“Uyoba Nami EPharadesi”
NJENGOBA sasilenga esigxotsheni sokufa, sifa ngosizi, iselelesi sancenga indoda eyayiseceleni kwaso: “Jesu, ngikhumbule, nxa usufiké embusweni wakho.” UJesu, ngisho nakuba naye ayefa ezwa ubuhlungu obukhulu, waphendula: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe namuhla, Uyoba nami ePharadesi.” (Luka 23:42, 43, NW) Yeka ithemba eliduduzayo elingase linikezwe umuntu ofayo!
Nokho, ingabe uphawulile ukuthi iNew World Translation—inguqulo ecashunwe esigabeni esingenhla—ifaka uphawu lwenkulumo ngemva kwegama elithi “namuhla” lapho ihumusha lamazwi ashiwo uJesu? Lokhu kudlulisela umqondo wokuthi ngisho nangosuku lokufa kwakhe siqu, uJesu wakwazi ukuthembisa ukuphila ePharadesi kulesoselelesi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iNew English Bible ifaka uphawu lwenkulumo kulamazwi kaJesu ngalendlela: “Ngithi kuwe: namuhla uzoba nami ePharadesi.” Ezinye izinguqulo eziningi zivumelana neNew English Bible, zidlulisela umqondo wokuthi uJesu neselelesi esasifa babeya ePharadesi ngalo lolosuku. Kungani kunomehluko? Futhi yikuphi ukufakwa kophawu lwenkulumo okuqondile?
Eqinisweni, zazingekho izimpawu zenkulumo emibhalweni yesandla yeBhayibheli yokuqala yesiGreki. Ngakho-ke, lapho kuqala ukufakwa kwezimpawu zenkulumo, abakopishi nabahumushi beBhayibheli kwadingeka bazifake ngokuvumelana nendlela abaqonda ngayo iqiniso leBhayibheli. Khona-ke, ingabe ukuhunyushwa okuvamile kuqondile? Ingabe uJesu nomenzi wobubi baya ePharadesi ngosuku abafa ngalo?
Cha, ngokweBhayibheli, baya endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi iHaʹdes ngesiGreki nangokuthi iSheʹol ngesiHeberu, womabili abhekisela ethuneni elivamile lesintu. (Luka 18:31-33; 24:46; IzEnzo 2:31) Ngalabo abakuleyondawo, iBhayibheli lithi: “Kepha abafileyo abazi lutho . . . Ngokuba akukho-msebenzi, namcabango, nakwazi, nakuhlakanipha endaweni yabafileyo [Sheʹol ngesiHeberu, Haʹdes ngesiGreki], lapho uya khona.” Akulona ipharadesi!—UmShumayeli 9:5, 10.
UJesu akazange avuswe eHayidesi kwaze kwaba usuku lwesithathu. Khona-ke, cishe emasontweni ayisithupha wabonakala izikhathi eziningana kubalandeli bakhe ezweni lasePalestina. Kwesinye salezozikhathi, uJesu watshela uMariya: “Angikenyukeli kuBaba.” (Johane 20:17) Ngakho, ngisho nangalesosikhathi wayengakafinyeleli kunoma iyiphi indawo eyayingabizwa ngokuthi ipharadesi.—IsAmbulo 2:7.
Ekhulwini lesithathu leminyaka C.E.—lapho ukuxubana kwemfundiso yobuKristu nefilosofi yesiGreki kwakwenzeka ngokushesha—uOrigen wacaphuna uJesu njengowayethi: “Namuhla uzoba nami ePharadesi likaNkulunkulu.” Ekhulwini lesine leminyaka C.E., abalobi besonto baphikisana ngokufaka uphawu lwenkulumo ngemva kwegama elithi “namuhla.” Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi indlela evamile yokufunda amazwi kaJesu inomlando omude. Kodwa futhi kubonisa ukuthi ngisho nangekhulu lesine leminyaka C.E., amazwi kaJesu abanye babewafunda ngokwendlela ahunyushwe ngayo kuNew World Translation.
Nanamuhla, nakuba abahumushi abaningi befaka uphawu lwenkulumo kuLuka 23:43 ngokwesiko lesonto, abanye bafaka uphawu lwenkulumo njengeNew World Translation. Ngokwesibonelo, enguqulweni yesiJalimane elotshwe uProfesa Wilhelm Michaelis, amazwi kaJesu afundeka kanje: “Ngempela, ngikunikeza lesiqinisekiso ngisho nanamuhla: (ngelinye ilanga) Uyoba nami ePharadesi.”
Khona-ke, ayesho ukuthini amazwi kaJesu ngomenzi wobubi? Kungenzeka wayezwile ngenkulumo yokuthi uJesu uyiNkosi ethenjisiwe. Ngokungangabazeki, wayesazi isiqu esithi “inkosi yamaJuda” esalotshwa uPilatu wayesesilengisa ngenhla kwekhanda likaJesu. (Luka 23:35-38) Nakuba abaholi benkolo bamenqaba ngenkani uJesu, lesiselelesi esiphendukayo sabonisa ukholo lwaso, sithi: “Jesu, ngikhumbule, nxa usufiké embusweni wakho.” Sasingalindele ukubusa noJesu, kodwa sasifuna ukuzuza ekubuseni kukaJesu. Ngakho-ke, uJesu, ngisho nangalolosuku olunzima kakhulu, wathembisa ukuthi umenzi wobubi wayeyoba naye ePharadesi.
Kuliphi ipharadesi? EBhayibhelini, iPharadesi lokuqala laliyinsimu yase-Edene efana nepaki leyo eyalahlekela abazali bethu bokuqala. IBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi liyobuyiselwa leloPharadesi lasemhlabeni ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uJesu ayiNkosi yawo. (IHubo 37:9-11; Mika 4:3, 4) Ngakho-ke, uJesu uyoba nalowomenzi wobubi nabanye abafileyo abangenakubalwa lapho ebavusa ethuneni ebavusela ekuphileni emhlabeni oyipharadesi nasethubeni lokufunda ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu futhi baphile phakade.—Johane 5:28, 29; IsAmbulo 20:11-13; 21:3, 4.