Isingeniso
1Abanengi baba nokuzimisela kobana batlole umlando wezehlakalo ezizalisekileko phakathi kwethu, 2njengombana sazinikelwa ngilabo okwathi kusukela ekuthomeni baba bofakazi kanye neenceku zelizwi. 3Ngalokho-ke nami, ngemva kokuhlolisisa koke kusukela ekuthomeni, ngiqunte ukukutlolela umlando ohlelekileko wena Theyofilusi odumileko 4ukuze wazi iqiniso loke ngezinto oyalwe ngazo.
Ukubelethwa kwakaJwanisi uMbhabhadisi kuyabikezelwa
5Emihleni kaHerode ikosi yeJudiya, bekukhona umphristi, ibizo lakhe linguZakariya, ogade alilunga lobuphristi baka-Abiya. Umkakhe bekungu-Elisabethi, naye asizukulwana saka-Aroni. 6Bobabili bebalungile phambi koZimu, balandela yoke imiyalo neemiso zakaSomnini. 7Kodwana bebanganabantwana ngombana u-Elisabethi gade ayinyumba begodu bobabili besele baluphele.
8Kwathi ngelinye ilanga uZakariya asenza umsebenzakhe wobuphristi ngethempelini phambi kwakaZimu, 9wakhethwa ngefumbe ukuya ngokomkhuba wobuphristi kobana angene ngethempelini ayokutjhisela uSomnini itjhwalo. 10Nakufika isikhathi sokutjhisa itjhwalo, woke umkhambathi wahlangana, wathandaza ngaphandle.
11Ingilozi kaSomnini yazibonakalisa kuye, ijame ngesigomeni se-aldari letjhwalo.
12Kwathi bona uZakariya ayibone, wethuka wafikelwa kukwesaba. 13Kodwana ingilozi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi Zakariya! Umthandazwakho uzwakele. Umkakho u-Elisabethi uzakubelethela indodana; uyithiye ibizo bona nguJwanisi. 14Izakuba lithabo nokuthokoza kuwe begodu abanengi bazakujekezela ngebanga lokubelethwa kwayo 15ngombana izakuba yikulu emehlweni kaSomnini. Ingaseli iwayini namkha esinye nesinye isiselo esiwunyelweko. Izakuzaliswa ngoMoya oCwengileko kwekubelethweni kwayo. 16Izakubuyisela inengi labantu bakwa-Israyeli kuSomnini uZimabo. 17Yeke izakukhamba phambi kweKosi ngommoya nangamandla ka-Eliya kobana itjhugululele iinhliziyo zaboyise ebantwaneni, kuthi abangalaleliko batjhugulukele ekuhlakanipheni kwabalungileko. Godu izakwenza bona isizwe silungele iKosi.”
18UZakariya wabuza ingilozi wathi: “Nginesiqiniseko siphi ngalokhu na? Sengiyindoda elupheleko, nomkami selaluphele.”
19Ingilozi yamphendula yathi: “NginguGabhariyeli; ngijame ebukhoneni bakaZimu. Ngithunywe bona ngizokhuluma nawe, ngikutjele iindaba ezimnandezi. 20Qala-ke, njengombana ungazange ukholwe amezwami azakuzaliseka ngesikhathi sawo, uzakuba simumu ungakghoni ukukhuluma bekube kumhlana kuphethakalako lokhu.”
21Kwenzeka koke lokhu nje, abantu bebasoloko balindele uZakariya, bararekile bona uhlaleleni kangaka ngethempelini. 22Wathi naphumako, wabhalelwa kubakhulumisa. Yeke balemuka bona ubone umbono ngethempelini ngombana bekalokhu abenzela amatshwayo kodwana abhalelwa kuphimisela.
23Kwathi bona kuphele isikhathi somsebenzakhe ngethempelini, wabuyela ekhaya. 24Ngemva kwamalanga lawo umkakhe u-Elisabethi waba sidisi. Wahlala iinyanga ezihlanu zoke azifihlile. 25Wathi: “Ekhu! USomnini ungenzele lokhu. Ube nomusa kimi, wasusa ihlazo lami ebengiseze ngilithwele hlangana nabantu.”
Ukubikezelwa kokubelethwa kwakaJesu
26Enyangeni yesithandathu, uZimu wathumela ingilozi uGabhariyeli edorobheni leGalile ekuthiwa yiNazaretha, 27entombini ebegade yethenjiswe ukuthathwa lisokana ebekuthiwa nguJosefa, osizukulwana sakaDavida. Ibizo lentombi leyo belinguMariya. 28Ingilozi yeza kuye yathi: “Lotjha wena othandekileko! USomnini unawe!”
29Kodwana uMariya watshwenyeka khulu ngomlayezo lo, wazibuza bona kulotjhisa okunjani-ke lokhu. 30Ingilozi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi Mariya ngombana ufumene umusa emehlweni kaZimu. 31Uzakuba sidisi, ubelethe indodana, uzayithiya ibizo bona nguJesu. 32Izakuba yikulu, ibizwe bona yiNdodana kaZimu ongoPhezulu. USomnini uZimu uzayinikela isihlalo sobukhosi sakayise uDavida. 33Izakubusa phezu kwekumba kaJakopo ngokungapheliko. Umbuswayo angekhe waphela!”
34UMariya wabuza ingilozi wathi: “Lokhu kungenzeka njani ngombana azange khengihlangane nendoda?”
35Ingilozi yamphendula yathi: “UMoya oCwengileko uzakuba phezu kwakho, namandla wongoPhezulu azakusibekela. Yeke ocwengileko ozakubelethwa uzakubizwa bona yiNdodana kaZimu. 36Ngitjho nesihlobo sakho u-Elisabethi usidisi nanyana sele amdala nje. Sele aphethe inyanga yesithandathu, yena lo ebekuthiwa uyinyumba 37ngombana ayikho into engenzekiko kuZimu.”
38UMariya waphendula wathi: “Ngiyincekukazi kaSomnini, akwenzeke kimi njengombana utjhwile!” Yeke ingilozi yasuka kuye.
UMariya uthekela u-Elisabethi
39Ngesikhatheso uMariya wazilungiselela waya edorobheni leJudiya elingenarheni yeentatjana. 40Wafika lapho wangena kwaZakariya, walotjhisa u-Elisabethi. 41Kwathi bona u-Elisabethi ezwe ukulotjhisa kwakaMariya, umntwana weqayeqa ngesibelethweni sakhe. U-Elisabethi wazaliswa ngoMoya oCwengileko. 42Warhuwelela ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Ubusisiwe hlangana nabafazi, sibusisiwe nesithelo sesibeletho sakho! 43Kubayini ngithandwe kangaka bona ngithekelwe ngunina leKosami na? 44Kuthe nje nangizwa ukulotjhisa kwakho, umntwana wathaba beweqayeqa ngaphakathi kwami. 45Ubusisiwe umfazi ofese wakholwa bonyana okutjhiwo nguSomnini kuye kuzakuzaliseka!”
Ukudumisa kwakaMariya
46UMariya wathi:
“Umphefumulwami udumisa uSomnini.
47Ummoyami uyenama
kuZimu uMsindisami
48ngombana ungikhumbulile,
mina ncekukazi yakhe enyazekako.
Kusukela kwanjesi, zoke iinzukulwana
zizongibiza ngobusisiweko,
49ngombana ongoPhezulu,
ungenzele okukhulu.
Ibizo lakhe licwengile.
50Umusakhe ungowabamesabako,
iinzukulwana ngeenzukulwana.
51Ukhombise amandlakhe ngengalwakhe,
wahlakaza abakhukhumeleko emizindlwenabo.
52Wehlise amakhosi
eenhlalweni zawo,
waphakamisa abathobekileko.
53Usuthise abalambileko ngokuhle,
iinkhumkani waziqotjha zimkhonoze.
54Uyisizile incekwakhe u-Israyeli,
wakhumbula isirhawu sakhe,
55njengombana athembisa ku-Abrahamu
nakizo zoke iinzukulwana zakhe
ngokungapheliko.”
56UMariya wahlala pheze iinyanga ezintathu no-Elisabethi, wabuyela ekhaya.
Ukubelethwa kwakaJwanisi uMbhabhadisi
57Kwathi nakufika isikhathi sokobana u-Elisabethi abelethe, wabeletha indodana. 58Abomakhelwana kanye neenhlobo zakhe zezwa bona uSomnini umenzele isirhawu esikhulu, zathaba kanye naye. 59Ngelanga lobunane zeza bona zizokusoka umntwana, yeke bezizomthiyelela ngoyise uZakariya, 60Kodwana unina wathi: “Awa! Ibizo lakhe lizakuba nguJwanisi.”
61Zathi kuye: “Kodwana akukho noyedwa hlangana neenhlobo zakho onebizo elinjalo.” 62Zakhuluma noyise ngezandla, zambuza bona yena angathanda ibizo lomsana libe ngubani na.
63UZakariya wakhombela umqebethu wokutlolela, watlola wathi: “Ibizo lakhe nguJwanisi.” Barareka boke. 64Khonokho umlomakhe wavuleka nelimu lakhe lararuluka, wathoma ukukhuluma, wadumisa uZimu. 65Boke abomakhelwana behlelwa kukwesaba bekwathi kiyo yoke inarha yeentatjaneni zeJudiya, abantu bakhuluma ngeendabezi. 66Woke owakuzwako lokho wazindla ngakho wabuza wathi: “Alo, umntwana lo uzokuba yini na?” Isandla sakaSomnini besiphezu kwakhe.
Isiphorofido sakaZakariya
67Khonapho uZakariya uyise wagcwala ngoMoya oCwengileko, waphorofida wathi:
68“Akadunyiswe uSomnini,
uZimu ka-Israyeli!
Ngambala ube nesirhawu,
wahlenga abantu bakhe.
69Usivusele uMsindisi onamandla
ngekumbeni yencekwakhe uDavida,
70njengombana akhuluma ekadeni
ngomlomo wabaphorofidi bakhe abacwengileko
71bonyana sizakusindiswa ezitheni zethu
nemandleni wabo boke abasizondako.
72Ngalokho ukhombise isirhawu
asithembisa abokhokho bethu,
wakhumbula isivumelwano sakhe esicwengileko
73okusifungo asifunga kukhokho wethu u-Abrahamu
74sokobana uzosenyela ezandleni zezitha zethu,
asivumele simlotjhe ngaphandle kokwesaba,
75ngokucwenga nangokulunga,
ebusweni bakhe imihla yoke yokuphila kwethu.
76“Wena mntanami,
uzakubizwa bona umphorofidi wongoPhezulu
ngombana uzakukhamba phambi kweKosi,
uyilungisele indlela,
77kobana utlhadlhule abantu bayo
mayelana nelwazi lesindiso
ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo.
78Ngesirhawu esikhulu sakaZimethu,
ukusa kuzakudabuka kuvela phezulu,
79kukhanyisele abaphila ebumnyameni nethunzini lokufa,
kunqophise iinyawo zethu endleleni enokuthula.”
80Umntwana wakhula, waqina emmoyeni. Wahlala erhalawumbeni bekwaba kumhlana abonakala tjhatjhalazi kwa-Israyeli.
