Intshayelelo
1Bethé nje ke abaninzi bazamela ukucacisa ibali lezo zinto ziziziganeko phakathi kwethu, 2njengoko basinikeláyo abo, bathi kwasekuqaleni baba ngababoneli nabakhonzi balo ilizwi: 3kwabonakala kulungile nakum, ndizilandile nje ngokucokisekileyo zonke, ndizekela kwasentloko, ukuba ndikubhalele ngokucacileyo, 4Tiyofilo odume kunene, ukuze uyazi kakuhle ingqiniseko yamazwi owafundisiweyo ngomlomo.
Ukuzalwa kukaYohane kuyavakaliswa
5Ngemihla kaHerode ukumkani wakwaYuda, kwaye kukho umbingeleli othile, ogama linguZekariya, engoweqela lika-Abhiya, nomfazi wakhe engowasezintombini zika-Aron, igama lakhe linguElizabhete. 6Bebengamalungisa ke bobabini emehlweni kaThixo, behamba ngayo yonke imithetho nemimiselo yeNkosi, bengenakusoleka. 7Baye bengenamntwana, ngokokuba uElizabhete ebengazali, kanjalo bobabini babesebekhulile.
8Kwathi ke kaloku, ekubuphatheni ububingeleli bakhe ngexesha leqela lakhe phambi koThixo, 9ngokwesiko lobubingeleli, kwaba liqashiso lakhe ukuba aqhumise ubulawu, akuba engene endaweni engcwele yeNkosi. 10Yaye yonke inkitha yabantu ithandaza ngaphandle ngelixa lesiqhumiso.
11Kwabonakala ke kuye isithunywa seNkosi, simi ngasekunene kwesibingelelo sesiqhumiso. 12Wakhathazeka uZekariya, akusibona, wangenelwa kukoyika. 13Sathi ke isithunywa eso kuye, Musa ukoyika, Zekariya, ngokokuba isikhungo sakho siviwe; wóthi ke umfazi wakho uElizabhete akuzalele unyana, umthiye igama elinguYohane. 14Ùya kuba nokuvuya nokugcoba, bathi nabaninzi bakuvuyele ukuzalwa kwakhe. 15Kuba úya kuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi, angakhe asele wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo; úya kuzaliswa nguMoya oyiNgcwele kwasekuzalweni kwakhe. 16Nento eninzi ke yoonyana bakaSirayeli úya kuyibuyisela eNkosini uThixo wabo. 17Yena úya kuhamba phambi kobuso bayo, enomoya enamandla kaEliya, ukuba azibuyisele iintliziyo zooyise kubantwana, nabangevayo kuko ukuqonda kwamalungisa, alungisele iNkosi abantu abalungisiweyo.
18Wathi uZekariya kuso isithunywa, Ndiya kukwazi ngani na oko? Kuba mna ndimdala, waye nomfazi wam selekhulile. 19Saphendula ke isithunywa, sathi kuye, Mna ndinguGabriyeli,• oma phambi koThixo. Ndithunyiwe ukuba ndithethe kuwe, ndikushumayeze ezi ndaba zilungileyo. 20Uyabona, ùya kuba sisidenge, ungabi nako ukuthetha, kude kube yimini eziya kuthi zenzeke ngayo ezi zinto, ngenxa enokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi am; aya kuzalisekiswa wona ngexesha lawo.
21Baye abantu bemlindile uZekariya, bemangalisiwe kukulibala kwakhe endaweni engcwele leyo. 22Uthe ke akuphuma, akaba nako ukuthetha kubo; baqonda ukuba ubone umbono endaweni engcwele apho, waye yena emana ukunqwala kubo, wahlala engathethi.
23Kwathi yakuzaliseka imihla yombuso wakhe, wemka waya endlwini yakhe.
24Emveni kwayo loo mihla ke, uElizabhete umfazi wakhe wathabatha, wazizimeza iinyanga zantlanu, esithi, 25Yenjénje iNkosi kum ngemihla eyandikhangelayo, ukuba ikususe ukungcikiveka kwam phakathi kwabantu.
Ukuzalwa kukaYesu kuyavakaliswa
26Ke kaloku ngenyanga yesithandathu, isithunywa esinguGabriyeli sathunyelwa nguThixo emzini welaseGalili, 27ogama liyiNazarete, kwintombi, eganelwe indoda egama linguYosefu, yendlu kaDavide; laye igama lentombi leyo linguMariya. 28Sangena isithunywa kuye, sathi, Vuya, wena ubabalweyo! INkosi inawe; usikelelwe wena phakathi kwabafazi.
29Uthe ke akusibona, wee qhiphu umbilini ngenxa yelizwi laso; wayecamanga ukuba ungaba mbuliso mni na lo.
30Sathi ke isithunywa kuye, Musa ukoyika, Mariya; kuba ubabalwe nguThixo. 31Uyabona, uya kuthabatha esizalweni, uzale unyana, umthiye igama elinguYesu.• 32Yena uya kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana wOsenyangweni; iNkosi uThixo iya kumnika itrone kaDavide, uyise, 33abe ngukumkani phezu kwendlu kaYakobi kude kube ngunaphakade, nobukumkani bakhe bungabi nasiphelo.
34Wathi ke uMariya kuso isithunywa, Kuya kuthini na ukubakho oku, ndingazani nandoda nje? 35Saphendula isithunywa sathi kuye, UMoya oyiNgcwele uya kuza phezu kwakho, athi namandla Osenyangweni akusibekele; kungoko loo nto ingcwele izalwa nguwe iya kubizwa ngokuba nguNyana kaThixo. 36Uyabona, uElizabhete, ozalana nawe, naye umithe unyana ebudaleni bakhe; nale yinyanga yesithandathu kuye, lowo bekuthiwa ngongazaliyo; 37ngokuba akukho nanye into eya kumnqabela yena uThixo.
38Wathi ke uMariya, Nanko umkhonzazana weNkosi; makwenzeke kum ngokwelizwi lakho. Saza isithunywa semka kuye.
UMariya utyelela uElizabhete
39Ke kaloku, wesuka uMariya ngaloo mihla, wasinga kweleentaba ngobungxamo, emzini wakwaYuda; 40wangena endlwini kaZekariya, wambulisa uElizabhete.
41Kwathi, akuwuva uElizabhete umbuliso kaMariya, lwasuka lwaxhuma usana esizalweni sakhe, wesuka wazala nguMoya oyiNgcwele uElizabhete. 42Wadanduluka ngezwi elikhulu, wathi, Ùnentsikelelo wena phakathi kwabafazi; sinentsikelelo nesiqhamo sesizalo sakho. 43Kuhlé ngani na kum, ukuthi unina weNkosi yam eze kum? 44Kuba uyabona, kuthe lakubakho izwi lombuliso wakho ezindlebeni zam, lwasuka lwaxhuma usana ngokugcoba esizalweni sam. 45Únoyolo lowo wakholwayo koko; ngokuba kuya kubakho inzaliseko yezo zinto zithethiweyo kuye yiNkosi.
Umbongo kaMariya
46Wathi uMariya:
Umphefumlo wam uyenza nkulu iNkosi,
47Nomoya wam ugcobile ngoThixo uMsindisi wam;
48Ngokuba wakukhangela ukuthobeka komkhonzazana wakhe;
Kuba, uyabona, ziya kuqala kwangoku ukuthi ndingonoyolo zonke izizukulwana;
49Ngokuba wandenzela izinto ezinkulu uSomandla;
Lingcwele igama lakhe.
50Yaye inceba yakhe ikwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana
Kwabo bamoyikayo.
51Wenzé amandla ngengalo yakhe,
Wabachithachitha abanekratshi ekucingeni kweentliziyo zabo.
52Wabawisa abanamandla ezitroneni zabo,
Wabaphakamisa abathobekileyo.
53Wahluthisa abalambileyo ngezinto ezilungileyo;
Wabandulula abazizityebi belambatha.
54Wasiza uSirayeli, umkhonzi wakhe,
Ngokukhumbula inceba yakhe;
55Njengoko wathethayo koobawo bethu,
KuAbraham nakwimbewu yakhe ngonaphakade.
56Wahlala ke uMariya naye iinyanga ngathi zaba ntathu, waza wabuyela ekhaya.
Ukuzalwa kukaYohane umbhaptizi
57Ke kaloku, ixesha likaElizabhete lazaliseka lokuba azale; wazala unyana. 58Beva abamelwane nemizalwane yakhe, ukuba iNkosi iyenze nkulu inceba yayo kuye, baye ke bevuyisana naye.
59Kwathi ngomhla wesibhlozo, beza kumalùsa umntwana; baye bemthiya igama likayise, besithi nguZekariya; 60koko waphendulayo unina, wathi, Hayi; uya kubizwa ngokuba nguYohane. 61Bathi kuye, Akukho namnye ubizwa ngelo gama kwimizalwane yakho. 62Baye ke benqwala kuyise besithi, angathanda ukuba athiweni na ukubizwa. 63Wabiza icwecwana, wabhala esithi, Igama lakhe nguYohane. 64Bamangaliswa bonke. Wavuleka ke kwaoko umlomo wakhe, lwathukululeka nolwimi lwakhe, wamana ethetha, ebonga uThixo.
65Kwehla ukoyika phezu kwalo lonke umelwane lwabo; kwaye kulo lonke eleentaba lakwaYuda kuxoxwa ngazo zonke ezi zinto. 66Bathi bonke abazivayo, bazibeka entliziyweni yabo, besithi, Azi uya kuba yintoni na lo mntwana? Saye isandla seNkosi sinaye.
Umbongo kaZekariya
67UZekariya uyise wazala nguMoya oyiNgcwele, waprofeta esithi:
68Mayibongwe iNkosi, uThixo kaSirayeli,
Ngokuba ibavelele yabakhulula ngentlawulelo abantu bayo.
69Yasiphakamisela uphondo losindiso
Endlwini kaDavide, umkhonzi wayo,
70Njengoko yathethayo ngomlomo wabangcwele, ababengabaprofeti bayo kwasephakadeni;
71Usindiso lokusisindisa ezintshabeni zethu, nasesandleni sabo bonke abo basithiyayo;
72Ukubenzela inceba oobawo bethu,
Nokukhumbula umnqophiso wayo ongcwele,
73Isifungo eyasifungela uAbraham ubawo wethu,
74Sokusinika ukuba sithi, síhlangulwe esandleni seentshaba zethu,
Siyikhonze singenakoyika,
75Ngobungcwele nangobulungisa emehlweni ayo, yonke imihla yobomi bethu.
76Nawe, mntwana, uya kubizwa ngokuba ungumprofeti wOsenyangweni,
Kuba ùya kuhamba phambi kobuso beNkosi, ulungise iindlela zayo,
77Ukuze ubanike abantu bayo ukwaziwa kosindiso
Ngoxolelo lwezono zabo,
78Ngenxa yenceba nemfesane yoThixo wethu,
Othe ngaye wasivelela umsó wasenyangweni,
79Ukuba úkhanye kwabo bahleliyo emnyameni, nasethunzini lokufa,
Ukuba úzingenise iinyawo zethu endleleni yoxolo.
80Wakhula umntwana, waya esomelela ngomoya; waye esentlango, kwada kwayimini yokubonakalaliswa kwakhe kuSirayeli.
