ULUKA 23

₁Loo mpi yonke yamsa kuPilato uYesu; ₂yammangalela isithi: “Lo simfumene elahlekisa uhlanga, engavumi ukuba sirhafe *kuKhesare, esithi yena unguye *uKrestu uKumkani.”

₃UPilato ke wambuza esithi: “Unguye na uKumkani wamaJuda?”

Waphendula yena wathi: “Nawe utsho.”

₄UPilato wathi kubabingeleli abaziintloko nakwisihlwele: “Andifumani tyala kulo mntu.”

₅Kwaba kukhona bazingisayo besithi: “Údungadunga abantu, efundisa kulo lonke elakwaJuda, ukususela kwelaseGalili, kude kube lapha.”

₆Akuva kukhankanywa elaseGalili, uPilato wabuza ukuba uYesu ngowalapho na; ₇waza wathi, akuqonda ukuba ungowommandla ophethwe nguHerode, wamthumela kuHerode, owayeseJerusalem naye ngelo xesha. ₈UHerode akumbona uYesu, wavuya kunene; kwakukade efuna ukumbona, kuba wayeve kuthethwa lukhulu ngaye. Wayenqwenela nokubona umqondiso usenziwa nguYesu. ₉UHerode ke wabuza imibuzo emininzi, kodwa uYesu wathi tu. ₁₀Baphakama ababingeleli abaziintloko nabachazi-mthetho, bamtyhola ngolunya uYesu. ₁₁UHerode nempi yakhe bamenza into engento uYesu, behlekisa ngaye, bemthe wambu ngengubo eqaqambileyo, waza uHerode wambuyisela kuPilato. ₁₂Ngaloo mini baba zizihlobo uPilato noHerode, kuba babefudula bejongene ngezikhondo zamehlo.

₁₃Ke kaloku uPilato wababizela ndawonye ababingeleli abaziintloko nabaphathi bamaJuda, nabantu, ₁₄wathi kubo: “Nizise lo mntu kum nisithi udungadunga abantu. Ke ndimncinile phambi kwenu, ndaza andafumana tyala kuye kwezo zinto nimmangalela ngazo. ₁₅NoHerode akafumananga tyala kuye, kuba naku embuyisela kum. Niyabona, akukho nto ayenzileyo ingabangela ukuba afe. ₁₆Ndothi ke ngoko ndimbethe, ndimkhulule.”

[ ₁₇Ke kaloku ngetheko *lePasika wayedla ngokubakhululela umbanjwa abe mnye.] ₁₈Bankqangaza ke bonke besithi: “Mbulale lo, usikhululele uBharabha!” ₁₉UBharabha lo wayephoswe entolongweni ngenxa yesiphithi-phithi esithile esabakho esixekweni apho, kwanangokubulala.

₂₀Waphinda ngoko uPilato wathetha nabo, efuna ukumkhulula uYesu. ₂₁Kodwa bona bankqangaza besithi: “Mbethelele! Mbethelele emnqamlezweni!”

₂₂UPilato wathi kubo okwesithathu: “Ngoba enze bubi buni na? Andifumani tyala lingabangela ukuba afe. Ndothi ngoko ndimbethe, ndimkhulule.” ₂₃Bamxina ke uPilato, bekhwaza ngamandla, becela ukuba uYesu abethelelwe emnqamlezweni. Kwema ngabo ke. ₂₄Wasuka uPilato wagweba ngelithi masenziwe isicelo sabo. ₂₅Wabakhululela lowo babemcela, owayethe ngenxa yesiphithi-phithi nokubulala waphoswa entolongweni. Ke yena uYesu wanikelwa ukuba kwenziwe kuye ngokwesicelo sabo.

₂₆Kwemkiwa ke noYesu, aza amajoni athi xhakamfu Simon uthile waseKirene, owayevela emaphandleni, awubeka phezu kwakhe umnqamlezo, ukuba awuthwale emva koYesu.

₂₇Wayelandelwa yinto eninzi yabantu, kukho nabafazi ababesenza isijwili, bemlilela. ₂₈Ejikile ke uYesu, wabakhangela, wathi: “Zintombi zaseJerusalem, sanukundililela mna; koko zilileleni nina nabantwana benu; ₂₉kuba, niyabona, iyeza imihla ekuya kuthiwa ngayo: ‘Banoyolo abangazalanga, abangancancisanga mntwana.’ ₃₀Ngelo xesha baya kuthi ezintabeni: ‘Siweleni, nisifihle!’ ezindulini bathi: ‘Sigqumeleleni!’ ₃₁Xa utsha kangaka umthi oluhlaza, kobeka phi ke kowomileyo?”

₃₂Amadoda amabini, awayezizihange, ayeqhutywa esiya kubulawa kunye noYesu. ₃₃Bakufika kuloo ndawo kuthiwa luKhakhayi, bambethelela emnqamlezweni khona apho uYesu, bezibethelela kwanezihange ezo, esinye ngasekunene, nesinye ngasekhohlo. ₃₄UYesu wathi: “Bawo, baxolele, kuba abayazi into abayenzayo.”

Baza benza *amaqashiso, besabelana ngeengubo zakhe. ₃₅Abantu babebonela, abaphathi bamaJuda bemgculela, besithi: “Wabasindisa abanye; makazisindise ke naye, ukuba unguye *uKrestu, umnyulwa kaThixo.” ₃₆Ayemphoxa ke namajoni, esiza asondeze iwayini emuncu kuye, ₃₇esithi: “Ukuba wena unguye uKumkani wamaJuda, zisindise.”

₃₈Kwakubhalwe nombhalo wetyala lakhe phezulu emnqamlezweni, kwathiwa: “Lo nguKumkani wamaJuda.”

₃₉Esinye isihange kwezo zazixhonywe kunye noYesu, sasimnyelisa, sisithi: “Akunguye na uKrestu? Zisindise ke, nathi usisindise.”

₄₀Sasikhalimela esinye, sisithi: “Akumoyiki na wena uThixo, ukwawiselwe esi sigwebo nje? ₄₁Esi sigwebo okunene sisifanele thina, kuba sivuzwa ngezenzo zethu; kodwa yena lo akenzanga nto imbi.” ₄₂Saza sathi kuYesu: “Uzundikhumbule, Yesu, xa uthe weza kulawula.”

₄₃UYesu wathi kuso: “Ndithi kuwe, inene, kwanamhlanje uya kuba nam emyezweni wakwaThixo.”

₄₄Ke kaloku kwakumalunga nentsimbi yeshumi elinambini emini, laza lasuka latshona emini ilanga, kwaba mnyama phezu kwawo wonke umhlaba, kwada kwayintsimbi yesithathu emva kwemini. ₄₅Ikhuselo legumbi eliyingcwele *yendlu kaThixo lakrazuka kubini. ₄₆Wadanduluka ke uYesu ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Bawo, ndiyawunikela ezandleni zakho umoya wam!” Akuba etshilo, waphuma umphefumlo.

₄₇Ke umphathi-butho wamajoni, akukubona okuhlileyo, wamncoma uThixo, esithi: “Inene, lo mntu ebelilungisa.”

₄₈Sakuba isihlwele esasihlangene kuloo mbono sikubonile okwenzekileyo, sagoduka sibambelele ezidleleni. ₄₉Ke bonke abazana noYesu, kwanabafazi ababemlandela bevela kwelaseGalili, babemele kude, bezikhangele ezi zinto.

₅₀Ke kwakukho indoda egama linguJosefu, eyayililungu leBhunga, iyindoda elungileyo elilungisa. ₅₁Yona yayingavumelananga necebo labo kwanesenzo sabo. Le ndoda yaseArimati, idolophu yamaJuda, yayilulindele ulawulo lukaThixo. ₅₂Yona ke yaya kuPilato, yawucela umzimba kaYesu; ₅₃yaza yawuthula, yawusongela ngengubo yelinen, yawubeka engcwabeni elixholwe eliweni, ebekungekangcwatywa bani kulo. ₅₄KwakungoLwesihlanu, *uMhla wokuPhumla sewusondela.

₅₅Abo bafazi bàbelandela uYesu, bephuma eGalili, bâlandela uJosefu, balibona ingcwaba nomzimba kaYesu ubekwa kulo; ₅₆baza babuya, balungisa iziqholo nezithambiso.

Baphumla ke ngoMhla wokuPhumla ngokomthetho.