NgokukaLuka

1 Nakuba abaningi behlanganise amaqiniso esiwakholelwa ngokugcwele futhi bawabhala phansi, + 2 njengoba nje adluliselwa kithi yilabo ababengofakazi bokuzibonela + nalabo abamemezela izwi likaNkulunkulu kusukela ekuqaleni, + 3 nami, ngenxa yokuthi ngizilandele ngokunembile zonke izinto kusukela ekuqaleni, nganquma ukuba ngikubhalele zona ngokuhleleka, Theyofilu + ohlonipheke kakhulu, 4 ukuze ubazi ngokugcwele ubuqiniso bezinto ozifundiswe ngomlomo. +

5 Ezinsukwini zikaHerode, *+ inkosi yaseJudiya, kwakukhona umpristi ogama lakhe linguZakariya wesigaba sika-Abhiya. + Umkakhe wayemthathe emadodakazini ka-Aroni, igama lakhe kungu-Elizabethe. 6 Bobabili babelungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu, behamba ngokungasoleki ngokuvumelana nayo yonke imiyalo kaJehova* nezinto azifunayo ezingokomthetho. 7 Kodwa babengenabantwana, ngoba u-Elizabethe wayeyinyumba, bobabili base bekhulile impela.

8 Njengoba ayekhonza njengompristi esabelweni sesigaba sakhe + phambi kukaNkulunkulu, 9 ngokwenqubo* emisiwe yobupristi, kwaba yithuba lakhe lokuba anikele ngempepho + lapho engena endlini engcwele kaJehova. *+ 10 Lonke uquqaba lwabantu lwaluthandaza ngaphandle ngehora lokunikela ngempepho. 11 Ingelosi kaJehova* yabonakala kuye, imi ohlangothini lwesokudla lwe-altare lempepho. 12 Kodwa uZakariya wakhathazeka ngalokho ayekubona, wafikelwa ukwesaba. 13 Nokho, ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi Zakariya, ngoba ukunxusa kwakho kuzwakele, umkakho u-Elizabethe uzokuzalela indodana, kumele uyiqambe ngokuthi uJohane. + 14 Uyojabula futhi uthokoze kakhulu, nabantu abaningi bayojabula ngokuzalwa kwayo, + 15 ngoba iyoba umuntu omkhulu phambi kukaJehova. *+ Kodwa akumele neze iphuze iwayini noma obunye utshwala, + iyogcwala umoya ongcwele ngisho nangaphambi kokuba izalwe, *+ 16 iyobuyisela abaningi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli kuJehova* uNkulunkulu wabo. + 17 Iyohamba phambi kwakhe ngomoya nangamandla ka-Eliya, + ukuze ibuyisele izinhliziyo zoyise kubantwana + nabangalaleli ibabuyisele ekuhlakanipheni okusebenzayo kwabalungile, ukuze yenze abantu babe isizwe esikulungele ukukhonza uJehova.” *+

18 UZakariya wathi engelosini: “Ngingaqiniseka kanjani ngalokhu? Ngoba sengimdala, nomkami usekhulile impela.” 19 Ingelosi yamphendula yathi: “NginguGabriyeli + futhi ngihlezi ngiphambi kukaNkulunkulu, + ngithunywe ukuba ngikhulume nawe, ngimemezele lezi zindaba ezinhle kuwe. 20 Kodwa bheka! Uzothula ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube usuku okwenzeka ngalo lezi zinto, ngoba awuwakholwanga amazwi ami azogcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo esimisiwe.” 21 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, abantu babelokhu belinde uZakariya, kwakubamangaza ukuthi usendlini engcwele isikhathi eside kangaka. 22 Lapho ephuma, wayengasakwazi ukukhuluma nabo, baqonda ukuthi wayesanda kubona umbono endlini engcwele. Wayelokhu ekhuluma nabo ngezimpawu, elokhu eyisimungulu. 23 Lapho izinsuku zenkonzo yakhe engcwele* seziphelile, wahamba waya ekhaya.

24 Ngemva kwezinsuku ezithile, u-Elizabethe umkakhe wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga ezinhlanu, ethi: 25 “Yile ndlela uJehova* asebenzelane nami ngayo kulezi zinsuku. Ungikhumbulile ukuze asuse isihlamba sami phakathi kwabantu.” +

26 Ngenyanga yakhe yesithupha, uNkulunkulu wathuma ingelosi uGabriyeli + ukuba iye edolobheni laseGalile okuthiwa iNazaretha, 27 entombini + eyayithembisene umshado nendoda evela emndenini kaDavide egama layo linguJosefa, igama laleyo ntombi kwakunguMariya. + 28 Lapho ingena, ingelosi yathi kuyo: “Sawubona wena oboniswe umusa omkhulu, uJehova* unawe.” 29 Kodwa lawo mazwi ayiphazamisa kakhulu yazibuza ukuthi hlobo luni lokubingelela lolu. 30 Ngakho ingelosi yathi kuyo: “Ungesabi Mariya, ngoba uthole umusa kuNkulunkulu. 31 Bheka! Uzokhulelwa, ubelethe indodana, + kumele uyiqambe ngokuthi uJesu. + 32 Iyoba umuntu omkhulu + ibizwe ngokuthi iNdodana YoPhezukonke, + uJehova* uNkulunkulu uyoyinika isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide uyise, + 33 iyobusa njengeNkosi phezu kwendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade, noMbuso wayo ngeke uphele.” +

34 Kodwa uMariya wathi engelosini: “Kuzokwenzeka kanjani lokhu njengoba ngingenamyeni?” *+ 35 Ingelosi yamphendula yathi: “Umoya ongcwele uzokwehlela phezu kwakho, + amandla oPhezukonke azokwehlela kuwe.* Ngenxa yalokho, lowo ozelwe kuyothiwa ungcwele, + uyobizwa ngokuthi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. + 36 U-Elizabethe isihlobo sakho naye ukhulelwe indodana, ekugugeni kwakhe, lena inyanga yakhe yesithupha, yena lo okuthiwa uyinyumba; 37 ngoba akunasimemezelo* esingeke sifezeke kuNkulunkulu.” + 38 UMariya wabe esethi: “Bheka! Incekukazi kaJehova!* Kwangathi kungenzeka kimi ngokuvumelana nesimemezelo sakho.” Ngemva kwalokho ingelosi yasuka yahamba.

39 Ngakho uMariya wasuka ngalezo zinsuku waphuthuma ezweni elinezintaba, edolobheni lakwaJuda, 40 waya emzini kaZakariya wabingelela u-Elizabethe. 41 Njengoba u-Elizabethe ezwa uMariya ebingelela, usana olwalusesibelethweni sakhe lwagxuma, u-Elizabethe wagcwala umoya ongcwele, 42 wamemeza kakhulu wathi: “Ubusisiwe wena phakathi kwabesifazane, ubusisiwe umntwana oyomzala! 43 Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba leli lungelo libe ngelami, ukuba unina weNkosi yami eze kimi? 44 Ngoba, bheka! Lapho nje ngikuzwa ubingelela, usana olusesibelethweni sami luvele lwagxuma ngenxa yenjabulo. 45 Uyajabula owesifazane ozikholwayo izinto atshelwe zona, ngoba uJehova* uyozigcwalisa zonke lezo zinto.”

46 UMariya wathi: “Umphefumulo* wami uyamdumisa uJehova, *+ 47 umoya wami awukwazi ukungachichimi injabulo ngoNkulunkulu uMsindisi wami, + 48 ngoba ubheke ukuba phansi kwencekukazi yakhe. + Bheka! Kusukela manje zonke izizukulwane zizothi ngiyajabula, + 49 ngoba Lowo onamandla ungenzele izenzo ezinkulu, lingcwele igama lakhe, + 50 esizukulwaneni ngesizukulwane isihe sakhe siphezu kwalabo abamesabayo. + 51 Wenze izenzo zamandla ngengalo yakhe; ubahlakazile labo ababonisa ukuthi bayaqhosha ezinhliziyweni zabo. + 52 Wehlise amadoda anamandla ezihlalweni zobukhosi + waphakamisa abaphansi; + 53 abalambile ubasuthise ngezinto ezinhle, + abanengcebo wabahambisa belambatha. 54 Umsizile u-Israyeli inceku yakhe, ekhumbula isihe sakhe, + 55 njengoba nje asho kokhokho bethu, ku-Abrahama nasenzalweni* yakhe, + kuze kube phakade.” 56 UMariya wahlala naye cishe izinyanga ezintathu, wabe esebuyela ekhaya.

57 Safika isikhathi sokuba u-Elizabethe abelethe, wazala indodana. 58 Omakhelwane nezihlobo zakhe bezwa ukuthi uJehova* umbonise isihe esikhulu, bajabula kanye naye. + 59 Ngosuku luka-8 bafika bezosoka umntwana, + babezomqamba ngegama likayise, uZakariya. 60 Kodwa unina waphendula wathi: “Lutho! Uzobizwa ngokuthi uJohane.” 61 Babe sebethi kuye: “Asikho nesisodwa isihlobo sakho esibizwa ngaleli gama.” 62 Babe sebebuza uyise besebenzisa izandla ukuthi ufuna abizwe ngokuthini. 63 Wacela itshe eliyisicaba wabhala ukuthi: “NguJohane igama lakhe.” + Bonke bamangala. 64 Ngaso leso sikhathi umlomo wakhe wavuleka, ulimi lwakhe lwakhululeka, waqala ukukhuluma, + edumisa uNkulunkulu. 65 Bonke omakhelwane babo baqala ukwesaba, kwakhulunywa ngazo zonke lezi zinto kulo lonke izwe laseJudiya elinezintaba. 66 Bonke abezwa ngakho bakugcina ezinhliziyweni zabo, bethi: “Uyoba nhloboni yomuntu lo mntwana lapho esekhulile?” Ngoba ngempela isandla sikaJehova* sasinaye.

67 UZakariya uyise wagcwala umoya ongcwele, waprofetha wathi: 68 “Makadunyiswe uJehova* uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, + ngoba ubakhumbulile abantu bakhe wabakhulula. + 69 Usiphakamisele uphondo lwensindiso *+ endlini kaDavide inceku yakhe, + 70 njengoba nje ekhulumile ngomlomo wabaprofethi bakhe abangcwele bakudala; + 71 ukhulume ngokusisindisa ezitheni zethu nasesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo; + 72 ukuze abonise okhokho bethu isihe futhi akhumbule isivumelwano sakhe esingcwele, + 73 isifungo asifunga ku-Abrahama ukhokho wethu, + 74 ukuze ngemva kokuba sesikhululiwe ezandleni zezitha, asinike ilungelo lokunikela kuye inkonzo engcwele ngesibindi, 75 ngobuqotho nokulunga phambi kwakhe zonke izinsuku zethu. 76 Kodwa wena, mntwana, uyobizwa ngokuthi ungumprofethi woPhezukonke, ngoba uJehova* uyokuthumela kusengaphambili ukuba ulungise izindlela zakhe, + 77 unike abantu bakhe ulwazi lwensindiso ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo, + 78 ngenxa yozwela lukaNkulunkulu wethu. Uzwela oluvela ezulwini luyokhanya njengelanga phezu kwethu, 79 ukuze lukhanyisele labo abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa, + luqondise izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”

80 Umntwana wakhula emzimbeni nasemoyeni,* wahlala ogwadule kwaze kwaba usuku lokuziveza kwakhe obala ku-Israyeli.