UMATEWU 27

₁Kwathi ekuseni ngamasa boke abaphristi abakhulu nabaphathi babantu bathatha iqunto lokubulala uJesu. ₂Bambopha, bamraga bamusa kuPilatu, umbusi.

₃Lokha uJudasi omkhapheleko nabona bonyana uJesu ugwetjelwe ukufa, wazisola kabuhlungu, wabuyisela iimpaparwana ezimatjhumi amathathu zesiliva kubaphristi abakhulu kanye nabaphathi. ₄Wathi: “Ngonile ngokukhaphela iingazi ezinganamlandu.”

Bamphendula bathi: “Kusitjhisa ngani-ke thina lokho? Ziimbonwa nguwe lezo.”

₅Yeke uJudasi wafuthela imali leyo ngethempelini, waphuma. Wasuka lapho wayoziphanyeka.

₆Abaphristi abakhulu badobha iimpaparwanezo bathi: “Kukuphikisana nomthetho ukufaka imali le emnikelweni wethempeli ngombana kuyimali yeengazi.” ₇Yeke baqunta ukusebenzisa imali leyo ukuthenga isimu yombumbi kobana ibe yindawo yokubulungela imiqhamuka. ₈Ngikho indawo leyo nanamhlanjesi ibizwa bonyana: “YiNdawo yeeNgazi.”

₉Yeke kwazaliseka okwakhulunywa mphorofidi uJoromiya nasithi: “Bathatha iimpaparwana ezimatjhumi amathathu zesiliva, okulinani abantu bakwa-Israyeli abavumelana ukumhlawulela ngalo, ₁₀bazisebenzisa ukuthenga isimu yombumbi, njengombana uSomnini bekangiyalile.”

₁₁UJesu wajama phambi kombusi, umbusi loyo wambuza wathi: “Uyikosi yamaJuda na?”

UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Iye, kunjengombana usitjho.” ₁₂Kodwana lokha nasolwa baphristi abakhulu nabaphathi, azange aphendule.

₁₃Yeke uPilatu wambuza wathi: “Awubuzwa ubufakazi abajamelana nawe ngabo na?”

₁₄Kodwana uJesu azange aphendule. Okwarara umbusi kukobana azange aziphendulele ngitjho nakowodwa umlandu athweswa wona.

₁₅Yeke gade kusiqhelo kobana umbusi athi njalo ngomnyanya athukulule isibotjhwa esikhethwa siqubuthu. ₁₆Ngesikhatheso bekunesibotjhwa esidumileko ibizo laso linguBharabhasi. ₁₇Kwathi bona isiqubuthu sibuthane, uPilatu wasibuza wathi: “Ngisiphi enifuna bona nginithukululele sona na? UBharabhasi namkha uJesu, okuthiwa nguKrestu na?” ₁₈Begade asazi bona kungebanga lomona ukobana banikele uJesu kuye.

₁₉Kwathi uPilatu asahlezi esihlalweni sokugweba, umkakhe wamthumela umlayezo othi: “Ungabi nesandla endabeni yomuntu omsulwa loyo ngombana ngihlukumezeke khulu ebhudangweni ngaye.”

₂₀Abaphristi abakhulu nabaphathi batjitjizela isiqubuthu kobana sikhethe uBharabhasi bese kubulawe uJesu. ₂₁Umbusi wabuza wathi: “Nifuna ngithukulule muphi phakathi kwababilaba na?”

Baphendula bathi: “UBharabhasi!”

₂₂Yeke uPilatu wabuza wathi: “Alo-ke nithi ngenzeni ngoJesu okuthiwa nguKrestu lo na?”

Boke baphendula bathi: “Mbethele esiphambanweni!”

₂₃UPilatu wabuza wathi: “Kubayini na? Mlandu bani awenzileko na?”

Kodwana barhuwelela khulu bathi: “Mbethele esiphambanweni!”

₂₄Kwathi uPilatu nabona bonyana akayindawo nabo, kodwana esikhundleni salokho bathoma ukuguruzela, wathatha amanzi wahlamba izandla zakhe phambi kwesiqubuthu, wathi: “Ngimsulwa ekuthululweni kweengazi zomuntu lo. Sekuziimbonwa ngini!”

₂₅Boke abantu baphendula bathi: “Iingazi zakhe azibe phezu kwethu nesizukulwana sethu!”

₂₆Yeke wabathukululela uBharabhasi. Kodwana wathi uJesu arithwe, bewanikela ngaye bona abethelwe esiphambanweni.

₂₇Yeke amajoni wombusi athatha uJesu amusa ngesirhodlweni sombusi; soke isiqhema samajoni sambungelela. ₂₈Amhlubulisa, amembesa ingubo ebomvu. ₂₉Eluka isihlohlo sameva amthwesa sona. Amphathisa umgaba ngesandleni sakhe sesidla; aguqa ngaphambi kwakhe abukisa ngaye athi: “Bayede, kosi yamaJuda!” ₃₀Amkhafulela, athatha umgaba ambetha ngawo kanenginengi ehloko. ₃₁Emva kobana abukise ngaye, amhlubulisa ingubo, amembathisa izambatho zakhe. Asuka lapho amraga ayombethela esiphambanweni.

₃₂Kwathi nabaphumako, bahlangana nendoda yeSirene ebekuthiwa nguSimoni, amajoni amkatelela bona athwale isiphambano sakaJesu. ₃₃Bafika endaweni ekuthiwa yiGolgotha, okutjho iKhakhayi. ₃₄Lapho amajoni anikela uJesu iwayini ebeyivangwe nenyongo kobana asele; kodwana kuthe bona ayizwe, wala ukuyisela.

₃₅Kwathi bona ambethele esiphambanweni, ahlukaniselana izambatho zakhe ngefumbe ukuze kuzaliseke ilizwi elakhulunywa baphorofidi nabathi, “Bahlukaniselana izambatho zami bebenza ifumbe ngazo.” ₃₆Ngemva kwalokho ahlala phasi ambukela. ₃₇Ngehla kwehlokwakhe abeka umtlolo womlandu abamethwesa wona othi: “Lo nguJesu ikosi yamaJuda.” ₃₈Wabethelwa kanye namasela amabili, elinye lingesidleni, elinye lingesinceleni.

₃₉Abantu ebebadlula lapho bebamhlambalaza, bathintithe iinhloko, ₄₀bathi: “Wena ozokugiriza ithempeli bese ulakha ngobutjha ngamalanga amathathu, zisindise-ke! Yehla esiphambanwenapho nakube uyiNdodana kaZimu!”

₄₁Ngokunjalo, abaphristi abakhulu, abafundisi bomthetho nabaphathi babukisa ngaye, ₄₂bathi: “Wasindisa abanye, kodwana yena akakwazi ukuzisindisa! Uyikosi yakwa-Israyeli! Akehle khona nje esiphambanweni, yeke sizamkholwa! ₄₃Angithi wethembe uZimu. UZimu akamsize khona nje nakube uyamfuna ngombana bekaseze asithi, ‘NgiyiNdodana kaZimu!’ ”

₄₄Ngitjho namasela ebekabethelwe nawo adindela iinhlamba phezu kwakhe.

₄₅Kusukela ngesimbi yetjhumi nambili bekube ngesimbi yesithathu ubumnyama bembatha inarha yoke. ₄₆Kwathi ngesimbi yesithathu uJesu warhuwelela ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Eli, Eli, lama sabarhthani?” Okutjho bona: “Zimami, Zimami, ungitjhiyeleni na?”

₄₇Kwathi lokha abanye balabo ebebajame lapho nabezwa lokho bathi: “Ubiza u-Eliya!” ₄₈Khonokho omunye wabo wagijima wathatha umfotjhofotjho, wawenya ngaphakathi kweviniga, wawuhloma emhlangeni, wawuphakamisela kuJesu kobana asele.

₄₉Abanye bathi, “Jama wena! Akhesibone bona u-Eliya wakhe loyo uzakuza azomsindisa na?”

₅₀Godu uJesu warhuwelela ngelizwi elikhulu, wanikela umphefumulwakhe.

₅₁Khonokho irharideni lethempeli latlebhuka phakathi, ukuthoma phezulu ukuya phasi. Iphasi lasikinyeka, kwaphadlhuka amadwala. ₅₂Amathuna avuleka, iindumbu zabantu abanengi abacwengileko ebebahlongakele bavuswa baphila godu. ₅₃Baphuma ngemathuneni, kwathi ngemva kobana uJesu avukile ekufeni, baya ngedorobheni elicwengileko, bazibonakalisa ebantwini abanengi.

₅₄Kwathi lokha umphathimabutho nalabo ebebanaye ebebaqaphe uJesu nababona ukusikinyeka kwephasi nakho koke okwenzakeleko, besaba bebathi: “Kwamambala bekayiNdodana kaZimu!”

₅₅Bekukhona abafazi abanengi lapho, bajame kudanyana baqalile. Bebalokhu balandele uJesu ukusukela eGalile kobana bamsize. ₅₆Hlangana nabo bekukhona uMariya Magdalina, uMariya unina kaJakopo noJosefa kanye nonina lamadodana kaZebediya.

₅₇Kwathi nakuhlwako, kwafika isigwili somuntu sivela e-Arimathiya, ibizo laso linguJosefa, naye egade amfundi kaJesu. ₅₈Waya kuPilatu wayokubawa isidumbu sakaJesu, nje-ke uPilatu wayala bonyana anikelwe sona. ₅₉UJosefa wasithatha, wasiphuthela ngetjhila elihlanzekileko, ₆₀wasifaka ngethuneni lakhe elitjha aligobhodlha edwaleni. Wageda ilitje elikhulu wavala ngalo umnyango wethuna wakhamba. ₆₁UMariya Magdalina nomunye uMariya gade bahlezi lapho malungana nethuna.

₆₂Ngelanga elilandelako, ebekuliSabatha, abaphristi abakhulu nabaFarisi bahlangana kuPilatu, ₆₃bathi kuye: “Kosi, siyakhumbula bona umkhohlisi loya nasaphilako wathi, ‘Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu ngizakuvuka.’ ₆₄Yeke, khupha umyalo bonyana ithuneli liyokulindwa kufikela elangeni lesithathu. Nakungasinjalo, abafundi bakhe bangahle beze bazokweba isidumbu sakhe, bese batjela abantu bona uvukile ekufeni. Amala wokugcina la azakudlula waphambilini.” ₆₅UPilatu wathi kibo: “Thathani umlindi nikhambe niyokuqinisekisa bona ithunelo liyavikeleka ngendlela eningakghona ngayo.”

₆₆Yeke bakhamba bayokuqinisekisa bona ithunelo livikelekile ngokubeka iphawu lokulivala elitjeni, bebatjhiya abalindi lapho.