1 Kwase kusuka uquqaba lonke, lwamyisa kuPilatu.
2 Baqala ukumthwesa icala, bathi: “Simfumene lo edukisa isizwe sakithi, enqaba ukuba kuthelwe imali kuKesari, ethi nguye onguKristu inkosi.”
3 UPilatu wambuza wathi: “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na?”Wamphendula wathi: “Usho khona.”
4 Wayesethi uPilatu kubapristi abakhulu nakuzo izixuku: “Angifumani cala kulo muntu.”
5 Kwayikhona beqinisa kakhulu, bethi: “Uvusa abantu efundisa kulo lonke laseJudiya, eqalile kwelaseGalile, waze wafika lapha.”
6 UPilatu esezwa lokho wabuza ukuba lowo muntu ungowaseGalile yini.
7 Esethole ukwazi ukuthi ungowesifunda sikaHerode, wamthumela kuHerode owayekhona naye eJerusalema ngalezo zinsuku.
8 Kwathi uHerode embona uJesu, wathokoza kakhulu, ngokuba kwase kukade efuna ukumbona, lokhu ebezwile ngaye; wayethemba ukuthi uzakubona isibonakaliso esithile senziwa nguye.
9 Wambuza ngamazwi amaningi, kepha yena kamphendulanga ngalutho.
10 Abapristi abakhulu nababhali babemi bemmangalela kakhulu.
11 Kepha uHerode namabutho akhe bameyisa, bambhinqa, baze bamembathisa ingubo ecwebezelayo, bambuyisela kuPilatu.
12 Ngalolo suku oPilatu noHerode baba ngabahlobo; ngokuba ngaphambili kwakukhona ubutha phakathi kwabo.
13 UPilatu wabizela ndawonye abapristi abakhulu nababusi nabantu,
14 wathi kubo: “Nilethe kimi lo muntu ngokuthi ungodukisa abantu. Bhekani, mina ngimhlolile phambi kwenu, kepha angifumananga cala lalezo zinto enimmangalela ngazo;
15 kunjalo noHerode futhi ngokuba umbuyisele kithi; bheka-ke, akenzanga lutho afanele ukufa ngalo.
16 Ngakho-ke ngiyakumshaya, ngimkhulule.”
17 Ubemelwe phela ukubakhululela abe munye ngomkhosi.
18 Kepha bamemeza kanyekanye, bathi: “Susa lo, usikhululele uBaraba,”
19 yena owayefakwe etilongweni ngenxa yesiyaluyalu esithile esasenzeka emzini, nangenxa yokubulala.
20 UPilatu wabuye wakhuluma kubo efuna ukumkhulula uJesu;
21 kodwa bamemeza bathi: “Mbethele, mbethele esiphambanweni!”
22 Wayesethi kubo ngokwesithathu: “Kanti lo wenze bubi buni na? Angifumananga kuye icala lokufa; ngakho ngiyakumshaya, ngimkhulule.”
23 Kepha bamcindezela ngokumemeza okukhulu befuna ukuba abethelwe. Ukumemeza kwabo kwanqoba.
24 Wayesenquma uPilatu ngokuthi akwenziwe abakufunayo.
25 Wayesemkhulula owayefakwe etilongweni ngenxa yesiyaluyalu nokubulala, ababemcela, kepha wamnikela uJesu kubo njengokuthanda kwabo.
26 Kwathi bemuka naye, babamba uSimoni waseKhurene evela endle, bamthwesa isiphambano ukuba asithwale emva kukaJesu.
27 Kwamlandela isixuku esikhulu sabantu, kukhona nabesifazane ababemkhalela, bemlilela.
28 Kepha uJesu ephendukela kubo wathi: “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, ningangikhaleli mina, kodwa zikhaleleni nina nabantwana benu.
29 Ngokuba bhekani, kuyeza izinsuku abayakusho ngazo ukuthi: ‘Zibusisiwe izinyumba nezizalo ezingazalanga namabele angancelisanga.’
30 Khona“ ‘bayakuqala ukuthi ezintabeni:“Welani phezu kwethu,”nasemagangeni: “Sisibekeleni.” ’
31 “Ngokuba uma benza lokho emthini oluhlaza, kuyakwenziwani kowomileyo.”
32 Kwakukhona nabanye, izelelesi ezimbili, abayiswa ukuba babulawe kanye naye.
33 Sebefikile endaweni ethiwa iKhanda bambethela khona nazo izelelesi, esinye ngakwesokunene nesinye ngakwesokhohlo.
34 Kepha uJesu wathi: “Baba, bathethelele, ngokuba abakwazi abakwenzayo.” Babelana izingubo zakhe, benzelana inkatho.
35 Abantu bema, bebukela; nababusi bamklolodela bathi: “Wasindisa abanye; kazisindise yena, uma enguKristu okhethiweyo kaNkulunkulu.”
36 Namabutho ambhinqa, eza kuye, amnika uviniga,
37 ethi: “Uma uyinkosi yabaJuda, zisindise.”
38 Kwakukhona nombhalo phezu kwakhe othi: LO YINKOSI YABAJUDA.
39 Njalo esinye sezelelesi ebeziphanyekiwe samhlambalaza sathi: “Wena awusiye uKristu na? Zisindise kanye nathi.”
40 Sase siphendula esinye, sasithethisa sathi: “Nawe awumesabi uNkulunkulu, ingani ukulokhu kulahlwa nawe na?
41 thina kambe ngokufaneleyo, ngokuba samukela okulingene nesikwenzile; kepha lo akenzanga lutho olubi.”
42 Sase sithi: “Jesu, ngikhumbule, nxa usufike embusweni wakho.”
43 Wathi kuso: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: Namuhla uzakuba nami eParadisi.*”
44 Kungaba yihora lesithupha kwase kuba mnyama emhlabeni wonke, kwaze kwaba yihora lesishiyagalolunye;
45 kwafiphala ilanga, isihenqo sethempeli sadabuka phakathi.
46 UJesu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Baba, ezandleni zakho ngiyawubeka umoya wami.” Eseshilo lokho wafa.
47 Induna yekhulu ibone okwenzekileyo yamdumisa uNkulunkulu, yathi: “Nempela lowo muntu ube ngolungileyo.”
48 Zonke izixuku ezazibuthanele ukubukela lokho sezibonile okwenzekileyo, zabuyela emuva, zishaya izifuba zazo.
49 Bonke abazana naye nabesifazane ababemlandela bevela eGalile bema kude, bebuka lezo zinto.
50 Bheka-ke, kwakukhona indoda, igama layo nguJosefa, eyilungu lomphakathi, indoda enhle nelungileyo --
51 yona yayingavumanga icebo nesenzo sabo -- eyase-Arimatheya umuzi wabaJuda, eyayibheke umbuso kaNkulunkulu;
52 yona yaya kuPilatu, yacela isidumbu sikaJesu.
53 Yasehlisa, yasisonga ngendwangu enhle, yasibeka ethuneni elaliqoshwe edwaleni, lapho kungakabekwa muntu khona.
54 Kwakulusuku lokulungisela; isabatha lase lizakuqala.
55 Abesifazane abeza naye bevela eGalile balandela, balibona ithuna nokubekwa kwesidumbu sakhe.
56 Base bebuyela emuva, balungisa amakha namafutha; kepha ngesabatha baphumula njengokomthetho.