1 Ke kaloku, ngomnyaka weshumi elinantlanu wokulawula kukaTibheriyo Kesare, inguPontiyo Pilato irhuluneli kwelakwaYuda, inguHerode umphathi wesahlulo sesiné esilelaseGalili, inguFilipu ke umzalwana wakhe umphathi wesahlulo sesiné esilelaseYitureya nelizwe leTrakoniti, inguLisaniyo umphathi wesahlulo sesiné esilelaseAbhilene,
2 ngexa lababingeleli abakhulu ooAnas noKayafa, lafika ilizwi likaThixo kuYohane, unyana kaZekariya, entlango.
3 Weza kuwo wonke ummandla waseYordan, evakalisa ubhaptizo lwenguquko ukuze kuxolelwe izono;
4 njengoko kubhaliweyo encwadini yamazwi kaIsaya umprofeti, esithi,Izwi lodandulukayo entlango, lisithi,Yilungiseni indlela yeNkosi,Wutyenenezeni umendo wayo.
5 Yonke imifula iya kudityelelwa,Nazo zonke iintaba neenduli ziya kuthotywa,Neendawo ezigoso ziya kuthi tye,Nezibugqagala ziya kuba ziindlela ezigudileyo;
6 Bonke abantu baya kulubona usindiso lukaThixo.(UIsaya 40:3-5)
7 Wayesithi ngoko kuzo izihlwele ezaziphuma zisiza kubhaptizwa nguye, Nzalandini yamarhamba, ngubani na owanibonisayo, ukuba niyibaleke ingqumbo ezayo?
8 Velisani ngoko iziqhamo eziyifaneleyo inguquko; ize ningaqali nithi ngaphakathi kwenu, Thina sinobawo uAbraham: kuba ndithi kuni, Unako uThixo kuwo la matye ukumvelisela abantwana uAbraham.
9 Kananjalo izembe selibekiwe engcanjini yemithi; ngoko umthi wonke ongavelisi siqhamo sihle, uyagawulwa, uphoswe emlilweni.
10 Zaye izihlwele zibuza kuye, zisithi, Masenze ntoni na ke?
11 Waphendula ke wathi kubo, Lowo uneengubo zangaphantsi ezimbini, makabele ongenáyo: nalowo unokudla, makenjenjalo.
12 Kweza ke nababuthi berhafu ukuba babhaptizwe, bathi kuye, Mfundisi, masenze ntoni na?
13 Wathi ke kubo, Ningabizi okungaphezu kwenikumiselweyo.
14 Ayebuza kuye ke namasoldati, esithi, Masenze ntoni na ke thina? Wathi kuwo, Ningaphangi mntu ngokumoyikisa, nìngadli mntu ngokumtyhola; yanelani yimivuzo yenu.
15 Ke kaloku, bakubon' ukuba abantu balindile, becamanga bonke ezintliziyweni zabo ngaye uYohane, ukuba akangebi nguye na uKristu,*
16 waphendula uYohane kubo bonke esithi, Mna okunene ndinibhaptiza ngamanzi; kodwa uyeza lowo unamandla kunam, endingafanelekileyo ukuba ndiwuthukulule nomtya weembadada zakhe; uya kunibhaptiza ngoMoya oyiNgcwele nangomlilo yena;
17 omnyazi wokwela usesandleni sakhe. Uya kusicokisa kuthi tu isandá sakhe, ayibuthele kuvimba wakhe ingqolowa; ke wona umququ uya kuwutshisa ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.
18 Waye ke ngoko evuselela nangezinye izinto ezininzi, eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ebantwini.
19 Ke kaloku uHerode, umphathi wesahlulo sesiné selizwe, óhlwayiwe nguye ngenxa kaHerodiya, umfazi kaFilipu umninawa wakhe, nangenxa yezinto zonke ezingendawo abezenzile uHerode, wongezelela nalé kuzo zonke,
20 yokuba amvalele entolongweni uYohane.
21 Ke kaloku kwathi, ekubeni bebhaptiziwe abantu bonke, ebhaptiziwe naye uYesu, ethandaza nokuthandaza, lasuka lavuleka izulu,
22 wehla phezu kwakhe uMoya oyiNgcwele, enembonakalo yomzimba onjengehobe. Kweza nezwi eliphuma ezulwini lisithi, Wena unguNyana wam oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguwe.
23 Waye uYesu eminyaka ngathi imashumi mathathu ezelwe, ukuqala kwakhe ukufundisa, engobe kusithiwa ngunyana kaYosefu,
24 kaHeli, kaMatati, kaLevi, kaMeleki, kaYana, kaYosefu, kaMatatiya, ka-Amos, kaNahum,
25 kaEsli, kaNagayi, kaMahati,
26 kaMatatiya, kaShimehi, kaYosefu, kaYuda,
27 kaYohanan, kaResha, kaZerubhabheli, kaShalatiyeli, kaNeri, kaMeleki, ka-Adi,
28 kaKosam, kaElmodam, kaEre, kaYose, kaEliyezere,
29 kaYoram, kaMatati, kaLevi, kaSimon, kaYuda, kaYosefu,
30 kaYonan, kaEliyakim, kaMaleya, kaMina,
31 kaMatata, kaNatan, kaDavide,
32 kaYese, kaObhede, kaBhohazi, kaSalemon kaNashon,
33 ka-Aminadabhi, ka-Aram, kaHetseron, kaPeretse, kaYuda,
34 kaYakobi, kaIsake, ka-Abraham, kaTera, kaNahore, kaSerugi,
35 kaRehu, kaPelege, kaHebhere, kaShela,
36 kaKenan, ka-Arpakishadi, kaShem, kaNowa,
37 kaLameki, kaMetusela, kaEnoki, kaYerede, kaMahalaleli, kaKenan,
38 kaEnos, kaSete, ka-Adam, kaThixo.