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UJesu Uyagcotshwa EBhethani
1 Kwasekusele insuku eziyisithupha ukuthi kufike iPhasika, uJesu waya eBhethani, lapho okwakuhlala khona uLazaro owayevuswe kwabafileyo nguJesu. 2 Kwaphekwa ukudla kwakusihlwa kuhlonitshwa yena uJesu. UMatha nguye owayedidizela, uLazaro ehlezi labanye etafuleni loJesu. 3 UMariya wasethatha amafutha enadi acengekileyo njalo adulayo kakhulu, ayengaba yingxenye yelitha, wawathela ezinyaweni zikaJesu wasezesula ngenwele zakhe. Indlu yagcwala ngephunga elimnandi lamakha lawo.
4 Kodwa omunye wabafundi bakhe, uJudasi Iskariyothi owayezamnikela wasola wathi, 5 “Kungani amakha la engathengiswanga imali yaphiwa abampofu? Intengo yawo ibinganela umholo womnyaka wonke.” 6 Kakutshongo lokhu ngoba ebanakekela abampofu, kodwa ngoba elisela; njengomgcinisikhwama wayandise ukuzisiza ngalokho okwakufakwa phakathi kwaso.
7 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Myekele. Kwakuqondwe ukuthi amakha la awabekele usuku lokungcwatshwa kwami. 8 Lizahlala lilabo abampofu phakathi kwenu kodwa mina kaliyikuhlala lilami.”
9 Ngalesosikhathi ixuku elikhulu lamaJuda lezwa ukuthi uJesu wayelapho, leza lingalandanga yena kuphela kodwa lokuthi libone uLazaro ayemvuse kwabafileyo. 10 Ngakho abaphristi abakhulu benza amacebo okuba bambulale laye uLazaro, 11 ngoba ngenxa yakhe amaJuda amanengi ayesiya kuJesu ebeka ukholo lwawo kuye.
Ukungena Ngobukhosi
12 Ngosuku olulandelayo ixuku elikhulu elalize emkhosini lezwa ukuthi uJesu wayesendleleni esiza eJerusalema. 13 Lathatha amagatsha elala laphuma ukuyamhlangabeza, limemeza lisithi,
“Hosana!”* 12.13 AmaHubo 118.25-26
“Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo!”
“Ubusisiwe oyiNkosi ka-Israyeli!”
14 UJesu wathola inkonyane kababhemi wayigada njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
15 “Ungesabi, Oh Ndodakazi yeZiyoni;
khangela, inkosi yakho iyeza,
ihlezi phezu kwenkonyane kababhemi.Ӡ 12.15 UZakhariya 9.9
16 Kuqala abafundi bakhe kabakuzwisisanga konke lokhu. Kwaze kwaba ngemva kokuba uJesu esekhazimulisiwe lapho abananzelela khona ukuba izinto lezi zazilotshwe ngaye lokuthi babezenzile kuye lezozinto.
17 Ngalesosikhathi ixuku elalilaye mhla ebiza uLazaro ethuneni wabuye wamvusa ekufeni laqhubeka lilifakaza ilizwi. 18 Abantu abanengi bahamba ukuyamhlangabeza ngoba basebezwile ukuthi wayewenzile umangaliso lo. 19 AbaFarisi bakhulumisana besithi, “Liyabona, into le izasitshiya esikhaleni. Khangelani ukuthi umhlaba wonke usuthe zalezale kuye!”
UJesu Ukhuluma Ngokufa Kwakhe
20 Kwakukhona amaGrikhi phakathi kwalabo abayakhonza emkhosini. 21 Beza kuFiliphu owayevela eBhethisayida eGalile lesicelo esithi, “Nkosi, sifuna ukubona uJesu.” 22 UFiliphu wayatshela u-Andreya; u-Andreya loFiliphu basebemtshela uJesu.
23 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Sesifikile isikhathi sokuba iNdodana yoMuntu ikhazimuliswe. 24 Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi ngaphandle kokuthi uhlamvu lwengqoloyi luwele emhlabathini lufe, lusala lulokhu luluhlamvu olulodwa. Kodwa lungaze lufe luthela inhlamvu ezinengi. 25 Umuntu othanda impilo yakhe izamlahlekela ikanti umuntu ozonda impilo yakhe kulo umhlaba uzayilondolozela ingunaphakade. 26 Lowo ongikhonzayo kumele angilandele, lalapho engikhona lesikhonzi sami sikhona. UBaba uzamdumisa lowo ongikhonzayo.
27 Khathesi inhliziyo yami ikhathazekile. Kambe ngingatsho na ngithi, ‘Baba, ngihlenga singafiki lesosikhathi’? Hatshi, kwakungenxa yalesisizatho ukuze ngingene kulesisikhathi. 28 Baba, khazimulisa ibizo lakho!”
Kwasekufika ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi, “Sengilikhazimulisile, ngizaphinda ngilikhazimulise.” 29 Ixuku labantu elalilapho elalizwayo ilizwi lathi kube lomdumo wezulu; abanye bathi ingilosi yayikhulume laye.
30 UJesu wathi, “Ilizwi leli belingelokusiza lina, hayi mina. 31 Manje sekuyisikhathi sokwahlulela kulo umhlaba; manje inkosi yalo umhlaba isizaxotshwa. 32 Kodwa mina nxa sengiphakanyisiwe ngisuswa emhlabeni, ngizabadonsela kimi bonke abantu.” 33 Wakutsho lokhu eveza ukuthi wayezakufa ukufa okunjani.
34 Ixuku labhoboka lathi, “Sezwa eMthethweni ukuthi uKhristu uzahlala kokuphela, pho ukutsho kanjani ukuthi, ‘INdodana yoMuntu imele iphakanyiswe na’? Ingubani yona ‘iNdodana yoMuntu’ le?”
35 UJesu wabatshela wathi, “Lizakuba lakho ukukhanya okwesikhatshana esithile. Hambani liseselakho ukukhanya, ubumnyama bungakaligubuzeli. Umuntu ophumputha emnyameni kakwazi lapho aya khona. 36 Bekani ithemba lenu ekukhanyeni liseselakho ukuze libe ngamadodana okukhanya.” Wathi eseqedile ukukhuluma uJesu wasuka kubo wayazifihla.
Ukukholwa Lokungakholwa KwamaJuda
37 Lanxa uJesu wayeseyenze yonke imimangaliso le emehlweni abo babelokhu bengakholwa kuye. 38 Lokhu kwakugcwalisa ilizwi lika-Isaya umphrofethi elithi:
“Nkosi, ngubani olikholiweyo ilizwi lethu na,
njalo amandla eNkosi ambulelwe ubani na?”‡ 12.38 U-Isaya 53.1
39 Ngalesisizatho babengeke bakholwa ngoba u-Isaya uyatsho komunye umbhalo ukuthi:
40 “Uwafiphazile amehlo abo
wathundubeza inhliziyo zabo
ukuze bangaboni ngamehlo abo
njalo bangezwisisi ngenhliziyo zabo,
loba baphenduke, ukuze ngibasilise.Ӥ 12.40 U-Isaya 6.10
41 U-Isaya wakutsho lokhu ngoba wayibona inkazimulo kaJesu njalo wayekhuluma ngaye.
42 Kodwa loba kunjalo, abanengi labanye abakhokheli bakholwa kuye. Kodwa ngenxa yabaFarisi kabalufakazanga ukholo lwabo besesaba ukuthi bazaxotshwa esinagogweni; 43 ngoba babethanda ukubukwa ngabantu okwedlula ukubukwa okuvela kuNkulunkulu.
44 UJesu wasememeza wathi, “Nxa umuntu ekholwa kimi, kakholwa kimi kuphela kodwa kuye lowo ongithumileyo. 45 Nxa ekhangela mina ubona yena lowo ongithumileyo. 46 Ngibuye emhlabeni ngiyikukhanya ukuze angabikhona okholwa kimi ozahlala ebumnyameni.
47 Nxa umuntu ewezwa amazwi ami kodwa angawagcini, angimahluleli mina. Phela kangilandanga ukuzowahlulela umhlaba kodwa ukuzowusindisa. 48 Ukhona umahluleli walowo ongalayo, ongawemukeliyo amazwi ami; lawomazwi engawakhulumayo uqobo azamlahla ngosuku lokucina. 49 Ngoba kangizikhulumelanga ngokwentando yami kodwa uBaba owangithumayo wangilaya ukuthi ngithini lokuthi ngikutsho kanjani. 50 Ngiyazi ukuthi umlayo wakhe uholela ekuphileni kwaphakade. Ngakho loba kuyini engikutshoyo yikho lokho uBaba angitshele khona ukuthi ngikutsho.”