1 Bathi sebesondele eJerusalema bafika eBhethifage leBhethani eNtabeni yama-Oliva. UJesu wathuma abafundi bakhe ababili 2 wathi kubo, “Yanini emzini ophambi kwenu, okuzakuthi nxa lingena kuwo lizabona inkonyane kababhemi engakaze igadwe muntu ibotshelwe khonapho. Ikhululeni liyilethe lapha. 3 Nxa kungaba lozalibuza ukuthi, ‘Likwenzeleni lokho na?’ limtshele ukuthi, ‘INkosi iyalifuna, izalibuyisa masinyane.’ ”

4 Bahamba bathola inkonyane kababhemi phandle maqondana lomnyango ibotshelwe. Bayikhulula, 5 abantu ababemi khonapho babuza bathi, “Lenzani, liyikhululelani inkonyane leyo na?” 6 Baphendula njengoba uJesu wayebatshelile, abantu basebebayekela bahamba. 7 Sebelilethile ithole kuJesu bendlala amajazi abo phezu kwalo uJesu waseligada. 8 Abantu abanengi bendlala amajazi abo endleleni, kukanti abanye bendlala ingatsha abaziqamula emasimini. 9 Labo ababehamba phambili lalabo ababelandela bamemeza besithi,

12 Ngelanga elilandelayo bathi besuka eBhethani uJesu wayeselambile. 13 Wabona bucwadlana isihlahla somkhiwa sihlumile amahlamvu, wasondela ukuyabona ingabe sasilezithelo yini. Wafika wabona kungamahlamvu kuphela ngoba kwakungasiso isikhathi sezithelo zomkhiwa. 14 Wasesithi esihlahleni, “Akungabi lamuntu lanini ozaphinda adle izithelo zakho.” Abafundi bakhe bamuzwa esitsho lokho.

15 Bathi befika eJerusalema uJesu wangena egumeni lethempeli wafika wabaxotsha labo ababethenga lababethengisa khona. Wagenqula amatafula abantshintshi bezimali lezihlalo zababethengisa amajuba, 16 kaze avumela muntu ukungenisa okuthengiswayo ezindlini zethempeli. 17 Wathi esabafundisa wathi, “Kakulotshwanga yini ukuthi: ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokukhuleka ezizweni zonke’[b]? Kodwa lina seliyenze ‘ubhalu lwabaphangi.’[c]”

18 Abaphristi abakhulu labafundisi bomthetho bakuzwa lokhu basebeqalisa ukudinga indlela yokumbulala, ngoba babemesaba ngoba ixuku lonke lalimangaliswa yikufundisa kwakhe.

19 Kusihlwa baphuma edolobheni.

20 Ekuseni babehambahamba basebebona isihlahla somkhiwa esasibunile kusukela empandeni. 21 UPhethro wakhumbula wasesithi kuJesu, “Rabi, khangela! Isihlahla somkhiwa owasiqalekisayo sibunile!”

22 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Woba lokholo kuNkulunkulu. 23 Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi nxa omunye esithi entabeni le, ‘Suka, ziphosele olwandle,’ engelakuthandabuza enhliziyweni yakhe, kodwa ekholwa ukuthi lokho akutshoyo kuzakwenzakala, kuzakwenziwa kuye. 24 Ngakho ngiyalitshela ukuthi loba kuyini elikucelayo ngomkhuleko, kholwani ukuthi selikwamukele, sekuzakuba ngokwenu. 25 Njalo nxa lisima likhuleka, nxa lilesikhwili komunye, mthetheleleni, ukuze uYihlo ezulwini alithethelele izono zenu. [ 26 Kodwa nxa lingathetheleli, loYihlo osezulwini kazukulithethelela izono zenu.]”[d]

27 Bafika njalo eJerusalema, kwathi uJesu ezihambela emagumeni ethempeli kweza kuye abaphristi abakhulu, labafundisi bomthetho kanye labadala. 28 Bambuza bathi, “Konke lokhu ukwenza ngawaphi amandla na? Ngubani owakupha amandla okwenza lokhu?”

29 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngizalibuza umbuzo owodwa. Lingangiphendula ngizalitshela ukuthi ngizenza ngawaphi amandla lezizinto. 30 Ukubhaphathiza kukaJohane, kwakuvela ezulwini loba ebantwini? Ngitshelani!”

31 Bahlanganisa amakhanda bathi, Singathi, “ ‘Kwakuvela ezulwini,’ uzabuza athi, ‘Kungani lingazange limkholwe?’ 32 Kodwa singathi, ‘Kwakuvela ebantwini’ … ” (Besaba abantu ngoba bonke babesithi ngeqiniso uJohane wayengumphrofethi.)

33 Ngakho bamphendula uJesu bathi, “Kasikwazi.”