Umsebenzi kaJohane uMbhapathizi. Ukubhapathizwa kukaJesu
1Kwathi ngomnyaka weshumi nanhlanu wokubusa kukaTiberiyu Kesari, uPontiyu Pilatu engumbusi waseJudiya, uHerode engumtetrarki* waseGalile, uFiliphu umfowabo engumtetrarki wezwe lase-Itureya nelaseTrakhoniti, uLisaniya engumtetrarki wase-Abilene, 2u-Anase engumpristi omkhulu noKayafase, kwafika izwi likaNkulunkulu kuJohane indodana kaZakariya ehlane. 3Weza ezweni lonke laseJordani eshumayela umbhapathizo wokuphenduka, kube ngukuthethelelwa kwezono, 4njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yamazwi ka-Isaya 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 onibonise ukubalekela intukuthelo ezayo na? 8Ngakho vezani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka, ningaqali ukuthi phakathi kini: ‘Sinobaba u-Abrahama;’ ngokuba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu unamandla okumvusela u-Abrahama abantwana kulawa matshe. 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: “Thina-ke, sizakwenzani na?”
Wathi kuwo: “Ningamuki muntu lutho ngendluzula, ningamxabheleli; 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 ka-Eli 24kaMathati kaLevi kaMeliki kaJanayi kaJosefa 25kaMatathiya ka-Amose kaNahume ka-Eseli kaNagayi 26kaMati, kaMatathiya kaSemeyini kaJosefa kaJuda 27kaJohanani kaResa kaZorobabeli kaSalatiyeli kaNeri 28kaMeliki ka-Adi kaKosamu ka-Elimadamu ka-Eri 29kaJose ka-Eliyezeri kaJorimi kaMathati kaLevi 30kaSimeyoni kaJuda kaJosefa kaJonamu ka-Eliyakimi 31kaMeleya kaMena kaMathata kaNathamu kaDavide 32kaJesayi ka-Obede kaBowasi kaSala kaNasoni 33ka-Aminadaba ka-Adameyini ka-Arani ka-Esiromu kaFaresi kaJuda 34kaJakobe ka-Isaka ka-Abrahama kaThara kaNahori 35kaSeruki kaRagawu kaFaleki ka-Ebere kaSala 36kaKayinamu ka-Arfakisadi kaSemi kaNowa kaLameka 37kaMathusala ka-Enoke kaJarethi kaMaleleyeli kaKayinani 38ka-Enose kaSeti ka-Adamu kaNkulunkulu.
