Izazi Zasempumalanga
1UJesu esezelwe eBhethlehema eJudiya ngezinsuku zokubusa kukaHerode inkosi; bheka, kwafika izazi eJerusalema, zivela empumalanga, zathi: 2“Uphi lowo ozelwe eyinkosi yabaJuda na? Ngokuba siyibonile inkanyezi yakhe empumalanga, ngakho-ke size ukuzokhuleka kuye.”
3UHerode, inkosi, esekuzwile lokho wakhathazeka nalo lonke iJerusalema. 4Waqoqa bonke abaphristi abakhulu nezazimthetho zesizwe, wabuza kubo ukuthi uKhristu uzakuzalelwa kuphi. 5Bathi kuye: “EBhethlehema eJudiya, ngokuba kulotshiwe kanjalo ngomphrofethi, ukuthi:
6“ ‘Nawe Bhethlehema, lizwe lakwaJuda
awumncinyane kubabusi bakwaJuda,
ngokuba kuwe kuyakuvela umbusi
oyakwelusa isizwe sami u-Israyeli.’ ”
7UHerode wayesezibiza ngasese izazi, wazibuzisisa ngesikhathi inkanyezi ebonakale ngaso, 8wazithuma eBhethlehema, wathi: “Hambani nifike nibuzisise ngomntwana, kuyothi nxa nimtholile ningibikele ukuze nami ngiye ngiyokhuleka kuye.”
9Seziyizwile inkosi, zaqhubeka nohambo. Inkanyezi ezayibona empumalanga yahamba phambi kwazo, yaze yafika yema phezu kwalapho ekhona umntwana. 10Zathi zingayibona inkanyezi, zathokoza ngokuthokoza okukhulu kakhulu. 11Zase zingena endlini, zabona umntwana nonina uMariya, zawa phansi, zakhuleka kuye. Zavula amagugu azo, zamkhunga ngezipho: igolide, amakha, nenhlaka. 12Emveni kokuba sezixwayisiwe ngephupho ukuba zingabuyeli kuHerode, zaphindela ezweni lakubo ngenye indlela.
13Kuthe sezihambile izazi; bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala kuJosefa ngephupho, yathi: “Vuka uthathe umntwana nonina, ubalekele eGibhithe, uhlale khona, ngize ngikutshele, ngokuba uHerode uzakumfuna umntwana ukuze ambulale.”
14Wavuka khona ebusuku wathatha umntwana nonina, baya eGibhithe. 15Wahlala khona, waze wakhothama uHerode ukuze kugcwaliseke okwashiwo yiNkosi ngomphrofethi, yathi: “Ngayibiza indodana yami ukuba iphume eGibhithe.”
Ukubulawa Kwabantwana BaseBhethlehema
16Kwathi ukuba uHerode abone ukuthi izazi zimshaye ngemfe iphindiwe, wathukuthela kakhulu. Wathumela, wabulala bonke abantwana besilisa baseBhethlehema, nasezindaweni zonke ezakhelene nalo, ababeneminyaka emibili nangaphansi, njengokwesikhathi izazi ezazimtshele sona. 17Ngakho-ke kwagcwaliseka okwakhulunywa nguJeremiya, umphrofethi, ukuthi:
18“Kwezwakala izwi eRama,
ukukhala nokulila okukhulu,
uRaheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe,
engavumi ukududuzwa,
ngokuba bengasekho.”
Ukubuya KukaJosefa EGibhithe Nokuhlala Kwakhe ENazaretha
19Esekhotheme uHerode; bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala ngephupho kuJosefa eGibhithe, 20yathi: “Vuka uthathe umntwana nonina, uye kwa-Israyeli, ngokuba ababezingela impilo yomntwana sebefile.”
21UJosefa wavuka, wathatha umntwana nonina, waya kwa-Israyeli.
22Kepha esezwile ukuthi sekubusa u-Arikhelawusi, indodana kaHerode, eJudiya, wesaba ukuya khona. Esexwayisiwe ngephupho, waya eGalile. 23Wafika khona wakha emzini okuthiwa yiNazaretha ukuze kugcwaliseke okwashiwo ngabaphrofethi ukuthi: “Uyakubizwa ngokuthi umNaziri.”
