ULukha 1
1 Njengoba abanengi sebebeke izandla ukubeka ngendlela efaneleyo ukulandiswa kwezinto eziqiniseke ngokupheleleyo phakathi kwethu,
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,
2 njengalokhu basinika labo ababonayo ngamehlo ekuqaleni njalo bezinceku zelizwi,
as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,
3 kukhanye kukuhle lakimi, sengizihlolisisile zonke izinto kusukela ekuqaleni, ukuthi ngikubhalele ngokulandelana, mhlekazi Teyofilu,
it has seemed good to me also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,
4 ukuze wazi iqiniso ngalezozinto ozifundisiweyo.
that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.
5 Ensukwini zikaHerodi inkosi yeJudiya kwakukhona umpristi othile othiwa nguZakariya, oweqembu likaAbhiya; lomkakhe wayevela kumadodakazi kaAroni, lebizo lakhe linguElizabethi.
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.
6 Njalo babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu, behamba ngayo yonke imilayo lezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki.
And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 Njalo babengelamntwana, ngoba uElizabethi wayeyinyumba, basebeleminyaka eminengi bobabili.
And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
8 Kwasekusithi esenza inkonzo yobupristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu esesimisweni seqembu lakibo,
And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,
9 ngomkhuba wenkonzo yobupristi, nguye owadliwa yinkatho yokutshisa impepha esengene ethempelini leNkosi.
it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.
10 Njalo ixuku lonke labantu lalikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sokutshisa impepha.
And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.
11 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasibonakala kuye, imi ngakwesokunene selathi lempepha.
And an angel of [the] Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
12 Kwathi uZakariya eyibona waqhuqha, lokwesaba kwawela phezu kwakhe.
And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him.
13 Kodwa ingilosi yathi kuye: Ungesabi Zakariya; ngoba umkhuleko wakho uzwakele, lomkakho uElizabethi uzakuzalela indodana, njalo uzakuthi ibizo layo nguJohane.
But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 Futhi uzakuba lenjabulo lentokozo, labanengi bazakujabulela ukuzalwa kwakhe.
And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 Ngoba uzakuba mkhulu phambi kweNkosi, iwayini kanye lokunathwayo okulamandla kasoze akunathe, futhi uzagcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele kusukela esesesiswini sikanina.
For he shall be great before [the] Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with [the] Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
16 Labanengi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli uzabaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo;
And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to [the] Lord their God.
17 njalo yena uzahamba phambi kwayo emoyeni lemandleni kaElija, ukuphendulela inhliziyo zaboyise kubantwana, labangalaleliyo ekuhlakanipheni kwabalungileyo, ukulungiselela iNkosi isizwe esilungisiweyo.
And he shall go before him in [the] spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to [the] thoughts of just [men], to make ready for [the] Lord a prepared people.
18 UZakariya wasesithi kuyo ingilosi: Ngizakwazi ngani lokhu? Ngoba mina ngilixhegu, lomkami useleminyaka eminengi.
And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?
19 Ingilosi yasiphendula yathi kuye: NginguGabriyeli mina, omayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; njalo ngithunyiwe ukukhuluma lawe, lokukubikela lezizindaba ezinhle.
And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee;
20 Njalo khangela, uzakuba yisimungulu njalo wehluleke ukukhuluma, kuze kube lusuku okuzakwenzeka ngalo lezizinto, ngenxa yokuthi ungakholwanga amazwi ami, azagcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.
and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.
21 Labantu babemlindele uZakariya; bamangala ngokuphuza kwakhe ethempelini.
And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.
22 Kuthe esephuma wehluleka ukukhuluma labo; njalo bazi ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini; njalo yena wayesebaqhweba, wahlala eyisimungulu.
But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb.
23 Kwasekusithi seziphelile insuku zokukhonza kwakhe, waya endlini yakhe.
And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.
24 Kwathi emva kwalezonsuku uElizabethi umkakhe wathatha isisu, wazifihla okwezinyanga ezinhlanu, esithi:
Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Yenze kanje kimi iNkosi ensukwini eyangikhangela ngazo ukususa ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.
Thus has [the] Lord done to me in [these] days in which he looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men.
26 Kwathi ngenyanga yesithupha ingilosi uGabriyeli yathunywa nguNkulunkulu emzini weGalili othiwa yiNazaretha,
But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which [the] name [was] Nazareth,
27 entombini eyayigane indoda, ebizo layo lalinguJosefa, eyendlu kaDavida; lebizo lentombi linguMariya.
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.
28 Ingilosi yasingena kuye yathi: Ekuhle, wena othandiweyo! INkosi ilawe, ubusisiwe wena phakathi kwabesifazana.
And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, [thou] favoured one! the Lord [is] with thee: [blessed art thou amongst women].
29 Kwathi eseyibonile wethuswa kakhulu yilizwi layo, wanakana ukuthi yikubingelela okunjani lokhu.
But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.
30 Ingilosi yasisithi kuye: Ungesabi, Mariya; ngoba uthole uthando kuNkulunkulu.
And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;
31 Njalo khangela, uzathatha isisu, uzale indodana, uzakuthi ibizo layo nguJesu.
and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
32 Yena uzakuba mkhulu, uzabizwa ngokuthi yiNdodana yoPhezukonke; futhi iNkosi uNkulunkulu izamnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavida,
He shall be great, and shall be called Son of [the] Highest; and [the] Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father;
33 njalo uzabusa phezu kwendlu kaJakobe kuze kube nininini, langombuso wakhe kawuzukuba lokuphela. (aiōn g165)
and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. (aiōn g165)
34 UMariya wasesithi kuyo ingilosi: Lokhu kungenzeka njani, njengoba ngingazi indoda?
But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?
35 Ingilosi yasiphendula yathi kuye: UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, lamandla oPhezukonke azakwembesa; ngakho lalokhu okungcwele okuzazalwa nguwe kuzakuthiwa yiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
And the angel answering said to her, [The] Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of [the] Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God.
36 Njalo khangela, isinini sakho uElizabethi, laye ukhulelwe yindodana ebudaleni bakhe; lale yinyanga yesithupha kuye obekuthiwa uyinyumba.
And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren:
37 Ngoba kuNkulunkulu kakulalutho oluzakwehlula.
for nothing shall be impossible with God.
38 UMariya wasesithi: Khangela, incekukazi yeNkosi; kakube kimi njengelizwi lakho. Ingilosi yasisuka kuye.
And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of [the] Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 Ngalezonsuku uMariya wasesukuma waya ezintabeni ngokuphangisa, emzini weJuda,
And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 wangena endlini kaZakariya, wabingelela uElizabethi.
and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.
41 Kwasekusithi uElizabethi ezwe ukubingelela kukaMariya, inkonyane yeqa esiswini sakhe; loElizabethi wagcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele,
And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with [the] Holy Spirit,
42 wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu, wathi: Ubusisiwe wena phakathi kwabesifazana, njalo sibusisiwe isithelo sesizalo sakho!
and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed [art] thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb.
43 Kanti kuvela ngaphi lokhu kimi, ukuthi unina weNkosi yami eze kimi?
And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 Ngoba khangela, kuthe ilizwi lokubingelela kwakho lifika endlebeni zami, umntwana weqa esiswini sami ngokuthokoza.
For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb.
45 Futhi ubusisiwe okholiweyo, ngoba kuzagcwaliseka lezozinto ezakhulunywa kuye yiNkosi.
And blessed [is] she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from [the] Lord.
46 UMariya wasesithi: Umphefumulo wami uyayikhulisa iNkosi,
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 lomoya wami uyathokoza kuNkulunkulu uMsindisi wami,
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 ngoba ukhangele ubuphansi bencekukazi yakhe. Ngoba khangela, kusukela khathesi zonke izizukulwana zizakuthi ngibusisiwe.
For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 Ngoba yena olamandla ungenzele izinto ezinkulu, lingcwele lebizo lakhe,
For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy [is] his name;
50 lesihawu sakhe sikusizukulwana ngesizukulwana kulabo abamesabayo.
and his mercy [is] to generations and generations to them that fear him.
51 Wenzile amandla ngengalo yakhe; uhlakazile abazigqajayo ekunakaneni kwenhliziyo zabo.
He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty [ones] in the thought of their heart.
52 Wehlisile iziphathamandla ezihlalweni zobukhosi, kodwa uphakamisile abantukazana.
He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.
53 Abalambileyo ubasuthise ngezinto ezinhle, kodwa abanothileyo wabamukisa beze.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty.
54 Umsizile uIsrayeli inceku yakhe, ngokukhumbula isihawu,
He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,
(as he spoke to our fathers, ) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. (aiōn g165)
56 UMariya wasehlala laye okungaba zinyanga ezintathu, wasebuyela endlini yakhe.
And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 Isikhathi sikaElizabethi sokuthi abelethe sesiphelele, wasebeletha indodana.
But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.
58 Abakhelene laye lezinini zakhe basebesizwa ukuthi iNkosi yenze isihawu sayo saba sikhulu kuye, basebethokoza laye.
And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili, beza ukuzasoka usane; balubiza ngebizo likayise ngokuthi nguZakariya.
And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.
60 Kodwa unina waphendula wathi: Hatshi bo, kodwa luzathiwa nguJohane.
And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.
61 Basebesithi kuye: Kakho ezihlotsheni zakho obizwa ngalelibizo.
And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.
62 Basebeqhweba uyise, ukuthi angathanda ukuthi lubizwe ngokuthini.
And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.
63 Wasecela into yokubhalela, wabhala, esithi: NguJohane ibizo lalo; basebemangala bonke.
And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.
64 Njalo wahle wavulwa umlomo wakhe lolimi lwakhe lwatshwaphululwa, wasekhuluma edumisa uNkulunkulu.
And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.
65 Lokwesaba kwehlela phezu kwabo bonke abakhelene labo; njalo kwakhulunywa ngazo zonke lezizinto kulo lonke elezintabeni zeJudiya,
And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.
66 labo bonke abazizwayo bazilondoloza ezinhliziyweni zabo, besithi: Kambe lolusane luzakuba njani? Njalo isandla seNkosi sasilalo.
And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him.
67 LoZakariya uyise wagcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele, waprofetha, esithi:
And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 Ibusisiwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngoba ihambele yasenzela inkululeko isizwe sayo,
Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,
69 yasivusela uphondo losindiso endlini kaDavida inceku yayo,
and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;
70 njengalokho yakhuluma ngomlomo wabaprofethi bayo abangcwele kusukela ekuqaleni komhlaba, (aiōn g165)
as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; (aiōn g165)
71 isikhulula ezitheni zethu, lesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo;
deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;
72 ukwenzela obaba bethu isihawu, lokukhumbula isivumelwano sayo esingcwele,
to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,
73 isifungo eyasifunga kubaba wethu uAbrahama,
[the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 ukusinika, ukuthi sesikhululiwe esandleni sezitha zethu, siyikhonze singelakwesaba,
to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear
75 ngobungcwele langokulunga phambi kwayo zonke izinsuku zempilo yethu.
in piety and righteousness before him all our days.
76 Lawe-ke, sane, uzabizwa ngokuthi ungumprofethi woPhezukonke; ngoba uzahamba phambi kobuso beNkosi ukulungisa izindlela zayo;
And thou, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways;
77 lokunika isizwe sayo ulwazi losindiso ngothethelelo lwezono zabo,
to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins
78 ngesihelo sikaNkulunkulu wethu, okuthi ngaso ukusa kwaphezulu kusethekelele,
on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us,
79 ukubakhanyisela abahlezi emnyameni lethunzini lokufa, ukuqondisa inyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.
to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.
80 Wakhula-ke umntwana omncane, waqina emoyeni, waba sezinkangala kwaze kwaba lusuku lokubonakala kwakhe kuIsrayeli.
— And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.
