Isingeniso
1Njengokuba abaningi sebezamile ukulanda ngokuhlelekile ngalezozindaba ezigcwaliseké 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 kwalezozindaba ozifundisiweyo.
Ukuzalwa kukaJohane nokukaJesu kuyabikezelwa
5Emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya kwakukhona umpristi othile ogama lakhe nguZakariya, esigabeni sika-Abiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe nguElisabethe.
6Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki.
7Kepha babengenamntwana, ngokuba uElisabethe wayeyinyumba; bobabili base bekhulile.
8Kwathi-ke esayenza inkonzo yobupristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu njengokuhlelwa kwesikhathi sesigaba sakubo,
9ngokomthetho wobupristi kwabanguye owabelwa ukungena ethempelini leNkosi, azoshisa impepho.
10Isixuku sonke sabantu sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sempepho.
11Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene sealtare lempepho.
12UZakariya eyibona wethuka, wehlelwa luvalo.
13Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: Ungesabi, Zakariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho uElisabethe 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 bakwaIsrayeli uyakubaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo.
17Uyakuhamba ngaphambi kwayo emoyeni nasemandleni kaEliya 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 lezizindaba 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.
22Kuthé esephuma, wahluleka ukukhuluma kubo; bazi ukuthi uboné umbono ethempelini; wayelokhu ebaqhweba, wahlala eyisimungulu.
23Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wamuka waya ekhaya.
24Kepha emva kwalezozinsuku uElisabethe umkakhe wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, wathi:
25Yenzé njalo iNkosi kimi emihleni eyangibheka ngayo ukususa ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.
26Ngenyanga yesithupha ingelos 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-ndoda na?
35Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, amandla oPhezukonke akusibekele; ngakho-ke okungcwele okuzozalwa kuzakuthiwa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
36Bheka, uElisabethe 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 kaElisabethe nekaMariya
39Ngalezozinsuku uMariya wasuka waya ngokushesha kwelezintaba emzini wakwaJuda.
40Wangena endlini kaZakariya, wambingelela uElisabethe.
41Kwathi ukuba uElisabethe ezwe ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sakhe; uElisabethe 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, kuthé 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 iNkosi,
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 uIsrayeli,
ukuze akhumbule isihawu,
55njengalokho akusho kokhokho bethu,
kuAbrahama nenzalo yakhe kuze kube-phakade.
56UMariya wahlala naye kungathi izinyanga ezintathu, wabuyela ekhaya.
Ukuzalwa kukaJohane. Indumiso kaZakariya
57Saphelela-ke isikhathi sikaElisabethe sokuba abelethe; wazala indodana.
58Abakhelene naye nezihlobo zakhe bezwa ukuthi iNkosi yenzé 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 ngalelogama.
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 lezozindaba kulo lonke lezintaba laseJudiya,
66nabo bonke abazizwayo bazigcina ezinhliziyweni zabo, bethi: Kodwa lomntwana uyakuba-yini na? Isandla seNkosi sasinaye.
67UZakariya uyise wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, waprofetha wathi:
68Mayibongwe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli,
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 uAbrahama,
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 kuIsrayeli.
