19. UHerodiya ke wamxhiba, wazungula ukumbulala. Kodwa wayengenako,
20. kuba uHerode wayemoyika uYohane, emazi ukuba uyindoda elungileyo, engcwele, waza wambeka elugcinweni. UHerode wayethanda ukumphulaphula uYohane, nangona wayedideka kakhulu akumva.
21. Lada ke lafika ithuba elihle kuHerodiya. Yayisisikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kukaHerode, waza wazenzela itheko izikhulu zakhe, neenjengele zakhe, namanene elaseGalili.
22. Yangena ke intombi kaHerodiya, yangqungqa yamkholisa uHerode nabo babesethekweni kunye naye. Waza ukumkani wathi kwintombi leyo: “Cela nantoni na oyifunayo; ndokupha.”
23. Wafunga esithi: “Into othe wayicela kum ndokupha, nokuba sisiqingatha sobukumkani bam.”
24. Yaphuma ke intombi, yaya kunina, yathi: “Ndicelè ntoni, mama?”Wathi yena: “Cela intloko kaYohane umbhaptizi.”
25. Kwangoko intombi leyo yaya kungena ngokungxama kukumkani, yacela isithi: “Ndifuna undinike intloko kaYohane umbhaptizi ngesitya ngoku.”
26. Waba buhlungu kakhulu ukumkani, kodwa akabanga nakulandula, kuba wayefunge phambi kwabo bonke ababesethekweni.
27. Kwangoko ke ukumkani wathuma umxhomi, emyalela ukuba azise intloko kaYohane. Waya ke, wamnqumla intloko entolongweni apho,
28. waza wayizisa ngesitya intloko yakhe, wayinika intombi leyo; yaza yona yayinika unina.
29. Bekuvile oko abafundi bakaYohane, beza basithatha isidumbu sakhe, baya kusingcwaba.
30. *Abathunywa ke babuyele kuYesu, bamxelela zonke izinto ababezenzile kwanababezifundisile.
31. UYesu wathi kubo: “Yizani ngasese kwindawo engenabantu, niphumle kancinane;” kuba babebaninzi abaphuma bengena, baza ababa nalo nethutyana eli lokuba batye.
32. Bemka ngesikhitshana ke bebodwa, besiya kwindawo engenabantu.
33. Babonwa besimka, baza baziwa ngabaninzi. Bathi ke abantu, bevela kuzo zonke iidolophu, bakhawuleza baya khona ngeenyawo, bafika ngaphambi kwabo.
34. Uthe ke uYesu, akuphuma esikhitshaneni, wasibona eso sihlwele, wavelana naso, kuba sasinjengeegusha ezingenamalusi, waza ke wasifundisa izinto ezininzi.
35. Lakuba limkile ixesha, abafundi bakhe beza kuye, bathi: “Le ndawo ayinamizi, nexesha selimkile;
36. bandulule abantu bemke, baye emizini ejikelezileyo nasezidolophaneni, bazithengele ukutya.”