1 Tiyofilo ohloniphekileyo: Ekubeni abaninzi bezame ukulibhala ibali lezo zinto zithe zenzeka phakathi kwethu,
2 bebalisa oko sikuxelelweyo ngâbo bathe kwasekuqalekeni bazibona ngawabo amehlo ezo zinto, baza baba ngabaququzeleli bezi ndaba,
3 nam, mhlekazi, ndibone kulungile ukuba ndibhale ndikucwangcisele ngokuthe ngqo, ekubeni sekulithuba elide nje ndiziphanda kakuhle ezi zinto.
4 Ndenjenje ukuze uyazi ngokuphelelyo inyaniso yezinto ozifundisiweyo.
5 Ngemihla kaHerode, ukumkani wakwaJuda, kwakukho umbingeleli othile, ogama linguZakariya, engoweqela lika-Abhiya. Umkakhe uElizabhete naye wayeyintombi yombingeleli.
6 Bobabini babengamalungisa, beyithobela imiyalelo nemimiselo yeNkosi, bengenakusoleka.
7 Babengenabantwana, kuba uElizabhete wayengazali; kananjalo bobabini babesebaluphele.
8 Ke kaloku uZakariya wayesemsebenzini wakhe wobubingeleli phambi koThixo, kulithuba leqela lakhe.
9 Kwênziwa *amaqashiso ngokwesiqhelo sababingeleli, laza iqashiso laphuma naye ukuba aqhumise ubulawu. Wangena ke endaweni engcwele yeNkosi,
10 kukho inkitha yabantu ithandaza ngaphandle ngexesha lesiqhumiso.
11 Kwabonakala isithunywa seNkosi kuye, simi ngasekunene kweqonga lesiqhumiso.
12 Wothuka uZakariya akusibona, wangenwa luloyiko.
13 Isithunywa eso sathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika, Zakariya. UThixo uwuvile umthandazo wakho. Umfazi wakho uElizabhete uya kuzala unyana. Uze umthiye igama elinguYohane.
14 Ukuzalwa kwakhe kuya kukuphathela uvuyo nolonwabo, ize loo nto ibe luvuyo nakubantu abaninzi.
15 Yena uya kubaluleka eNkosini, angaseli wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo, alawulwe nguMoya oyiNgcwele kwasekuzalweni kwakhe.
16 Uya kubuyisela amaSirayeli amaninzi eNkosini uThixo wawo.
17 Uya kuyibhulela umbethe iNkosi, enamandla njengoEliya, axolelanise uyise nomntwana, ababuyisele ebulungiseni abangevayo, alungiselele iNkosi abantu bayo.”
18 UZakariya wathi kwisithunywa eso: “Ndiya kuyiqonda ngani le nto? Kaloku mna sendimdala, nomfazi wam selaluphele.”
19 Saphendula ke isithunywa sathi kuye: “Mna ndinguGabriyeli oma phambi koThixo. Ndithunyiwe ukuba ndithethe nawe, ndikuxelele ezi ndaba zimnandi.
20 Ngenxa yokuba ungakholwa ngamazwi am, uyabona, uya kuvaleka, ungabi nako ukuthetha, kude kube yiloo mini zenzeka ngayo ezi zinto. Kanti ke la mazwi aya kuzalisekiswa ngexesha lawo.”
21 Abantu babemlindile uZakariya, bemangalisiwe kukulibala kwakhe endaweni engcwele.
22 Uthe ke akuphuma engasenako ukuthetha, baqonda ukuba ubone umbono apho endaweni engcwele. Wathi, ekhohliwe kukuthetha, wamana enqwala.
23 Lakuphela ixesha lokukhonza kweqela lakhe, uZakariya wagoduka.
24 Emva koko uElizabhete umfazi wakhe wamitha, wazifihla iinyanga zade zantlanu,
25 wavakala esithi: “Kwenziwe yiNkosi oku. Ide yandenzela inceba, yaphelisa ukudeleka kwam phakathi kwabantu.”
26 Ngenyanga yesithandathu isithunywa esinguGabriyeli sathunywa nguThixo kwelaseGalili, kwidolophu eyiNazarete,
27 kwintombi eyayisendela kumfana wendlu kaDavide, ogama linguJosefu. Igama lentombi leyo lalinguMariya.
28 Safika ke isithunywa kuye, sathi: “Bhota, wena ubabalweyo! INkosi inawe.”
29 UMariya woyika akuweva la mazwi, waza wafuna engqondweni ukuba ngaba ngumbuliso mni na lo.
30 Isithunywa ke sathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika, Mariya, kuba uThixo ukwenzela isisa.
31 Uyabona, uza kumitha, uzale unyana, umthiye igama *elinguYesu.
32 Yena uya kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana kaPhezukonke. INkosi uThixo iya kummisela abe ngukumkani kwaDavide uyise,
33 ayilawule indlu kaYakobi kude kube ngunaphakade, nolawulo lwakhe lungaze luphele.”
34 UMariya ke wathi kuso isithunywa: “Iya kwenzeka njani na loo nto, ndingazani nandoda nje?”
35 Saphendula isithunywa sathi kuye: “UMoya oyiNgcwele uya kuhlela kuwe, athi amandla kaThixo uPhezukonke akufukamele. Kungoko loo mntwana ungcwele uya kuzalwa nguwe kuya kuthiwa nguNyana kaThixo.
36 Uyabona, naye uElizabhete ozalana nawe, ukhawule unyana ebudaleni bakhe. Le yinyanga yesithandathu kuye, yena lowo bekusithiwa uludlolo.
37 Kaloku akukho nanye into enokumnqabela uThixo.”
38 Wathi ke uMariya: “Ndim lo mna mkhonzazana weNkosi. Makwenzeke kum ngokwamazwi akho.” Saza semka isithunywa kuye.
39 Ngaloo mihla wesuka uMariya, wasinga kweleentaba ngokukhawuleza, esiya edolophini yakwaJuda;
40 waya kungena endlwini kaZakariya, wafika wambulisa uElizabhete.
41 Kwathi akuwuva uElizabhete umbuliso kaMariya, lwasuka lwaxhuma usana esizalweni sakhe. Wafikelwa ke nguMoya oyiNgcwele uElizabhete,
42 wadanduluka ekhwaza esithi: “Ungoyena usikelelweyo wena phakathi kwabafazi! Nomntwana oya kuzalwa nguwe usikelelwe!
43 Bendiyintoni na kakade, ukuba ndide ndihanjelwe ngunina weNkosi yam?
44 Yaz' ukuba, kuthe ndakuwuva umbuliso wakho, lwasuka usana lwaxhuma luvuyo esiswini sam.
45 Unoyolo lowo ukholiweyo, kuba ilizwi elithunyelwe kuye yiNkosi liya kuzaliseka.”
46 Wavakala uMariya esithi:“Umphefumlo wam uyayibonga iNkosi;
47 ndaye ndigcobile ngoThixo uMsindisi wam;
48 kuba wakuphawula ukuthobeka kwesicakazana sakhe.Ewe, ukususela ngoku zonke izizukulwana zothi ndingonoyolo,
49 kuba undenzele izinto ezinkulu uSomandla,yena ogama lakhe lingcwele,
50 yena onceba yakhe ikwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana zâbo bamoyikayo.
51 Wolule ingalo yakhe enamandla,wabachitha-chitha abanekratshi ekuzicingeleni kwabo.
52 Iinganga wazithoba kumawonga azo,waza abathobekileyo wabaphakamisa.
53 Wahluthisa abalambileyo ngezinto ezilungileyo,wathi abazizityebi wabandulula belambatha.
54 Wamxhasa uSirayeli umkhonzi wakhe,akayilibala inceba yakhe
55 awayethembise ngayo koobawo bethu,kuAbraham nakwinzala yakhe ngonaphakade.”
56 UMariya ke wahlala noElizabhete iinyanga ngathi zaba ntathu, waza wagoduka.
57 Lafika ke ixesha lokuba uElizabhete abeleke, waza wazala unyana.
58 Bakuva abamelwane bakhe nezizalwana zakhe ngale nceba ingaka ayenzelwe yiNkosi, bavuyisana naye.
59 Kwathi ke ngomhla wesibhozo baya kumàlusa umntwana, befuna ukumthiya ngoyise uZakariya.
60 Kodwa unina wala, esithi: “Hayi, igama lakhe nguYohane!”
61 Bona ke bathi kuye: “Lingekho nje eli gama kowabo!”
62 Baza babhekisa kuyise ukuba yena unga angathiywa gama lini na.
63 Wabiza icwecwana, wabhala wathi: “Igama lakhe nguYohane.” Baza bamangaliswa bonke.
64 Kwangoko lwacombuluka ulwimi lukaZakariya, wathetha ebonga uThixo.
65 Bangenwa luloyiko ke bonke abamelwane, yaza le nto yonke yaba ngundabamlonyeni kulo lonke eleentaba lakwaJuda.
66 Bathi bonke abayivayo bayimilisela ezingqondweni, besithi: “Yaz'ba, uya kuba yintoni na lo mntwana?” Kuba kaloku amandla eNkosi ayenaye.
67 UZakariya uyise wazala nguMoya oyiNgcwele, watyibela wathi:
68 “Mayibongwe iNkosi, uThixo kaSirayeli,kuba ibavelele yabakhulula abantu bayo;
69 kwaDavide isicaka sayo isivelisele uMsindisi otshatsheleyo.
70 Nguwo lo umlomo wayo wamhla-mneneoweza *ngabashumayeli bayo abangcwele,
71 ithembisa ukusisindisa ezintshabeni zethu,nasesandleni sabo bonke abasithiyileyo;
72 isithi yobenzela inceba oobawo bethu,iwukhumbule umnqophiso wayo ongcwele,
73 isifungo eyasenzela uAbraham ubawo wethu,
74 sokusihlangula ezintshabeni zethu, siyikhonze singenaxhala,
75 ngobungcwele nangobulungisa phambi kwayo,yonke imihla yobomi bethu.
76 Nawe ke, mntwana wam, wobizwa ngokuba *ungumshumayeli kaThixo uPhezukonke,kuba uya kuyibhulela umbethe iNkosi,uyigabulele izigcawu.
77 Wobazisa abantu beNkosi ngosindisoolungoxolelo lwezono zabo,
78 kuba unenceba nemfesane uThixo wethu.Ngoko wosivelisela olilanga lasezulwini,
79 ukuze akhanyisele abasebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa,nokuze azikhokelele endleleni yoxolo iinyawo zethu.”
80 Wakhula umntwana, waya esomelela ngokomelela. Wayehlala entlango kwada kwayimini yokubonakala kwakhe kumaSirayeli.