Ukushumayela kukaYohane umbhaptizi
1Ke kaloku ngomnyaka weshumi elinantlanu elawula uTibheriyo *Khesare, inguPontiyo Pilato irhuluneli kwelakwaJuda, inguHerode olawula kwelaseGalili, umntakwabo uFilipu elawula kwelaseJitureya nelaseTrakoniti, inguLisaniyo olawula kwelaseAbhilene, 2ngemihla yababingeleli abakhulu ooAnas noKayafa, lafika ilizwi likaThixo kuYohane, unyana kaZakariya, entlango. 3Yena ke wayewujikeleza wonke ummandla weJordan, eshumayela esithi abantu mabaguquke, babhaptizwe, aze uThixo abaxolele izono zabo; 4njengoko kubhaliweyo kwincwadi *yomshumayeli uIsaya kusithiwa:
“Kuvakala ilizwi lodandulukayo entlango, lisithi:
“ ‘Yilungiseleleni indlela iNkosi,
niyihlahlele umgaqo wayo.
5Mayiditywe yonke imifula,
zidilizwe zonke iinduli neentaba.
Mazenziwe zithi tye iindawo ezigoso,
ziletyelwe ezinamatye.
6Bonke abantu baya kulubona usindiso oluvela kuThixo.’ ”
7Ke kaloku izihlwele zaziphuma ziye kubhaptizwa nguYohane. Wayesithi kuzo: “Nzalandini yamarhamba, ngubani lo unilumkisileyo ukuba niyibaleke ingqumbo ezayo? 8Ke ngoko yenzani izinto ezibonakalisa inguquko. Ze ningafane nithi: ‘Siyinzala ka-Abraham.’ Ndiyanixelela mna, uThixo unako ngawo la matye ukumvelisela abantwana uAbraham. 9Kanti ke lona izembe selikulungele ukuyinqumla ezingcanjini imithi. Ngoko ke wonke umthi ongavelisi siqhamo sihle uyagawulwa utshiswe.”
10Izihlwele zazimbuza zisithi: “Masithini ke ngoko?”
11Waphendula wathi kuzo: “Lowo uneengubo ezimbini makanike ongenáyo. Nalowo unokutya makenjenjalo.”
12Abaqokeleli-rhafu beza kubhaptizwa, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, masithini na?”
13Wathi kubo: “Ningabizi ngaphezu kwenikumiselweyo.”
14Namajoni ayebuza kuye esithi: “Masithini thina?”
Wathi kuwo: “Ningaphangi mntu ngogonyamelo okanye ngobuxoki. Yanelani yimivuzo yenu.”
15Ke kaloku lavuseleleka ithemba ebantwini, becamanga bonke ezintliziyweni zabo ngaye uYohane, ukuba akangebi nguye na uKrestu. 16UYohane ke wabaphendula esithi: “Mna okunene ndinibhaptiza ngamanzi, kodwa uyeza onamandla kunam. Andikufanelanga ukukhulula nemitya le yezihlangu zakhe. Yena uya kunibhaptiza ngoMoya oyiNgcwele nangomlilo. 17Ingobozi isesandleni sakhe. Uya kukwela kuthi tu okusesandêni, ayigalele kuvimba ingqolowa. Ke wona umququ uya kuwutshisa ngomlilo ongacimiyo.”
18UYohane wayeyala ekhuthaza nangezinye izinto ezininzi, eshumayela iindaba ezimnandi ebantwini. 19UHerode, umlawuli waseGalili, wakhalinyelwa nguYohane ngenxa yokungena uHerodiya, umka-mninawe wakhe, nangazo zonke ezinye izinto ezimbi awayezenzile. 20Suka ke yena uHerode wavalela uYohane lowo entolongweni.
Ukubhaptizwa kukaYesu
21Ke ekubhaptizweni kwento eninzi yabantu, noYesu ebhaptiziwe, kwathi ethandaza, lavuleka izulu, 22wehlela phezu kwakhe uMoya oyiNgcwele enembonakalo yehobe. Kwavakala nezwi livela ezulwini, lisithi: “UnguNyana wam endimthandayo wena; ndikholisiwe nguwe!”
Umlibo wokuzalwa kukaYesu
23Ukuqala kwakhe ukufundisa uYesu wayemalunga neminyaka emashumi mathathu ezelwe. Kwakusithiwa ungunyana kaJosefu, kaEli, 24kaMatati, kaLevi, kaMeleki, kaJana, kaJosefu, 25kaMatatiya, ka-Amos, kaNahum, kaHesli, kaNagayi, 26kaMathi, kaMatatiya, kaShimeyi, kaYoseki, kaJoda, 27kaYohanan, kaResha, kaZerubhabheli, kaShalatiyeli, kaNeri, 28kaMeleki, ka-Adi, kaKosam, kaElmadam, kaEre, 29kaYoshuwa, kaEliyezere, kaYorim, kaMatati, kaLevi, 30kaSimon, kaJuda, kaJosefu, kaJonam, kaEliyakim, 31kaMaleya, kaMina, kaMatata, kaNatan, kaDavide, 32kaJese, kaObhedi, kaBhowazi, kaSalman, kaNashon, 33ka-Aminadabhi, ka-Admin, ka-Arni, kaHezeron, kaPerezi, kaJuda, 34kaYakobi, kaIsake, ka-Abraham, kaTera, kaNahore, 35kaSeruki, kaRewu, kaPelege, kaHebhere, kaShela, 36kaKenan, ka-Arpakishadi, kaShem, kaNowa, kaLameki, 37kaMethusela, kaInoki, kaJerede, kaMahalaleli, kaKenan, 38kaEnoshe, kaSete, ka-Adam, kaThixo.
