Umsebenzi kaJohane uMbhapathizi. Ukubhapathizwa kukaJesu
1Kwathi ngomnyaka weshumi nanhlanu wokubusa kukaTiberiyu Kesari, uPontiyu Pilatu engumbusi waseJudiya, uHerode engumtetrarki* waseGalile, uFiliphu umfowabo engumtetrarki wezwe laseItureya nelaseTrakhoniti, uLisaniya engumtetrarki waseAbilene,
2uAnase engumpristi omkhulu noKayafase, kwafika izwi likaNkulunkulu kuJohane indodana kaZakariya ehlane.
3Weza ezweni lonke laseJordani eshumayela umbhapathizo wokuphenduka, kube-ngukuthethelelwa kwezono,
4njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yamazwi kaIsaya umprofethi ukuthi:
Izwi lomemezayo ehlane, lithi:
Lungisani indlela yeNkosi,
nenze imikhondo yayo iqonde.
5Izigodi zonke ziyakugqitshwa,
zonke izintaba namagquma kuyakwehliswa;
kuqonde izinsongansonga,
nemigoxigoxi ibe-yizindlela ezilelezekile;
6inyama yonke izakubona insindiso kaNkulunkulu.
7Ngakho-ke wathi ezixukwini ezaziphumela ukubhapathizwa nguye: Nzalo yezinyoka, ubani onibonisé ukubalekela intukuthelo ezayo na?
8Ngakho vezani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka, ningaqali ukuthi phakathi kini: Sinobaba uAbrahama; ngokuba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu unamandla okumvusela uAbrahama abantwana kulawamatshe.
9Namanje izembe selibekiwe empandeni yemithi; ngakho yonke imithi engatheli isithelo esihle iyanqunywa, iphonswe emlilweni.
10Izixuku zambuza zathi: Pho, sizakwenzani na?
11Waphendula, wathi kubo: Onezingubo ezimbili akamuphe ongenayo; naye onokudla enze njalo.
12Kwafika nabathelisi ukuba babhapathizwe, bathi kuye: Mfundisi, sizakwenzani na?
13Wathi kubo: Ningabizi-lutho ngaphezu kwenikumiselweyo.
14Namabutho ambuza athi: Thinake, sizakwenzani na? Wathi kuwo: Ningamuki-muntu lutho ngendluzula, ningamxabeleli; yaneliswani yizinkokhelo zenu.
15Abantu besabhekile, bezindla bonke ezinhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane ukuthi ingabe unguKristu yini,
16uJohane waphendula, wathi kubo bonke: Mina kambe nginibhapathiza ngamanzi, kepha uyeza onamandla kunami engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wezicathulo zakhe; yena uzakunibhapathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele nangomlilo;
17oqoma lakhe lokwela lisesandleni sakhe ukushanelisisa isibuya sakhe nokubuthela ukolweni enqolobaneni yakhe; kepha amakhoba uzakuwashisa ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.
18Nangokunye okuningi washumayela ivangeli kubantu, ebayala.
19Kepha uHerode umtetrarki*, esolwa nguye ngenxa kaHerodiya umkamfowabo nangenxa yakho konke okubi abekwenzile uHerode,
20wenezela nalokhu kokunye konke, wamvalela uJohane etilongweni.
21Kwathi bebhapathiziwe abantu bonke, naye uJesu esebhapathiziwe, ekhuleka, izulu lavuleka,
22uMoya oNgcwele enesimo somzimba njengejuba wehlela phezu kwakhe; kwavela izwi ezulwini, lithi: Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo; ngithokozile ngawe.
Izizukulwane zikaJesu
23Yena uJesu, ukuqala kwakhe, wayeneminyaka engaba-ngamashumi amathathu, eyindodana, njengokushiwoyo, kaJosefa kaEli
24kaMathati kaLevi kaMeliki kaJanayi kaJosefa
25kaMatathiya ka-Amose kaNahume kaEseli kaNagayi
26kaMati, kaMatathiya kaSemeyini kaJosefa kaJuda
27kaJohanani kaResa kaZorobabeli kaSalatiyeli kaNeri
28kaMeliki ka-Adi kaKosamu kaElimadamu kaEri
29kaJose kaEliyezeri kaJorimi kaMathati kaLevi
30kaSimeyoni kaJuda kaJosefa kaJonamu kaEliyakimi
31kaMeleya kaMena kaMathata kaNathamu kaDavide
32kaJesayi kaObede kaBowasi kaSala kaNasoni
33ka-Aminadaba ka-Adameyini ka-Arani kaEsiromu kaFaresi kaJuda
34kaJakobe kaIsaka ka-Abrahama kaThara kaNahori
35kaSeruki kaRagawu kaFaleki kaEbere kaSala
36kaKayinamu ka-Arfakisadi kaSemi kaNowa kaLameka
37kaMathusala kaEnoke kaJarethi kaMaleleyeli kaKayinani
38kaEnose kaSeti ka-Adamu kaNkulunkulu.
