1 Ke kaloku, emveni kokuba ebewagqibile onke amazwi akhe, besiva abantu, wangena eKapernahum.
2 Waye ke umkhonzi womthethelikhulu othile, owabethandwa nguye, esifa, eza kubhubha.
3 Uthe ke akuva ngaye uYesu, wathuma kuye amadoda amakhulu amaYuda, emcela ukuba eze kumsindisa umkhonzi wakhe.
4 Akufika ke kuYesu, ambongoza enyamekile, esithi, Úkufanele oko lowo ùngamenzelayo oko;
5 kuba úyaluthanda uhlanga lwethu, wasakhela nendlu yesikhungu yena.
6 Wahamba ke uYesu nabo.Akubon' ukuba ke àkasekude endlwini, umthetheli-khulu wathuma izihlobo kuye, esithi kuye, Nkosi, ungàzikhathazi, kuba andikulingene ukuba ungade ungene phantsi kophahla lwam;
7 kungoko nam ndingàkufanelanga ukuda ndize; thetha ngezwi lodwa, wóphiliswa umkhonzi wam;
8 kuba nam ndingumntu omiswe phantsi kwegunya labanye, ndinamasoldati aphantsi kwam; ndithi kweli, Yiya, liye; kweliya, Yiza, lize; kumkhonzi wam, Yenza oku, akwenze.
9 Ezivile ke uYesu ezi zinto, wamangaliswa nguye, waguqukela kwindimbane ebimlandela, wathi, Ndithi kuni, andifumananga lukholo lungaka nakwaSirayeli.
10 Abo babethunyiwe babuyela endlwini, bamfumana umkhonzi obengumlwelwe ephilile.
11 Kwathi ngomhla olandelayo, waya emzini ekuthiwa yiNayin. Kwaye kuhamba naye iqela labafundi bakhe, nendimbane enkulu.
12 Ke kaloku, akusondela esangweni lomzi lowo, kwabonakala kuthwalelwa phandle umntu ofileyo, ekuphela konyana ozalwa ngunina; waye yena engumhlolokazi. Yaye nendimbane elingeneyo yomzi inaye.
13 Ithe ke iNkosi yakumbona, yasikwa yimfesane ngenxa yakhe, yathi kuye, Musa ukulila.
14 Yafika ke yalichukumisa ithala, bema ke ababethwele. Yathi, Ndodana, ndithi kuwe, Vuka.
15 Wavuka wahlala umfi lowo, waza ke wathetha. Yamnikela ke kunina.
16 Bangenwa ke kukoyika bonke. Babemzukisa uThixo, besithi, Kuvele umprofeti omkhulu phakathi kwethu; besithi, Ubavelele uThixo abantu bakhe.
17 Lwaphuma ke olo ludaba lungaye, lwahamba kwelakwaYuda liphela, nakuloo mmandla wonke.
18 Bazibika kuYohane abafundi bakhe zonke ezi zinto.
19 Ebizele kuye babini bathile kubafundi bakhe, uYohane wabathuma kuYesu esithi, Wena ungulowo uzayo na, silinde omnye, sini na?
20 Efikile ke kuye amadoda lawo, athi, UYohane umbhaptizi usithume kuwe esithi, Wena ungulowo uzayo na, silinde omnye, sini na?
21 Ke kaloku, kwangelo lixa, waphilisa abaninzi kuzo izifo, nakuzo izibetho, nakoomoya abakhohlakeleyo, wathi iimfama ezininzi wazibabala ukubona.
22 Waphendula uYesu wathi kuwo, Hambani niye kumbikela uYohane izinto enizibonileyo nenizivileyo; okokuba iimfama zibuya zibone, iziqhwala ziyahamba, abaneqhenqa bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyeva, abafileyo bayavuswa, amahlwempu ayazishunyayezwa iindaba ezilungileyo.
23 Unoyolo othe akakhutyekiswa ndim.
24 Ke kaloku, bakubon' ukuba bemkile abathunywa bakaYohane, waqala wathi kwisihlwele ngaye uYohane, Nayé niphume naya kubona ntoni na entlango? Yaye iyingcongolo na, izanyazanyiswa ngumoya?
25 Naye niphume naya kubona ntoni na kodwa? Yaye ingumntu ovethe iingubo ezitofotofo na? Yabonani, abo banxiba iingubo eziqaqambileyo, badle ubuncwane, ngabasezindlwini zookumkani.
26 Nayé niphume naya kubona ntoni na kodwa? Yaye igumprofeti na? Ewe, ndithi kuni, nóde wagqithisa kumprofeti.
27 Lo ngulowo kubhaliweyo ngaye kwathiwa,Niyabona, mna ndiyamthuma umthunywa wam ngaphambi kobuso bakho,Oya kuyilungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.(UMal. 3:1)
28 Kuba ndithi kuni, Akukho namnye, kwabazelweyo ngabafazi, umprofeti omkhulu kunoYohane umbhaptizi; kanti ke nomncinanana kwabanye ebukumkanini bukaThixo, mkhulu kunaye.
29 Bathi bonke abantu, bakuva, nababuthi berhafu, bagwebela uThixo, bebhaptiziwe ngobhaptizo lukaYohane.
30 Ke bona abaFarisi nabaqondisi-mthetho bazitshitshisela icebo likaThixo, kuba bengabhaptizwanga nguye.
31 Ithe ke iNkosi, Ndiya kubafanisa nantoni na ke ngoko abantu besi sizukulwana?
32 Bafana nantoni na? Bafana nabantwana abahleli endaweni yembutho, bekhwazana besithi, Sanigwalela, naza nina anaduda; sanihlabela isililo, naza nina analila.
33 Kuba uzile uYohane umbhaptizi engadli sonka, engaseli wayini; nithi ke, Únedemon.
34 Uzile uNyana woMntu esidla, esela; nithi, Khanibone umntu olidla-kudla, olisela-wayini, umhlobo wababuthi berhafu nowaboni!
35 Noko ke ubulumko bugwetyelwe kokuphuma ebantwaneni babo bonke.
36 Ke kaloku omnye umFarisi ubemcela ukuba adle naye; waza wangena endlwini yomFarisi lowo, wangqengqa.
37 Kwabonakala kukho mfazi emzini apho, obengumoni; wathi, àkwazi ukuba uhleli endlwini yomFarisi, wazisa ihlala lelabhastile,* linamafutha aqholiweyo.
38 Wema ezinyaweni zakhe ngasemva, elila; waqala ukuzinyela iinyawo zakhe ngeenyembezi, ezisula ngeenwele zentloko yakhe, ezanga kakhulu iinyawo zakhe, ezithambisa ngamafutha lawo.
39 Akukubona ke oko umFarisi lowo ubembizile, wathetha ngaphakathi kwakhe, esithi, Lo mntu, ukuba ube engumprofeti, ange esazi ukuba ngumfazi ongubani na, oluhlobo luni na, lo umchukumisayo; ngokuba ungumoni.
40 Waphendula uYesu wathi kuye, Hina, Simon, ndinendawo yokuthetha kuwe. (Athi ke yena, Thetha, Mfundisi.)
41 Kwaye kukho mboleki-mali uthile, enabantu ababini abanamatyala kuye; omnye wayenetyala leedenariyo* ezimakhulu mahlanu, omnye ke zimashumi mahlanu.
42 Bakuba ke bengenanto yokuhlawula, usuke wabaxolela bobabini. Khawutsho ke, nguwuphi na kubo oya kumthanda ngokungaphezulu?
43 Waphendula uSimon wathi, Ndiba ngulowo uxolelwe ngokungaphezulu. Wathi ke yena kuye, Wahlulé walungisa.
44 Wajika wakhangela kumfazi, wathi kuSimon, Ùyambona na lo mfazi? Ndingené endlwini yakho, akundinikanga manzi eenyawo zam; ke yena uzinyele iinyawo zam ngeenyembezi, wazisula ngeenwele zentloko yakhe.
45 Akundanganga wena; ke yena, kuseloko ndangenayo, akayekanga ukuzanga kakhulu iinyawo zam.
46 Intloko yam akuyithambisanga ngaoli; ke yena iinyawo zam uzithambise ngamafutha aqholiweyo.
47 Ngenxa yoko ndithi kuwe, Izono zakhe uzixolelwe, bezizininzi; ngokuba úthandé kakhulu; ke yena oxolelwe kancinane, uthanda kancinane.
48 Wathi ke kuye, Zixolelwe izono zakho.
49 Baqala abo babehleli naye esithebeni ukuthi ngaphakathi kwabo, Ngubani na lo uxolela nezono?
50 Uthe ke kumfazi, Ukholo lwakho lukusindisile, hamba ngoxolo.