Isingeniso
1Njengokuba abaningi sebezamile ukulanda ngokuhlelekile ngalezo zindaba ezigcwaliseke phakathi kwethu, 2njengalokho basinika zona labo ababekhona kwasekuqaleni, bezibonela ngamehlo, beyizikhonzi zezwi, 3kwasengathi kuhle nakimina, lokhu ngizihlolisisile zonke izinto, kusukela ekuqaleni, ngikulobele ngokulandelana, Theyofilu odumileyo, 4ukuze wazi ukuqiniseka kwalezo zindaba ozifundisiweyo.
Ukuzalwa kukaJohane nokukaJesu kuyabikezelwa
5Emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya kwakukhona umpristi othile ogama lakhe nguZakariya, esigabeni sika-Abiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe ngu-Elisabethe. 6Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki. 7Kepha babengenamntwana, ngokuba u-Elisabethe wayeyinyumba; bobabili base bekhulile.
8Kwathi-ke esayenza inkonzo yobupristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu njengokuhlelwa kwesikhathi sesigaba sakubo, 9ngokomthetho wobupristi kwaba nguye owabelwa ukungena ethempelini leNkosi, azoshisa impepho. 10Isixuku sonke sabantu sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sempepho.
11Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene se-altare lempepho. 12UZakariya eyibona wethuka, wehlelwa luvalo. 13Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho u-Elisabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJohane. 14Uzakuba nokujabula nokuthokoza wena; nabaningi bazakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe. 15Ngokuba uzakuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi; kasoze waphuza iwayini nophuzo oludakisayo; uzakugcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele esesesiswini sikanina. 16Abaningi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli uyakubaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo. 17Uyakuhamba ngaphambi kwayo emoyeni nasemandleni ka-Eliya ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana nabangalaleliyo ekuqondeni kwabalungileyo, ukulungisela iNkosi isizwe esilungiselweyo.”
18UZakariya wathi engelosini: “Ngiyakukwazi ngani lokhu na? Ingani sengiyindoda endala mina, nomkami uqhubekile ezinsukwini zakhe.”
19Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “NginguGabriyeli mina, omiyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume kuwe, ngikubikele lezi zindaba ezinhle. 20Bheka-ke, uzakuba yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube lusuku okwenzeka ngalo lokhu, ngokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi ami azakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.”
21Abantu bemlindele uZakariya bamangala ngokulibala kwakhe ethempelini. 22Kuthe esephuma, wahluleka ukukhuluma kubo; bazi ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini; wayelokhu ebaqhweba, wahlala eyisimungulu.
23Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wamuka waya ekhaya. 24Kepha emva kwalezo zinsuku u-Elisabethe umkakhe wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, wathi: 25“Yenze njalo iNkosi kimi emihleni eyangibheka ngayo ukususa ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.”
26Ngenyanga yesithupha ingelosi uGabriyeli yathunywa nguNkulunkulu emzini waseGalile ogama lawo yiNazaretha, 27entombini eyayimiselwe indoda ebizo layo nguJosefa wendlu kaDavide; ibizo lentombi nguMariya. 28Yangena ingelosi kuye, yathi: “E wena ophiwe umusa! INkosi inawe; ubusisiwe esifazaneni.”
29Kepha yena wethuka ngezwi layo ezindla ngokuthi kungaba ngukubingelela kuni lokhu. 30Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Mariya, ngokuba ufumene umusa kuNkulunkulu. 31Bheka, uzakukhulelwa, uzale indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJesu. 32Yena uyakuba mkhulu, athiwe iNdodana yoPhezukonke; iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavide; 33uyakuba yinkosi yendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade, nombuso wakhe awuyikuba nakuphela.”
34UMariya wathi engelosini: “Lokhu kuyakwenzeka kanjani, njengokuba ngingayazi indoda na?”
35Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, amandla oPhezukonke akusibekele; ngakho-ke okungcwele okuzozalwa kuzakuthiwa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. 36Bheka, u-Elisabethe isihlobo sakho naye ukhulelwe indodana esemdala; lena ngeyesithupha yakhe obethiwa inyumba. 37Ngokuba akukho lutho olungenzeke kuNkulunkulu.”
38UMariya wathi: “Bheka, ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi; akube kimi njengezwi lakho.” Ingelosi yamuka kuye.
Indumiso ka-Elisabethe nekaMariya
39Ngalezo zinsuku uMariya wasuka waya ngokushesha kwelezintaba emzini wakwaJuda. 40Wangena endlini kaZakariya, wambingelela u-Elisabethe. 41Kwathi ukuba u-Elisabethe ezwe ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sakhe; u-Elisabethe wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, 42wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ubusisiwe wena esifazaneni! Sibusisiwe nesithelo sesisu sakho! 43Ngehlelwe kanjani yilokhu ukuba unina weNkosi yami ahambele kimi na? 44Ngokuba bheka, kuthe izwi lokubingelela kwakho lifika ezindlebeni zami, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sami ngokujabula. 45Ubusisiwe owakholwayo, ngokuba kuzakuba khona ukufezeka kwalokho akutshelwa, kuvela eNkosini.”
46Wayesethi uMariya:
“Umphefumulo wami uyayitusa Nkosi,
47nomoya wami uyathokoza kuNkulunkulu, uMsindisi wami,
48ngokuba ubhekile ubuphansi bencekukazi yakhe.
Bheka, kusukela manje izizukulwane zonke ziyakuthi ngibusisiwe.
49Ngokuba uSomandla ungenzele
izinto ezinkulu:
igama lakhe lingcwele.
50Isihawu sakhe sikuzo izizukulwane
ngezizukulwane kubo abamesabayo.
51Wenzile amandla ngengalo yakhe;
uchithile abazidlayo ekuzidleni kwenhliziyo yabo.
52Uwisile amakhosi ezihlalweni,
uphakamisile abantukazana.
53Abalambileyo ubasuthisile ngezinto ezinhle,
abacebileyo ubamukise ze.
54Uyisizile inceku yakhe u-Israyeli,
ukuze akhumbule isihawu,
55njengalokho akusho kokhokho bethu ku-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe kuze kube phakade.”
56UMariya wahlala naye kungathi izinyanga ezintathu, wabuyela ekhaya.
Ukuzalwa kukaJohane. Indumiso kaZakariya
57Saphelela-ke isikhathi sika-Elisabethe sokuba abelethe; wazala indodana. 58Abakhelene naye nezihlobo zakhe bezwa ukuthi iNkosi yenze isihawu sayo saba sikhulu kuye, bathokoza naye.
59Kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili beza ukusoka umntwana, bamqamba ngegama likayise uZakariya. 60Unina wayesephendula ethi: “Qhabo, uzakuthiwa uJohane.”
61Bathi kuye: “Akakho noyedwa emndenini wakini obizwa ngalelo gama.”
62Bamqhweba uyise ukuthi ufuna ukumqamba ngaliphi. 63Wabiza isileti,* waloba ukuthi. “NguJohane igama lakhe.” Bamangala bonke. 64Kwase kuvuleka umlomo wakhe khona lapho nolimi lwakhe, wakhuluma embonga uNkulunkulu. 65Bonke abakhelene nabo behlelwa ngukwesaba, bakhuluma ngazo zonke lezo zindaba kulo lonke lezintaba laseJudiya, 66nabo bonke abazizwayo bazigcina ezinhliziyweni zabo, bethi: “Kodwa lo mntwana uyakuba yini na?” Isandla seNkosi sasinaye.
67UZakariya uyise wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, waprofetha wathi:
68“Mayibongwe iNkosi,
uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli,
ngokuba ibahambele abantu bayo,
yabenzela inkululeko.
69Yasivusela uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavide inceku yayo,
70njengalokho yakhuluma ngomlomo wabaprofethi bayo abangcwele basendulo,
71insindiso ezitheni zethu nasesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo,
72ukwenzela okhokho bethu isihawu
nokukhumbula isivumelwano sayo esingcwele,
73isifungo eyasifunga kubaba u-Abrahama,
74ukusinika ukuba sithi sikhululiwe esandleni sezitha zethu,
siyikhonze singenakwesaba
75ngobungcwele nangokulunga phambi kwayo zonke izinsuku zethu.
76Nawe-ke mntwana,
uyakuthiwa umprofethi woPhezukonke,
ngokuba uyakuhamba phambi kweNkosi ukulungisa izindlela zayo
77ukunika abantu bayo ukuyazi insindiso
ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo,
78ngemisesane yesihawu sikaNkulunkulu wethu
esizakuhanjelwa ngayo ngukusa kwaphezulu,
79ukubakhanyisela abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa
nokuqondisa izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”
80Wakhula-ke umntwana, waba namandla emoyeni; wahlala ehlane kwaze kwaba lusuku lokubonakaliswa kwakhe ku-Israyeli.
