NgokukaJohane 7
7
UJesu ukhuphukela eJerusalema ngomkhosi wamadokodo
1Emva kwalokho uJesu wahamba eGalile, ngokuba wayengathandi ukuhamba eJudiya, lokhu abaJuda bebefuna ukumbulala. 2 Kwase kusondele umkhosi wabaJuda, owamadokodo. 3Base bethi kuye abafowabo: “Muka lapha, uye eJudiya, ukuze nabafundi bakho babone imisebenzi yakho oyenzayo. 4Ngokuba akukho muntu owenza utho ekusithekeni, efuna yena uqobo lwakhe abe sobala. Uma wenza lezi zinto, zibonakalise wena kulo izwe.” 5 Ngokuba nabafowabo babengakholwa nguye.
6Ngakho-ke uJesu wathi kubo: “Isikhathi sami asikafiki, isikhathi senu silungile njalo. 7 Izwe lingenizonde nina, kepha mina liyangizonda, ngokuba ngifakaza ngalo ukuthi imisebenzi yalo mibi. 8Yenyukani nina, niye emkhosini; mina angenyukeli manje kulo mkhosi; ngokuba esami isikhathi asikapheleli.” 9Eseshilo lokho kubo wahlala eGalile.
10Sebenyukele emkhosini abafowabo, naye-ke wenyuka, kungesobala kepha kungathi kungasese. 11Khona abaJuda bamfuna emkhosini, bathi: “Uphi yena na?”
12Kwaba khona ukukhonona okukhulu ngaye phakathi kwezixuku. Abanye bathi: “Muhle;” abanye bathi: “Qha, ngokuba udukisa abantu.” 13 Nokho kwakungekho muntu owakhuluma obala ngaye ngokwesaba abaJuda.
Imfundiso ngoMesiya
14Kuthe sekuphakathi komkhosi, uJesu wenyukela ethempelini, wafundisa. 15 Ngakho abaJuda bamangala bathi: “Lona uyazi kanjani imibhalo engafundanga na?”
16 Khona uJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Imfundiso yami akusiyo eyami kodwa ngeyongithumileyo. 17Uma umuntu ethanda ukwenza intando yakhe, uzakwazi ngemfundiso noma ivela kuNkulunkulu noma ngizikhulumela okwami. 18Okhuluma ngokwakhe ufuna udumo lwakhe; kepha ofuna udumo lomthumileyo lowo uqinisile; akukho ukungalungi kuye. 19 UMose kaninikanga yini umthetho na? Nokho akakho kini ogcina umthetho. Nifunelani ukungibulala na?”
20 Isixuku saphendula sathi: “Unedemoni wena; ngubani ofuna ukukubulala na?”
21 UJesu waphendula, wathi kubo: “Munye umsebenzi engiwenzile, niyamangala nonke. 22 Ngokuba uMose uninikile ukusoka – kungesikho ukuthi kuvela kuMose kodwa kokhokho – niyamsoka umuntu nangesabatha. 23Uma umuntu amukela ukusoka ngesabatha ukuze kungeqiwa umthetho kaMose, pho, ningithukuthelela ngokuba ngaphulukisa umuntu ngokuphelele ngesabatha na? 24 Ningahluleli ngokwamehlo, kepha yahlulelani ukwahlulela okulungileyo.”
25 Base bethi abanye kwabaseJerusalema: “Lo akusiye yini abafuna ukumbulala na? 26Bheka, ukhuluma obala, kabasho lutho kuye. Kungaba ngukuthi ababusi sebazi isibili ukuthi lo unguKristu na? 27 Kodwa lo siyamazi lapho evela khona; kepha uKristu, nxa efika, akakho owazi lapho evela khona.”
28 Ngakho uJesu wamemeza efundisa ethempelini, wathi: “Niyangazi, niyazi futhi ukuthi ngivelaphi; mina-ke angizizelanga, kodwa ongithumileyo uqinisile, eningamaziyo nina. 29 Ngiyamazi mina, ngokuba ngivela kuye, futhi nguye ongithumileyo.”
30 Ngakho bafuna ukumbamba, kepha akubangakho owambeka isandla, ngokuba isikhathi sakhe sasingakafiki. 31 Kepha esixukwini abaningi bakholwa nguye, bathi: “UKristu, nxa esefikile, uyakwenza izibonakaliso eziningi kunalezo azenzileyo lona na?”
32AbaFarisi bezwa isixuku sikhonona ngalezo zinto ngaye; abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi base bethuma izikhonzi ukuba zimbambe.
33 Ngakho-ke uJesu wathi: “Kuseyisikhashana ngikhona kini, besengimuka, ngiye kongithumileyo. 34 Niyakungifuna, ningangifumani, nalapho ngikhona, ningeze nina.”
35Ngakho abaJuda bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Uzakuya ngaphi lo lapho singayikumthola na? Uyakuya kwabahlakazekileyo kumaGreki, afundise amaGreki, na? 36Lizwi lini leli alishoyo lokuthi: ‘Niyakungifuna, ningangifumani,’ nokuthi: ‘Lapho ngikhona, ningeze nina,’ na?”
Amanzi okuphila
37 Kepha ngosuku lokugcina olukhulu lomkhosi uJesu wema wamemeza wathi: “Uma ekhona owomileyo, akeze kimi, aphuze. 38 Okholwa yimi, njengokusho kombhalo, esiswini sakhe kuyakugobhoza imifula yamanzi aphilayo.” 39 Washo lokho ngoMoya abazakumamukela abakholwa nguye, ngokuba uMoya wayengakafiki, lokhu uJesu wayengakakhazimuliswa.
40 Abanye besixuku sebezwa lawa mazwi bathi: “Lo ungumprofethi isibili.”
41 Abanye bathi: “Lo unguKristu.” Kepha abanye bathi: “Kanti uKristu uvela eGalile na? 42 Awushongo yini umbhalo ukuthi uKristu uvela enzalweni kaDavide naseBetlehema, emzaneni lapho wayekhona uDavide na?” 43 Ngakho kwaba khona ukwahlukana ngaye esixukwini. 44Abanye-ke kubo babethanda ukumbamba; kepha akubangakho owambeka izandla.
Izikhonzi zifuna ukumbamba uJesu
45Zafika-ke izikhonzi kubapristi abakhulu nakubaFarisi. Bathi kuzo: “Animlethanga ngani na?”
46 Izikhonzi zaphendula zathi: “Akuzange kukhulume muntu njengokuba kukhuluma lowo muntu.”
47Ngakho abaFarisi baziphendula bathi: “Kanti nani nidukisiwe na? 48 Ukhona yini ezikhulwini nakubaFarisi oke wakholwa nguye na? 49Kodwa lesi sixuku esingawazi umthetho siqalekisiwe.”
50 Wayesethi kubo uNikodemu owake weza kuye engomunye wabo: 51 “Konje umthetho wakithi uyamlahla yini umuntu ungakamuzwa kuqala, uze wazi akwenzayo, na?”
52Baphendula, bathi kuye: “Kanti nawe ungowaseGalile na? Phenyisisa, ubone ukuthi akuveli mprofethi eGalile.” 53Base behamba, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya ekhaya.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1959, 1997. Used with permission. All rights reserved.