uLuka 2:1-38

Ke kaloku kwathi ngaloo mihla, kwaphuma ummiselo kuKesare Awugusto othi, malibhalwe encwadini yomlibo wokuzalwa lonke elimiweyo. Olu lubhalo lwaba lolokuqala, akubon’ ukuba uKireniyo uyirhuluneli yeSiriya. Baphuma ke bonke, besiya kubhaliswa, elowo waya kowabo. Wenyuka ke noYosefu, evela kwelaseGalili, kumzi oyiNazarete, waya kwelakwaYuda, emzini kaDavide, ekuthiwa yiBhetelehem; ngokuba ebengowendlu kaDavide, engowemizalwane yakhe; esiya kubhalwa, enoMariya, umfazi lowo wayemganelwe, selekhulelwe. Ke kaloku kwathi, xa bakhona, yazaliseka imihla yokuba azale. Wamzala unyana wakhe wamazibulo, wamsongela eziqhiyeni, wamlalisa emkhumbini wesitali, ngokuba babengenandawo endlwini yabahambi. Kwaye kukho abalusi kwakwelo lizwe, behlala ezindle, belinda ebusuku imihlambi yabo. Babona ngesithunywa seNkosi simi phezu kwabo, bathi nobuqaqawuli beNkosi bababengezelela ngeenxa zonke; besuka boyika ngokoyika okukhulu. Sathi kubo isithunywa, Musani ukoyika; kuba, yabonani, ndinishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo zovuyo olukhulu, oluya kuba kubo bonke abantu. Nizalelwe namhlanje kwisixeko sikaDavide uMsindisi, onguKrestu iNkosi. Lo ngumqondiso kuni; Nofumana lusana lusongelwe eziqhiyeni, lulele emkhumbini. Kwabakho ke ngesiquphe, ndawonye nesithunywa eso, inkitha yomkhosi wasemazulwini, idumisa uThixo, isithi, Uzuko kuThixo enyangweni, Uxolo emhlabeni, Inkolelo ebantwini. Ke kaloku kwathi, zakumka kubo izithunywa zisiya ezulwini, abo abalusi bathi omnye komnye, Masiye eBhetelehem apho, siyibone le nto ihlileyo, esiyazisiweyo nguYehova. Beza ngobungxamo, bamfumana uMariya, kwanoYosefu, nalo usana lulele emkhumbini wesitali. Bakuyibona loo nto, balibhengeza ilizwi elabe lithethwe kubo ngaye lo mntwana. Bathi bonke abo bevayo, bamangaliswa zezo zinto zabe zithethwe kubo ngabalusi. Waye ke uMariya ezigcina zonke ezi zinto eziguquguqula entliziyweni yakhe. Babuya abalusi, bemzukisa bemdumisa uThixo, ngenxa yazo zonke izinto ababezivile nababezibonile, njengoko kwabe kuthethiwe kubo. Xeshikweni ke zazizalisekile iintsuku ezisibhozo zokuba umntwana aluswe, wathiywa igama elinguYesu, elo wabelithiyiwe sisithunywa sezulu, engekamithwa nokumithwa. Zithe ke zakuzaliseka iintsuku zokuhlanjululwa kwakhe ngokomthetho kaMosis, bamsa eJerusalem, ukuba bammise phambi kweNkosi. Njengoko kubhaliweyo emthethweni weNkosi, kwathiwa, Yonke into eliduna, evula isizalo, kuthiwe ingcwele eNkosini; nokuba benze idini njengoko kutshiwoyo emthethweni kaYehova, isibini samahobe, nokuba ngamavukuthu amabini. Kwabonakala kukho umntu eYerusalem, ogama linguSimon; waye loo mntu elilungisa, emoyika uThixo, elinde intuthuzelo kaSirayeli; waye noMoya oyiNgcwele ephezu kwakhe. Wayetyhilelwa nguMoya oyiNgcwele, ukuba akayi kubona kufa, engekamboni uKristu weNkosi. Weza ngaye uMoya etempileni; kwathi, ekumngeniseni kwabo abazali umntwana uYesu, ukuba bamenzele ngokwesiko lomthetho. Wamwola ngeengalo zakhe, wambonga uThixo, wathi, Kaloku, Nkosi yam, uyamndulula ngoku umkhonzi wakho enoxolo, ngokwelizwi lakho. Ngokuba amehlo am alubonile usindiso lwakho, Owulungisileyo phambi kobuso babantu bonke; Isikhanyiso sokukhanyisela iintlanga, nesihombo sabantu bakho amaSirayeli. Bamangaliswa ooYosefu nonina zezo zinto zithethwayo ngaye. uSimon wabasikelela, wathi kuMariya unina, Uyabona, lo umiselwe ukuwa nokuvuka kwabaninzi kwaSirayeli; nokuba ngumqondiso ochasiweyo; ukuze ube nokutyhilwa izicamango eziphuma ezintliziyweni ezininzi; ewe ke, nowakho umphefumlo ikrele liya kuwutyhutyha. Kwaye kukho noAna umprofetikazi, intombi kaFanuweli, wesizwe sika-Ashere. Yena waye eselekhulile kakhulu, waye ke ebehleli nendoda iminyaka esixhenxe, ethabathela ebuntombini bakhe. Eye yena engumhlolokazi ominyaka ngathi imashumi asibhozo anamine, obengemki etempileni, ekhonza uThixo ngokuzila ukudla nangokukhunga ubusuku nemini. Wathi yena ngokwakhe, weza kwangelo lixa, wabulela kuYehova; wayethetha ngayo kubo bonke abo babelinde ukukhululwa ngentlawulelo, eYerusalem.