ULUKA 2:1-24

Kwathi ngaloo mihla kwaphuma ummiselo *kuKhesare Agasto othi lonke elimiweyo malibhalise. Olu bhaliso lokuqala lwabakho uKireniyo eyirhuluneli yaseSiriya. Babesithi ke bonke baye kubhalisa, elowo kweyakowabo idolophu. UJosefu ke waphuma kwelaseGalili, kwidolophu iNazarete, waya kwelakwaJuda, kwidolophu kaDavide eyiBhetelehem, kuba wayengowomlibo kaDavide. Wayesiya kubhalisa, enoMariya owayesendela kuye. Yena wayeselekhulelwe, kwaza kwathi belapho lafika ixesha lokubeleka kwakhe. Wamzala ke unyana wakhe wamazibulo, wamsongela eziqhiyeni, wamlalisa emkhumbini wesitali, kuba kwakungekho ndawo endlwini yabahambi. Kwakukho abelusi kwakweso sithili, behlala ezindle, belinda imihlambi yabo ebusuku. Babona isithunywa seNkosi simi ngakubo, bathi nobuqaqawuli beNkosi bababengezelela ngeenxa zonke. Baza boyika kakhulu. Isithunywa ke sathi kubo: “Musani ukoyika; kaloku ndinizisele iindaba ezimnandi zovuyo olukhulu oluya kuba kubo bonke abantu. Namhlanje, edolophini kaDavide, nizalelwe uMsindisi *onguKrestu iNkosi. Nantsi into eyoba ngumqondiso kuni: nofumana usana lusongelwe eziqhiyeni, lulele emkhumbini wesitali.” Ngequbuliso kwabakho inkitha yezithunywa zezulu, ikunye nesithunywa eso, idumisa uThixo, isithi: “Makadunyiswe uThixo kweliphezulu, kube luxolo emhlabeni kubantu abamkholisayo.” Zakuba zimkile izithunywa, zisiya ezulwini, abelusi abo bathi omnye komnye: “Masihambe siye eBhetelehem, siyibone le nto ihlileyo, le siyazisiweyo yiNkosi.” Bakhawuleza ke baya, bafika kuMariya noJosefu, kwanalo usana lulele emkhumbini wesitali. Bathi bakuba bebonile, bawabhengeza amazwi awayethethwe kubo ngaye lo mntwana; baza bonke abawevileyo bamangaliswa zezo zinto zazithethwa kubo ngabelusi. Yena uMariya wazigcina zonke ezo zinto entliziyweni yakhe, wamana ezetyisa. Abelusi ke babuyela emihlambini yabo, becula bedumisa uThixo ngenxa yazo zonke izinto ababezivile bazifumana zinjengoko zazixeliwe. Akuba ntsuku zisibhozo umntwana ezelwe, kungumhla wokwaluswa kwakhe, uthiywe igama *elinguYesu, elo wayelithiyiwe sisithunywa sezulu engekakhawulwa nokukhawulwa. Zakuba ke zifezekile iintsuku zokuhlanjululwa kwabo *ngokomthetho kaMosis, uJosefu noMariya benyuka naye uYesu, baya eJerusalem, ukuze bamnikele eNkosini, njengoko kubhaliwe emthethweni weNkosi kwathiwa: “Yonke into eliduna eyeyamazibulo mayinikelwe eNkosini.” Babesiya kwenza nomnikelo, njengoko kusitshiwo emthethweni weNkosi ukuthi: “Makunikelwe ngesibini samahobe, nokuba ngamathole amabini evukuthu.”