Ukuzalwa kukaJesu nokusokwa kwakhe
1Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku kwaphuma isimemezelo kuKesari Awugustu sokuba kubalwe izwe lonke. 2Lokhu kubalwa kokuqala kwenziwa uKhureniyu engumbusi waseSiriya. 3Bonke baya kubalwa, yilowo nalowo emzini wakubo.
4Naye uJosefa wakhuphuka ephuma eGalile emzini waseNazaretha, waya eJudiya emzini kaDavide othiwa iBetlehema, ngokuba wayengowendlu nozalo lukaDavide, 5ukuyobalwa kanye noMariya owayemmiselwe ukuba abe ngumkakhe, ekhulelwe. 6Kwathi-ke beselapho, zaphelela izinsuku zokuba abelethe. 7Wazibula ngendodana, wayembesa, wayilalisa emkhombeni, ngokuba bantula indawo endlini yezihambi.
8Kwakukhona abelusi kulelo zwe ababehlezi endle, belinda umhlambi wabo ebusuku. 9Ingelosi yeNkosi yema phambi kwabo, inkazimulo yeNkosi yabakhanyisa nxazonke; besaba ngokwesaba okukhulu. 10Ingelosi yathi kubo: “Ningesabi; ngokuba bhekani, nginibikela izindaba ezinhle zokuthokoza okukhulu okuzakuba kubantu bonke, 11ukuthi nizalelwe namuhla uMsindisi onguKristu iNkosi emzini kaDavide. 12Nalokhu kuyisiboniso kini: niyakufumana umntwana embesiwe, elele emkhombeni.”
13Masinyane kwaba khona kanye nengelosi uquqaba lwebandla lasezulwini, lumdumisa uNkulunkulu, luthi:
14“Udumo kuNkulunkulu kweliphezulu,
nokuthula emhlabeni kubantu abathokozelwa nguye.”
15Kwathi ukuba zimuke kubo izingelosi ziya ezulwini, abelusi bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Asihambe manje, size sifike eBetlehema, sibone leyo nto eyenzekileyo iNkosi esazisile yona.”
16Bephuthuma bafika, bafumanisa oMariya noJosefa, nomntwana olele emkhombeni. 17Sebebonile balanda ngalelo zwi ababetshelwe lona ngalowo mntwana. 18Bonke abezwayo bamangala ngokukhulunywe kubo ngabelusi. 19Kepha uMariya wagcina onke lawo mazwi ezindla ngawo enhliziyweni yakhe. 20Babuya-ke abelusi bemdumisa, bembonga uNkulunkulu ngakho konke abakuzwileyo nabakubonileyo, njengalokho kwakukhulunyiwe kubo.
21Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili zokuba umntwana asokwe, igama lakhe lathiwa uJesu, elaliqanjiwe yingelosi, engakathatshathwa esiswini.
OSimeyoni no-Ana
22Kwathi ukuba kuphelele izinsuku zokuhlanjululwa kwabo ngokomthetho kaMose, benyukela naye eJerusalema ukuba bammise phambi kweNkosi 23njengokulotshiwe emthethweni weNkosi ukuthi: “Konke okwesilisa okuyizibulo kuyakuthiwa okwahlukaniselwe iNkosi”, 24banikele ngomhlatshelo njengokushiwo emthethweni weNkosi: “Amahobhe amabili noma amaphuphu amabili amajuba.”
25Bheka, kwakukhona umuntu eJerusalema ogama lakhe linguSimeyoni; lo muntu wayelungile, emesaba uNkulunkulu, ebhekile induduzo ka-Israyeli; noMoya oNgcwele wayephezu kwakhe. 26Kwakubonakalisiwe kuye ngoMoya oNgcwele ukuthi akayikubona ukufa engakamboni uKristu weNkosi. 27Wafika ngoMoya ethempelini. Kwathi ukuba abazali balethe umntwana uJesu ethempelini ukuba benze kuye njengesiko lomthetho, 28wamamukela ngokumgona, wambonga uNkulunkulu, wathi:
29“Sale usumukisa ngokuthula inceku yakho,
Somandla, njengezwi lakho,
30ngokuba amehlo ami abonile insindiso yakho
31oyilungisele ebusweni babantu bonke,
32ukukhanya kokwambulela abezizwe
nenkazimulo yesizwe sakho u-Israyeli.”
33Uyise nonina bamangala ngalokho okukhulunywa ngaye. 34USimeyoni wababusisa, wathi kuMariya unina: “Bheka, lo umiselwe ukuwa nokuvuka kwabaningi ku-Israyeli, nesibonakaliso esiphikwayo – 35yebo, inkemba iyakudabula nowakho umphefumulo – ukuba kwambulwe izizindlo zezinhliziyo eziningi.”
36Kwakukhona nomprofethikazi, u-Ana, indodakazi kaFanuweli, owesizwe sika-Aseri; wayesekhulile kakhulu, ebehlalile nendoda iminyaka eyisikhombisa emva kobuntombi bakhe, 37engumfelokazi waze waba neminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nane, engasuki ethempelini, ekhonza ngokuzila nangokukhuleka ubusuku nemini. 38Naye-ke efika ngasona leso sikhathi wamtusa uNkulunkulu, wakhuluma ngaye kubo bonke ababebheke ukukhululwa kweJerusalema.
39Kwathi sebefeze konke okungokomthetho weNkosi babuyela eGalile emzini wakubo iNazaretha. 40Wakhula umntwana, waba namandla, wagcwala ukuhlakanipha; nomusa kaNkulunkulu wawuphezu kwakhe.
Umntwana uJesu ethempelini eneminyaka eyishumi nambili
41Abazali bakhe baya eJerusalema iminyaka yonke ngomkhosi wePhasika. 42Eseneminyaka eyishumi nambili, bakhuphuka njengokomthetho womkhosi. 43Sebeziqedile izinsuku, ekubuyeni kwabo, umntwana uJesu wasala eJerusalema, abazali bakhe bengazi. 44Bethi-ke bona uphakathi kwabahambisana nabo bahamba ibanga losuku, bamfuna phakathi kwezihlobo nabazana nabo. 45Bengamtholi babuyela eJerusalema, bemfuna. 46Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezintathu bamfumana ethempelini ehlezi phakathi kwabafundisi, ebezwa, ebabuza. 47Bonke ababemuzwa bamangala ngokuqonda nangokuphendula kwakhe. 48Bathi bembona, bamangala; unina wathi kuye: “Mntanami, usenzeleni okunje na? Bheka, uyihlo nami besikufuna silusizi.”
49Wathi kubo: “Kukanjani, beningifunelani na? Beningazi yini ukuthi kumelwe ukuba ngibe kokukaBaba na?” 50Abaliqondanga lelo zwi abelikhuluma kubo.
51Wehla nabo, wafika eNazaretha, wabathobela. Kepha unina wawagcina onke lawa mazwi enhliziyweni yakhe. 52UJesu waqhubeka ekuhlakanipheni, nasekukhuleni, nasemseni kuNkulunkulu nakubantu.
