1Ngaleso sikhathi uHerode inkosi welula isandla sakhe ukuba ahluphe abathile bebandla.
2Wabulala ngenkemba uJakobe umfowabo kaJohane.
3Esebonile ukuthi lokhu kuyabathokozisa abaJuda, waqhubeka wabamba noPhethro. Kwakuyizinsuku zezinkwa ezingenamvubelo.
4Esembambile, wamfaka etilongweni, wamnikela emaviyweni amane, yilelo nalelo linamabutho amane, ukuba amlinde, ehlose ukuba emuva kwePhasika, amkhuphulele kubantu.
5Ngakho-ke uPhethro wagqunywa ejele. Ibandla lamkhulekela ngesineke kuNkulunkulu.
6Kwathi ngosuku uHerode ayehlose ukumkhuphula ngalo amyise kubantu, ngalobo busuku uPhethro walala phakathi kwamabutho amabili, eboshwe ngamaketanga amabili, kukhona nabalindi phambi komnyango ababeqaphe ijele.
7Nakho-ke sekufika ingelosi yeNkosi, kwakhanya bha ejele. Ingelosi yamthinta ohlangothini uPhethro, yamvusa ithi: “Sukuma ngokushesha.” Ayesewa amaketanga ezandleni zakhe.
8Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Gqoka, ufake nezicathulo zakho.” Wenza kanjalo; yayisithi kuye: “Yembatha ingubo yakho, ungilandele.”
9Waphuma, wayilandela; wayengazi ukuthi lokhu okwenzekayo ngengelosi kuyiqiniso, kodwa wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono nje.
10Sebedlulile kubalindi bokuqala nakwabesibili, bafika esangweni lensimbi eliya emzini, elazivulekela ngokwalo, baphuma, badlula umgwaqo owodwa, ingelosi yayisimshiya ngokushesha.
11Isisangulukile ingqondo kaPhethro, wathi: “Manje sengiyazi ngokweqiniso ukuthi iNkosi ithumele ingelosi yayo, ingikhululile esandleni sikaHerode nakukho konke okubhekwe yisizwe sabaJuda.”
12Sekumkhanyele lokho, wafika endlini kaMariya, unina kaJohane okuthiwa uMakhu, lapho kwakubuthene khona abaningi bekhuleka.
13Kwathi esengqongqozile esivalweni sesango, kweza intombazana ukuba ilalele; igama layo kunguRoda.
14Kuthe ukuba ilizwe izwi likaPhethro ayavula esangweni ngenxa yokuthokoza, kodwa yagijima yayobika ukuthi uPhethro umi ngasesangweni.
15Kepha bathi kuyo: “Uyahlanya.” Kepha yagcizelela ithi: “Ngempela kunjalo.” Bona bathi: “Yingelosi yakhe.”
16Kepha uPhethro waqhubeka engqongqoza. Kuthe sebevulile babona ukuthi nguye impela, bamangala.
17Esebathulisile ngesandla, wabalandisa ukuthi iNkosi imkhiphe kanjani ejele, wathi: “Bikelani uJakobe nabazalwane ngalokho.” Waphuma, waya kwenye indawo.
18Ngakusasa, kwasuka isidumo esinamathambo phakathi kwabalindi, bengazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kuPhethro.
19UHerode esemfune waze wancama engamtholi, wabuzisisa kubalindi, wayeseyala ukuba babulawe. Yena wehla eJudiya, waya eKhesariya, wahlala khona.
20UHerode wayebathukuthelele abantu baseThire nabaseSidoni, kodwa beza kuye benhliziyonye. Kuthe sebevumelene noBlastu, induna yesigodlo senkosi, bacela ukuba babe nokuthula, ngokuba izwe lakubo lalondliwa ngelenkosi.
21Kwathi ngosuku olumisiweyo, uHerode wagqoka ingubo yakhe yobukhosi, wahlala esihlalweni sokwehlulela, wayesekhuluma kubantu.
22Abantu bamemeza bathi: “Yizwi likaNkulunkulu, akusilo elomuntu.”
23Kepha ingelosi yeNkosi yamshaya khona lapho, ngokuba engamnikanga uNkulunkulu udumo; wadliwa yizimpethu, wafa.
24Izwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka, lasabalala.
25UBharnabha noSawula babuyela eJerusalema, ngokuba base bekuqedile ukukhonza kwabo, behamba noJohane okuthiwa nguMakhu.