Izazi ezavela empumalanga
1Kuthe ke, akubon' ukuba uYesu uzelwe eBhetelehem yelakwaYuda, emihleni kaHerode ukumkani, kwabonakala kufika eYerusalem izazi zivela empumalanga, zisithi, 2Uphi na lo uzelweyo, ukumkani wamaYuda? Kuba sibone inkwenkwezi yakhe empumalanga; sizé kumnqula.
3Uthe ke uHerode ukumkani, akuva, wakhathazeka, yena nayo yonke iYerusalem naye. 4Wahlanganisa ke bonke ababingeleli abakhulu nababhali babantu, wababuza ukuba ubeya kuzalelwa phi na uKristu.• 5Bathe ke kuye, EBhetelehem yelakwaYuda; kuba kubhaliwe ngomprofeti kwathiwa,
6Nawe Bhetelehem, mhlaba wakwaYuda,
Akunguye nakanye omncinanana phakathi kwabalawuli bakwaYuda:
Kuba kuwe apha kuya kuphuma uMlawuli,
Onguyena uya kubalúsa abantu bam amaSirayeli.
(UMika 5:2)
7Kwakuba njalo, uHerode, ezibize ngasese izazi ezo, waqondisisa kakuhle kuzo ixesha lokubonakala kwenkwenkwezi leyo; 8wazithuma ke eBhetelehem, wathi, Hambani niye nicokise ukubuzisa ngomntwana lowo; xa ke nithe namfumana, ze nindibikele, ukuze nam ndiye kumnqula. 9Zimvile ke zona ukumkani, zahamba; nantso inkwenkwezi leyo zayibonayo empumalanga izandulela, yada yaya kuma phezu kwendawo abekuyo umntwana lowo. 10Zathi ke, zakuyibona inkwenkwezi, zavuya ngovuyo olukhulu kakhulu. 11Zingenile endlwini, zambona umntwana enoMariya unina, zawa phantsi, zaqubuda kuye; zathi, zinqike impahla yazo, zanikela kuye iminikelo, igolide, nentlaka emhlophe, nemore.• 12Zathi, kuba zihlatyelwe nguThixo ephupheni ukuba zingabuyi ziye kuHerode, zemka ngayimbi indlela ukuya ezweni lakowazo.
Intsabo yokuya eYiputa
13Zithe zakubon' ukuba zimkile ke zona, naso isithunywa seNkosi sibonakala kuYosefu ephupheni, sisithi, Vuka, umthabathe umntwana nonina, usabele eYiputa, uze ube khona apho ndide ndikuxelele; kuba uHerode uhlalele ukumfuna umntwana lowo, ukuba amtshabalalise. 14Evukile ke yena, wamthabatha umntwana nonina ebusuku, wemka waya eYiputa. 15Waba khona apho wada wabhubha uHerode; ukuze kuzaliseke okwathethwayo yiNkosi ngomprofeti isithi, Ndambiza unyana wam ukuba aphume eYiputa.
(UHos. 11:1)
UHerode ubulala abantwana baseBhetelehem
16Ke kaloku uHerode, akubona ukuba izazi zidlale ngaye, waba nomsindo kunene, waza wathumela, wababulala bonke abantwana abaseBhetelehem, nakuyo yonke imida yayo, abaminyaka mibini bezelwe, nangaphantsi, elungelelanisa nexesha abeliqondisise kakuhle kuzo izazi. 17Kwandula ukuzaliseka okwathethwayo ngoYeremiya umprofeti esithi,
18Kwavakala izwi eRama,
Isimema nesililo nesijwili esikhulu,
URakeli elilela abantwana bakhe,
Engavumi ukuthuthuzeleka, ngokuba bengasekho.
(UYer. 31:15)
Ukubuya eYiputa
19Akubon' ukuba ubhubhile ke uHerode, sabonakala isithunywa seNkosi sibonakala ephupheni kuYosefu eYiputa, sisithi, 20Vuka, umthabathe umntwana nonina, uye ezweni lakwaSirayeli; kuba bafile abo babezonda ubomi bomntwana. 21Wavuka ke, wamthabatha umntwana nonina, weza ezweni lakwaSirayeli. 22Ke kaloku, akuva ukuba uArkelawo ungukumkani kwelakwaYuda esikhundleni sikaHerode uyise, woyika ukuhamba asinge khona; wathi ke, ehlatyelwe nguThixo ephupheni, wemka waya kumacala elaseGalili. 23Ufiké wema emzini ekuthiwa yiNazarete; ukuze kuzaliseke okwathethwayo ngabaprofeti, okokuba wobizwa ngokuthi ungowaseNazarete.
