Ingabula-zigcawu
1Tiyofilo ohloniphekileyo: Ekubeni abaninzi bezame ukulibhala ibali lezo zinto zithe zenzeka phakathi kwethu, 2bebalisa oko sikuxelelweyo ngâbo bathe kwasekuqalekeni bazibona ngawabo amehlo ezo zinto, baza baba ngabaququzeleli bezi ndaba, 3nam, mhlekazi, ndibone kulungile ukuba ndibhale ndikucwangcisele ngokuthe ngqo, ekubeni sekulithuba elide nje ndiziphanda kakuhle ezi zinto. 4Ndenjenje ukuze uyazi ngokuphelelyo inyaniso yezinto ozifundisiweyo.
Ukuvakaliswa kokuzalwa kukaYohane umbhaptizi
5Ngemihla kaHerode, ukumkani wakwaJuda, kwakukho umbingeleli othile, ogama linguZakariya, engoweqela lika-Abhiya. Umkakhe uElizabhete naye wayeyintombi yombingeleli. 6Bobabini babengamalungisa, beyithobela imiyalelo nemimiselo yeNkosi, bengenakusoleka. 7Babengenabantwana, kuba uElizabhete wayengazali; kananjalo bobabini babesebaluphele.
8Ke kaloku uZakariya wayesemsebenzini wakhe wobubingeleli phambi koThixo, kulithuba leqela lakhe. 9Kwênziwa *amaqashiso ngokwesiqhelo sababingeleli, laza iqashiso laphuma naye ukuba aqhumise ubulawu. Wangena ke endaweni engcwele yeNkosi, 10kukho inkitha yabantu ithandaza ngaphandle ngexesha lesiqhumiso.
11Kwabonakala isithunywa seNkosi kuye, simi ngasekunene kweqonga lesiqhumiso. 12Wothuka uZakariya akusibona, wangenwa luloyiko. 13Isithunywa eso sathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika, Zakariya. UThixo uwuvile umthandazo wakho. Umfazi wakho uElizabhete uya kuzala unyana. Uze umthiye igama elinguYohane. 14Ukuzalwa kwakhe kuya kukuphathela uvuyo nolonwabo, ize loo nto ibe luvuyo nakubantu abaninzi. 15Yena uya kubaluleka eNkosini, angaseli wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo, alawulwe nguMoya oyiNgcwele kwasekuzalweni kwakhe. 16Uya kubuyisela amaSirayeli amaninzi eNkosini uThixo wawo. 17Uya kuyibhulela umbethe iNkosi, enamandla njengoEliya, axolelanise uyise nomntwana, ababuyisele ebulungiseni abangevayo, alungiselele iNkosi abantu bayo.”
18UZakariya wathi kwisithunywa eso: “Ndiya kuyiqonda ngani le nto? Kaloku mna sendimdala, nomfazi wam selaluphele.”
19Saphendula ke isithunywa sathi kuye: “Mna ndinguGabriyeli oma phambi koThixo. Ndithunyiwe ukuba ndithethe nawe, ndikuxelele ezi ndaba zimnandi. 20Ngenxa yokuba ungakholwa ngamazwi am, uyabona, uya kuvaleka, ungabi nako ukuthetha, kude kube yiloo mini zenzeka ngayo ezi zinto. Kanti ke la mazwi aya kuzalisekiswa ngexesha lawo.”
21Abantu babemlindile uZakariya, bemangalisiwe kukulibala kwakhe endaweni engcwele. 22Uthe ke akuphuma engasenako ukuthetha, baqonda ukuba ubone umbono apho endaweni engcwele. Wathi, ekhohliwe kukuthetha, wamana enqwala.
23Lakuphela ixesha lokukhonza kweqela lakhe, uZakariya wagoduka. 24Emva koko uElizabhete umfazi wakhe wamitha, wazifihla iinyanga zade zantlanu, 25wavakala esithi: “Kwenziwe yiNkosi oku. Ide yandenzela inceba, yaphelisa ukudeleka kwam phakathi kwabantu.”
Ukuvakaliswa kokuzalwa kukaYesu
26Ngenyanga yesithandathu isithunywa esinguGabriyeli sathunywa nguThixo kwelaseGalili, kwidolophu eyiNazarete, 27kwintombi eyayisendela kumfana wendlu kaDavide, ogama linguJosefu. Igama lentombi leyo lalinguMariya. 28Safika ke isithunywa kuye, sathi: “Bhota, wena ubabalweyo! INkosi inawe.”
29UMariya woyika akuweva la mazwi, waza wafuna engqondweni ukuba ngaba ngumbuliso mni na lo. 30Isithunywa ke sathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika, Mariya, kuba uThixo ukwenzela isisa. 31Uyabona, uza kumitha, uzale unyana, umthiye igama *elinguYesu. 32Yena uya kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana kaPhezukonke. INkosi uThixo iya kummisela abe ngukumkani kwaDavide uyise, 33ayilawule indlu kaYakobi kude kube ngunaphakade, nolawulo lwakhe lungaze luphele.”
34UMariya ke wathi kuso isithunywa: “Iya kwenzeka njani na loo nto, ndingazani nandoda nje?”
35Saphendula isithunywa sathi kuye: “UMoya oyiNgcwele uya kuhlela kuwe, athi amandla kaThixo uPhezukonke akufukamele. Kungoko loo mntwana ungcwele uya kuzalwa nguwe kuya kuthiwa nguNyana kaThixo. 36Uyabona, naye uElizabhete ozalana nawe, ukhawule unyana ebudaleni bakhe. Le yinyanga yesithandathu kuye, yena lowo bekusithiwa uludlolo. 37Kaloku akukho nanye into enokumnqabela uThixo.”
38Wathi ke uMariya: “Ndim lo mna mkhonzazana weNkosi. Makwenzeke kum ngokwamazwi akho.” Saza semka isithunywa kuye.
UMariya utyelela uElizabhete
39Ngaloo mihla wesuka uMariya, wasinga kweleentaba ngokukhawuleza, esiya edolophini yakwaJuda; 40waya kungena endlwini kaZakariya, wafika wambulisa uElizabhete. 41Kwathi akuwuva uElizabhete umbuliso kaMariya, lwasuka lwaxhuma usana esizalweni sakhe. Wafikelwa ke nguMoya oyiNgcwele uElizabhete, 42wadanduluka ekhwaza esithi: “Ungoyena usikelelweyo wena phakathi kwabafazi! Nomntwana oya kuzalwa nguwe usikelelwe! 43Bendiyintoni na kakade, ukuba ndide ndihanjelwe ngunina weNkosi yam? 44Yaz' ukuba, kuthe ndakuwuva umbuliso wakho, lwasuka usana lwaxhuma luvuyo esiswini sam. 45Unoyolo lowo ukholiweyo, kuba ilizwi elithunyelwe kuye yiNkosi liya kuzaliseka.”
Umbongo kaMariya
46Wavakala uMariya esithi:
“Umphefumlo wam uyayibonga iNkosi;
47ndaye ndigcobile ngoThixo uMsindisi wam;
48kuba wakuphawula ukuthobeka kwesicakazana sakhe.
Ewe, ukususela ngoku zonke izizukulwana zothi ndingonoyolo,
49kuba undenzele izinto ezinkulu uSomandla,
yena ogama lakhe lingcwele,
50yena onceba yakhe ikwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana zâbo bamoyikayo.
51Wolule ingalo yakhe enamandla,
wabachitha-chitha abanekratshi ekuzicingeleni kwabo.
52Iinganga wazithoba kumawonga azo,
waza abathobekileyo wabaphakamisa.
53Wahluthisa abalambileyo ngezinto ezilungileyo,
wathi abazizityebi wabandulula belambatha.
54Wamxhasa uSirayeli umkhonzi wakhe,
akayilibala inceba yakhe
55awayethembise ngayo koobawo bethu,
kuAbraham nakwinzala yakhe ngonaphakade.”
56UMariya ke wahlala noElizabhete iinyanga ngathi zaba ntathu, waza wagoduka.
Ukuzalwa kukaYohane umbhaptizi
57Lafika ke ixesha lokuba uElizabhete abeleke, waza wazala unyana. 58Bakuva abamelwane bakhe nezizalwana zakhe ngale nceba ingaka ayenzelwe yiNkosi, bavuyisana naye.
59Kwathi ke ngomhla wesibhozo baya kumàlusa umntwana, befuna ukumthiya ngoyise uZakariya. 60Kodwa unina wala, esithi: “Hayi, igama lakhe nguYohane!”
61Bona ke bathi kuye: “Lingekho nje eli gama kowabo!” 62Baza babhekisa kuyise ukuba yena unga angathiywa gama lini na.
63Wabiza icwecwana, wabhala wathi: “Igama lakhe nguYohane.” Baza bamangaliswa bonke. 64Kwangoko lwacombuluka ulwimi lukaZakariya, wathetha ebonga uThixo.
65Bangenwa luloyiko ke bonke abamelwane, yaza le nto yonke yaba ngundabamlonyeni kulo lonke eleentaba lakwaJuda. 66Bathi bonke abayivayo bayimilisela ezingqondweni, besithi: “Yaz'ba, uya kuba yintoni na lo mntwana?” Kuba kaloku amandla eNkosi ayenaye.
Umbongo kaZakariya
67UZakariya uyise wazala nguMoya oyiNgcwele, watyibela wathi:
68“Mayibongwe iNkosi, uThixo kaSirayeli,
kuba ibavelele yabakhulula abantu bayo;
69kwaDavide isicaka sayo isivelisele uMsindisi otshatsheleyo.
70Nguwo lo umlomo wayo wamhla-mnene
oweza *ngabashumayeli bayo abangcwele,
71ithembisa ukusisindisa ezintshabeni zethu,
nasesandleni sabo bonke abasithiyileyo;
72isithi yobenzela inceba oobawo bethu,
iwukhumbule umnqophiso wayo ongcwele,
73isifungo eyasenzela uAbraham ubawo wethu,
74sokusihlangula ezintshabeni zethu, siyikhonze singenaxhala,
75ngobungcwele nangobulungisa phambi kwayo,
yonke imihla yobomi bethu.
76Nawe ke, mntwana wam, wobizwa ngokuba *ungumshumayeli kaThixo uPhezukonke,
kuba uya kuyibhulela umbethe iNkosi,
uyigabulele izigcawu.
77Wobazisa abantu beNkosi ngosindiso
olungoxolelo lwezono zabo,
78kuba unenceba nemfesane uThixo wethu.
Ngoko wosivelisela olilanga lasezulwini,
79ukuze akhanyisele abasebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa,
nokuze azikhokelele endleleni yoxolo iinyawo zethu.”
80Wakhula umntwana, waya esomelela ngokomelela. Wayehlala entlango kwada kwayimini yokubonakala kwakhe kumaSirayeli.
