NgokukaLuka
7 Lapho eseqedile ukukhuluma nabantu, wangena eKapernawume. 2 Inceku yesikhulu esithile sebutho, eyayithandeka kuso, yayigula kakhulu futhi isizoshona. + 3 Lapho isikhulu sizwa ngoJesu, sathumela kuye amadoda amadala amaJuda ukuba amcele eze elaphe inceku yaso. 4 Beza 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 abangani ukuba bathi kuye: “Mnumzane, ungazihluphi, ngoba akungifanele ukuba ungene ngaphansi kophahla lwami. + 7 Yingakho ngingacabanganga ukuthi kungifanele ukuza kuwe. Kodwa yisho izwi, inceku yami ilulame. 8 Ngoba nami ngingumuntu ongaphansi kwegunya, nginamasosha angaphansi kwami, 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 saka. +
11 Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho waya edolobheni okuthiwa iNayini, abafundi bakhe nesixuku esikhulu babehamba naye. 12 Njengoba esondela eduze kwesango ledolobha, kwakunomuntu ofile owayethwelwe kuphunywa naye, indodana okuwukuphela kwayo* kunina. + Ngaphandle kwalokho, wayengumfelokazi. Isixuku esikhulu esivela edolobheni naso sasinaye. 13 Lapho iNkosi ibona lo mfelokazi, yamhawukela, + yathi kuye: “Yeka ukukhala.” + 14 Ngemva kwalokho yasondela yathinta uhlaka,* ababeluthwele bama. Yathi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe vuka!” + 15 Lo muntu ofile wavuka wahlala, waqala ukukhuluma, uJesu wamnika unina. + 16 Bonke bafikelwa 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 babuze bathi: “Ingabe wena unguYe Ozayo, + noma kumele silindele omunye?” 20 Lapho efika kuyo, la madoda athi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi usithume kuwe ukuba sibuze, ‘Ingabe wena unguYe Ozayo noma kumele silindele omunye?’ ” 21 Ngalelo hora yelapha abantu abaningi ekuguleni kwabo, + yelapha izifo ezimbi nemimoya emibi, yelapha nezimpumputhe eziningi ukuze zibone. 22 Yaphendula yathi kubo: “Hambani nibikele uJohane enikubonile nenikuzwile: Izimpumputhe seziyabona + nezinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanzwa nezithulu ziyezwa, + abafile bayavuswa futhi abampofu batshelwa izindaba ezinhle. + 23 Uyajabula ongasitholi isizathu sokukhubeka ngami.” +
24 Lapho izithunywa zikaJohane sezihambile, uJesu waqala ukukhuluma nezixuku ngokuphathelene noJohane, wathi: “Yini enaphumela ukuyoyibona ehlane? Umhlanga unyakaziswa umoya? + 25 Pho yini enaphumela ukuyibona? Umuntu ogqoke izingubo ezintofontofo? *+ Phela, abagqoke izingubo eziwubukhazikhazi nabaphila ngokunethezeka basezindlini zasebukhosini. 26 Yini-ke ngempela enaphumela ukuyoyibona? Umprofethi? Yebo, ngiyanitshela, ongaphezulu kakhulu komprofethi. + 27 Lona nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi: ‘Bheka! Ngithuma isithunywa sami ngaphambi kwakho, esizolungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’ + 28 Ngiyanitshela, phakathi kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akekho noyedwa omkhulu kunoJohane, kodwa omncane kunabanye eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu mkhulu kunaye.” + 29 (Lapho bonke abantu nabaqoqi bentela bezwa lokhu, bathi uNkulunkulu ulungile, ngoba babebhapathizwe ngobhapathizo lukaJohane. + 30 Kodwa abaFarisi nalabo ababeyizazi zoMthetho abasinakanga isiqondiso* sikaNkulunkulu kubo, + njengoba babengabhapathizwanga nguye.)
31 “Ngingabaqhathanisa nobani abantu balesi sizukulwane, bafana nobani? + 32 Bafana nabantwana abancane abahlezi emakethe bememezana, bethi: ‘Sinishayele umtshingo, kodwa anidansanga; salila kodwa anikhalanga.’ 33 Ngokufanayo, uJohane uMbhapathizi uze engadli sinkwa engaphuzi nawayini, + kodwa nathi: ‘Unedemoni.’ 34 INdodana yomuntu yona ize idla futhi iphuza, kodwa nithi: ‘Bhekani! Umuntu ominzayo nothanda ukuphuza iwayini, umngani wabaqoqi bentela nezoni!’ + 35 Noma kunjalo, ukuhlakanipha kubonakaliswa kulungile yibo bonke abantwana bako.” *+
36 Omunye wabaFarisi wayelokhu eyicela ukuba idle naye. Ngakho yangena endlini yalo mFarisi, yahlala etafuleni. 37 Owesifazane owaziwayo edolobheni ukuthi uyisoni wezwa ukuthi yayidla* endlini yomFarisi, weza nebhodlela le-alabhaste lamafutha anamakha. + 38 Waguqa ezinyaweni zayo, wakhala, waqala ukumanzisa izinyawo zayo ngezinyembezi zakhe, wazisula ngezinwele zekhanda lakhe. Waqabula izinyawo zayo wazigcoba ngamafutha anamakha. 39 Ebona lokhu, lo mFarisi owayeyimemile wathi ngaphakathi kuye: “Ukube lo muntu ubengumprofethi ngempela ubezokwazi ukuthi lona wesifazane omthintayo ungubani nokuthi uluhlobo luni lomuntu, ukuthi uyisoni.” + 40 Kodwa uJesu ephendula wathi kuye: “Simoni, kukhona engifuna ukukutshela kona.” Yena wathi: “Mfundisi, kusho!”
41 “Amadoda amabili ayekweleta umbolekisi othile; enye yayikweleta odenariyu* abangu-500, enye abangu-50. 42 Lapho engenalutho ayengakhokha ngalo, wawathethelela ngokukhululekile womabili. Ngakho-ke, iyiphi kuwo eyomthanda kakhulu?” 43 USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngicabanga ukuthi yilena ayithethelele okuningi.” 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 ungiqabule, kodwa lona wesifazane, kusukela ngehora engifike ngalo, akayekanga ukuqabula izinyawo zami. 46 Awuzange ulithele ikhanda lami ngamafutha, kodwa lona wesifazane uthele izinyawo zami ngamafutha anamakha. 47 Ngenxa yalokhu, ngiyakutshela, izono zakhe, nakuba ziziningi,* zithethelelwe, + ngoba ubonise uthando olukhulu. Kodwa lowo othethelelwa okuncane, ubonisa uthando oluncane.” 48 Wabe esethi kowesifazane: “Izono zakho zithethelelwe.” + 49 Labo ababehlezi naye etafuleni bakhuluma bodwa bathi: “Ungubani lo muntu oze athethelele ngisho nezono?” + 50 Kodwa wathi kowesifazane: “Ukholo lwakho lukusindisile; + hamba ngokuthula.”