NgokukaMathewu 16

₁AbaFarisi nabaSadusi beza bemlinga bacela kuye ukuba ababonise isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini.

₂Kepha waphendula, wathi kubo: “Kusihlwa nithi: ‘Loba lisile, lokhu izulu libhejile;’ ₃kuthi kusasa nithi: ‘Namuhla lizakuphendula, ngokuba libhejile, liguqubele.’ Kanti ukuma kwezulu niyakwazi ukukuchaza, kepha izibonakaliso zezikhathi aniziqondi na? ₄Isizukulwane esibi nesiphingayo sifuna isibonakaliso, kepha asiyikunikwa sibonakaliso, kuphela isibonakaliso sikaJona umprofethi.” Wabashiya, wamuka.

₅Sebefike phesheya, abafundi bakhe babekhohliwe ukuphatha izinkwa. ₆UJesu wayesethi kubo: “Anobheka nixwaye imvubelo yabaFarisi nabaSadusi.”

₇Baphendulana bodwa, bathi: “Kungokuba singaphathanga izinkwa.”

₈Kepha ekwazi lokho uJesu wathi: “Nina bokukholwa okuncane, yini ukuba niphendulane nodwa ngokuthi kungokuba ningenazinkwa na? ₉Anikaqondi yini, futhi anizikhumbuli izinkwa eziyisihlanu zezinkulungwane eziyisihlanu nokuthi nabutha iziqabetho ezingaki na? ₁₀Nezinkwa eziyisikhombisa zezinkulungwane ezine nokuthi nabutha amaqoma amangaki na? ₁₁Aniqondi ngani ukuthi bengingakhulumi kini ngesinkwa na? Kepha xwayani imvubelo yabaFarisi nabaSadusi.” ₁₂Khona baqonda ukuthi kashongo ukuba baxwaye imvubelo yezinkwa kepha isifundiso sabaFarisi nabaSadusi.

₁₃UJesu esefikile emaphandleni aseKesariya Filipi wababuza abafundi bakhe, wathi: “Abantu basho ukuthi iNdodana yomuntu ingubani na?”

₁₄Bathi: “Abanye basho uJohane uMbhapathizi; abanye basho u-Eliya; abanye basho uJeremiya noma omunye wabaprofethi.”

₁₅Wathi kubo: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na?”

₁₆USimoni Petru waphendula wathi: “Wena unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”

₁₇UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Ubusisiwe wena Simoni kaJona, ngokuba inyama negazi akukwambulelanga lokhu kodwa uBaba osezulwini. ₁₈Nami-ke ngithi kuwe: Wena unguPetru; phezu kwaleli dwala ngiyakulakha ibandla lami; amasango eHayidese* awayikulahlula. ₁₉Ngiyakukunika izihluthulelo zombuso wezulu. Oyakukubopha emhlabeni koba kuboshiwe nasezulwini, nalokho oyakukukhulula emhlabeni koba kukhululiwe nasezulwini.” ₂₀Khona wabayala abafundi ukuba bangatsheli muntu ukuthi nguye onguKristu.

₂₁Kusukela kuleso sikhathi uJesu waqala ukubonisa abafundi bakhe ukuba umelwe ukuya eJerusalema, ahlushwe ngokuningi ngamalunga nangabapristi abakhulu nababhali, abulawe, kepha avuswe ngosuku lwesithathu.

₂₂UPetru wayesemthatha, waqala ukumkhuza, wathi: “Musa, Nkosi, lokho akusoze kwenziwa kuwe.”

₂₃Yena waphenduka, wathi kuPetru: “Buyela emva kwami, Sathane; uyisikhubekiso kimi, ngokuba awuqondi okukaNkulunkulu kepha okwabantu.”

₂₄Khona uJesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe, angilandele. ₂₅Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami uyakukufumana. ₂₆Ngokuba kuyakumsizani umuntu, uma ezuza izwe lonke, onakalelwe ukuphila kwakhe, na? Yingabe uyakukhiphani umuntu, kube yisihlengo sokuphila kwakhe, na? ₂₇Ngokuba iNdodana yomuntu iyakuza ngenkazimulo kaYise kanye nezingelosi zayo; khona-ke iyakuvuza yilowo nalowo ngesenzo sakhe. ₂₈Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Bakhona abanye kwabemi lapha abangayikuzwa ngempela ukufa, baze bayibone iNdodana yomuntu iza embusweni wayo.”