Umsebenzi kaJohane uMbhabhathizi

3Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kukaTiberiyosi uKesaria, uPontiyusi Pilatu engumbusi weJudiyab, loHerodic engumtetrarki* weGalilid, loFiliphu umfowabo engumtetrarki weIturiya lelizweni iTrakoniti, loLisaniya engumtetrarki weAbilenee, 2 uAnasif loKayafasi bengabapristi abakhulug, ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuJohaneh indodana kaZakariyai enkangalaj. 3 Wasesiza esigabeni sonke seJordani esizingelezeleyo, etshumayela ubhabhathizo lokuphenduka kube yikuthethelelwa kwezonok; 4 njengokulotshiweyo egwalweni lwamazwi kaIsaya umprofethi, ukuthi: Ilizwi lomemezayo enkangala lithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi; qondisani indledlana zayo. 5 Sonke isigodi sizagqitshwa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; njalo kuzaqondiswa amazombazombe, lamaxhakaxhaka ezindlela azalungiswal; 6 layo yonke inyamam izabona usindiso lukaNkulunkulun.

7 Ngakho wathi emaxukwini aphumela ukubhabhathizwa nguye: Nzalo yezinyoka, ngubani olixwayise ukubalekela ulaka oluzayo? 8 Ngakho thelani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka; njalo lingaqali ukuthi phakathi kwenuo: SiloAbrahama ongubaba wethu; ngoba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu ulamandla okumvusela uAbrahama abantwana kulamatshep. 9 Lakhathesi lehloka selibekiwe empandeni zezihlahla; ngakho sonke isihlahla esingatheli isithelo esihle siyaganyulwa siphoselwe emlilweni.

10 Amaxuku asembuza, athi: Pho thina sizakwenzaniq? 11 Wasephendula wathi kubo: Olezembatho ezimbili, kamuphe ongelaso; lolokudla kenze njalor. 12 Kwasekufika labathelisi ukuze babhabhathizwes, basebesithi kuye: Mfundisi, sizakwenzanit? 13 Wasesithi kubo: Lingabizi okwedlula elikumiselweyou. 14 Lamabutho lawo ambuza, athi: Thina-ke sizakwenzaniv? Wasesithi kuwo: Lingenzi udlakela1 emuntwini, njalo lingacali ngamangaw; njalo yeneliswani yimivuzo yenux.

15 Kwathi abantu belindile, futhi bonke bezibuza enhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane, ukuthi kambe yena angaba enguKristuy, 16 uJohane waphendula, esithi kubo bonke: Mina-ke ngilibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa uyeza olamandla kulami, engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wamanyathela akhez; yena uzalibhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele langomlilo; 17 okhomane lwakhe lokwela lusesandleni sakhe, njalo uzahlambululisisa isibuya sakhe, abesebuthela amabele esiphaleni sakhea, kodwa amakhoba uzawatshisa ngomlilo ongacitshekiyo.

18 Langokulaya ngezinye izinto ezinengi, watshumayela ivangeli ebantwini. 19 Kodwab uHerodi umtetrarkic, owayesolwe nguye ngoHerodiyasi umkaFiliphu umfowabod, langakho konke okubi ayekwenzile uHerodi, 20 wengezelela lalokhu phezu kwakho konke, ukuthi wamvalela uJohane entolongweni.

Ukubhabhathizwa kukaJesu

21 Kwasekusithi sebebhabhathiziwe bonke abantu, laye uJesu esebhabhathiziwee, ekhulekaf, izulu lavulwa, 22 uMoya oyiNgcwele wasesehlela phezu kwakhe elesimo somzimba onjengowejuba, lelizwi lavela ezulwini, lisithi: Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo, ngithokoza ngawe.

Okhokho bakaJesu

23 Yena uJesu waseqala ukuba leminyaka engaba ngamatshumi amathathug, yena (njengokwakunakanwa) eyindodana kaJosefah, kaEli, 24 kaMathati, kaLevi, kaMeliki, kaJanayi, kaJosefa, 25 kaMatathiya, kaAmosi, kaNahume, kaEseli, kaNagayi, 26 kaMahati, kaMatathiya, kaSemeyi, kaJosefa, kaJuda, 27 kaJohana, kaResai, kaZerubhabhelij, kaSalatiyelik, kaNeri, 28 kaMeliki, kaAdi, kaKosamu, kaElimodamu, kaEri, 29 kaJose, kaEliyezeri, kaJorima, kaMathati, kaLevi, 30 kaSimeyoni, kaJuda, kaJosefa, kaJonanu, kaEliyakhimi, 31 kaMeleya, kaMena, kaMathata, kaNathanil, kaDavidam, 32 kaJese, kaObedi, kaBowosi, kaSalimoni, kaNashoni, 33 kaAminadaba, kaAramu, kaEsiromu, kaFaresi, kaJuda, 34 kaJakobe, kaIsaka, kaAbrahama, kaThara, kaNahori, 35 kaSarugi, kaRagawu, kaFaleki, kaEberi, kaSalan, 36 kaKayinani, kaArpakishadio, kaShemu, kaNowe, kaLameki, 37 kaMethusala, kaEnoki, kaJaredi, kaMaleleyeli, kaKayinani, 38 kaEnosi, kaSeti, kaAdamup, kaNkulunkuluq.