UJesu ephambi kukaPilatu noHerode
1Kwase kusuka uquqaba lonke, lwamyisa kuPilatu. 2Baqala ukumthwesa icala, bathi: “Simfumene lo edukisa isizwe sakithi, enqaba ukuba kuthelwe imali kuKesari, ethi nguye onguKristu inkosi.”
3UPilatu wambuza wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na?”
Wamphendula wathi: “Usho khona.”
4Wayesethi uPilatu kubapristi abakhulu nakuzo izixuku: “Angifumani cala kulo muntu.”
5Kwayikhona beqinisa kakhulu, bethi: “Uvusa abantu efundisa kulo lonke laseJudiya, eqalile kwelaseGalile, waze wafika lapha.”
6UPilatu esezwa lokho wabuza ukuba lowo muntu ungowaseGalile yini. 7Esethole ukwazi ukuthi ungowesifunda sikaHerode, wamthumela kuHerode owayekhona naye eJerusalema ngalezo zinsuku.
8Kwathi uHerode embona uJesu, wathokoza kakhulu, ngokuba kwase kukade efuna ukumbona, lokhu ebezwile ngaye; wayethemba ukuthi uzakubona isibonakaliso esithile senziwa nguye. 9Wambuza ngamazwi amaningi, kepha yena kamphendulanga ngalutho. 10Abapristi abakhulu nababhali babemi bemmangalela kakhulu. 11Kepha uHerode namabutho akhe bameyisa, bambhinqa, baze bamembathisa ingubo ecwebezelayo, bambuyisela kuPilatu. 12Ngalolo suku oPilatu noHerode baba ngabahlobo; ngokuba ngaphambili kwakukhona ubutha phakathi kwabo.
13UPilatu wabizela ndawonye abapristi abakhulu nababusi nabantu, 14wathi kubo: “Nilethe kimi lo muntu ngokuthi ungodukisa abantu. Bhekani, mina ngimhlolile phambi kwenu, kepha angifumananga cala lalezo zinto enimmangalela ngazo; 15kunjalo noHerode futhi ngokuba umbuyisele kithi; bheka-ke, akenzanga lutho afanele ukufa ngalo. 16Ngakho-ke ngiyakumshaya, ngimkhulule.” 17Ubemelwe phela ukubakhululela abe munye ngomkhosi.
18Kepha bamemeza kanyekanye, bathi: “Susa lo, usikhululele uBaraba,” 19yena owayefakwe etilongweni ngenxa yesiyaluyalu esithile esasenzeka emzini, nangenxa yokubulala.
20UPilatu wabuye wakhuluma kubo efuna ukumkhulula uJesu; 21kodwa bamemeza bathi: “Mbethele, mbethele esiphambanweni!”
22Wayesethi kubo ngokwesithathu: “Kanti lo wenze bubi buni na? Angifumananga kuye icala lokufa; ngakho ngiyakumshaya, ngimkhulule.”
23Kepha bamcindezela ngokumemeza okukhulu befuna ukuba abethelwe. Ukumemeza kwabo kwanqoba. 24Wayesenquma uPilatu ngokuthi akwenziwe abakufunayo. 25Wayesemkhulula owayefakwe etilongweni ngenxa yesiyaluyalu nokubulala, ababemcela, kepha wamnikela uJesu kubo njengokuthanda kwabo.
UJesu esesiphambanweni
26Kwathi bemuka naye, babamba uSimoni waseKhurene evela endle, bamthwesa isiphambano ukuba asithwale emva kukaJesu. 27Kwamlandela isixuku esikhulu sabantu, kukhona nabesifazane ababemkhalela, bemlilela. 28Kepha uJesu ephendukela kubo wathi: “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, ningangikhaleli mina, kodwa zikhaleleni nina nabantwana benu. 29Ngokuba bhekani, kuyeza izinsuku abayakusho ngazo ukuthi: ‘Zibusisiwe izinyumba nezizalo ezingazalanga namabele angancelisanga.’ 30Khona
“ ‘bayakuqala ukuthi ezintabeni:
“Welani phezu kwethu,”
nasemagangeni: “Sisibekeleni.” ’
31“Ngokuba uma benza lokho emthini oluhlaza, kuyakwenziwani kowomileyo.”
32Kwakukhona nabanye, izelelesi ezimbili, abayiswa ukuba babulawe kanye naye. 33Sebefikile endaweni ethiwa iKhanda bambethela khona nazo izelelesi, esinye ngakwesokunene nesinye ngakwesokhohlo. 34Kepha uJesu wathi: “Baba, bathethelele, ngokuba abakwazi abakwenzayo.” Babelana izingubo zakhe, benzelana inkatho.
35Abantu bema, bebukela; nababusi bamklolodela bathi: “Wasindisa abanye; kazisindise yena, uma enguKristu okhethiweyo kaNkulunkulu.”
36Namabutho ambhinqa, eza kuye, amnika uviniga, 37ethi: “Uma uyinkosi yabaJuda, zisindise.”
38Kwakukhona nombhalo phezu kwakhe othi: LO YINKOSI YABAJUDA.
39Njalo esinye sezelelesi ebeziphanyekiwe samhlambalaza sathi: “Wena awusiye uKristu na? Zisindise kanye nathi.”
40Sase siphendula esinye, sasithethisa sathi: “Nawe awumesabi uNkulunkulu, ingani ukulokhu kulahlwa nawe na? 41thina kambe ngokufaneleyo, ngokuba samukela okulingene nesikwenzile; kepha lo akenzanga lutho olubi.”
42Sase sithi: “Jesu, ngikhumbule, nxa usufike embusweni wakho.”
43Wathi kuso: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: Namuhla uzakuba nami eParadisi.*”
44Kungaba yihora lesithupha kwase kuba mnyama emhlabeni wonke, kwaze kwaba yihora lesishiyagalolunye; 45kwafiphala ilanga, isihenqo sethempeli sadabuka phakathi. 46UJesu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Baba, ezandleni zakho ngiyawubeka umoya wami.” Eseshilo lokho wafa.
47Induna yekhulu ibone okwenzekileyo yamdumisa uNkulunkulu, yathi: “Nempela lowo muntu ube ngolungileyo.” 48Zonke izixuku ezazibuthanele ukubukela lokho sezibonile okwenzekileyo, zabuyela emuva, zishaya izifuba zazo. 49Bonke abazana naye nabesifazane ababemlandela bevela eGalile bema kude, bebuka lezo zinto.
Ukumbelwa kukaJesu
50Bheka-ke, kwakukhona indoda, igama layo nguJosefa, eyilungu lomphakathi, indoda enhle nelungileyo – 51yona yayingavumanga icebo nesenzo sabo – eyase-Arimatheya umuzi wabaJuda, eyayibheke umbuso kaNkulunkulu; 52yona yaya kuPilatu, yacela isidumbu sikaJesu. 53Yasehlisa, yasisonga ngendwangu enhle, yasibeka ethuneni elaliqoshwe edwaleni, lapho kungakabekwa muntu khona. 54Kwakulusuku lokulungisela; isabatha lase lizakuqala.
55Abesifazane abeza naye bevela eGalile balandela, balibona ithuna nokubekwa kwesidumbu sakhe. 56Base bebuyela emuva, balungisa amakha namafutha; kepha ngesabatha baphumula njengokomthetho.
