1 Kungaba yisikhathi lapho iNkosi uHerodi eyabopha khona abanye ababe ngabebandla eqonde ukubahlukumeza. 2 Wabulalisa uJakhobe umfowabo kaJohane ngenkemba. 3 Wathi esebone ukuthi lokho kwakuwathabisa amaJuda, wabopha loPhethro njalo. Lokho kwenzakala ngezinsuku zoMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo. 4 Esembophile wamphosela entolongweni, wamnikela ukuba alindwe ngamaviyo amane amabutho, ngalinye lilamabutho amane. UHerodi wayefuna ukuthi ngemva kwePhasika amkhuphele obala athonisiswe phambi kwabantu.

5 Ngakho uPhethro wagcinwa entolongweni, kodwa ibandla lamkhulekela njalonjalo kuNkulunkulu.

6 Ngobusuku obandulela ukuthonisiswa kukaPhethro nguHerodi, uPhethro wayelele ephahlwe ngamabutho amabili, ebotshwe ngamaketane amabili, kumi abalindi emnyango wentolongo. 7 Masinyane ingilosi yeNkosi yavela, kwabakhona ukukhanya kulelokamela lentolongo. Yathinta uPhethro ohlangothini, yamvusa yathi, “Phangisa, vuka!” Amaketane akhithika ezingalweni zikaPhethro.

8 Ingilosi yasisithi kuye, “Gqoka, ufake lamanyathela akho.” UPhethro wenzenjalo. Ingilosi yamtshela yathi, “Yembatha ijazi lakho ungilandele.” 9 UPhethro wayilandela ngaphandle kwentolongo, kodwa wayedidekile engakwazi ukuthi lokho ingilosi eyayikwenza kwakusenzakala ngempela; wayekhumbula ukuthi ubona umbono. 10 Bedlula kubalindi, owokuqala lowesibili bafika esangweni lensimbi elaliphumela edolobheni. Lazivulekela baphuma. Kwathi sebehambe baphutsha umgwaqo wedolobho, ingilosi yamtshiya.

11 Kwayikhona uPhethro enanzelela, wathi, “Khathesi sengisazi kungelakuthandabuza ukuthi iNkosi ithume ingilosi yayo yangihlenga ezibotshweni zikaHerodi lakukho konke obekufiswa ngamaJuda.”

12 Sekumkhanyele kuhle lokhu, waqonda endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane, owayethiwa nguMakho njalo, khona lapho abantu abanengi babebuthene bekhuleka. 13 UPhethro waqoqoda entubeni yangaphandle, kwathi incekukazi eyayithiwa nguRoda yayabuza ukuthi ngubani owayesemnyango. 14 Isilizwile ilizwi likaPhethro yathaba kakhulu, yagijimela phakathi ingasawuvulanga, yabika yathi, “UPhethro usemnyango!”

15 Bathi, “Uyahlanya wena.” Kwathi ngoba wala elokhu ephikelela ukuthi liqiniso, bathi, “Kutsho ukuthi yingilosi yakhe.”

16 Kodwa uPhethro wala elokhu eqoqoda, bathi bevula umnyango bambona, bamangala kakhulu. 17 UPhethro wabatshengisa ngesandla ukuthi bathule, wasebalandisela ukuthi iNkosi imkhuphe kanjani entolongweni. Wathi, “Libotshela uJakhobe labazalwane ngalokhu.” Wasesuka waya kwenye indawo.

18 Ekuseni kwaba lokunyakazela okukhulu phakathi kwabebutho. Babuza bathi, “Kambe ngabe uPhethro wenzenjani?” 19 Kwathi uHerodi esemthungathe waze wabeka phansi, wathonisisa abalindi wasesithi kababulawe.

UHerodi wasuka eJudiya waya eKhesariya wayahlala khona okwesikhathi esithile. 20 Wayekade exabana labantu beThire labeSidoni; basebehlangana ndawonye bacela ukukhuluma laye. Sebezuze ukusekelwa nguBhlastu inceku ethembekileyo enkosini, bacela ukuthula ngoba ukudla kwabo babekuthola elizweni lenkosi.

21 Ngosuku olumisiweyo, uHerodi wagqoka izigqoko zobukhosi wahlala esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, wasekhuluma ebantwini. 22 Bamemeza bathi, “Leli yilizwi likaNkulunkulu, hatshi elomuntu.” 23 Masinyane nje, ngenxa yokuthi uHerodi wayengamkhonzi uNkulunkulu, ingilosi yeNkosi yamtshaya yamlahla phansi, wadliwa zimpethu wafa.

24 Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka likhula njalo lisanda.

25 Kwathi uBhanabhasi loSawuli sebewuqedile umlandu wabo, babuyela besuka eJerusalema, bahamba loJohane, owayethiwa nguMakho.