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UJesu Lomangaliso Wokubamba Inhlanzi
1 Ngemva kwesikhathi uJesu waphinda waziveza kubafundi bakhe oLwandle lwaseThibheriyasi. Kwenzakala kanje:
2 USimoni Phethro, loThomasi (othiwa nguDidimasi) loNathaneli waseKhana eseGalile, lamadodana kaZebhediya labanye abafundi ababili babendawonye.
3 USimoni Phethro wabatshela wathi, “Ngisayagola inhlanzi” bona bathi, “Sizahamba lawe.” Ngakho baphuma bayangena esikepeni kodwa kababambanga lutho ngalobobusuku.
4 Ekuseni kakhulu uJesu wema ekhunjini kodwa abafundi kabananzelelanga ukuthi kwakunguJesu.
5 Wabamemeza wathi, “Bangane, lilokhu lingabambanga nhlanzi yini?”
Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi.”
6 Wathi, “Phoselani umambule wenu ngakwesokunene kwesikepe lizagola khona.” Bathe sebenze njalo behluleka ukudonsa umambule ngenxa yobunengi benhlanzi.
7 Lowomfundi owayethandwa nguJesu wathi kuPhethro, “YiNkosi!” USimoni Phethro wonela ukuzwa esithi, “YiNkosi,” wazembathisa ngesigqoko sakhe sejazi (ngoba wayesikhulule) weqela emanzini.
8 Abanye abafundi balandela ngesikepe bedonsa umambule ugcwele inhlanzi ngoba babengakhatshana lasokhunjini, kwakungaba yizinyathelo ezilikhulu.
9 Ekufikeni kwabo okhunjini babona umlilo wamalahle uvutha kulenhlanzi phezulu kanye lesinkwa.
10 UJesu wathi kubo, “Lethani ezinye inhlanzi elizibambileyo.”
11 USimoni Phethro wagada esikepeni, wadonsela umambule okhunjini. Wawugcwele inhlanzi ezinkulu, zilikhulu lamatshumi amahlanu lantathu (153), kodwa loba zinengi kangaka umambule kawudabukanga.
12 UJesu wathi kubo, “Wozani lizokudla.” Kakho kubafundi owaqunga isibindi sokumbuza ukuthi, “Ungubani wena?” Bakwazi ukuthi yiNkosi.
13 UJesu weza, wathatha isinkwa wabanika, wenza njalo langenhlanzi.
14 Lesi kwasekuyisikhathi sesithathu uJesu ezibonakalisa kubafundi bakhe ngemva kokuvuswa kwabafileyo.
UJesu Ukhuthaza UPhethro
15 Sebeqedile ukudla, uJesu wathi kuSimoni Phethro, “Simoni, ndodana kaJohane, ungithanda ngeqiniso na okudlula laba abanye?”
Wathi, “Yebo, Nkosi, uyakwazi ukuthi ngiyakuthanda.”
UJesu wathi, “Phana amawundlu ami ukudla.”
16 UJesu waphinda wathi, “Simoni, ndodana kaJohane, uyangithanda ngeqiniso na?”
Waphendula wathi, “Yebo, Nkosi, uyakwazi ukuthi ngiyakuthanda.”
UJesu wathi, “Gcina izimvu zami.”
17 Wasesithi kuye okwesithathu, “Simoni, ndodana kaJohane, uyangithanda na?”
UPhethro wadabuka ngoba uJesu wambuza okwesithathu wathi, “Uyangithanda na?” Wathi, “Nkosi, uyazazi izinto zonke; uyakwazi ukuthi ngiyakuthanda.”
UJesu wathi, “Phana izimvu zami ukudla.
18 Ngikutshela iqiniso ngithi, usesemutsha wawuzigqokisa, uziyele lapho othanda khona; kodwa nxa usuluphele, uzakwelula izandla zakho, ugqokiswe ngomunye, akuhole akuse lapho ongafuni ukuya khona.”
19 UJesu wakutsho lokhu ebonisa indlela yokufa uPhethro ayezadumisa uNkulunkulu ngayo. Wasesithi kuye, “Ngilandela!”
20 UPhethro wanyemukula wabona umfundi uJesu ayemthanda ebalandela. (Nguye lowo oweyama kuJesu esidlweni, owabuzayo wathi, “Nkosi, ngubani ozakuthengisa?”)
21 UPhethro wathi embona wathi, “Nkosi, kanti lo-ke?”
22 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Nxa ngifuna ukuthi asale ephila ngize ngibuye kulani lawe lokho? Wena kumele ungilandele.”
23 Ngenxa yalokhu, kwaba lehungahunga phakathi kwabazalwane lokuthi umfundi lo wayengezukufa. Kodwa uJesu katshongo ukuthi wayengezukufa; wathi nje kuphela, “Nxa ngifuna ukuthi asale ephila ngize ngibuye, kulani lawe lokho?”
24 Lo nguye umfundi ozifakazayo lezizinto, onguye owazibhala phansi. Siyazi ukuthi ubufakazi bakhe buqotho.
25 UJesu wenza ezinye izinto ezinengi njalo. Aluba zonke zazingabhalwa phansi, ngibona ingathi lomhlaba wonke wawuzaswela indawo yezincwadi ezazingabhalwa.