John 12

UJesu Uyagcotshwa EBhethani

1Kwasekusele izinsuku eziyisithupha ukuthi kufike iPhasika, uJesu wafika eBhethani, lapho okwakuhlala khona uLazaro owayevuswe nguJesu ekufeni. 2Kwaphekwa ukudla kwakusihlwa kuhlonitshwa yena uJesu. UMatha nguye owayedidizela, uLazaro ehlezi labanye etafuleni loJesu. 3UMariya wasethatha umfuma wenadi ecengekileyo, engaba yingxenye yelitha amakha adulayo kakhulu; wawathela ezinyaweni zikaJesu wasezesula ngezinwele zakhe. Indlu yagcwala ngephunga elimnandi lamakha lawo.

4Kodwa omunye wabafundi bakhe, uJudasi Isikariyothi, owayezamnikela muva wasola wathi,

5“Kungani amakha la engathengiswanga imali yaphiwa abampofu? Intengo yawo ibinganela umholo womnyaka wonke.” 6Kakutshongo lokhu ngoba ebanakekela abampofu kodwa ngokuba elisela; njengomgcinisikhwama wayandise ukuzisiza ngalokho okwakufakwa phakathi kwaso.

7UJesu waphendula wathi, “Myekele. Kwakuqondwe ukuthi amakha la awabekele usuku lokungcwatshwa kwami. 8Lizahlala lilabo abampofu phakathi kwenu, kodwa mina kaliyikuhlala lilami.”

9Ngasonalesosikhathi ixuku elikhulu labaJuda lezwa ukuthi uJesu wayelapho, leza, lingalandanga yena kuphela, kodwa lokuthi babone uLazaro ayemvusile kwabafileyo.

10Ngakho abaphristi abakhulu benza amacebo okuba bambulale laye uLazaro, 11ngoba ngenxa yakhe abaJuda abanengi babesiya kuJesu bebeka ukholo lwabo kuye.

Ukungena Ngobukhosi

12Ngosuku olulandelayo ixuku elikhulu elalikade liseDilini lezwa ukuthi uJesu wayesendleleni esiza eJerusalema. 13Bathatha amagatsha elala baphuma ukuyamhlangabeza, bememeza besithi, “Hosana!” “Ubusisiwe lowo ozayo ngebizo leNkosi!” “Ubusisiwe oyiNkosi ka-Israyeli!”

14UJesu wathola iguqa likababhemi wahlala phezu kwalo njengoba kulotshiwe kuthiwa,

15“Ungesabi, O Ndodakazi yeZiyoni; khangela, inkosi yakho iyeza, ihlezi phezu kwethole likababhemi.”

16Kuqala abafundi bakhe kabakuzwisisanga konke lokhu. Kwaze kwaba ngemuva kokuba uJesu esekhazimulisiwe lapho abananzelela khona ukuba izinto lezi zazilotshwe ngaye lokuthi babezenzile kuye izinto lezi.

17Ngasonalesi isikhathi leloxuku elalikade lilaye nxatshana ebiza uLazaro ethuneni aze amvuse ekufeni laqhubeka lilifakaza ilizwi.

18Abantu abanengi bahamba ukuyamhlangabeza ngoba basebezwile ukuthi wayewenzile ummangaliso lo. 19AbaFarisi basebe khulumisana besithi, “Liyabona, into le izasitshiya esikhaleni. Khangelani ukuthi umhlaba wonke usuthe zale kuye!”

UJesu Ufanisa Ngokufa Kwakhe

20Kwakukhona amaGriki phakathi kwalabo abayakhonza eDilini. 21Beza kuFiliphu owayevela eBhethisayida eGalile lesicelo esithi, “Mnumzana, sifuna ukubona uJesu.” 22UFiliphu wayatshela u-Andreya; u-Andreya loFiliphu basebemtshela uJesu.

23UJesu waphendula wathi, “Sesifikile isikhathi sokuba iNdodana yoMuntu ikhazimuliswe.

24Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi ngaphandle kokuthi uhlamvu lwengqoloyi luwele emhlabathini lufe, lusala lulokhu luluhlamvu olulodwa. Kodwa lungaze lufe luthela izinhlamvu ezinengi.

25Umuntu othanda impilo yakhe izamlahlekela, ikanti umuntu ozonda impilo yakhe kulo umhlaba uzayilondolozela ingunaphakade. 26Lowo ongikhonzayo kumele angilandele; lalapho engikhona lesikhonzi sami sikhona. UBaba uzamdumisa lowo ongikhonzayo.

27“Khathesi, inhliziyo yami ikhathazekile. Kambe ngingatsho na ngithi, ‘Baba, ngihlangula singangifikeli lesosikhathi’? Hatshi, kwakungenxa yalesi isizatho ukuze ngingene kulesisikhathi.

28Baba, khazimulisa ibizo lakho!” Kwasekufika ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi, “Sengilikhazimulisile, ngizaphinda ngilikhazimulise.” 29Ixuku labantu elalilapho elalizwayo ilizwi lathi kwakube lomdumo wezulu; abanye bathi ingilosi yayikhulume laye.

30UJesu wathi, “Ilizwi leli belingelokusiza lina, hayi mina. 31Manje sekuyisikhathi sokwahlulela kulo umhlaba; manje inkosi yalo umhlaba isizaxotshwa. 32Kodwa mina, nxa sengiphakanyisiwe ngisuswa emhlabeni, ngizabadonsela kimi bonke abantu.” 33Wakutsho lokhu eveza ukuthi wayezakufa ukufa okunjani.

34Ixuku labhoboka lathi, “Sezwa eMthethweni ukuthi uKhristu uzahlala lanininini, pho ukutsho kanjani ukuthi, ‘INdodana yoMuntu imele iphakanyiswe na’? Ingubani yona le ‘iNdodana yoMuntu’? 35UJesu wabatshela wathi, “Lisezakuba lakho ukukhanya okwesikhatshana esithile. Hambani lapho liselakho ukukhanya, ubumnyama bungakaligubuzeli. Umuntu ophumputha emnyameni kakwazi lapho ayakhona. 36Bekani ithemba lenu ekukhanyeni liselakho, ukuze libe ngamadodana okukhanya.” Wathi eseqedile ukukhuluma uJesu wasuka kubo wayazifihla.

AbaJuda Bayaqhubeka Lokungakholwa Kwabo

37Lokuba uJesu wayeyenzile yonke imimangaliso le emehlweni abo, babelokhu bengakholwa kuye. 38Lokhu kwakugcwalisa ilizwi lika-Isaya umphrofethi elithi: “Nkosi, ngubani olikholiweyo ilizwi lethu na, njalo amandla eNkosi ambulelwe ubani na?”

39Ngalesisizatho babengeze bakholwa ngokuba, njengoba esitsho u-Isaya komunye umbhalo, ukuthi:

40“Uwafiphazile amehlo abo wathundubeza izinhliziyo zabo ukuze bangaboni ngamehlo abo njalo bangezwisisi ngezinhliziyo zabo, loba baphenduke – ukuze ngibasilise.”

41U-Isaya wakutsho lokhu ngoba wayibona inkazimulo kaJesu, njalo wayekhuluma ngaye.

42Kodwa loba kunjalo abanengi labaphakathi kwabakhokheli bakholwa kuye. Kodwa ngenxa yabaFarisi kabalufakazanga ukholo lwabo besesaba ukuthi bazaxotshwa esinagogeni;

43ngokuba babethanda ukubukwa ngabantu okwedlula ukubukwa okuvela kuNkulunkulu.

44UJesu wasememeza wathi, “Nxa umuntu ekholwa kimi, kakholwa kimi kuphela kodwa kuye lowo ongithumileyo. 45Nxa ekhangela mina ubona yena lowo ongithumileyo. 46Ngizile emhlabeni ngiyikukhanya, ukuze kuthi angabikhona okholwa kimi ozahlala emnyameni.

47“Njengomuntu owezwayo amazwi ami kodwa angawagcini, angimahluleli mina. Phela kangilandanga ukwahlulela umhlaba kodwa ukuwusindisa. 48Ukhona umahluleli walowo ongalayo, ongawemukeliyo amazwi ami; lona lelolizwi uqobo engalikhulumayo lizamlahla ngosuku lokucina. 49Ngokuba kangizikhulumelanga okwentando yami, kodwa uBaba ongithumileyo wangilaya ukuthi ngithini lokuthi ngikutsho kanjani. 50Ngiyazi ukuthi umlayo wakhe uholela ekuphileni kwaphakade. Yikho loba kuyini engikutshoyo yikho lokho uBaba angitshele khona ukuthi ngikutsho.”