Isingeniso
1Njengokuba abaningi bezamile ukulanda ngokuhlelekileyo ngalezo zindaba ezigcwaliseke phakathi kwethu, 2njengalokhu basinika zona labo ababekhona kwasekuqaleni, bezibonela ngamehlo, futhi beyizikhonzi zezwi, 3nami ngizwa kufanale, njengalokhu ngizihlolisisile ngokucophelela zonke izinto, kusukela ekuqaleni, ukuba ngikulobele ngokuhlelekile, Theyofilu odumileyo, 4ukuze wazi ukuqiniseka kwalezo zindaba ozifundisiweyo.
Ukubikezelwa Kokuzalwa KukaJohane UMbhabhadisi
5Kwakukhona emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya, umphristi othile, ogama lakhe nguZakhariya, esigabeni sika-Abhiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe ngu-Elizabethe. 6Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu, behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki. 7Kepha babengenamntwana, ngokuba u-Elizabethe wayeyinyumba, futhi bobabili base bekhulile.
8Kwathi-ke uZakhariya enza umsebenzi wakhe wobuphristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu, njengokuhlelwa kwesikhathi sesigaba ayekuso, 9ngokomthetho wobuphristi, kwaba nguye owadliwa wunkatho ukuba angene ethempelini leNkosi, azoshisa impepho. 10Isixuku sonke sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sokunikelwa kwempepho.
11Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene se-althare lempepho. 12Kuthe uZakhariya eyibona wethuka, wehlelwa luvalo. 13Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakhariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho u-Elizabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama uthi nguJohane. 14Uzakujabula uthokoze ngaye; nabaningi bazakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe. 15Ngokuba uzakuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi; akayukuliphuza iwayini nophuzo olunamandla; uzakugcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele esesesiswini sikanina. 16Uyakuphendulela abaningi kubantu bakwa-Israyeli, eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo. 17Uyakuhamba phambi kwayo enomoya namandla ka-Eliya ukuphendula izinhliziyo zawoyise, babuyisane nabantwana, abangalaleliyo babe nokuqonda kwabalungileyo, ukulungisela iNkosi isizwe esikulungiselweyo ukufika kwayo.”
18UZakhariya wathi engelosini: “Ngiyakukwazi ngani lokhu na? Sengiyindoda endala, nomkami usekhule kakhulu.”
19Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “NginguGabhriyeli mina, omi phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume nawe, nokuba ngikubikele lezi zindaba ezinhle. 20Wena-ke uzakuba yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube wusuku okwenzeka ngalo lokhu, ngokuba awuwakholwanga amazwi ami azakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.”
21Abantu babemlindele uZakhariya nokho bamangala ngokulibala kwakhe ethempelini. 22Esephumile, kakwazanga ukukhuluma kubo; bakhanyelwa ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini; wayelokhu ekhuluma ngezandla, wahlala-ke eyisimungulu.
23Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wahamba waya ekhaya. 24Emva kwalezo zinsuku u-Elizabethe, umkakhe, wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, ethi: 25“INkosi yenze kanje kimina emihleni engibheke ngayo ngomusa ukuba ilisuse ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.”
Ukuzalwa KukaJesu Kukayabikizelwa
26Ngenyanga yesithupha, ingelosi uGabhriyeli yathunywa nguNkulunkulu emzini eGalile, okuthiwa yiNazaretha, 27entombini eyayithenjiswe umendo yindoda enguJosefa, wendlu kaDavide; igama lentombi kwakunguMariya. 28Seyifikile, yasondela ingelosi lapho ayekhona, yathi kuye: “E! Wena ophiwe umusa! INkosi inawe; ubusisiwe esifazaneni.”
29Kepha yena wethuka lapho ezwa izwi layo, wazindla ngokuthi kungaba kubingelela kuni lokhu. 30Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Mariya, ngokuba ufumene umusa kuNkulunkulu. 31Uzakukhulelwa, uzale indodana, uyiqambe igama uthi nguJesu. 32Yena uyakuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuthi yiNdodana yoPhezukonke. INkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi, sikayise uDavide; 33uyakubusa phezu kwendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade, nombuso wakhe awuyukuphela.”
34UMariya wathi engelosini: “Kuyokwenzeka kanjani lokhu, njengokuba ngingayazi indoda na?”
35Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, amandla oPhezukonke akusibekele; ngakho-ke lo ongcwele, ozakuzalwa, uzakubizwa ngokuthi yiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. 36Phela u-Elizabethe, isihlobo sakho, obekuthiwa inyumba naye ukhulelwe indodana esemdala; le yinyanga yakhe yesithupha. 37Ngokuba akukho lutho olungenzeke kuNkulunkulu.”
38UMariya wathi: “Ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi; makwenzeke kimi njengezwi lakho.”
Ingelosi yemuka kuye.
UMariya Uvakashela U-Elizabethe
39Ngalezo zinsuku uMariya wasuka waya ngokushesha kwelezintaba emzini wakwaJuda. 40Wangena endlini kaZakhariya, wambingelela u-Elizabethe. 41Kwathi ukuba u-Elizabethe ezwe uMariya ebingelela, umntwana wagxuma esiswini sakhe; u-Elizabethe wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, 42wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ubusisiwe wena esifazaneni! Sibusisiwe nesithelo sesisu sakho! 43Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu kimi ukuba ngihanjelwe ngunina weNkosi yami na? 44Ngokuba kuthe lapho izwi lokubingelela kwakho lifika ezindlebeni zami, umntwana wagxuma ngokujabula esiswini sami. 45Ubusisiwe lowo owakholwa ukuthi kuzakufezeka lokho okwakhulunywa yiNkosi kuye.”
UMariya Utusa INkosi
46Wayesethi uMariya:
“Umphefumulo wami uyayitusa iNkosi,
47nomoya wami uyathokoza kuNkulunkulu,
uMsindisi wami,
48ngokuba ubhekile ubuphansi bencekukazi yakhe.
Kusukela manje izizukulwane zonke ziyakuthi, ngibusisiwe.
49Ngokuba uSomandla ungenzele izinto ezinkulu:
igama lakhe lingcwele.
50Isihawu sakhe sisezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane
kubo abamesabayo.
51Wenzile amandla ngengalo yakhe;
uchithile abazidlayo ekuzidleni kwenhliziyo yabo.
52Uwisile amakhosi ezihlalweni,
uphakamisile abantukazana.
53Usuthisile abalambileyo ngezinto ezinhle,
abacebileyo wabahambisa bevathazela.
54Uyisizile inceku yakhe u-Israyeli,
ukuze akhumbule isihawu,
55njengalokhu akhuluma kokhokho bethu
ku-Abhrahama nolibo lwakhe
kuze kube phakade.”
56UMariya wahlala naye cishe izinyanga ezintathu, wayesebuyela ekhaya.
Ukuzalwa KukaJohane UMbhabhadisi
57Safika-ke isikhathi sika-Elizabethe sokuba abelethe; wazala indodana. 58Abakhelene naye nezihlobo zakhe bezwa ukuthi iNkosi imenzele isihawu esikhulu, bathokoza naye.
59Kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili beza ukuzosoka umntwana, bamqamba ngegama likayise uZakhariya. 60Unina wayesephendula ethi: “Qha, uzakuthiwa nguJohane.”
61Bathi kuye: “Akukho noyedwa emndenini wakini obizwa ngalelo gama.”
62Bakhuluma ngezandla noyise ukuthi ufuna ukumqamba ngaliphi. 63Wacela isileti, waloba wathi. “NguJohane igama lakhe.”
Bamangala bonke. 64Khona manjalo wavuleka umlomo wakhe nolimi lwakhe lwathombuluka, wayesekhuluma edumisa uNkulunkulu. 65Bonke abakhelene nabo behlelwa ngukwesaba, bakhuluma ngazo zonke lezo zindaba kulo lonke elezintaba eJudiya, 66nabo bonke abazizwayo bazigcina ezinhliziyweni zabo, bethi: “Ingabe uyakuba yini lo mntwana na?”
Ngokuba impela isandla seNkosi sinaye.
Indumiso KaZakhariya
67UZakhariya, uyise, wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, waphrofetha wathi:
68“Mayibongwe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli,
ngokuba ibahambele abantu bayo,
yabahlenga.
69Yasiphakamisela uphondo lwensindiso
endlini kaDavide, inceku yayo,
70njengalokhu yakhuluma
ngomlomo wabaphrofethi bayo
abangcwele selokhu kwadabuka umhlaba,
71ukusisindisa ezitheni zethu,
nasesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo;
72ukwenzela okhokho bethu isihawu,
nokukhumbula isivumelwano sayo esingcwele;
73isifungo eyasifunga kubaba u-Abhrahama,
74ukusinika ukuba sikhululwe
esandleni sezitha zethu;
siyikhonze singenakwesaba
75ngobungcwele nangokulunga phambi kwayo,
zonke izinsuku zethu.
76Nawe-ke, mntwana,
uyakuthiwa ungumphrofethi woPhezukonke,
ngokuba uyakuyandulela iNkosi;
ulungisa izindlela zayo
77ukukhanyisela abantu bayo ukuyazi insindiso
ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo,
78ngemisesane yesihawu sikaNkulunkulu wethu
esihanjelwe ngakho ukukhanya okuvela phezulu,
79ukubakhanyisela abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa,
nokuqondisa izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”
80Umntwana wakhula, waba namandla emoyeni; wahlala ehlane kwaze kwaba lusuku lokubonakaliswa kwakhe ku-Israyeli.
