1 Bethé nje ke abaninzi bazamela ukucacisa ibali lezo zinto ziziziganeko phakathi kwethu,
2 njengoko basinikeláyo abo, bathi kwasekuqaleni baba ngababoneli nabakhonzi balo ilizwi:
3 kwabonakala kulungile nakum, ndizilandile nje ngokucokisekileyo zonke, ndizekela kwasentloko, ukuba ndikubhalele ngokucacileyo,
4 Tiyofilo odume kunene, ukuze uyazi kakuhle ingqiniseko yamazwi owafundisiweyo ngomlomo.
5 Ngemihla kaHerode ukumkani wakwaYuda, kwaye kukho umbingeleli othile, ogama linguZekariya, engoweqela lika-Abhiya, nomfazi wakhe engowasezintombini zika-Aron, igama lakhe linguElizabhete.
6 Bebengamalungisa ke bobabini emehlweni kaThixo, behamba ngayo yonke imithetho nemimiselo yeNkosi, bengenakusoleka.
7 Baye bengenamntwana, ngokokuba uElizabhete ebengazali, kanjalo bobabini babesebekhulile.
8 Kwathi ke kaloku, ekubuphatheni ububingeleli bakhe ngexesha leqela lakhe phambi koThixo,
9 ngokwesiko lobubingeleli, kwaba liqashiso lakhe ukuba aqhumise ubulawu, akuba engene endaweni engcwele yeNkosi.
10 Yaye yonke inkitha yabantu ithandaza ngaphandle ngelixa lesiqhumiso.
11 Kwabonakala ke kuye isithunywa seNkosi, simi ngasekunene kwesibingelelo sesiqhumiso.
12 Wakhathazeka uZekariya, akusibona, wangenelwa kukoyika.
13 Sathi ke isithunywa eso kuye, Musa ukoyika, Zekariya, ngokokuba isikhungo sakho siviwe; wóthi ke umfazi wakho uElizabhete akuzalele unyana, umthiye igama elinguYohane.
14 Ùya kuba nokuvuya nokugcoba, bathi nabaninzi bakuvuyele ukuzalwa kwakhe.
15 Kuba úya kuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi, angakhe asele wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo; úya kuzaliswa nguMoya oyiNgcwele kwasekuzalweni kwakhe.
16 Nento eninzi ke yoonyana bakaSirayeli úya kuyibuyisela eNkosini uThixo wabo.
17 Yena úya kuhamba phambi kobuso bayo, enomoya enamandla kaEliya, ukuba azibuyisele iintliziyo zooyise kubantwana, nabangevayo kuko ukuqonda kwamalungisa, alungisele iNkosi abantu abalungisiweyo.
18 Wathi uZekariya kuso isithunywa, Ndiya kukwazi ngani na oko? Kuba mna ndimdala, waye nomfazi wam selekhulile.
19 Saphendula ke isithunywa, sathi kuye, Mna ndinguGabriyeli,* oma phambi koThixo. Ndithunyiwe ukuba ndithethe kuwe, ndikushumayeze ezi ndaba zilungileyo.
20 Uyabona, ùya kuba sisidenge, ungabi nako ukuthetha, kude kube yimini eziya kuthi zenzeke ngayo ezi zinto, ngenxa enokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi am; aya kuzalisekiswa wona ngexesha lawo.
21 Baye abantu bemlindile uZekariya, bemangalisiwe kukulibala kwakhe endaweni engcwele leyo.
22 Uthe ke akuphuma, akaba nako ukuthetha kubo; baqonda ukuba ubone umbono endaweni engcwele apho, waye yena emana ukunqwala kubo, wahlala engathethi.
23 Kwathi yakuzaliseka imihla yombuso wakhe, wemka waya endlwini yakhe.
24 Emveni kwayo loo mihla ke, uElizabhete umfazi wakhe wathabatha, wazizimeza iinyanga zantlanu, esithi,
25 Yenjénje iNkosi kum ngemihla eyandikhangelayo, ukuba ikususe ukungcikiveka kwam phakathi kwabantu.
26 Ke kaloku ngenyanga yesithandathu, isithunywa esinguGabriyeli sathunyelwa nguThixo emzini welaseGalili,
27 ogama liyiNazarete, kwintombi, eganelwe indoda egama linguYosefu, yendlu kaDavide; laye igama lentombi leyo linguMariya.
28 Sangena isithunywa kuye, sathi, Vuya, wena ubabalweyo! INkosi inawe; usikelelwe wena phakathi kwabafazi.
29 Uthe ke akusibona, wee qhiphu umbilini ngenxa yelizwi laso; wayecamanga ukuba ungaba mbuliso mni na lo.
30 Sathi ke isithunywa kuye, Musa ukoyika, Mariya; kuba ubabalwe nguThixo.
31 Uyabona, uya kuthabatha esizalweni, uzale unyana, umthiye igama elinguYesu.*
32 Yena uya kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana wOsenyangweni; iNkosi uThixo iya kumnika itrone kaDavide, uyise,
33 abe ngukumkani phezu kwendlu kaYakobi kude kube ngunaphakade, nobukumkani bakhe bungabi nasiphelo.
34 Wathi ke uMariya kuso isithunywa, Kuya kuthini na ukubakho oku, ndingazani nandoda nje?
35 Saphendula isithunywa sathi kuye, UMoya oyiNgcwele uya kuza phezu kwakho, athi namandla Osenyangweni akusibekele; kungoko loo nto ingcwele izalwa nguwe iya kubizwa ngokuba nguNyana kaThixo.
36 Uyabona, uElizabhete, ozalana nawe, naye umithe unyana ebudaleni bakhe; nale yinyanga yesithandathu kuye, lowo bekuthiwa ngongazaliyo;
37 ngokuba akukho nanye into eya kumnqabela yena uThixo.
38 Wathi ke uMariya, Nanko umkhonzazana weNkosi; makwenzeke kum ngokwelizwi lakho. Saza isithunywa semka kuye.
39 Ke kaloku, wesuka uMariya ngaloo mihla, wasinga kweleentaba ngobungxamo, emzini wakwaYuda;
40 wangena endlwini kaZekariya, wambulisa uElizabhete.
41 Kwathi, akuwuva uElizabhete umbuliso kaMariya, lwasuka lwaxhuma usana esizalweni sakhe, wesuka wazala nguMoya oyiNgcwele uElizabhete.
42 Wadanduluka ngezwi elikhulu, wathi, Ùnentsikelelo wena phakathi kwabafazi; sinentsikelelo nesiqhamo sesizalo sakho.
43 Kuhlé ngani na kum, ukuthi unina weNkosi yam eze kum?
44 Kuba uyabona, kuthe lakubakho izwi lombuliso wakho ezindlebeni zam, lwasuka lwaxhuma usana ngokugcoba esizalweni sam.
45 Únoyolo lowo wakholwayo koko; ngokuba kuya kubakho inzaliseko yezo zinto zithethiweyo kuye yiNkosi.
46 Wathi uMariya:Umphefumlo wam uyenza nkulu iNkosi,
47 Nomoya wam ugcobile ngoThixo uMsindisi wam;
48 Ngokuba wakukhangela ukuthobeka komkhonzazana wakhe;Kuba, uyabona, ziya kuqala kwangoku ukuthi ndingonoyolo zonke izizukulwana;
49 Ngokuba wandenzela izinto ezinkulu uSomandla;Lingcwele igama lakhe.
50 Yaye inceba yakhe ikwizizukulwana ngezizukulwanaKwabo bamoyikayo.
51 Wenzé amandla ngengalo yakhe,Wabachithachitha abanekratshi ekucingeni kweentliziyo zabo.
52 Wabawisa abanamandla ezitroneni zabo,Wabaphakamisa abathobekileyo.
53 Wahluthisa abalambileyo ngezinto ezilungileyo;Wabandulula abazizityebi belambatha.
54 Wasiza uSirayeli, umkhonzi wakhe,Ngokukhumbula inceba yakhe;
55 Njengoko wathethayo koobawo bethu,KuAbraham nakwimbewu yakhe ngonaphakade.
56 Wahlala ke uMariya naye iinyanga ngathi zaba ntathu, waza wabuyela ekhaya.
57 Ke kaloku, ixesha likaElizabhete lazaliseka lokuba azale; wazala unyana.
58 Beva abamelwane nemizalwane yakhe, ukuba iNkosi iyenze nkulu inceba yayo kuye, baye ke bevuyisana naye.
59 Kwathi ngomhla wesibhlozo, beza kumalùsa umntwana; baye bemthiya igama likayise, besithi nguZekariya;
60 koko waphendulayo unina, wathi, Hayi; uya kubizwa ngokuba nguYohane.
61 Bathi kuye, Akukho namnye ubizwa ngelo gama kwimizalwane yakho.
62 Baye ke benqwala kuyise besithi, angathanda ukuba athiweni na ukubizwa.
63 Wabiza icwecwana, wabhala esithi, Igama lakhe nguYohane.
64 Bamangaliswa bonke. Wavuleka ke kwaoko umlomo wakhe, lwathukululeka nolwimi lwakhe, wamana ethetha, ebonga uThixo.
65 Kwehla ukoyika phezu kwalo lonke umelwane lwabo; kwaye kulo lonke eleentaba lakwaYuda kuxoxwa ngazo zonke ezi zinto.
66 Bathi bonke abazivayo, bazibeka entliziyweni yabo, besithi, Azi uya kuba yintoni na lo mntwana? Saye isandla seNkosi sinaye.
67 UZekariya uyise wazala nguMoya oyiNgcwele, waprofeta esithi:
68 Mayibongwe iNkosi, uThixo kaSirayeli,Ngokuba ibavelele yabakhulula ngentlawulelo abantu bayo.
69 Yasiphakamisela uphondo losindisoEndlwini kaDavide, umkhonzi wayo,
70 Njengoko yathethayo ngomlomo wabangcwele, ababengabaprofeti bayo kwasephakadeni;
71 Usindiso lokusisindisa ezintshabeni zethu, nasesandleni sabo bonke abo basithiyayo;
72 Ukubenzela inceba oobawo bethu,Nokukhumbula umnqophiso wayo ongcwele,
73 Isifungo eyasifungela uAbraham ubawo wethu,
74 Sokusinika ukuba sithi, síhlangulwe esandleni seentshaba zethu,Siyikhonze singenakoyika,
75 Ngobungcwele nangobulungisa emehlweni ayo, yonke imihla yobomi bethu.
76 Nawe, mntwana, uya kubizwa ngokuba ungumprofeti wOsenyangweni,Kuba ùya kuhamba phambi kobuso beNkosi, ulungise iindlela zayo,
77 Ukuze ubanike abantu bayo ukwaziwa kosindisoNgoxolelo lwezono zabo,
78 Ngenxa yenceba nemfesane yoThixo wethu,Othe ngaye wasivelela umsó wasenyangweni,
79 Ukuba úkhanye kwabo bahleliyo emnyameni, nasethunzini lokufa,Ukuba úzingenise iinyawo zethu endleleni yoxolo.
80 Wakhula umntwana, waya esomelela ngomoya; waye esentlango, kwada kwayimini yokubonakalaliswa kwakhe kuSirayeli.