UHerode Uhlasela iBandla

UHerode ubulala uJakobe futhi avalele uPhethro ejele. Ingelosi kaBaba wethu iqhaqha amaketanga ebusuku, namasango azivulekele ngokwawo; uPhethro ucabanga ukuthi uyaphupha. Emhlanganweni womthandazo intombazane eyisisebenzi itshelwa ukuthi iyahlanya. UHerode, ebongwa njengonkulunkulu, uyafa.

Isahluko 12.

Ngaleso sikhathi inkosi uHerode yahlasela abanye ababengabebandla, ihlose ukubalimaza. Wabulala uJakobe, umfowabo kaJohane, ngenkemba. Ebona ukuthi lokhu kwawajabulisa amaJuda, uHerode waqhubeka wabamba noPhethro futhi, ngezinsuku zesinkwa esingenamvubelo. Wambopha, wamfaka etilongweni, wamnikela emaqenjini amane, iqembu ngalinye linamasosha amane, ukuba amlinde, ehlose ukumkhiphela ebantwini ngemva kwePhasika.

UPhethro wagcinwa etilongweni, kodwa ibandla lakhuleka ngokushiseka kuBaba wethu ngenxa yakhe. Ngalobo busuku, uHerode engakamkhiphi, uPhethro wayelele phakathi kwamasosha amabili, eboshwe ngamaketanga amabili; abalindi ababephambi komnyango babelinda itilongo. Ngokuphazima ingelosi kaBaba wethu yema eceleni kwakhe, ukukhanya kwagcwala ekamelweni. Yamshaya uPhethro ohlangothini, yamvusa, yathi: “Vuka ngokushesha.” Amaketanga awa ezandleni zakhe. Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Gqoka ufake namanyathela akho.” UPhethro wenza njalo. Yabe isithi: “Embatha ingubo yakho ungilandele.” Ngakho uPhethro waphuma walandela, engazi ukuthi okwenziwa yingelosi kwakungokoqobo—wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono. Bedlula indawo yokuqapha yokuqala neyesibili, bafika esangweni lensimbi eliya emzini, elazivulekela bona. Baphuma, bahamba umgwaqo owodwa, ngokuphazima ingelosi yamshiya.

UPhethro wasanguluka, wathi: “Manje sengiyazi ngempela: uBaba wethu uthumele ingelosi yakhe wangophula esandleni sikaHerode nakukho konke abantu bamaJuda ababekulindele.” Esekuqonda lokhu, waya endlini kaMariya, unina kaJohane obizwa ngokuthi uMarku, lapho abaningi babebuthene khona bekhuleka. Lapho uPhethro engqongqoza emnyango wesango, incekukazi egama layo linguRoda yeza ukuzovula. Eqaphela izwi likaPhethro, wathokoza kakhulu waze wagijimela ngaphakathi engavulanga isango, ememezela ukuthi uPhethro umi khona lapho.

Bathi: “Uyahlanya.” Kodwa waphikelela ethi kuyiqiniso. Ngakho bathi: “Yingelosi yakhe.” Kodwa uPhethro waqhubeka engqongqoza, kwathi lapho bevula umnyango bambona, bamangala kakhulu. Eqhweba ngesandla ukuba bathule, wabachazela ukuthi uBaba wethu wayemkhiphe kanjani etilongweni. Wathi: “Tshelani uJakobe nabazalwane lokhu,” wabe esemuka waya kwenye indawo.

Kwathi sekusile, kwaba nesiphithiphithi esingesincane phakathi kwamasosha ngokuthi kwenzekeni ngoPhethro. UHerode, esemfunile engamtholanga, wabuza abalindi wayala ukuba babulawe. Wabe esehla eJudiya waya eKhesariya, wahlala khona.

UBaba wethu Umbhubhisa uHerode

UHerode wayethukuthele kakhulu ngabaseThire nabaseSidoni. Beza kuye bebambene, sebemzuzile uBlastu, induna yesigodlo senkosi, bacela ukuthula, ngokuba izwe labo laliphila ngezwe lenkosi ngokudla. Ngosuku olumisiwe uHerode wagqoka izingubo zobukhosi, wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi, wabethula inkulumo. Isixuku saqhubeka simemeza, sithi: “Leli yizwi likankulunkulu, hhayi elomuntu!” Ngokushesha ingelosi kaBaba wethu yamshaya phansi ngenxa yokuba engamnikanga uBaba wethu udumo, izimpethu zamdla, wafa.

Kodwa izwi likaBaba wethu laqhubeka likhula lisabalala. UBarnaba noSawulu babuya eJerusalema, sebeqedile umsebenzi wabo, bethatha noJohane obizwa ngokuthi uMarku.