Verse 1: Kwathi eseqede onke amazwi akhe ezindlebeni zabantu, wangena eKapernawume.
Verse 2: Inceku yenduna yekhulu ethile ethandekayo kuyo yayigula, isizakufa.
Verse 3: Isizwile ngoJesu yathuma amalunga abaJuda kuye, imcela ukuba eze ayisindise inceku yayo.
Verse 4: Esefikile kuJesu amncenga kakhulu, ethi: “Ifanele ukuba uyenzele lokho,
Verse 5: ngokuba ithanda isizwe sakithi; yiyo esakhele isinagoge.”
Verse 6: UJesu wayesehamba nawo. Kepha engasekude nendlu, induna yekhulu yathumela kuye abahlobo, bathi kuye: “Nkosi, ungazihluphi, ngokuba angifanele ukuba ungene phansi kophahla lwami.
Verse 7: Ngakho angizibonanga ukuthi ngifanele ukuza kuwe; kepha yisho izwi, khona inceku yami iyakusinda.
Verse 8: Ngokuba nami ngingumuntu ophansi kwamakhosi, nginamabutho phansi kwami; ngithi kwelinye: ‘Hamba,’ lihambe; nakwelinye: ‘Woza,’ lize; nasencekwini yami: ‘Yenza lokhu,’ ikwenze.”
Verse 9: UJesu ekuzwa lokho wamangala ngayo, waphenduka, wathi esixukwini esimlandelayo: “Ngithi kini: Angizange ngifumane ukukholwa okungaka nakwa-Israyeli.”
Verse 10: Ababethunyiwe sebebuyele ekhaya bafumana inceku isindile.
Verse 11: Kwathi ngangomuso waya emzini othiwa iNayini; kwahamba naye abafundi bakhe nesixuku esikhulu.
Verse 12: Esesondela esangweni lomuzi, bheka, kwaphunyiswa ofileyo, indodana eyodwa kanina, yena engumfelokazi; nabantu abaningi bomuzi babe naye.
Verse 13: Yathi iNkosi isimbona, yamhawukela, yathi kuye: “Ungakhali.”
Verse 14: Yasondela, yathinta uhlaka; abaluthweleyo base bema. Yayisithi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe: Vuka!”
Verse 15: Ofileyo wavuka, waqala ukukhuluma; yamnika unina.
Verse 16: Bafikelwa ngukwesaba bonke, bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi: “Kuvele umprofethi omkhulu phakathi kwethu,” nokuthi: “UNkulunkulu ubahambele abantu bakhe.”
Verse 17: Kwaphumela leli zwi ngaye kulo lonke iJudiya nakulo lonke langakhona.
Verse 18: Abafundi bakaJohane bambikela ngazo zonke lezo zinto.
Verse 19: UJohane wayesebiza ababili kubafundi bakhe, wabathumela eNkosini, wathi: “Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?”
Verse 20: Amadoda esefikile kuyo athi: “UJohane uMbhapathizi usithumele kuwe, ethi: ‘Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?’ ”
Verse 21: Ngalowo mzuzu yayiphulukisa abaningi ezifweni nasebuhlungwini nakomoya ababi; nezimpumputhe eziningi yazipha ukubona.
Verse 22: Yaphendula, yathi kuwo: “Hambani nimlandise uJohane lokho enikubonile nenikuzwile ukuthi: Izimpumputhe ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu bayashunyayezwa ivangeli;
Verse 23: ubusisiwe ongayikukhubeka ngami.”
Verse 24: Sezimukile izithunywa zikaJohane, yaqala ukukhuluma ezixukwini ngoJohane, ithi: “Naphuma naya ehlane ukuyobonani na? Umhlanga ontengantengiswa ngumoya na?
Verse 25: Kanti naphuma ukuyobonani na? Umuntu owembethe izingubo ezinothonotho na? Bhekani, abembethe okukhazimulayo, betamasa, basezindlini zamakhosi.
Verse 26: Kodwa naphuma ukuyobonani na? Umprofethi na? Yebo, ngithi kini: Odlula umprofethi.
Verse 27: Nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi: “ ‘Bheka, ngiyathuma isithunywa sami phambi kobuso bakho esiyakulungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’
Verse 28: “Ngithi kini: Kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akakho omkhulu kunoJohane; kepha omncane embusweni kaNkulunkulu mkhulu kunaye.”
Verse 29: Abantu bonke, yebo, nabathelisi sebezwile bamvuma uNkulunkulu, babhapathizwa ngombhapathizo kaJohane.
Verse 30: Kepha abaFarisi nezazimthetho balenza ize icebo likaNkulunkulu maqondana nabo bengabhapathizwanga nguye.
Verse 31: “Pho-ke, abantu balesi sizukulwane ngiyakubafanisa nani na? Bafana nani na?
Verse 32: Bafana nabantwana abahlezi esigcawini bememezana bethi: “ ‘Sinibethele imitshingo, anisinanga; salilisela, anikhalanga.’
Verse 33: “Ngokuba uJohane uMbhapathizi ufikile engadli sinkwa, engaphuzi wayini; nithi-ke: ‘Unedemoni.’
Verse 34: Ifikile iNdodana yomuntu, idla, iphuza, senithi: ‘Bhekani, umuntu oyisiminzi nesiphuzi, umhlobo wabathelisi nezoni.’
Verse 35: Kodwa ukuhlakanipha kuvunyiwe ngabantwana bakho bonke.”
Verse 36: Omunye wabaFarisi wammema ukuba adle naye; esengene endlini yomFarisi wahlala ekudleni.
Verse 37: Bheka, kwakukhona emzini owesifazane oyisoni; wathi esazi ukuthi uhlezi ekudleni endlini yomFarisi, weza nomfuma wamafutha,
Verse 38: wema emuva ngasezinyaweni zakhe ekhala, waqala ukumatisa izinyawo zakhe ngezinyembezi, wazesula ngezinwele zekhanda lakhe, wazanga izinyawo zakhe, wazigcoba ngamafutha.
Verse 39: Kuthe umFarisi obemmemile ekubona, wazindla wathi: “Uma lo ebengumprofethi, nga emazi lo wesifazane omphathayo ukuba ungubani nokuba unjani, ngokuba uyisoni.”
Verse 40: UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Simoni, kukhona engifuna ukukukhuluma kuwe.” Wathi: “Khuluma-ke, Mfundisi.”
Verse 41: “Kwakukhona abantu ababili abanamacala kumtshelekisi othile; icala lomunye lalingodenariyu abangamakhulu ayisihlanu, elomunye amashumi ayisihlanu.
Verse 42: Bengenanto yokukhokha, wabayekela bobabili. Ngumuphi kubo konje oyakumthanda kakhulu na?”
Verse 43: USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngithi yilowo amyekela okukhulu.” Wathi kuye: “Unqume kahle.”
Verse 44: Ephendukela kowesifazane wathi kuSimoni: “Uyambona lo wesifazane na? Ngingene endlini yakho, awunginikanga amanzi ezinyawo, kepha yena uzimatisile izinyawo zami ngezinyembezi, wazesula ngezinwele zakhe.
Verse 45: Awunganganga, kepha lo, yilokhu ngingenile, akayekanga ukwanga izinyawo zami.
Verse 46: Ikhanda lami awuligcobanga ngamafutha, kepha lo uzigcobile izinyawo zami ngamafutha.
Verse 47: Ngenxa yalokho ngithi kuwe: Izono zakhe eziningi zithethelelwe, ngokuba uthandile kakhulu; kepha othethelelwa okuncane uthanda kancane.”
Verse 48: Wayesethi kuye: “Zithethelelwe izono zakho.”
Verse 49: Ababehlezi naye ekudleni baqala ukusho phakathi kwabo ukuthi: “Ngubani lo othethelela nezono na?”
Verse 50: Kepha wathi kowesifazane: “Ukukholwa kwakho kukusindisile; hamba, ube nokuthula.”