ULizwi waba mumuntu
1Ekuthomeni uLizwi bekakhona, uLizwi bekakuZimu, uLizwi bekanguZimu. 2BekakuZimu kusukela ekuthomeni. 3Koke kwavela ngaye. Akukho nokukodwa okwabunjwa ngaphandle kwakhe. 4Ukuphila bekukuye; ukuphila lokho kwaba kukhanya kwabantu. 5Ukukhanya kwakhanya ebumnyameni nobumnyama azange buhlule ukukhanya.
6Kwabakhona umuntu othunywe nguZimu, ibizo lakhe linguJwanisi. 7Weza kobana azokufakaza ngokukhanya, khona boke bazakukholwa ngaye. 8Yena bekangasikho ukukhanya, kodwana weza kobana azokufakaza ngokukhanya. 9Lowo bekumkhanyo wamambala, obuzakuza ephasinapha uzokukhanyisela woke umuntu.
10ULizwi bekakhona ephasini begodu iphasi ladalwa ngaye, kodwana iphasi azange khelimazi. 11Weza ephasini lekhabo, abantu bekhabo azange bamamukele. 12Kodwana boke abamamukelako bebakholwa ebizweni lakhe, wabapha ilungelo lokuba bantwana bakaZimu, 13iye, labo abangakabelethwa ngeengazi nangentando yenyama namkha yomuntu kodwana ngentando kaZimu.
14ULizwi waba yinyama, wakha phakathi kwethu azele umusa neqiniso. Sabona iphazimulwakhe, iphazimulo ayamukela kuYise njengeNdodanakhe eyodwa tere.
15UJwanisi wafakaza ngaye, arhuwelela athi: “Nguye lo ebengikhuluma ngaye ngisithi, ‘Loyo oza emva kwami mkhulu kunami ngombana yena gade akhona ngingakabikho.’ ”
16Ngokuzala kwakhe umusa saphiwa soke umusa phezu komusa. 17Umthetho weza ngoMosi, kodwana umusa neqiniso kweza ngoJesu Krestu. 18Akakho noyedwa owakhe wabona uZimu, ngaphandle kweNdodanakhe ebelethwe yodwa esesifubeni sakaYise, ngiyo kwaphela embonakalisileko.
Ubufakazi bakaJwanisi uMbhabhadisi
(Mt 3:1-12; Mk 1:1-8; Lk 3:1-18)
19Lobu bufakazi bakaJwanisi ngesikhathi amaJuda nakathumela abaphristi namaLevi basuka eJerusalema bambuza bathi: “Kanti wena ungubani?”
20Yena wavuma azange aphike, wakhuluma waphandlesela wathi: “Angisuye uKrestu mina.”
21Bambuza bathi: “Alo-ke ungubani na? Ungu-Eliya?”
Waphendula wathi: “Awa, angisuye.”
Bambuza godu bathi: “Umphorofidi na?”
Waphendula wathi: “Awa angisuye.”
22Bathi kuye: “Yeke sitjela bona ungubani. Kufanele sibuyisele ipendulo kilabo abasithumileko. Zitjho bona ungubani?”
23Yena wabaphendula njengombana kwatjho umphorofidi u-Isaya, wathi:
“Mina ngililizwi laloyo orhuwelelako
erhalawumbeni asithi,
‘Yenzani indlela yeKosi inqophe!’ ”
24Nje-ke abazenda ebegade bathunywe baFarisabo, 25bambuza bathi: “NawungasinguKrestu namkha u-Eliya nanyana umphorofidi, alo-ke ubhabhadiselani?”
26UJwanisi wabaphendula wathi: “Mina ngibhabhadisa ngamanzi, kodwana hlangana nani kujame eningamaziko, 27iye, oza emva kwami nengingakafaneli ukutjhaphulula umutjana wamapatlagwanakhe.”
28Koke lokhu kwenzeka eBhethaniya ngaphetjheya kweJordani, lapha uJwanisi gade abhabhadisa khona.
IMvana kaZimu
29Ngomuso uJwanisi wabona uJesu asiza kuye, wathi: “Qalani nasiya iMvana kaZimu, esusa isono sephasi! 30Nguye ebengikhuluma ngaye nangisithi, ‘Oza emva kwami, mkhulu kunami ngombana gade akhona ngingakabikho.’ 31Nami ngokwami azange khengimazi, kungalokho ngize kobana ngibhabhadise ngamanzi khona azakubonakaliswa kwa-Israyeli.”
32UJwanisi waveza ubufakazi wathi: “Ngibone uMoya ehla njengezuba avela ezulwini, wahlala phezu kwakhe. 33Nalapho azange ngazi bona nguye. Kodwana owangithuma bona ngibhabhadise ngamanzi, wathi kimi, ‘Loyo okuzakuthi nawubona uMoya ehla abe ahlale phezu kwakhe, nguye obhabhadisa ngoMoya oCwengileko.’
34“Ngalokho ngikubonile lokho begodu ngiyafakaza bona lo yiNdodana kaZimu.”
Abafundi bokuthoma bakaJesu
35Ngelanga elilandelako godu uJwanisi bekajame lapho nabafundi bakhe ababili; 36waqala wabona uJesu asekhambeni wathi: “Qalani, naso iMvana kaZimu!”
37Kwathi bona abafundi ababili bamuzwe atjho njalo, balandela uJesu. 38UJesu waphenduka, wababona bamlandela, wababuza wathi: “Nilila ngani?”
Bona bathi kuye: “Rabi,” (nakutjhugululwako kutjho bona Mfundisi) “uhlalaphi na?”
39Wabaphendula wathi: “Yizani nizokubona.” Besele lithambeme, yeke bakhamba naye bayokubona lapha ahlala khona, bahlala lapho naye imini yoke.
40Omunye wababilabo gade kungu-Andrisi, umfowabo lakaSimoni Pitrosi. 41Kokuthoma u-Andrisi wafumana umfowabo uSimoni, wamtjela wathi: “Simfumene uMesiya.” (Nakutjhugululwako kutjho uKrestu.) 42Yeke wathatha uSimoni wamusa kuJesu.
UJesu wamqala wathi kuye: “Ibizo lakho nguSimoni, umsa kaJwanisi, uzakubizwa bona unguKhefasi.” (Kuyafana nokuthi Pitrosi nakutjhugululwako.)
43Ngelanga elilandelako uJesu wazilungiselela ukuya eGalile. Wafumana uFlebhe wathi kuye: “Namba sikhambe!” 44UFlebhe bekungeweBhethe-Sayida edorobheni lekhabo laka-Andrisi noPitrosi. 45UFlebhe wafumana uNathaniyeli, wathi kuye: “Simfumene loyo uMosi atlole ngaye encwadini yomthetho, ngitjho nabaphorofidi abatlola ngaye. UnguJesu, indodana kaJosefa, weNazaretha.”
46UNathaniyeli wabuza wathi: “Kukhona okulungileko okungavela eNazaretha na?”
UFlebhe waphendula wathi: “Yiza uzokubona!”
47UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli asiza kuye, wakhuluma ngaye wathi: “Nangu umIsrayeli wamambala, onganamanga.”
48UNathaniyeli wambuza wathi: “Ungazelaphi na?”
UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Ngikubone ngaphambi kobana uFlebhe akubize usesengaphasi komuthi wamakhiwani.”
49UNathaniyeli wamphendula wathi: “Mfundisi, uyiNdodana kaZimu! UyiKosi yakwa-Israyeli!”
50UJesu wathi kuye: “Ukholwa ngombana ngithe kuwe ngikubone ngaphasi komuthi wamakhiwani na? Uzokubona okukhulu kunalokhu!” 51Wathi godu kibo: “Kwamambala ngiqinisile ngithi: Nizokubona izulu livuleka, iingilozi zakaZimu zehla zenyuka phezu kweNdodana yoMuntu.”
