< ULukha 1 >
1 Banengi asebazimisela ukuqoqa umlando wezinto esezigcwalisekile phakathi kwethu,
2 njengokwedluliselwa kwazo kithi yilabo ababekhona ekuqaleni bengabafakazi lezinceku zelizwi.
3 Ngakho-ke, njengoba mina ngokwami sengichwayisisile konke kusukela ekuqaleni, lami ngikubone kufanele ukuthi ngikulobele umlando oqondileyo, komkhulu ohloniphekayo uTheyofelasi
4 ukuze wazi iqiniso lezinto lezo ozifundisiweyo.
5 Ngesikhathi sikaHerodi inkosi yaseJudiya kwakulomphristi okwakuthiwa nguZakhariya, owaye ngowesigaba sika-Abhija, umkakhe u-Elizabethi laye wayengowosendo luka-Aroni.
6 Bobabili babelungile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu beyilandela yonke imilayo leziqondiso zeNkosi bengasoleki.
7 Kodwa babengelabantwana ngoba u-Elizabethi wayeyinyumba njalo bobabili basebeluphele.
8 Kwenzakala ukuthi isigaba sikaZakhariya siyiso esasimiselwe umsebenzi wethempeli ngalesosikhathi,
9 wadliwa yinkatho ngokomkhuba wobuphristi, ukuthi angene ethempelini leNkosi ayetshisa impepha.
10 Kwathi isikhathi sokutshisa impepha sesifikile, wonke amakholwa ayebuthene lapho ayekhuleka ephandle.
11 Kwasekubonakala kuye ingilosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene kwe-alithari lempepha.
12 UZakhariya wathi eyibona wethuka wesaba kakhulu.
13 Kodwa ingilosi yathi kuye, “Ungesabi, Zakhariya; umkhuleko wakho usuzwakele. Umkakho u-Elizabethi uzakuzalela indodana kufanele uyinike ibizo elithiwa nguJohane.
14 Uzakuba yintokozo lenjabulo kuwe njalo abanengi bazathokoza ngenxa yokuzalwa kwakhe,
15 ngoba uzakuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi. Kakumelanga anathe iwayini lanini loba yini ebilisiweyo enathwayo, njalo uzagcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele kusukela ekuzalweni kwakhe.
16 Uzaletha abantu bako-Israyeli abanengi eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo.
17 Uzahamba phambili kweNkosi ngomoya langamandla ka-Elija, ukuguqulela inhliziyo zaboyise ebantwaneni babo labayiziqholo elwazini lwabalungileyo, ukuqondisa abantu abalungiselelwe iNkosi.”
18 UZakhariya wabuza ingilosi wathi, “Ngingaba leqiniso lakho njani lokho? Sengilixhegu njalo lomkami useluphele.”
19 Ingilosi yaphendula yathi, “NginguGabhuriyeli mina. Ngima phambi kukaNkulunkulu, ngithunywe ukuzokhuluma lawe ngikutshela ngalezi izindaba ezinhle.
20 Okwamanje uzakuba yisimungulu wehluleke ukukhuluma kuze kufike lolosuku okuzakwenzakala ngalo lokhu, ngoba kawuzange uwakholwe amazwi ami, wona azagcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo esifaneleyo.”
21 Sonke lesisikhathi abantu babelokhu bemlindele uZakhariya sebemangele ukuthi kungani wayethethe isikhathi eside kangako ethempelini.
22 Waphuma esesehluleka ukukhuluma labo. Babona ukuthi wayebone umbono ethempelini ngoba wayelokhu eqhweba ngezandla, kodwa esehluleka ukukhuluma.
23 Izopha lakhe seliphelile wabuyela ekhaya.
24 Ngemva kwalokhu umkakhe u-Elizabethi wazithwala wasezifihla okwezinyanga ezinhlanu,
25 esithi, “INkosi ingenzele lokhu. Kulezi insuku ilutshengisile uthando Lwayo yasusa ihlazo lami ebantwini.”
26 Ngenyanga yesithupha yokuzithwala kuka-Elizabethi, uNkulunkulu wathuma ingilosi uGabhuriyeli eNazaretha, idolobho elaliseGalile,
27 ukuya entombini egcweleyo eyayithembise ukutshada lendoda eyayithiwa nguJosefa, owesizukulwane sikaDavida. Ibizo lentombi egcweleyo le kwakunguMariya.
28 Ingilosi yaya kuye yathi, “Sabona wena othole umusa kakhulukazi INkosi ilawe.”
29 Amazwi ayo amhlupha kakhulu uMariya wamangala ukuthi kanti kwakuyikubingelela bani lokhu.
30 Kodwa ingilosi yathi kuye, “Ungesabi Mariya, uthole umusa kuNkulunkulu.
31 Uzakhulelwa ubelethe indodana, uyethe ibizo uthi nguJesu.
32 Uzaba ngumuntu omkhulu abizwe ngokuthi yiNdodana yoPhezukonke. INkosi uNkulunkulu izamupha isihlalo sikayise uDavida,
33 njalo uzabusa phezu kwendlu kaJakhobe laphakade; umbuso wakhe kawuyikuphela.” (aiōn )
34 UMariya wayibuza ingilosi wathi, “Lokho kuzakwenzakala njani njengoba mina ngimsulwa ngingayazi indoda?”
35 Ingilosi yaphendula yathi, “UMoya oNgcwele uzakwehlela phezu kwakho, lamandla akhe oPhezukonke azakusibekela. Ngakho ongcwele ozazalwa uzathiwa yiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
36 Lo-Elizabethi isihlobo sakho uzakuba lomntwana ekuluphaleni kwakhe, yena okwakuthiwa yinyumba usesenyangeni yakhe yesithupha.
37 Ngoba kakukho okwehlulayo kuNkulunkulu.”
38 UMariya waphendula wathi, “Ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi. Kakwenzeke kimi njengoba utshilo.” Ingilosi yasisuka kuye.
39 Ngalesosikhathi uMariya waphanga wenza amalungiselelo waya edolobheni elizweni lamaqaqa eJudiya,
40 lapho angena khona emzini kaZakhariya wabingelela u-Elizabethi.
41 Kwathi u-Elizabethi esizwa ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana weqa esiswini sakhe, u-Elizabethi wagcwala ngoMoya oNgcwele.
42 Wakhuluma ngelizwi eliphezulu wathi, “Ubusisiwe wena phakathi kwabesifazane, njalo ubusisiwe umntwana ozamzala!
43 Kodwa kungani ngithole umusa ongaka mina, ukuba ngethekelelwe ngunina weNkosi yami?
44 Ngonele ukuzwa ukubingelela kwakho, umntwana osesiswini sami weqa ngentokozo.
45 Ubusisiwe lowo osekholiwe ukuthi lokho iNkosi ethe kuzakwenzeka kuye kuzagcwaliseka!”
46 UMariya wathi: “Umphefumulo wami uyayidumisa iNkosi
47 lomoya wami uyathokoza kuNkulunkulu uMsindisi wami,
48 ngoba ukunanzile ukuzehlisa kwencekukazi yakhe. Kusukela manje zonke izizukulwane zizakuthi ngibusisiwe,
49 ngoba uSomandla ungenzele izinto ezinkulu, lingcwele ibizo lakhe.
50 Isihawu sakhe sifinyelela kulabo abamesabayo, kulandela isizukulwane ngesizukulwane.
51 Uyenzile imisebenzi emikhulu ngengalo yakhe: ubachithizile labo abaziqakisa ngemicabango yezinhliziyo zabo.
52 Uwethule amakhosi ezihlalweni zawo, kodwa wabaphakamisa abantukazana.
53 Ubasuthisile abalambileyo ngezinto ezinhle, kodwa abanothileyo ubaxotshe bengaphathanga lutho.
54 Uyisizile inceku yakhe u-Israyeli, wakhumbula ukuba lesihawu
55 ku-Abhrahama lezizukulwane zakhe laphakade, njengoba wakutsho kubokhokho bethu.” (aiōn )
56 UMariya wahlala lo-Elizabethi izinyanga ezazingaba ntathu wasebuyela ekhaya.
57 Kwathi isikhathi sika-Elizabethi sesiphelele esokubeletha wazala indodana.
58 Omakhelwane bakhe lezihlobo bezwa ukuthi iNkosi yayimzwele isihawu esikhulu bathokoza kanye laye.
59 Ngosuku lwesificaminwembili beza ukuzasoka umntwana, bafuna ukuthi bamethe ibizo likayise uZakhariya,
60 kodwa unina wala wathi, “Hatshi! Kathiwe nguJohane.”
61 Bathi kuye, “Kakho ebantwini bakini olebizo lelo.”
62 Bakhuluma ngezandla kuyise bedinga ukuthi yena uthanda ukuthi umntwana aphiwe liphi ibizo.
63 Wacela isibhebhedu sokulobela, wamangalisa wonke umuntu ngoba waloba ukuthi, “Ibizo lakhe nguJohane.”
64 Masinyane umlomo wakhe wavuleka lolimi lwakhe lwatshwaphuluka, waqalisa ukukhuluma edumisa uNkulunkulu.
65 Omakhelwane bonke bamangala kakhulu, kwathi elizweni lonke lamaqaqa eJudiya abantu babekhuluma ngalezizinto.
66 Wonke owezwayo ngalokho wamangala ebuza esithi, “Kambe uzakuba yini umntwana lo?” Ngoba isandla seNkosi sasilaye.
67 Uyise uZakhariya wagcwala ngoMoya oNgcwele waphrofitha wathi:
68 “Udumo kalube seNkosini, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngoba ubuyile ukuzahlenga abantu bakhe.
69 Iluphakamisile uphondo lwensindiso yethu endlini yenceku yayo uDavida
70 (njengoba yatsho ngabaphrofethi bayo abangcwele ekadeni), (aiōn )
71 ukusindiswa ezitheni zethu lesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo,
72 ukuze atshengise isihawu kubokhokho bethu lokukhumbula isivumelwano sakhe esingcwele,
73 isifungo asifunga kubaba wethu u-Abhrahama:
74 ukusikhulula esandleni sezitha zethu, size siyikhonze singelakwesaba
75 ngobungcwele langokulunga phambi kwayo ngazozonke insuku zethu.
76 Wena mntanami, uzathiwa ungumphrofethi woPhezukonke; ngoba uzahamba phambili kweNkosi uyilungisele indlela,
77 ukunika abantu bayo ukwazi insindiso ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo,
78 ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu wethu, ilanga liphuma lize kithi livela ezulwini,
79 likhanyise kulabo abahlezi ebumnyameni lasethunzini lokufa, ukukhokhelela inyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”
80 Umntwana wakhula waqina emoyeni; waphila enkangala waze wavela obala ku-Israyeli.
