Izazi zasempumalanga
1UJesu esezelwe eBetlehema laseJudiya emihleni kaHerode inkosi, bheka, kwafika izazi eJerusalema, zivela empumalanga, zithi: 2“Uphi lowo ozelwe eyinkosi yabaJuda na? Ngokuba sibonile inkanyezi yakhe kwelasempumalanga, size ukukhuleka kuye.”
3UHerode inkosi esekuzwile lokho wakhathazeka neJerusalema lonke kanye naye. 4Wabutha bonke abapristi abakhulu nababhali besizwe, wabuza kubo ukuthi uKristu uzakuzalelwaphi. 5Bathi kuye: “EBetlehema laseJudiya, ngokuba kulotshiwe kanjalo ngomprofethi ukuthi:
6“ ‘Nawe Betlehema,
lizwe lakwaJuda,
kawusiye omncane nakanye kubabusi bakwaJuda,
ngokuba kuyakuvela kuwe umbusi
oyakwalusa isizwe sami u-Israyeli.’ ”
7Khona uHerode, ezibizile izazi ngasese, wabuzisisa kuzo isikhathi inkanyezi ebonakele ngaso, 8wazithuma eBetlehema, wathi: “Hambani nibuzisise ngomntwana; kuyakuthi nxa nimfumene, ningitshele ukuba nami ngiye ngikhuleke kuye.”
9Seziyizwile inkosi, zamuka; bheka, inkanyezi ezayibona kwelasempumalanga yahamba phambi kwazo, yaze yafika yema phezu kwalapho umntwana ekhona. 10Zathi ukuyibona inkanyezi, zathokoza ngokuthokoza okukhulu kakhulu. 11Zase zingena endlini, zabona umntwana noMariya unina, zawa phansi, zakhuleka kuye, zavula amagugu azo, zamkhunga ngezipho: igolide namakha nenhlaka. 12Kwathi ziyaliwe nguNkulunkulu ngephupho ukuba zingabuyeli kuHerode, zabuyela ezweni lakubo ngenye indlela.
13Sezimukile, bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala kuJosefa ngephupho, ithi: “Vuka uthabathe umntwana nonina, ubalekele eGibithe, uhlale khona, ngize ngikutshele; ngokuba uHerode uzakumfuna umntwana ukuba ambhubhise.”
14Wavuka-ke, wathabatha umntwana nonina ebusuku, wamuka waya eGibithe, 15wahlala khona, waze wafa uHerode, ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa yiNkosi ngomprofethi ukuthi: “Ngayibiza indodana yami iphume eGibithe.”
Ukubulawa kwabantwana baseBetlehema
16Khona uHerode, esebonile ukuthi izazi zimphambile, wathukuthela kakhulu, wathumela wabulala bonke abantwana besilisa baseBetlehema nasendaweni yonke yangakhona, abaminyaka mibili nangaphansi njengesikhathi abesibuzisisile kuzo izazi. 17Khona kwagcwaliseka okwakhulunywa ngoJeremiya umprofethi ukuthi:
18“Kwezwakala izwi eRama,
ukukhala nokulila okukhulu,
uRakheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe,
engavumi ukududuzwa, ngokuba abasekho.”
Ukubuya kukaJosefa eGibithe nokuhlala kwakhe eNazaretha
19Kepha uHerode esefile, bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala ngephupho kuJosefa eGibithe, yathi: 20“Vuka uthabathe umntwana nonina, uye ezweni lakwa-Israyeli; ngokuba sebefile ababezingela ukuphila komntwana.”
21Wasuka-ke, wathabatha umntwana nonina, wafika ezweni lakwa-Israyeli. 22Kepha ezwa ukuthi sekubusa u-Arkelawu eJudiya esikhundleni sikaHerode uyise, wesaba ukuya khona; eseyaliwe nguNkulunkulu ngephupho wamuka waya kwelaseGalile; 23wafika wakha emzini othiwa iNazaretha ukuba kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngabaprofethi ukuthi: “Uyakubizwa ngokuthi umNazaretha.”
