< ULukha 3 >
1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kukaTiberiyosi uKesari, uPontiyusi Pilatu engumbusi weJudiya, loHerodi engumtetrarki weGalili, loFiliphu umfowabo engumtetrarki weIturiya lelizweni iTrakoniti, loLisaniya engumtetrarki weAbilene,
2 uAnasi loKayafasi bengabapristi abakhulu, ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuJohane indodana kaZakariya enkangala.
3 Wasesiza esigabeni sonke seJordani esizingelezeleyo, etshumayela ubhabhathizo lokuphenduka kube yikuthethelelwa kwezono;
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 azalungiswa;
6 layo yonke inyama izabona usindiso lukaNkulunkulu.
7 Ngakho wathi emaxukwini aphumela ukubhabhathizwa nguye: Nzalo yezinyoka, ngubani olixwayise ukubalekela ulaka oluzayo?
8 Ngakho thelani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka; njalo lingaqali ukuthi phakathi kwenu: SiloAbrahama ongubaba wethu; ngoba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu ulamandla okumvusela uAbrahama abantwana kulamatshe.
9 Lakhathesi lehloka selibekiwe empandeni zezihlahla; ngakho sonke isihlahla esingatheli isithelo esihle siyaganyulwa siphoselwe emlilweni.
10 Amaxuku asembuza, athi: Pho thina sizakwenzani?
11 Wasephendula wathi kubo: Olezembatho ezimbili, kamuphe ongelaso; lolokudla kenze njalo.
12 Kwasekufika labathelisi ukuze babhabhathizwe, basebesithi kuye: Mfundisi, sizakwenzani?
13 Wasesithi kubo: Lingabizi okwedlula elikumiselweyo.
14 Lamabutho lawo ambuza, athi: Thina-ke sizakwenzani? Wasesithi kuwo: Lingenzi udlakela emuntwini, njalo lingacali ngamanga; njalo yeneliswani yimivuzo yenu.
15 Kwathi abantu belindile, futhi bonke bezibuza enhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane, ukuthi kambe yena angaba enguKristu,
16 uJohane waphendula, esithi kubo bonke: Mina-ke ngilibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa uyeza olamandla kulami, engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wamanyathela akhe; yena uzalibhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele langomlilo;
17 okhomane lwakhe lokwela lusesandleni sakhe, njalo uzahlambululisisa isibuya sakhe, abesebuthela amabele esiphaleni sakhe, kodwa amakhoba uzawatshisa ngomlilo ongacitshekiyo.
18 Langokulaya ngezinye izinto ezinengi, watshumayela ivangeli ebantwini.
19 Kodwa uHerodi umtetrarki, owayesolwe nguye ngoHerodiyasi umkaFiliphu umfowabo, langakho konke okubi ayekwenzile uHerodi,
20 wengezelela lalokhu phezu kwakho konke, ukuthi wamvalela uJohane entolongweni.
21 Kwasekusithi sebebhabhathiziwe bonke abantu, laye uJesu esebhabhathiziwe, ekhuleka, izulu lavulwa,
22 uMoya oyiNgcwele wasesehlela phezu kwakhe elesimo somzimba onjengowejuba, lelizwi lavela ezulwini, lisithi: Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo, ngithokoza ngawe.
23 Yena uJesu waseqala ukuba leminyaka engaba ngamatshumi amathathu, yena (njengokwakunakanwa) eyindodana kaJosefa, kaEli,
24 kaMathati, kaLevi, kaMeliki, kaJanayi, kaJosefa,
25 kaMatathiya, kaAmosi, kaNahume, kaEseli, kaNagayi,
26 kaMahati, kaMatathiya, kaSemeyi, kaJosefa, kaJuda,
27 kaJohana, kaResa, kaZerubhabheli, kaSalatiyeli, kaNeri,
28 kaMeliki, kaAdi, kaKosamu, kaElimodamu, kaEri,
29 kaJose, kaEliyezeri, kaJorima, kaMathati, kaLevi,
30 kaSimeyoni, kaJuda, kaJosefa, kaJonanu, kaEliyakhimi,
31 kaMeleya, kaMena, kaMathata, kaNathani, kaDavida,
32 kaJese, kaObedi, kaBowosi, kaSalimoni, kaNashoni,
33 kaAminadaba, kaAramu, kaEsiromu, kaFaresi, kaJuda,
34 kaJakobe, kaIsaka, kaAbrahama, kaThara, kaNahori,
35 kaSarugi, kaRagawu, kaFaleki, kaEberi, kaSala,
36 kaKayinani, kaArpakishadi, kaShemu, kaNowe, kaLameki,
37 kaMethusala, kaEnoki, kaJaredi, kaMaleleyeli, kaKayinani,
38 kaEnosi, kaSeti, kaAdamu, kaNkulunkulu.
