Singeniso
1Tiyofilusi,
Labanyenti bente kahle ngekubhala umbiko ngetintfo letentekile emkhatsini wetfu. 2Bakubhala loko lesakutjelwa baphatsi belivi lababetibona letintfo kusukela ekucaleni kwato. 3Ngako-ke, Mhlonishwa, ngobe ngitifundzisise kahle kusukela ekucaleni letindzaba, ngikubone kufanele kutsi ngikubhalele ngikulandzise kahle ngato. 4Loko ngikwentela kutsi wati ngalokugcwele liciniso lato tonkhe letindzaba lotifundzisiwe.
Kumenyetelwa kwekutalwa kwaJohane uMbhabhatisi
5Ngesikhatsi kubusa Herodi, inkhosi yaseJudiya, kwakunemphristi labebitwa ngekutsi nguZakhariya, abewelicembu la-Abiya lebuphristi. Umkakhe abewesitukulwane sa-Aroni, libito lakhe kungu-Elizabethe. 6Bobabili babephila imphilo lengcwele kuNkulunkulu, babeyigcina yonkhe imiyalo nemitsetfo yeNkhosi. 7Babete bantfwana, ngobe Elizabethe abengatali, futsi bobabili besebakhulile.
8Ngalelinye lilanga kwakuligema laZakhariya lekwenta umsebenti wakhe webuphristi kuNkulunkulu njengalokwakwetayelekile. 9Ngelisiko lebuphristi, abedliwe yinkatho yekutsi ashise imphepho elatini. Ngako-ke wangena ethempelini leNkhosi. 10Sicumbi sonkhe sebantfu sasithandaza ngephandle ngesikhatsi ashisa imphepho.
11Ingilosi yeNkhosi yabonakala kuye, ime ngesandleni sekudla selilati lapho kwakushiselwa khona imphepho. 12Nakayibona Zakhariya, wetfuka wesaba. 13Kodvwa ingilosi yatsi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakhariya! Umthandazo wakho sewuvakele, umkakho Elizabethe utakutalela indvodzana. Utayetsa libito layo utsi nguJohane. 14Maye! Utawujabula utfokote kakhulu, nebantfu labanyenti batakujabula kanye nawe ngekutalwa kwakhe, 15ngobe uyakuba ngumuntfu lomkhulu ebusweni baNkulunkulu, akayiwulinatsa liwayini nome-ke yini ledzakisako, uyawugcwaliswa ngaMoya Longcwele kusukela angakatalwa. 16Uyawubuyisela bantfu labanyenti baka-Israyeli kuNkulunkulu, iNkhosi yabo. 17Uyawuhamba embikwakhe ngemoya nangemandla njengemphrofethi Elija. Uyawuhlanganisa boyise nebantfwana babo babuye babe nebudlelwane, agucule bantfu labangalaleli babe ngulabalungile; uyakwenta bantfu balungele kuta kweNkhosi yabo.”
18Zakhariya watsi engilosini: “Ngiyawukwati ngani kutsi loku kungiko? Mine nemkami sesibadzala kakhulu.”
19Ingilosi yamphendvula yatsi: “NginguGabhriyeli, loma embikwaNkulunkulu, ngitfunywe kutsi ngikhulume kuwe, ngikutjele lendzaba lemnandzi. 20Kodvwa awukalikholwa livi lami, lelitawugcwaliseka ngesikhatsi lesifanele. Ngako-ke utawuba simungulu; uhlale ungakwati kukhuluma, kuze kufike lelo langa lekuyawugcwaliseka ngalo setsembiso sami.”
21Konkhe loku kwenteka nje bantfu babeloku balindzele Zakhariya, sebamangele kutsi sewephuteleni kangaka ethempelini. 22Waphuma angasakwati kukhuluma, ngako bavele bati kutsi wembulelwe umbono ethempelini. Njengobe abesasimungulu, wavele wakhuluma nabo ngetandla.
23Nasacedze emalanga emsebenti wakhe webuphristi ethempelini, wabuyela ekhaya lakhe.
24Emvakwesikhatsi umkakhe Elizabethe wakhulelwa, watifihla endlini tinyanga letisihlanu. 25Wase utsi: “Manje ekugcineni iNkhosi seyingisitile. Seyilisusile lihlazo lami ebantfwini.”
Kumenyetelwa kwekutalwa kwaJesu
26Ngenyanga yesitfupha Elizabethe atetfwele, Nkulunkulu watfumela ingilosi Gabhriyeli edolobheni laseGalile, lelitsiwa yiNazaretha. 27Beyitfunywe entfombini lenguMariya labesamiselwe Josefa, lijaha lelusendvo lwenkhosi Davide. 28Ingilosi yeta kuye, yefika yatsi: “E! Sikhulekile! Wena lobusisekile, iNkhosi inawe.”
29Mariya yamkhatsata kakhulu lenkhulumo yengilosi, wamangala kutsi lenkhulumo isho kutsini. 30Ingilosi yase itsi kuye: “Ungesabi, Mariya, ngobe utfole umusa kuNkulunkulu. 31Utawukhulelwa utale indvodzana, uyetse libito utsi nguJesu. 32Uyawuba mkhulu, abitwe ngekutsi yiNdvodzana yaNkulunkulu Losetikwako Konkhe. Nkulunkulu iNkhosi iyawumnika sihlalo sebukhosi sakhokho wakhe Davide, 33uyawuba yiNkhosi yetitukulwane taJakobe nini nanini; umbuso wakhe ungeke ube nesiphetfo.”
34Mariya wase utsi engilosini: “Kepha loko kungenteka kanjani ngingakahlangani nendvodza?”
35Ingilosi yamphendvula yatsi: “Moya Longcwele uyakwehlela kuwe, emandla aNkulunkulu Losetikwako Konkhe akusibekele. Ngako-ke lomntfwana Longcwele lotawutalwa nguwe uyawubitwa ngekutsi yiNdvodzana yaNkulunkulu. 36Khumbula sihlobo sakho Elizabethe, lebekutsiwa angeke abe nemntfwana, kepha nyalo sewunetinyanga letisitfupha atetfwele, lite asamdzala kangaka. 37Nkulunkulu akehlulwa lutfo.”
38Mariya wase utsi: “Ngiyincekukati yeNkhosi; akwenteke kimi loko, njengobe sewushito.” Yase iyamshiya ingilosi.
Mariya uvakashela Elizabethe
39Kulawo malanga Mariya watilungiselela ngekushesha waya emtini loseJudiya, eveni letintsaba, 40wafike wangena kaZakhariya, wabingelela Elizabethe.
41Kwatsi lapho Elizabethe nakeva kubingelela kwaMariya, umntfwana wagcuma esiswini sakhe. Elizabethe wagcwaliswa ngaMoya Longcwele, 42wakhuluma kakhulu watsi:
“Ubusisiwe kubo bonkhe labasikati,
nentalo yesisu sakho ibusisiwe!
43Yini ngibe nenhlanhla kutsi ngivakashelwe
ngunina weNkhosi yami?
44Ngesikhatsi ngiva ungibingelela, umntfwana lengimetfwele
udzimate wagcuma entiwa yintfokoto.
45Maye! Ubusisiwe lowo lokholwe
kutsi tiyawugcwaliseka
letintfo letakhulunywa kuye yiNkhosi!”
Ingoma yaMariya yekudvumisa
46Mariya watsi:
“Umphefumulo wami uyayidvumisa iNkhosi,
47umoya wami uyatfokota
ngaNkulunkulu, uMsindzisi wami,
48ngobe ungikhumbulile,
mine ncekukati yakhe leyedzelelekile.
Kusukela lamuhla tonkhe titukulwane
tiyawungibita titsi ngibusisekile,
49ngobe Somandla ungentele tintfo letinkhulu.
Libito lakhe lingcwele.
50Ubonakalisa sihawu sakhe
kubo bonkhe labamesabako,
kusukela esitukulwaneni, kuya esitukulwaneni.
51Welulile sandla sakhe lesinemandla,
wasakata labatigcabhako etinhlitiyweni tabo.
52Wehlisa emakhosi lanemandla
etihlalweni tawo,
waphakamisa labedzelelekile.
53Wesutsisa labalambile ngalokumnandzi,
wacosha labanjingile bahamba bate lutfo.
54Usite inceku yakhe Israyeli
ngekukhumbula umusa wakhe,
55njengobe akhuluma kubokhokho betfu,
ku-Abrahama,
nakuto tonkhe titukulwane takhe,
kuze kube ngunini nanini!”
56Mariya wahlala na-Elizabethe tinyanga letatingacishe tibe tintsatfu, wase ubuyela ekhaya.
Kutalwa kwaJohane uMbhabhatisi
57Sefika sikhatsi sa-Elizabethe sekubeleka, wabeleka umfana. 58Bomakhelwane netihlobo takhe beva kutsi iNkhosi imbusise kanganani, bajabula kanye naye.
59Ngelilanga lesiphohlongo umntfwana atelwe beta ekusokweni kwakhe; base batawumetsa ngelibito leyise lelalinguZakhariya, 60kodvwa unina watsi: “Cha! Libito lakhe kutakuba nguJohane.”
61Batsi kuye: “Ingani kute ngisho nasinye sihlobo senu lesinalelibito.” 62Base bakhuluma neyise ngetandla, babuta kutsi yena ufuna lomfana etsiwe ngaliphi libito.
63Zakhariya wacela kwekubhala, wabhala watsi: “Libito lakhe nguJohane.” Bonkhe bantfu bamangala. 64Ngasona leso sikhatsi lulwimi lwaZakhariya lwatfukululeka, wakhuluma, wadvumisa Nkulunkulu.
65Bonkhe bomakhelwane befikelwa kwesaba lokukhulu, yandza indzaba ngaloko lokwakwentekile kulo lonkhe live letintsaba laseJudiya. 66Bonkhe labayiva bacabanga ngayo batibuta batsi: “Ingabe lomntfwana utawuba yini?” Ngobe kwavele kwakhanya kutsi emandla eNkhosi abekuye.
Siphrofetho saZakhariya
67Uyise Zakhariya wagcwaliswa ngaMoya Longcwele, wase uyaphrofetha utsi:
68“Ayidvunyiswe iNkhosi,
Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli,
ngobe ibahambele bantfu bayo, yabakhulula.
69Usivusele uMsindzisi lonemandla,
lositukulwane senceku yakhe Davide.
70Ngiko loku lakusho
ngemlomo webaphrofethi labangcwele basendvulo.
71Wasetsembisa kusisindzisa etitseni tetfu,
nasemandleni abo bonkhe labasitondzako.
72Watsi utawubonakalisa sihawu
kubokhokho betfu,
akhumbule sivumelwane sakhe lesingcwele,
73wenta sifungo kukhokho wetfu Abrahama, watsi utawusenta
74kutsi, nase sikhululiwe esandleni setitsa tetfu,
simkhonte ngaphandle kwekwesaba,
75sibe ngcwele, silunge kuye
ngawo onkhe emalanga
ekuphila kwetfu.
76Nawe-ke, mntfwana, uyawubitwa ngekutsi ungumphrofethi
waNkulunkulu Losetikwako Konkhe;
uyakwendvulela iNkhosi
kulungisa tindlela tayo,
77nekutjela bantfu bayo kutsi bayawusindziswa
ngekutsetselelwa kwetono tabo,
78ngenca yesihawu setibilini saNkulunkulu kitsi,
ngaloko-ke kukhanya kuyawusa kitsi
kuvela ngetulu
79kuletse kukhanya kulabo labasebumnyameni
nasetfuntini lekufa,
acondzise tinyawo tetfu endleleni yekuthula.”
80Umntfwana wakhula waba nemandla emoyeni; wahlala ehlane, kwaze kwaba lilanga lavela ngalo ebaleni kubantfu baka-Israyeli.
