziwe eSodoma, ngabe lisekhona nanamuhla. 24 Kodwa ngithi kuwe, ngoSuku Lokwahlulela kuyoba nzima kakhulu kuwe kunaseSodoma.” +
25 Ngaleso sikhathi uJesu wathi: “Ngikudumisa obala, Baba, Nkosi yezulu nomhlaba, ngoba uzifihlile lezi zinto kwabahlakaniphile nakongqondongqondo wazambulela izingane. + 26 Yebo, Baba, ngoba yilena indlela ofuna kube ngayo. 27 Zonke izinto uBaba uzinikeze mina, + futhi akekho oyazi ngokugcwele iNdodana ngaphandle kukaYise; + futhi akukho muntu omazi ngokugcwele uYise ngaphandle kweNdodana kanye nanoma ubani iNdodana ethanda ukumambula kuye. + 28 Wozani kimi, nina nonke enikhandlekayo nenisindwayo, ngizoninika amandla.* 29 Bekani ijoka lami phezu kwenu nifunde kimi, ngoba ngimnene futhi ngithobekile, *+ nizothola ukuqabuleka. 30 Ngoba ijoka lami ngelomusa* nomthwalo wami ulula.”