1Yeke uPilatu wathatha uJesu wayala bona abethwe. 2Amajoni aluka isihlohlo sameva amthwesa sona; amembesa iphuraphura ebubende. 3Anande eza kuye athi: “Ngwenyama, kosi yamaJuda!” Amwahla.4UPilatu waphuma godu waya emaJudeni wathi: “Qalani, ngimkhuphela kini kobana nazi bonyana angisifumani isizathu sokumbeka umlandu.” 5Yeke uJesu waphuma, athwele isihlohlo sameva embethe nephuraphura ebubende. UPilatu wathi kibo: “Nangu-ke umuntu loyo!”
6Kwathi bona abaphristi abakhulu neenkhulu bambone, barhuwelela bathi: “Mbethele! Mbethele!”
UPilatu wathi kibo: “Mthatheni nina nimbethele ngombana mina angifumani umlandu kuye.”
7AmaJuda amphendula athi: “Sinomthetho thina, nje-ke ngokuya ngomthetho lowo, kufanele afe ngombana uthe uyiNdodana kaZimu.”
8Kuthe lokha uPilatu nakezwa lokhu, kwaba kukhona esaba khulu. 9Wabuyela godu ngesigodlweni, wabuza uJesu wathi: “Ubuyaphi na?”
Kodwana uJesu akhange amphendule. 10UPilatu wathi kuye: “Awufuni ukukhuluma nami na? Awazi bona nginamandla wokukuthukulula newokukubethela na?”
11UJesu waphendula wathi: “Bewungekhe waba namandla kimi nangabe bewungakawaphiwa avela phezulu. Yeke loyo onginikele kuwe unomlandu wesono esikhulu.”
12Ukusukela lapha, uPilatu walinga ukufumana indlela yokuthukulula uJesu, kodwana amaJuda arhuwelela athi: “Nawungamthukulula, kungatjho bona awusimngani wombusi omkhulu! Loyo ozitjhaya sakosi, urarana nombusi omkhulu!”
13Kuthe lokha uPilatu nakezwa amezwi la, wakhuphela uJesu ngaphandle, wahlala esihlalweni somgwebi endaweni okuthiwa yiGabatha ngesiHebheru. 14Bekulilanga lokulungiselela iPhasika, kusemini ekulu, uPilatu wathi emaJudeni: “Nasi ikosenu!”
15Barhuwelela bathi: “Msuse! Msuse! Mbethele esiphambanweni!”
UPilatu wababuza wathi: “Nifuna bona ngibethele ikosenu na?”
Abaphristi baphendula bathi: “Asinayo ikosi ngaphandle kombusi omkhulu!”
16Yeke wamnikela kibo bona abethelwe.
UJesu ubethelwa esiphambanweni
(Mt 27:32-44; Mk 15:21-32; Lk 23:26-43)
Bamthatha-ke uJesu bakhamba naye. 17Waphuma azitjathele isiphambano sakhe, waya endaweni ekuthiwa yiKhakhayi, (ebizwa ngesiHebheru bona yiGolgotha.) 18Lapho-ke bambethela khona anamadoda amanye amabili, enye ngesigomeni enye ngesinceleni, aphahla uJesu. 19UPilatu bekatlole isaziso, wasiphanyeka esiphambanweni. Sifundeka bunje: “UJesu weNazaretha, ikosi yamaJuda.” 20AmaJuda amanengi asifunda isazisweso ngombana indawo lapha uJesu abethelwa khona beyingasikude nedorobho. Isaziso besitlolwe ngesiHebheru, ngesiLathini nangesiGirigi. 21Abaphristi abakhulu bathi kuPilatu: “Ungatloli uthi, ‘Ikosi yamaJuda,’ kodwana uthi, ‘Uthe uyikosi yamaJuda.’ ”
22UPilatu waphendula wathi: “Lokho engikutlolileko ngikutlolile.”
23Sele amajoni abethele uJesu, athatha izambatho zakhe azahlukanisa izabelo ezine, omunye nomunye waba nesabelo kwasala iphuraphura. Iphuraphura leyo beyinganamthungo kodwana beyelukiwe kusuka ehla ukuya enzasi. 24Amajoni athi kelinye nelinye: “Asingayidabuli, kodwana asiyenzeleni ifumbe sibone bona ngubani ezakuba ngeyakhe.” Lokhu kwenzeka khona kuzazaliseka imitlolo ethi:
“Babelana iimpahla zami zokwembatha,
benzelana ifumbe ngesambatho sami.” Lokhu ngilokho amabutho akwenzileko.
25Hlanu kwesiphambano sakaJesu bekujame unina nodadwabo lakanina, uMariya umkaKlopasi noMariya Magdalina. 26Kwathi lokha uJesu nakabona unina nomfundi egade amthanda ajame hlanu komma loyo, wathi kunina: “Mma, naso indodanakho!”
27Godu wathi emfundini: “Nango ummakho.” Kusuka lapho umfundi loyo wamthatha wamusa emzinakhe.
Ukufa kwakaJesu
(Mt 27:45-56; Mk 15:33-41; Lk 23:44-49)
28Emva kwalokhu uJesu sele asazi bona koke sekuphethekile, nokobana kuzakuzaliseka umtlolo, wathi: “Ngomile.”
29Bekukhona isitja lapho sizele isibharha, nje-ke batjheba umtjhofotjhofana ngakiso, bawuhlomela elithini lehisophi, balisa emlonyenakhe. 30Kwathi bona uJesu amukele isibharha, wathi: “Sekuphethekile!”
Wakhothamisa ihloko, wafa.
31Bekulilanga lokulungiselela begodu nelanga elilandelako bekuzokuba liSabatha elikhethekileko. Nje-ke ngebanga lokobana amaJuda bekangafuni bona iindumbu ziliselelwe esiphambanweni ngeSabatha, abawa uPilatu bona abavumele bephule imilenze yamadoda abethelweko, behlise neendumbu zabo. 32Yeke amajoni eza, ephula imilenze yendoda yokuthoma neyesibili egade ibethelwe noJesu. 33Kodwana kwathi lokha nafika kuJesu, amfumana sele afile. Yeke azange asaphula imilenzakhe. 34Kunalokho omunye wamajoni wagwaza ihlangothi lakhe ngomkhonto, khonokho kwaphuma iingazi namanzi. 35Loyo owabona lokhu kusenzeka ufakazile, nobufakazi bakhe buliqiniso, begodu uyazi bona ufakaza iqiniso. 36Lokhu kwenzeka khona kuzakuzaliseka imitlolo ethi: “Alikho nalinye ithambo lakhe elizakwephulwa.” 37Kukhona omunye umtlolo othi: “Abantu bazamqala loyo abamgwazileko.”
Ukubulungwa kwakaJesu
(Mt 27:57-61; Mk 15:42-47; Lk 23:50-56)
38Ngemva kwalokho, uJosefa we-Arimathiya, ogade amlandeli kaJesu ngasese ngombana esaba amaJuda, wabawa isidumbu sakaJesu kuPilatu. UPilatu wamvumela, yeke uJosefa wakhamba wayokususa isidumbu. 39Bekaphekelelwa nguNikhodemusi, umuntu owakhe weza azokubona uJesu ebusuku. UNikhodemusi lo, gade eze aphethe amakhilogramu amatjhumi amathathu weenthako zamakha wemire nomarobazibukhali. 40Amadoda amabili la awuthatha umzimba kaJesu awuphuthela ngetjhila lelineni awuzesa ngamakha njengendlela yesiko lamaJuda lokungcwaba. 41Endaweni lapho uJesu bekabethelwe khona esiphambanweni bekukhona isimu; ngesiminapho bekukhona ithuna elitjha elingazange khelibulungele. 42Njengombana bekulilanga lokuzilungiselela kwamaJuda mayelana neSabatha, nethuna liseduze, bathuna umzimba kaJesu lapho.
