UJesu ephambi kukaPilatu
1Kwathi masinyane ekuseni abapristi abakhulu namalunga nababhali nomphakathi wonke benza icebo, bambopha uJesu, bamqhuba, bamnikela kuPilatu.
2UPilatu wambuza wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na?”
Waphendula, wathi kuye: “Usho khona.”
3Abapristi abakhulu bammangalela ngokuningi. 4UPilatu wabuye wambuza, wathi: “Awuphenduli lutho na? Bheka, bakuthwesa icala ngokuningi kangaka.”
5Kodwa uJesu akabe esaphendula lutho, waze wamangala uPilatu.
6Kwathi ngomkhosi wayehleze ebakhululela isiboshwa sibe sinye abasicelayo. 7Kwakukhona-ke omunye, nguBaraba igama lakhe, owayeboshiwe kanye namahlubuka; wona ayebulele umuntu ekuhlubukeni. 8Isixuku senyuka, saqala ukucela ukuba abenzele njengalokho ebehleze ebenzela.
9Kepha uPilatu wabaphendula wathi: “Nithanda ukuba nginikhululele inkosi yabaJuda na?” 10Ngokuba wayekwazi ukuthi abapristi abakhulu bamnikele ngomhawu. 11Kepha abapristi abakhulu babhebhezela isixuku ukuba okungcono asikhululele uBaraba.
12UPilatu wabuye waphendula, wathi kubo: “Pho-ke, ngimenzenjani lo enithi uyinkosi yabaJuda na?”
13Babuye bamemeza, bathi: “Mbethele esiphambanweni!”
14Kodwa uPilatu wathi kubo: “Ngokuba wenze bubi buni na?”
Kepha bamemeza kakhulu, bathi: “Mbethele esiphambanweni!”
15Khona uPilatu ethanda ukudelisa isixuku wasikhululela uBaraba, kepha wamshaya uJesu, wamnikela ukuba abethelwe esiphambanweni.
16Amabutho ayesemngenisa phakathi endlini ethiwa iPretoriyu, abizela ndawonye ibutho lonke. 17Ayesemembathisa ingubo ebubende, amcwashelisa ngomqhele ayeweluke ngameva. 18Aqala ukumkhulekela, athi: “Bayede, nkosi yabaJuda!” 19Amshaya ekhanda ngomhlanga, amkhafulela ngamathe, aguqa ngamadolo, akhuleka kuye. 20Esembhinqile amhlubula ingubo ebubende, amembathisa izingubo zakhe. Ayesephuma naye ukuba ambethele esiphambanweni. 21Acindezela umuntu obedlula, uSimoni waseKhurene, evela endle, uyise ka-Aleksandru noRufu, ukuba athwale isiphambano sakhe.
UJesu esesiphambanweni
22Ayesemyisa endaweni yaseGolgotha okungukuthi ngokuhunyushwa iNdawo Yekhanda. 23Amnika iwayini elixutshwe nemure;* kepha akalamukelanga. 24Ayesembethela esiphambanweni, abelana izingubo zakhe, enzelana inkatho ngazo ukuthi yilowo nalowo uyakuthathani.
25Kwakuyihora lesithathu esembethela esiphambanweni. 26Umbhalo wecala lakhe ubulotshiwe ngaphezulu wokuthi: INKOSI YABAJUDA. 27Kwabethelwa kanye naye abaphangi ababili, omunye ngakwesokunene nomunye ngakwesokhohlo sakhe. 28Kwase kugcwaliseka umbhalo othi: “Wabalwa kanye naboni.” 29Abadlulayo bamhlambalaza benikina amakhanda abo, bathi: “Eya wena odiliza ithempeli, ubuye ulakhe ngezinsuku ezintathu; 30zisindise, wehle esiphambanweni.”
31Kanjalo nabapristi abakhulu bambhinqa bebodwa kanye nababhali, bathi: “Wasindisa abanye, angezisindise yena. 32UKristu, iNkosi yakwa-Israyeli, makehle manje esiphambanweni, ukuze sibone, sikholwe.” Nababebethelwe kanye naye bamdumaza.
33Sekufikile ihora lesithupha kwaba mnyama emhlabeni wonke, kwaze kwaba yihora lesishiyagalolunye. 34Ngehora lesishiyagalolunye uJesu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabaktani?” okungukuthi ngokuhunyushwa: “Nkulunkulu wami, Nkulunkulu wami, ungishiyeleni na?”
35Abanye kwababemi khona bekuzwa bathi: “Bheka, ubiza u-Eliya.”
36Wayesegijima omunye, wagcwalisa ilula ngoviniga, walichoma emhlangeni, wamphuzisa, wathi: “Yekani, sibone uma u-Eliya eza ukumehlisa.”
37UJesu wayesememeza ngezwi elikhulu, wafa.
38Khona isihenqo sethempeli sadabuka kabili, kusukela phezulu kuze kufike phansi. 39Kepha induna yekhulu eyayimi maqondana naye imbona efa ngokunjalo, yathi: “Nempela lo muntu ube yiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
40Kwakukhona nabesifazane bebukela, bekude; phakathi kwabo kwakukhona noMariya Magdalena, noMariya unina kaJakobe omncane nokaJose, kanye noSalome 41ababemlandela eseseGalile, bemkhonza, nabanye abesifazane abaningi abenyukela naye eJerusalema.
Ukumbelwa kukaJesu
42Kwathi ukuba kuhlwe, ngokuba kwakulusuku lokulungisela okungukuthi olwandulela isabatha, 43kwafika uJosefa wase-Arimatheya, ilunga elidumileyo lomphakathi, owayewubheka naye umbuso kaNkulunkulu; wangena ngesibindi kuPilatu, wacela isidumbu sikaJesu. 44Kepha uPilatu wamangala ngokuthi ngabe usefile, wabiza induna yekhulu, wabuza kuyo ukuthi sekukade efile na? 45Esezwile enduneni yekhulu wamnika uJosefa isidumbu. 46Wathenga indwangu enhle, wamehlisa, wamsonga ngaleyo ndwangu, wambeka ethuneni elaliqoshwe edwaleni, wagingqela itshe emnyango wethuna. 47OMariya Magdalena noMariya unina kaJose babona lapho abekwa khona.
