Kubalisa uLuka

1 Baninzi abantu abaye bazama ukuphanda baza babhala ngezinto esinobungqina bokuba zenzeka,+ 2 nezinto esizive nangabanye abazibonelayo,+ beshumayela nangeLizwi likaThixo.+ 3 Ngoko ke Tiyofilo obekekileyo,+ nam ndiye ndagqiba ekubeni ndiziphandisise ezi zinto ukususela ekuqaleni, ndizibhale ngokulandelelana kwazo, 4 ukuze ubone indlela eziyinyani ngayo izinto obuzifundiswe ngomlomo.+

5 Ngemihla kaHerode,*+ ukumkani wakwaYuda, kwakukho umbingeleli ekuthiwa nguZekariya weqela lika-Abhiya.+ Umfazi wakhe wayephuma kumnombo ka-Aron, igama lakhe linguElizabhete. 6 Bobabini babengamalungisa phambi koThixo, beyithobela yonke imithetho nemiyalelo kaYehova.* 7 Kodwa babengenamntwana, kuba uElizabhete wayengafumani bantwana, ibe bobabini babesele bebadala.

8 UZekariya wayesetempileni neqela lakhe, esenza umsebenzi owenziwa ngababingeleli+ phambi koThixo. 9 Kwafika ithuba lokuba enze njengoko ababingeleli babeqhele ukwenza, ngoko wangena kwindawo engcwele kaYehova,*+ wanikela isiqhumiso esiqholiweyo.+ 10 Bonke abantu babethandaza ngaphandle ngexesha lokunikela kwakhe isiqhumiso esiqholiweyo. 11 Wabona ingelosi kaYehova* imi ngasekunene kwesibingelelo sesiqhumiso esiqholiweyo. 12 Yamothusa le nto uZekariya, woyika. 13 Kodwa le ngelosi yathi kuye: “Sukoyika Zekariya, kuba uviwe umthandazo wakho xa ubucenga uThixo, ibe umfazi wakho uElizabhete uza kukuzalela unyana. Uze umthiye igama elinguYohane.+ 14 Ukuzalwa kwalo mntwana kuza kukuvuyisa kakhulu, ibe baninzi abantu abaza kuvuyisana nawe,+ 15 kuba yena uza kuba mkhulu phambi koYehova.*+ Kodwa umele angayiseli iwayini, angabuseli tu utywala,+ ibe uza kufumana umoya oyingcwele ngaphambi kokuba azalwe.*+ 16 Uza kubuyisela amaSirayeli amaninzi kuYehova* uThixo wawo.+ 17 Uza kuhamba phambi koThixo enomoya namandla kaEliya.+ Uza kwenza iintliziyo zootata zifane nezabantwana,+ enze nabangathobeliyo babe nobulumko njengamalungisa, ukuze balungele ukukhonza uYehova.”*+

18 UZekariya wathi kwingelosi: “Ndingayithemba njani loo nto? Kaloku sendimdala, neminyaka sele ihambile emfazini wam.” 19 Le ngelosi yaphendula yathi: “Mna ndinguGabriyeli,+ ibe ndihlala ndiphambi koThixo;+ ndithunywe nguye ukuba ndikuxelele ezi ndaba zimnandi. 20 Kodwa jonga! awuzukwazi ukuthetha de zonke ezi zinto zenzeke, kuba ungakhange uyikholelwe le nto ndikuxelele yona, eza kwenzeka ngexesha elibekiweyo.” 21 Ngelo xesha abantu babemlindile uZekariya, bexakiwe ukuba kutheni ehleli ixesha elide kangaka kwindawo engcwele. 22 Waphuma apho engakwazi ukuthetha, ethetha nabo ngezandla. Bathi bakuyibona loo nto abantu, baqonda ukuba ubone ummangaliso kwindawo engcwele. 23 Zathi zakuphela iintsuku zokusebenza kwakhe etempileni, wagoduka.

24 Emva kweentsuku ezithile uElizabhete umfazi kaZekariya wamitha, ibe akazange aphume endlini kangangeenyanga ezintlanu, esithi: 25 “Ndiyenzelwe nguYehova* le nto. Undikhumbule waza wandenza ndayeka ukuba yintlekisa ebantwini.”+

26 Ngenyanga yesithandathu yokukhulelwa kukaElizabhete, uThixo wathumela uGabriyeli+ kwisixeko saseGalili ekuthiwa yiNazarete, 27 kwintombi engazange yalala nandoda,+ eyayithenjiswe umtshato* nguYosefu wendlu kaDavide. Igama laloo ntombi yayinguMariya.+ 28 Yafika ingelosi yathi kuye: “Molo, wena usikelelweyo, nothandwayo nguYehova.”* 29 Yamothusa le ndlela abuliswa ngayo, ezibuza ukuba ngumbuliso onjani lo. 30 Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Sukoyika Mariya, kuba uThixo uyakuthanda. 31 Jonga! uza kukhulelwa, uzale umntwana oyinkwenkwe.+ Uze umthiye igama elinguYesu.+ 32 Yena uza kuba mkhulu,+ abizwe ngokuba nguNyana Woyena Uphakamileyo,+ ibe uYehova* uThixo uza kumnika itrone katata wakhe uDavide.+ 33 Uza kuba nguKumkani aze alawule indlu kaYakobi ngonaphakade, ibe soze buphele uBukumkani bakhe.”+

34 Kodwa uMariya wathi kwingelosi: “Iza kwenzeka njani le nto, kuba akukho ndoda ndilala nayo?”+ 35 Le ngelosi yaphendula yathi: “Uza kufikelwa ngumoya oyingcwele,+ namandla Oyena Uphakamileyo. Yiloo nto ke lo mntwana eza kuba ngcwele,+ aze abizwe ngokuba nguNyana kaThixo.+ 36 Jonga! noElizabhete lo uzalana nawe, sele eneenyanga ezintandathu ekhulelwe unyana, nangona emdala, nabantu besithi akakwazi kuba nabantwana. 37 Kaloku uThixo soze angayenzi into ayithethileyo.”+ 38 UMariya wathi: “Jonga! Ndilikhobokazana likaYehova!* Mayenzeke yonke le nto uyithethileyo kum.” Yaza yamshiya ke ingelosi.

39 Emva koko, ngokukhawuleza uMariya waya kummandla weentaba, kwisixeko sakwaYuda, 40 wafika emzini kaZekariya, wabulisa uElizabhete. 41 Wathi uElizabhete esakuva uMariya ebulisa, lwaxhuma usana esibelekweni sakhe, waza uElizabhete wafikelwa ngumoya oyingcwele, 42 wakhwaza esithi: “Usikelelwe wena phakathi kwabanye abafazi, lusikelelwe nolu sana lusesibelekweni sakho! 43 Bendingubani kakade ukuba ndingade ndizokubonwa ngumama weNkosi yam? 44 Kuba uthe usakundibulisa, lwaxhuma luvuya usana olusesibelekweni sam. 45 Wonwabile mfazi kuba uye wazikholelwa izinto ezithethwa nguYehova,* ngenxa yokuba ziza kwenzeka zonke.”

46 UMariya wathi: “Ndiyamdumisa uYehova,*+ 47 nentliziyo yam ivuyiswa kakhulu nguThixo uMsindisi wam,+ 48 kuba uye walikhumbula ikhobokazana lakhe elingathathi ntweni, waza walisikelela.+ Jonga! Ukususela ngoku zonke izizukulwana ziza kuthi ndisikelelwe,+ 49 kuba uThixo onamandla undenzele izinto ezinkulu, lingcwele igama lakhe,+ 50 ibe uhlala ebenzela inceba ngonaphakade abo bamoyikayo.+ 51 Yonke le nto uyenze ngengalo yakhe enamandla; ubagxothile abo banekratshi ezintliziyweni zabo.+ 52 Ubahlisile abaphathi ezitroneni zabo,+ wabaphakamisa abathobekileyo;+ 53 ubanike izinto ezilungileyo abangenanto,+ wazigxotha zingenanto izityebi. 54 Uye wamnceda uSirayeli umkhonzi wakhe, esikhumbula isithembiso sakhe sokumenzela inceba,+ 55 kanye njengokuba wayetshilo kookhokho bethu, kuAbraham nakwinzala* yakhe.”+ 56 UMariya wahlala noElizabhete malunga neenyanga ezintathu, emva koko wagoduka.

57 Kwafika ixesha lokuba uElizabhete azale, waza wazala unyana. 58 Abamelwane bakhe nabantu abazalana naye beva ngale nceba ingaka uYehova* amenzele yona, baza bavuyisana naye.+ 59 Ngosuku lwesibhozo beza kumolusa umntwana,+ ibe babeza kumthiya ngotata wakhe uZekariya. 60 Kodwa umama wakhe wathi: “Hayini! lo mntwana uza kuba nguYohane.” 61 Bathi kuye: “Akukho nomnye kubantu ozalana nabo onelo gama.” 62 Emva koko, bathetha notata womntwana ngezandla bembuza ukuba ufuna kuthiwe ngubani lo mntwana. 63 Wacela iplanga, wabhala wathi: “Igama lakhe nguYohane.”+ Yabamangalisa bonke le nto. 64 Umlomo wakhe wavuleka ngoko nangoko, lwakhululeka nolwimi lwakhe, waqalisa ukuthetha+ ezukisa uThixo. 65 Yabamangalisa abamelwane yonke le nto, kwathethwa ngayo kuwo wonke ummandla weentaba wakwaYuda. 66 Bonke abantu abeva ngale nto, babemane beyicinga, besithi: “Inokuba uza kuba yintoni lo mntwana?” Kuba kwakucacile ukuba uYehova* wayekunye nalo mntwana.

67 Emva koko, uThixo wanika utata walo mntwana uZekariya, umoya oyingcwele, waza waprofeta wathi: 68 “Makadunyiswe uYehova* uThixo kaSirayeli,+ kuba ebakhumbule abantu bakhe waza wabasindisa.+ 69 Uye wasinika uphondo oluza kusisindisa*+ oluphuma kwindlu yomkhonzi wakhe uDavide,+ 70 kanye njengokuba wayetshilo kubaprofeti bakhe abangcwele bakudala,+ 71 ukuze asisindise kwiintshaba zethu nakwabo basicaphukelayo;+ 72 abenzele inceba ookhokho bethu, akhumbule nesivumelwano esingcwele awasenzayo,+ 73 isifungo awasenza kukhokho wethu uAbraham,+ 74 sokuba uza kusisindisa kwiintshaba zethu, aze asivumele simkhonze singenaxhala, 75 ngokuthembeka nangobulungisa, ubomi bethu bonke. 76 Kodwa ke wena nyana wam, uza kubizwa ngokuba ungumprofeti Woyena Uphakamileyo, kuba uza kuhamba phambi koYehova,* ulungise iindlela zakhe,+ 77 ufundise ukuba uThixo uza kubasindisa abantu bakhe, ngokuxolela izono zabo,+ 78 ngenxa yendlela anobubele ngayo. Ngenxa yoko siza kutsho sibone ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, njengokuthi qheke kokusa, 79 ukuze kukhanyisele abo bahleli ebumnyameni nakwithunzi lokufa, nokuze kusikhokelele eluxolweni.”+

80 Wakhula ke lo mntwana wanamandla, enomoya kaThixo, waza wahlala entlango de kwafika ixesha lokuba ashumayele kubantu bakwaSirayeli.