1. Ngaleso sikhathi uHerode umtetrarki* waluzwa udumo lukaJesu,
2. waze wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Lo nguJohane uMbhapathizi; yena uvukile kwabafileyo; kungalokho lawa mandla asebenza kuye.”
3. Ngokuba uHerode wayembambile uJohane, wambopha, wamfaka etilongweni ngenxa kaHerodiya umkaFiliphu umfowabo,
4. lokhu uJohane wayethe kuye: “Awuvunyelwe ube naye.”
5. Kuthe efuna ukumbulala, wesaba abantu, ngokuba bathi ungumprofethi.
6. Kepha ngosuku lokuzalwa kukaHerode indodakazi kaHerodiya yasina phambi kwabo, yamjabulisa uHerode,
7. kwenzeka ukuba ayithembise ngesifungo ukuyipha lokho engakucela.
8. Yona isifundisiwe ngunina yathi: “Ngiphe lapha ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”
9. Inkosi yadabuka, kepha ngenxa yezifungo zayo nangenxa yababehlezi nayo ekudleni yayaleza ukuba inikwe,
10. yathuma yamnquma uJohane ikhanda etilongweni.
11. Ikhanda lakhe lalethwa ngoqwembe, lanikwa intombazana; yaliyisa kunina.
12. Kwafika abafundi bakhe, bathabatha isidumbu, basimbela; baya bambikela uJesu.
13. Wathi uJesu esekuzwile lokho, wamuka lapho ngomkhumbi, waya endaweni eyihlane eyedwa. Kepha izixuku zathi sezikuzwile, zamlandela ngezinyawo ziphuma emizini.
14. Waphuma, wabona isixuku esikhulu; waba nesihe ngaso, waphulukisa abagulayo babo.
15. Selishonile, abafundi bakhe beza kuye, bathi: “Le ndawo iyihlane, isikhathi sesihambile; mukisa izixuku ukuba ziye emizaneni, zizithengele ukudla.”