UJesu ugcotshwa eBethaniya
1Ngakho kuseyizinsuku eziyisithupha ngaphambi kwePhasika, uJesu wafika eBethaniya, lapho wayekhona uLazaru uJesu amvusa kwabafileyo. 2Base bemenzela ukudla khona; uMarta wayephaka, kepha uLazaru wayengomunye wababehlezi ekudleni naye. 3UMariya wayesethatha ilitra* lamafutha enadi* lodwa elinenani elikhulu, wagcoba izinyawo zikaJesu, wesula izinyawo zakhe ngezinwele zakhe; indlu yagcwala iphunga lamafutha.
4Kepha uJuda Iskariyothe, omunye wabafundi bakhe obezakumkhaphela, wathi: 5“Yini ukuba lawa mafutha engathengiswanga ngawodenariyu* abangamakhulu amathathu, kwaphiwa abampofu, na?” 6Washo lokho kungengokuba ekhathalele abampofu, kepha ngokuba eyisela, ephethe isikhwama, eba okufakwa kuso.
7Ngakho uJesu wathi: “Myeke ukuba awalondolozele usuku lokumbelwa kwami. 8Ngokuba abampofu ninabo njalo, kepha mina aninami njalo.”
9Ngakho isixuku esikhulu sabaJuda sezwa ukuthi ulapho. Beza-ke kungengenxa kaJesu kuphela, kepha nokuba babone uLazaru abemvusile kwabafileyo. 10Kepha abapristi abakhulu benza icebo lokuba babulale noLazaru, 11ngokuba ngenxa yakhe abaningi babaJuda bamuka bakholwa nguJesu.
UJesu ungena eJerusalema
12Ngangomuso abantu abaningi abafike emkhosini sebezwile ukuthi uJesu uyeza eJerusalema, 13bathatha amahlamvu esundu, baphuma ukumhlangabeza. Bamemeza bathi:
“Hosiyana!
Ubusisiwe ozayo egameni leNkosi,
yebo, iNkosi ka-Israyeli.”
14UJesu esefumene imbongolo entsha wakhwela kuyo njengokulotshiwe ukuthi:
15“Ungesabi, ndodakazi yaseSiyoni;
bheka, iNkosi yakho iza,
ikhwele etholeni lembongolo.”
16Lokho abafundi bakhe abakuqondanga ekuqaleni; kodwa esekhazimulisiwe uJesu, base bekhumbula ukuthi kulotshiwe lokho ngaye nokuthi babekwenzile lokho kuye.
17Ngakho safakaza isixuku esasinaye, lapho ebiza uLazaru aphume ethuneni, emvusa kwabafileyo. 18Ngenxa yalokho isixuku saya samhlangabeza, ngokuba sase sizwile ukuthi wayesenzile leso sibonakaliso. 19Ngakho abaFarisi bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Niyabona ukuthi anisizi lutho; bheka, izwe lonke liyamlandela.”
UJesu ukhuluma ngokufa kwakhe
20Kwakukhona amaGreki athile phakathi kwababenyuka ukuba bakhuleke emkhosini. 21Lawo-ke aya kuFiliphu waseBetsayida laseGalile, acela kuye, athi: “Nkosi, sithanda ukubona uJesu.” 22UFiliphu weza wamtshela u-Andreya. Weza u-Andreya noFiliphu, basho kuJesu.
23UJesu waphendula, wathi kubo: “Sesifikile isikhathi sokuba ikhazimuliswe iNdodana yomuntu. 24Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uma inhlamvu kakolweni iwela emhlabathini ingafi, ihlala yodwa; kepha uma ifa, ithela izithelo eziningi. 25Lowo othanda ukuphila kwakhe ulahlekelwa yikho, nozonda ukuphila kwakhe kuleli zwe uyakukulondela ukuphila okuphakade. 26Uma umuntu engikhonza, akangilandele; nalapha ngikhona mina, soba khona nesikhonzi sami. Uma umuntu engikhonza, uBaba uyakumazisa lowo.
27“Kalokhu umphefumulo wami ulusizi, ngizakuthini na? Baba, ngisindise kulo mzuzu. Kodwa ngenxa yalokhu ngize kulo mzuzu. 28Baba, khazimulisa igama lakho.”
Kwase kufika izwi livela ezulwini, lithi: “Ngilikhazimulisile, ngobuye ngilikhazimulise.” 29Ngakho abantu ababemi bezwa bathi: “Beliduma;” abanye bathi: “Ingelosi ikhulume kuye.”
30UJesu waphendula wathi: “Leli zwi alizanga ngenxa yami kepha ngenxa yenu. 31Kalokhu kungukwahlulelwa kwaleli zwe; kalokhu umbusi waleli zwe uzakuxoshwa. 32Mina, nxa ngiphakanyiswa emhlabeni, ngiyakubadonsela kimi bonke.” 33Lokho-ke wakusho efanekisa ukufa okumfanele afe ngakho.
34Ngakho isixuku samphendula sathi: “Sizwile emthethweni ukuthi uKristu uyakuma phakade; usho kanjani wena ukuthi iNdodana yomuntu imelwe ukuphakanyiswa na? Ingubani le Ndodana yomuntu na?”
35Wayesethi kubo uJesu: “Kuseyisikhashana ukukhanya kukhona kini. Hambani nise nokukhanya, ukuze ubumnyama bunganehleli. Ohamba ebumnyameni akazi ukuthi uya ngaphi. 36Nise nokukhanya kholwani ngukukhanya, ukuze nibe ngabantwana bokukhanya.” Washo lokho uJesu, wamuka, wasithela kubo.
Ukwahlulelwa kwabaJuda ngokungakholwa kwabo
37Kepha noma ebezenzile izibonakaliso ezingaka phambi kwabo, abakholwanga nguye 38ukuba izwi lika-Isaya umprofethi ligcwaliseke, alikhuluma lokuthi:
“Nkosi, ngubani owakholwa ngukushumayela kwethu na?
Ingalo yeNkosi yambulelwa bani na?”
39Ngalokho babengekholwe, ngokuba u-Isaya washo futhi ukuthi:
40“Uphuphuthekisile amehlo abo,
wayenza lukhuni inhliziyo yabo,
funa babone ngamehlo,
baqonde ngenhliziyo,
baphenduke, ngibaphulukise.”
41U-Isaya wakusho lokho, ngokuba ebona inkazimulo yakhe, ekhuluma ngaye.
42Nokho abaningi nasezikhulwini bakholwa nguye, kodwa ngenxa yabaFarisi abakuvumanga, funa bakhishwe esinagogeni;* 43ngokuba babethanda udumo lwabantu kunodumo lukaNkulunkulu.
44Khona uJesu wamemeza wathi: “Okholwa yimi kakholwa yimi kepha ngongithumileyo. 45Obona mina ubona ongithumileyo. 46Ngize ezweni ngingukukhanya ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yimi angahlali ebumnyameni.
47“Uma umuntu ezwa amazwi ami engawalondi, lowo angimahluleli mina, ngokuba angizanga ukuba ngahlulele izwe, kepha ukuba ngisindise izwe. 48Ongalayo engawamukeli amazwi ami unomahlulelayo; izwi engalikhulumayo yilona eliyakumahlulela ngosuku lokugcina. 49Ngokuba mina angikhulumanga ngokwami, kodwa uBaba ongithumileyo nguye onginike umyalo wokuba ngizakuthini, ngikhulumeni. 50Ngiyazi ukuthi umyalo wakhe ungukuphila okuphakade. Ngakho-ke lokho engikukhulumayo ngikukhuluma njengalokho uBaba angitshela khona.”
