1 Ngalezo zinsuku sekukhona futhi isixuku esikhulu singenakudla, wabiza abafundi bakhe, wathi kubo:
2 “Ngiyasihawukela isixuku, ngokuba sekuyizinsuku ezintathu sihlezi kimi, singenanto yokudla.
3 Uma ngibamukisa, baye ekhaya bengadlanga, bayakuphela amandla endleleni, ngokuba abanye babo bavela kude.”
4 Abafundi bakhe bamphendula bathi: “Umumtu angatholaphi lapha ehlane izinkwa zokusuthisa laba na?”
5 Wababuza wathi: “Ninezinkwa ezingaki na?”Bathi: “Eziyisikhombisa.”
6 Wayala isixuku ukuba sihlale phansi; wazithabatha izinkwa eziyisikhombisa, wabonga, wazihlephula, wanika abafundi bakhe ukuba bababele; basabela isixuku.
7 Babe nezinhlanzana eziyingcosana futhi; esezibusisile wathi abababele nazo.
8 Badla, basutha, babutha imvuthuluka eseleyo, amaqoma ayisikhombisa.
9 Babengathi izinkulungwane ezine; wabamukisa.
10 Wayesengena masinyane emkhunjini kanye nabafundi bakhe, weza ezweni laseDalmanutha.
11 Khona kwafika abaFarisi, baqala ukuphendulana naye befuna kuye isibonakaliso esivela ezulwini, bemlinga.
12 Wabubula emoyeni wakhe, wathi: “Lesi sizukulwane sifunelani isibonakaliso na? Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Lesi sizukulwane asiyikunikwa sibonakaliso.”
13 Wabashiya, wabuye wangena emkhunjini, wamuka, waya ngaphesheya.
14 Kepha babekhohliwe ukuphatha izinkwa, bengenalutho, isinkwa sisinye kuphela emkhunjini.
15 Wayesebayala ethi: “Anobheka nixwaye imvubelo yabaFarisi nemvubelo kaHerode.”
16 Baphendulana bodwa, bathi abanazinkwa.
17 UJesu ekwazi wathi kubo: “Yini ukuba niphendulane ngokuthi aninazinkwa na? Anikaboni, anikaqondi, na? Inhliziyo yenu iselukhuni na?
18 Ninamehlo aniboni yini, ninezindlebe anizwa na? Anikhumbuli yini
19 mhla ngihlephulela abayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu izinkwa eziyisihlanu ukuthi nabutha iziqabetho ezingaki ezigcwele imvuthuluka na?”Bathi kuye: “Ishumi nambili.”
20 “Mhla ziyisikhombisa kwaba yizinkulungwane ezine, nabutha amaqoma amangaki agcwele imvuthuluka na?”Bathi: “Isikhombisa.”
21 Wathi kubo: “Anikaqondi na?”
22 Bafika eBetsayida. Base beletha kuye impumputhe, bamncenga ukuba ayiphathe.
23 Wayibamba impumputhe ngesandla, wayiholela ngaphandle komuzi, wafela amathe emehlweni ayo, wabeka izandla phezu kwayo, wayibuza wathi: “Ubona utho na?”
24 Yabheka, yathi: “Ngibona abantu, ngibabona behamba; kungathi yizihlahla.”
25 Khona waphinda wabeka izandla phezu kwamehlo ayo, yabhekisisa, yasinda, yabonisisa konke.
26 Wayithumela ekhaya layo, wathi: “Ungangeni emzini wabantu.”
27 UJesu wayesephuma kanye nabafundi bakhe, waya emizini yaseKesariya Filipi. Besendleleni, wababuza abafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: “Abantu bathi ngingubani na?”
28 Bamtshela bathi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi;” abanye bathi: “Ngu-Eliya;” abanye bathi: “Ngomunye wabaprofethi.”
29 Wayesebabuza ethi: “Nina-ke nithi ngingubani na?”UPetru waphendula, wathi kuye: “Wena unguKristu.”
30 Wabayalisisa ukuba bangatsheli muntu ngaye.
31 Khona waqala ukubafundisa ukuthi iNdodana yomuntu imelwe ukuhlupheka ngokuningi, ilahlwe ngamalunga nabapristi abakhulu nababhali, ibulawe, ivuswe emva kwezinsuku ezintathu.
32 Leli zwi walikhuluma ngokusobala. UPetru wamthatha, waqala ukumkhuza.
33 Kepha waphenduka, wabheka abafundi bakhe, wamkhuza uPetru, wathi: “Buyela emva kwami, Sathane, ngokuba awuqondi okukaNkulunkulu kepha okwabantu.”
34 Wayesebiza isixuku nabafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe isiphambano sakhe, angilandele.
35 Ngokuba yilowo nalowo othanda ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe uyakulahlekelwa yikho; kepha olahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yami nangenxa yevangeli uyakukusindisa.
36 Ngokuba kuyakumsizani umuntu ukuzuza izwe lonke, alahlekelwe ngukuphila kwakhe, na?
37 Yingabe angakhiphani umuntu, kube yisihlengo sokuphila kwakhe, na?
38 Ngokuba yilowo nalowo onezinhloni ngami nangamazwi ami kulesi sizukulwane esiphingayo nesonakeleyo, neNdodana yomuntu iyakuba nezinhloni ngaye, lapho iza ngenkazimulo kaYise kanye nezingelosi ezingcwele.”