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3
Umsebenzi kaJohane uMbhabhathizi
1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kukaKesari uTiberiyosi, uPontiyusi Pilatu engumbusi weJudiya, loHerodi engumbusi weGalili, loFiliphu umfowabo engumbusi weIturiya lelizweni iTrakoniti, loLisaniya engumbusi weAbilene, 2 ngesikhathi uAnasi loKayafasi bengabapristi abakhulu, ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuJohane indodana kaZekariya enkangala. 3 Wasesiza esigabeni sonke seJordani esizingelezeleyo, etshumayela ubhabhathizo lokuphenduka ethethelelweni lwezono; 4 njengokubhaliweyo egwalweni lwamazwi omprofethi uIsaya, esithi: Ilizwi lomemezayo enkangala lithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi; qondisani indledlana zayo. 5 Sonke isigodi sizagqitshwa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; njalo kuzaqondiswa amazombezombe, lamaxhakaxhaka ezindlela azalungiswa; 6 layo yonke inyama izabona usindiso lukaNkulunkulu.
7 Ngakho wathi emaxukwini aphuma ukubhabhathizwa nguye: Nzalo yezinyoka, ngubani olixwayise ukubalekela ulaka oluzayo? 8 Ngakho thelani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka; njalo lingaqali ukuthi phakathi kwenu: Silobaba uAbrahama; 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 Kwafika 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 ngemivuzo yenu.
15 Kwathi abantu belindile, futhi bonke bezibuza enhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane, ukuthi mhlawumbe yena angaba nguKrestu, 16 uJohane waphendula, wathi kubo bonke: Mina ngilibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa uyeza olamandla kulami, engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wamanyathela akhe; yena uzalibhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele langomlilo; 17 ukhomane lwakhe lokwela lusesandleni sakhe, njalo uzathanyelisisa isibuya sakhe, abesebuthela amabele esiphaleni sakhe, kodwa amakhoba uzawalothisa ngomlilo ongacitshekiyo.
18 Langokulaya ngezinye izinto ezinengi watshumayela ivangeli ebantwini; 19 kodwa uHerodi umbusi, owayesolwe nguye ngoHerodiyasi umkaFiliphu umfowabo, langakho konke okubi ayekwenzile uHerodi, 20 wengezelela lalokhu phezu kwakho konke, ukuthi wamvalela uJohane entolongweni.
Ukubhabhathizwa kukaJesu
21 Kwasekusithi sebebhabhathiziwe bonke abantu, laye uJesu esebhabhathiziwe, ekhuleka, izulu lavulwa, 22 uMoya oyiNgcwele wasusehlela phezu kwakhe elesimo somzimba onjengowejuba, lelizwi lavela ezulwini, lisithi: Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo, ngithokozile kuwe.
Okhokho bakaJesu
23 Yena uJesu waseqala ukuba leminyaka engaba ngamatshumi amathathu, yena njengokunakana kwabo eyindodana kaJosefa, kaEli, 24 kaMathati, kaLevi, kaMeliki, kaJanayi, kaJosefa, 25 kaMatathiya, kaAmosi, kaNahume, kaEseli, kaNagayi, 26 kaMati, kaMatathiya, kaSemeyini, kaJosefa, kaJuda, 27 kaJohanani, kaResa, kaZerubabeli, kaSalatiyeli, kaNeri, 28 kaMeliki, kaAdi, kaKosamu, kaElmadamu, kaEri, 29 kaJose, kaEliyezeri, kaJorima, kaMathati, kaLevi, 30 kaSimeyoni, kaJuda, kaJosefa, kaJonamu, kaEliyakimi, 31 kaMeleya, kaMena, kaMathata, kaNathani, kaDavida, 32 kaJese, kaObedi, kaBowasi, kaSalimoni, kaNashoni, 33 kaAminadaba, kaAramu, kaHezironi, kaFaresi, kaJuda, 34 kaJakobe, kaIsaka, kaAbrahama, kaTera, kaNahori, 35 kaSerugi, kaRewu, kaFaleki, kaEberi, kaSela, 36 kaKayinani, kaArpakishadi, kaShemu, kaNowa, kaLameki, 37 kaMethusela, kaEnoki, kaJaredi, kaMahalaleli, kaKayinani, 38 kaEnosi, kaSeti, kaAdamu, kaNkulunkulu.