Yayisikuzwa inkosi uHerode, ngokuba lalidumile igama lakhe. Kwathiwa uJohane uMbhapathizi uvukile kwabafileyo; kungalokho lawa mandla asebenza kuye.
Kodwa abanye bathi: “Ngu-Eliya;” abanye bathi: “Ngumprofethi njengomunye wabaprofethi.”
Kepha uHerode ekuzwile wathi: “UJohane engamnquma ikhanda nguye ovukile.”
Ngokuba yena uHerode wayethumele wambamba uJohane, wambopha etilongweni ngenxa kaHerodiya umkaFiliphu umfowabo, ngokuba wayeganwe nguye. Ngokuba uJohane wayethe kuHerode: “Awuvunyelwe ukuthatha umkamfowenu.” Njalo uHerodiya wambambela amagqubu, wafuna ukumbulala; kepha kabanga namandla, ngokuba uHerode wayemesaba uJohane emazi ukuthi uyindoda elungileyo engcwele, wamlonda; nalapho emuzwa, wayesambatheka kaningi, nokho kwabamnandi kuye ukumuzwa.
Kwathi sekufikile usuku oluhle, lapho uHerode ngosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe ezenzela idili izikhulu zakhe, nezinduna zempi, nabanumzane baseGalile, kwangena indodakazi kaHerodiya uqobo, yasina, yajabulisa uHerode nababehlezi naye. Inkosi yayisithi entombazaneni: “Cela kimi noma yini okuthandayo, ngizakukunika.” Wafunga kuyo, wathi: “Noma yini ongakucela kimi ngizakukunika, nakuba kungaze kube yinxenye yombuso wami.”
Yayisiphuma, yathi kunina: “Ngizakucelani na?”
Yena wathi: “Ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”
Yakhawuleza yangena masinyane enkosini, yacela yathi: “Ngithanda ukuba ungiphe khona manje ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”
Inkosi yadabuka kakhulu, kepha ngenxa yezifungo nangenxa yababehlezi nayo ekudleni ayithandanga ukuyilandulela. Inkosi yayisithuma masinyane ibutho, waliyala ukuba lilethe ikhanda lakhe. Lahamba, lamnquma ikhanda etilongweni. Laletha ikhanda lakhe ngoqwembe, layinika intombazana, intombazana yamnika unina. Kwathi ukuba abafundi bakhe bakuzwe lokho, beza bathatha isidumbu sakhe, basibeka ethuneni.
Abaphostoli babuthana kuJesu, bambikela ababekwenzile nababekufundisile. Wayesethi kubo: “Zanini nina nodwa endaweni eyihlane, niphumule ingcosana.” Ngokuba babe baningi abezayo nabahambayo, abaze bathola nasikhathi sokudla.
Base bemuka ngomkhumbi, baya endaweni eyihlane bebodwa. Abaningi sebebabona bemuka, baqonda, baze bagijimela khona ngezinyawo, bephuma kuyo yonke imizi, babandulela. Wathi ephuma, wabona isixuku esikhulu, waba nesihe ngabantu, ngokuba babe njengezimvu ezingenamalusi; waqala ukubafundisa okuningi.
Kwathi isikhathi sesihambile, beza kuye abafundi bakhe, bathi: “Le ndawo iyihlane, isikhathi sesidlulile; bamukise ukuba baye emaphandleni nasemizaneni ezungezileyo, bazithengele ukudla.”
Wayesephendula, ethi kubo: “Bapheni nina ukudla.”
Bathi kuye: “Sihambe yini, siyothenga izinkwa zawodenariyu* abangamakhulu amabili, sibaphe badle na?”
Wathi kubo: “Ninezinkwa ezingaki na? Hambani nibone.”
Sebazi bathi: “Ziyisihlanu, nezinhlanzi ezimbili.”
Wabayala ukuba bonke bahlale phansi etshanini obuluhlaza izigaba ngezigaba. Base behlala phansi amaviyo ngamaviyo, kwaba ngamakhulu nangamashumi ayisihlanu. Wazithabatha izinkwa eziyisihlanu nezinhlanzi ezimbili, wabheka ngasezulwini, wazibusisa, wazihlephula izinkwa, wazinika abafundi ukuba bazibeke phambi kwabo; nezinhlanzi ezimbili wababela bonke ngazo. Badla bonke, basutha. Babutha imvuthuluka, iziqabetho eziyishumi nambili ezigcwele, neyezinhlanzi. Ababedlile izinkwa babe ngamadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu.
Wayesecindezela masinyane abafundi bakhe ukuba bangene emkhunjini, bamandulele ukuya phesheya eBetsayida, yena aze amukise isixuku. Esebavalelisile wahamba waya entabeni ukuyokhuleka.
Kwathi sekuhlwile, umkhumbi wawuphakathi nolwandle, yena eyedwa emhlabathini. Wababona behlupheka ekugwedleni, ngokuba umoya wawuphambene nabo, weza kubo ngomlindo wesine wobusuku ehamba phezu kolwandle. Kwangathi uyadlula kubo. Sebembonile ehamba phezu kolwandle, bacabanga ukuthi yisithunzi; bakhala. Ngokuba bonke bambona, bethuka.
Kepha washesha wakhuluma nabo, wathi kubo: “Yimani isibindi; yimina, ningesabi.” Wayesekhwela emkhunjini kubo, umoya wanqamuka; bamangala kakhulu impela phakathi kwabo. Ngokuba abaqondanga okwezinkwa, lokhu inhliziyo yabo yayilukhuni.
Sebewelile bafika ezweni laseGenesaretha, babopha ogwini. Ukuphuma kwabo emkhunjini yena wayaziwa masinyane. Bagijimela kulo lonke lelo zwe, baqala ukuletha abagulayo ngezinhlaka, lapho bemuzwa ukuthi ukhona.
Kwathi nomaphi lapho engena khona, emizaneni, nasemizini, nasemaphandleni, babeka abagulayo ezigcawini, bamncenga ukuba bathinte noma umphetho wengubo yakhe kuphela; bonke abamthinta basindiswa.
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