Isahluko 7
1 Kwathi eseqede onke amazwi akhe ezindlebeni zabantu, wangena eKapernawume.
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Inceku yenduna yekhulu ethile ethandekayo kuyo yayigula, isizakufa.
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Isizwile ngoJesu yathuma amalunga abaJuda kuye, imcela ukuba eze ayisindise inceku yayo.
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Esefikile kuJesu amncenga kakhulu, ethi: “Ifanele ukuba uyenzele lokho,
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ngokuba ithanda isizwe sakithi; yiyo esakhele isinagoge.”
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UJesu wayesehamba nawo. Kepha engasekude nendlu, induna yekhulu yathumela kuye abahlobo, bathi kuye: “Nkosi, ungazihluphi, ngokuba angifanele ukuba ungene phansi kophahla lwami.
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Ngakho angizibonanga ukuthi ngifanele ukuza kuwe; kepha yisho izwi, khona inceku yami iyakusinda.
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Ngokuba nami ngingumuntu ophansi kwamakhosi, nginamabutho phansi kwami; ngithi kwelinye: ‘Hamba,’ lihambe; nakwelinye: ‘Woza,’ lize; nasencekwini yami: ‘Yenza lokhu,’ ikwenze.”
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UJesu ekuzwa lokho wamangala ngayo, waphenduka, wathi esixukwini esimlandelayo: “Ngithi kini: Angizange ngifumane ukukholwa okungaka nakwa-Israyeli.”
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Ababethunyiwe sebebuyele ekhaya bafumana inceku isindile.
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Kwathi ngangomuso waya emzini othiwa iNayini; kwahamba naye abafundi bakhe nesixuku esikhulu.
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Esesondela esangweni lomuzi, bheka, kwaphunyiswa ofileyo, indodana eyodwa kanina, yena engumfelokazi; nabantu abaningi bomuzi babe naye.
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Yathi iNkosi isimbona, yamhawukela, yathi kuye: “Ungakhali.”
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Yasondela, yathinta uhlaka; abaluthweleyo base bema. Yayisithi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe: Vuka!”
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Ofileyo wavuka, waqala ukukhuluma; yamnika unina.
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Bafikelwa ngukwesaba bonke, bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi: “Kuvele umprofethi omkhulu phakathi kwethu,” nokuthi: “UNkulunkulu ubahambele abantu bakhe.”
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Kwaphumela leli zwi ngaye kulo lonke iJudiya nakulo lonke langakhona.
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Abafundi bakaJohane bambikela ngazo zonke lezo zinto.
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UJohane wayesebiza ababili kubafundi bakhe, wabathumela eNkosini, wathi: “Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?”
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Amadoda esefikile kuyo athi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi usithumele kuwe, ethi: ‘Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?’ ”
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Ngalowo mzuzu yayiphulukisa abaningi ezifweni nasebuhlungwini nakomoya ababi; nezimpumputhe eziningi yazipha ukubona.
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Yaphendula, yathi kuwo: “Hambani nimlandise uJohane lokho enikubonile nenikuzwile ukuthi: Izimpumputhe ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu bayashunyayezwa ivangeli;
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ubusisiwe ongayikukhubeka ngami.”
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Sezimukile izithunywa zikaJohane, yaqala ukukhuluma ezixukwini ngoJohane, ithi: “Naphuma naya ehlane ukuyobonani na? Umhlanga ontengantengiswa ngumoya na?
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Kanti naphuma ukuyobonani na? Umuntu owembethe izingubo ezinothonotho na? Bhekani, abembethe okukhazimulayo, betamasa, basezindlini zamakhosi.
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Kodwa naphuma ukuyobonani na? Umprofethi na? Yebo, ngithi kini: Odlula umprofethi.
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Nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi: “ ‘Bheka, ngiyathuma isithunywa sami phambi kobuso bakho esiyakulungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’
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“Ngithi kini: Kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akakho omkhulu kunoJohane; kepha omncane embusweni kaNkulunkulu mkhulu kunaye.”
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Abantu bonke, yebo, nabathelisi sebezwile bamvuma uNkulunkulu, babhapathizwa ngombhapathizo kaJohane.
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Kepha abaFarisi nezazimthetho balenza ize icebo likaNkulunkulu maqondana nabo bengabhapathizwanga nguye.
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“Pho-ke, abantu balesi sizukulwane ngiyakubafanisa nani na? Bafana nani na?
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Bafana nabantwana abahlezi esigcawini bememezana bethi: “ ‘Sinibethele imitshingo, anisinanga; salilisela, anikhalanga.’
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“Ngokuba uJohane uMbhapathizi ufikile engadli sinkwa, engaphuzi wayini; nithi-ke: ‘Unedemoni.’
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Ifikile iNdodana yomuntu, idla, iphuza, senithi: ‘Bhekani, umuntu oyisiminzi nesiphuzi, umhlobo wabathelisi nezoni.’
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Kodwa ukuhlakanipha kuvunyiwe ngabantwana bakho bonke.”
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Omunye wabaFarisi wammema ukuba adle naye; esengene endlini yomFarisi wahlala ekudleni.
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Bheka, kwakukhona emzini owesifazane oyisoni; wathi esazi ukuthi uhlezi ekudleni endlini yomFarisi, weza nomfuma wamafutha,
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wema emuva ngasezinyaweni zakhe ekhala, waqala ukumatisa izinyawo zakhe ngezinyembezi, wazesula ngezinwele zekhanda lakhe, wazanga izinyawo zakhe, wazigcoba ngamafutha.
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Kuthe umFarisi obemmemile ekubona, wazindla wathi: “Uma lo ebengumprofethi, nga emazi lo wesifazane omphathayo ukuba ungubani nokuba unjani, ngokuba uyisoni.”
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UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Simoni, kukhona engifuna ukukukhuluma kuwe.” Wathi: “Khuluma-ke, Mfundisi.”
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“Kwakukhona abantu ababili abanamacala kumtshelekisi othile; icala lomunye lalingodenariyu abangamakhulu ayisihlanu, elomunye amashumi ayisihlanu.
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Bengenanto yokukhokha, wabayekela bobabili. Ngumuphi kubo konje oyakumthanda kakhulu na?”
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USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngithi yilowo amyekela okukhulu.” Wathi kuye: “Unqume kahle.”
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Ephendukela kowesifazane wathi kuSimoni: “Uyambona lo wesifazane na? Ngingene endlini yakho, awunginikanga amanzi ezinyawo, kepha yena uzimatisile izinyawo zami ngezinyembezi, wazesula ngezinwele zakhe.
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Awunganganga, kepha lo, yilokhu ngingenile, akayekanga ukwanga izinyawo zami.
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Ikhanda lami awuligcobanga ngamafutha, kepha lo uzigcobile izinyawo zami ngamafutha.
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Ngenxa yalokho ngithi kuwe: Izono zakhe eziningi zithethelelwe, ngokuba uthandile kakhulu; kepha othethelelwa okuncane uthanda kancane.”
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Wayesethi kuye: “Zithethelelwe izono zakho.”
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Ababehlezi naye ekudleni baqala ukusho phakathi kwabo ukuthi: “Ngubani lo othethelela nezono na?”
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Kepha wathi kowesifazane: “Ukukholwa kwakho kukusindisile; hamba, ube nokuthula.”