24. Ke kaloku, bakubon' ukuba bemkile abathunywa bakaYohane, waqala wathi kwisihlwele ngaye uYohane, Nayé niphume naya kubona ntoni na entlango? Yaye iyingcongolo na, izanyazanyiswa ngumoya?
25. Naye niphume naya kubona ntoni na kodwa? Yaye ingumntu ovethe iingubo ezitofotofo na? Yabonani, abo banxiba iingubo eziqaqambileyo, badle ubuncwane, ngabasezindlwini zookumkani.
26. Nayé niphume naya kubona ntoni na kodwa? Yaye igumprofeti na? Ewe, ndithi kuni, nóde wagqithisa kumprofeti.
27. Lo ngulowo kubhaliweyo ngaye kwathiwa,Niyabona, mna ndiyamthuma umthunywa wam ngaphambi kobuso bakho,Oya kuyilungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.(UMal. 3:1)
28. Kuba ndithi kuni, Akukho namnye, kwabazelweyo ngabafazi, umprofeti omkhulu kunoYohane umbhaptizi; kanti ke nomncinanana kwabanye ebukumkanini bukaThixo, mkhulu kunaye.
29. Bathi bonke abantu, bakuva, nababuthi berhafu, bagwebela uThixo, bebhaptiziwe ngobhaptizo lukaYohane.
30. Ke bona abaFarisi nabaqondisi-mthetho bazitshitshisela icebo likaThixo, kuba bengabhaptizwanga nguye.
31. Ithe ke iNkosi, Ndiya kubafanisa nantoni na ke ngoko abantu besi sizukulwana?
32. Bafana nantoni na? Bafana nabantwana abahleli endaweni yembutho, bekhwazana besithi, Sanigwalela, naza nina anaduda; sanihlabela isililo, naza nina analila.
33. Kuba uzile uYohane umbhaptizi engadli sonka, engaseli wayini; nithi ke, Únedemon.
34. Uzile uNyana woMntu esidla, esela; nithi, Khanibone umntu olidla-kudla, olisela-wayini, umhlobo wababuthi berhafu nowaboni!
35. Noko ke ubulumko bugwetyelwe kokuphuma ebantwaneni babo bonke.
36. Ke kaloku omnye umFarisi ubemcela ukuba adle naye; waza wangena endlwini yomFarisi lowo, wangqengqa.
37. Kwabonakala kukho mfazi emzini apho, obengumoni; wathi, àkwazi ukuba uhleli endlwini yomFarisi, wazisa ihlala lelabhastile,* linamafutha aqholiweyo.
38. Wema ezinyaweni zakhe ngasemva, elila; waqala ukuzinyela iinyawo zakhe ngeenyembezi, ezisula ngeenwele zentloko yakhe, ezanga kakhulu iinyawo zakhe, ezithambisa ngamafutha lawo.
39. Akukubona ke oko umFarisi lowo ubembizile, wathetha ngaphakathi kwakhe, esithi, Lo mntu, ukuba ube engumprofeti, ange esazi ukuba ngumfazi ongubani na, oluhlobo luni na, lo umchukumisayo; ngokuba ungumoni.
40. Waphendula uYesu wathi kuye, Hina, Simon, ndinendawo yokuthetha kuwe. (Athi ke yena, Thetha, Mfundisi.)
41. Kwaye kukho mboleki-mali uthile, enabantu ababini abanamatyala kuye; omnye wayenetyala leedenariyo* ezimakhulu mahlanu, omnye ke zimashumi mahlanu.
42. Bakuba ke bengenanto yokuhlawula, usuke wabaxolela bobabini. Khawutsho ke, nguwuphi na kubo oya kumthanda ngokungaphezulu?
43. Waphendula uSimon wathi, Ndiba ngulowo uxolelwe ngokungaphezulu. Wathi ke yena kuye, Wahlulé walungisa.