ULukha 3
1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kukaTiberiyosi uKesari, uPontiyusi Pilatu engumbusi weJudiya, loHerodi engumtetrarki weGalili, loFiliphu umfowabo engumtetrarki weIturiya lelizweni iTrakoniti, loLisaniya engumtetrarki weAbilene,
And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar—Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip, tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
2 uAnasi loKayafasi bengabapristi abakhulu, ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuJohane indodana kaZakariya enkangala.
[and] Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests—there came a word of God to John the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness,
3 Wasesiza esigabeni sonke seJordani esizingelezeleyo, etshumayela ubhabhathizo lokuphenduka kube yikuthethelelwa kwezono;
and he came to all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming an immersion of conversion for forgiveness of sins,
4 njengokulotshiweyo egwalweni lwamazwi kaIsaya umprofethi, ukuthi: Ilizwi lomemezayo enkangala lithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi; qondisani indledlana zayo.
as it has been written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD, Make His paths straight;
5 Sonke isigodi sizagqitshwa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; njalo kuzaqondiswa amazombazombe, lamaxhakaxhaka ezindlela azalungiswa;
Every valley will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be made low, And the crooked will become straightness, And the rough become smooth ways;
6 layo yonke inyama izabona usindiso lukaNkulunkulu.
And all flesh will see the salvation of God.”
7 Ngakho wathi emaxukwini aphumela ukubhabhathizwa nguye: Nzalo yezinyoka, ngubani olixwayise ukubalekela ulaka oluzayo?
Then he said to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, “Brood of vipers! Who prompted you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Ngakho thelani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka; njalo lingaqali ukuthi phakathi kwenu: SiloAbrahama ongubaba wethu; ngoba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu ulamandla okumvusela uAbrahama abantwana kulamatshe.
Make, therefore, fruits worthy of conversion, and do not begin to say within yourselves, We have a father—Abraham; for I say to you that God is able to raise children to Abraham out of these stones;
9 Lakhathesi lehloka selibekiwe empandeni zezihlahla; ngakho sonke isihlahla esingatheli isithelo esihle siyaganyulwa siphoselwe emlilweni.
and also the axe is already laid to the root of the trees, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and it is cast into fire.”
10 Amaxuku asembuza, athi: Pho thina sizakwenzani?
And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, “What, then, will we do?”
11 Wasephendula wathi kubo: Olezembatho ezimbili, kamuphe ongelaso; lolokudla kenze njalo.
And he answering says to them, “He having two coats, let him impart to him having none; and he having food, let him do in like manner.”
12 Kwasekufika labathelisi ukuze babhabhathizwe, basebesithi kuye: Mfundisi, sizakwenzani?
And there also came tax collectors to be immersed, and they said to him, “Teacher, what will we do?”
13 Wasesithi kubo: Lingabizi okwedlula elikumiselweyo.
And he said to them, “Exact no more than that directed you.”
14 Lamabutho lawo ambuza, athi: Thina-ke sizakwenzani? Wasesithi kuwo: Lingenzi udlakela emuntwini, njalo lingacali ngamanga; njalo yeneliswani yimivuzo yenu.
And also questioning him were those warring, saying, “And we, what will we do?” And he said to them, “Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15 Kwathi abantu belindile, futhi bonke bezibuza enhliziyweni zabo ngoJohane, ukuthi kambe yena angaba enguKristu,
And the people are looking forward, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether or not he may be the Christ;
16 uJohane waphendula, esithi kubo bonke: Mina-ke ngilibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa uyeza olamandla kulami, engingafanele ukuthukulula umchilo wamanyathela akhe; yena uzalibhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele langomlilo;
John answered, saying to all, “I indeed immerse you in water, but He comes who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the strap of His sandals—He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire;
17 okhomane lwakhe lokwela lusesandleni sakhe, njalo uzahlambululisisa isibuya sakhe, abesebuthela amabele esiphaleni sakhe, kodwa amakhoba uzawatshisa ngomlilo ongacitshekiyo.
whose winnowing shovel [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His floor, and will gather the wheat into His storehouse, and He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
18 Langokulaya ngezinye izinto ezinengi, watshumayela ivangeli ebantwini.
And therefore, indeed, with many other things, exhorting, he was proclaiming good news to the people,
19 Kodwa uHerodi umtetrarki, owayesolwe nguye ngoHerodiyasi umkaFiliphu umfowabo, langakho konke okubi ayekwenzile uHerodi,
and Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and concerning all the evils that Herod did,
20 wengezelela lalokhu phezu kwakho konke, ukuthi wamvalela uJohane entolongweni.
added also this to all, that he shut up John in the prison.
21 Kwasekusithi sebebhabhathiziwe bonke abantu, laye uJesu esebhabhathiziwe, ekhuleka, izulu lavulwa,
And it came to pass, in all the people being immersed, Jesus also being immersed, and praying, Heaven was opened,
22 uMoya oyiNgcwele wasesehlela phezu kwakhe elesimo somzimba onjengowejuba, lelizwi lavela ezulwini, lisithi: Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo, ngithokoza ngawe.
and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily appearance, as if a dove, on Him, and a voice came out of Heaven, saying, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in You I delighted.”
23 Yena uJesu waseqala ukuba leminyaka engaba ngamatshumi amathathu, yena (njengokwakunakanwa) eyindodana kaJosefa, kaEli,
And Jesus Himself was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, Son of Joseph,
24 kaMathati, kaLevi, kaMeliki, kaJanayi, kaJosefa,
the [son] of Eli, the [son] of Matthat, the [son] of Levi, the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Janna, the [son] of Joseph,
25 kaMatathiya, kaAmosi, kaNahume, kaEseli, kaNagayi,
the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Amos, the [son] of Nahum, the [son] of Esli,
26 kaMahati, kaMatathiya, kaSemeyi, kaJosefa, kaJuda,
the [son] of Naggai, the [son] of Maath, the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Semei, the [son] of Joseph, the [son] of Judah,
27 kaJohana, kaResa, kaZerubhabheli, kaSalatiyeli, kaNeri,
the [son] of Joanna, the [son] of Rhesa, the [son] of Zerubbabel, the [son] of Shealtiel,
28 kaMeliki, kaAdi, kaKosamu, kaElimodamu, kaEri,
the [son] of Neri, the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Addi, the [son] of Cosam, the [son] of Elmodam, the [son] of Er,
29 kaJose, kaEliyezeri, kaJorima, kaMathati, kaLevi,
the [son] of Jose, the [son] of Eliezer, the [son] of Jorim, the [son] of Matthat,
30 kaSimeyoni, kaJuda, kaJosefa, kaJonanu, kaEliyakhimi,
the [son] of Levi, the [son] of Simeon, the [son] of Judah, the [son] of Joseph, the [son] of Jonan, the [son] of Eliakim,
31 kaMeleya, kaMena, kaMathata, kaNathani, kaDavida,
the [son] of Melea, the [son] of Mainan, the [son] of Mattatha, the [son] of Nathan,
32 kaJese, kaObedi, kaBowosi, kaSalimoni, kaNashoni,
the [son] of David, the [son] of Jesse, the [son] of Obed, the [son] of Boaz, the [son] of Salmon, the [son] of Nahshon,
33 kaAminadaba, kaAramu, kaEsiromu, kaFaresi, kaJuda,
the [son] of Amminadab, the [son] of Aram, the [son] of Esrom, the [son] of Perez,
34 kaJakobe, kaIsaka, kaAbrahama, kaThara, kaNahori,
the [son] of Judah, the [son] of Jacob, the [son] of Isaac, the [son] of Abraham, the [son] of Terah, the [son] of Nahor,
35 kaSarugi, kaRagawu, kaFaleki, kaEberi, kaSala,
the [son] of Serug, the [son] of Reu, the [son] of Peleg, the [son] of Eber,
36 kaKayinani, kaArpakishadi, kaShemu, kaNowe, kaLameki,
the [son] of Salah, the [son] of Cainan, the [son] of Arphaxad, the [son] of Shem, the [son] of Noah, the [son] of Lamech,
37 kaMethusala, kaEnoki, kaJaredi, kaMaleleyeli, kaKayinani,
the [son] of Methuselah, the [son] of Enoch, the [son] of Jared, the [son] of Mahalaleel,
38 kaEnosi, kaSeti, kaAdamu, kaNkulunkulu.
the [son] of Cainan, the [son] of Enos, the [son] of Seth, the [son] of Adam, the [son] of God.
