Bonke baya kubalwa, yilowo nalowo emzini wakubo.
Naye uJosefa wakhuphuka ephuma eGalile emzini waseNazaretha, waya eJudiya emzini kaDavide othiwa iBetlehema, ngokuba wayengowendlu nozalo lukaDavide, ukuyobalwa kanye noMariya owayemmiselwe ukuba abe ngumkakhe, ekhulelwe. Kwathi-ke beselapho, zaphelela izinsuku zokuba abelethe. Wazibula ngendodana, wayembesa, wayilalisa emkhombeni, ngokuba bantula indawo endlini yezihambi.
Kwakukhona abelusi kulelo zwe ababehlezi endle, belinda umhlambi wabo ebusuku. Ingelosi yeNkosi yema phambi kwabo, inkazimulo yeNkosi yabakhanyisa nxazonke; besaba ngokwesaba okukhulu. Ingelosi yathi kubo: “Ningesabi; ngokuba bhekani, nginibikela izindaba ezinhle zokuthokoza okukhulu okuzakuba kubantu bonke, ukuthi nizalelwe namuhla uMsindisi onguKristu iNkosi emzini kaDavide. Nalokhu kuyisiboniso kini: niyakufumana umntwana embesiwe, elele emkhombeni.”
Masinyane kwaba khona kanye nengelosi uquqaba lwebandla lasezulwini, lumdumisa uNkulunkulu, luthi:
“Udumo kuNkulunkulu kweliphezulu,
nokuthula emhlabeni kubantu abathokozelwa nguye.”
Kwathi ukuba zimuke kubo izingelosi ziya ezulwini, abelusi bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Asihambe manje, size sifike eBetlehema, sibone leyo nto eyenzekileyo iNkosi esazisile yona.”
Bephuthuma bafika, bafumanisa oMariya noJosefa, nomntwana olele emkhombeni. Sebebonile balanda ngalelo zwi ababetshelwe lona ngalowo mntwana. Bonke abezwayo bamangala ngokukhulunywe kubo ngabelusi. Kepha uMariya wagcina onke lawo mazwi ezindla ngawo enhliziyweni yakhe. Babuya-ke abelusi bemdumisa, bembonga uNkulunkulu ngakho konke abakuzwileyo nabakubonileyo, njengalokho kwakukhulunyiwe kubo.
Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili zokuba umntwana asokwe, igama lakhe lathiwa uJesu, elaliqanjiwe yingelosi, engakathatshathwa esiswini.
Kwathi ukuba kuphelele izinsuku zokuhlanjululwa kwabo ngokomthetho kaMose, benyukela naye eJerusalema ukuba bammise phambi kweNkosi njengokulotshiwe emthethweni weNkosi ukuthi: “Konke okwesilisa okuyizibulo kuyakuthiwa okwahlukaniselwe iNkosi”, banikele ngomhlatshelo njengokushiwo emthethweni weNkosi: “Amahobhe amabili noma amaphuphu amabili amajuba.”
Bheka, kwakukhona umuntu eJerusalema ogama lakhe linguSimeyoni; lo muntu wayelungile, emesaba uNkulunkulu, ebhekile induduzo ka-Israyeli; noMoya oNgcwele wayephezu kwakhe. Kwakubonakalisiwe kuye ngoMoya oNgcwele ukuthi akayikubona ukufa engakamboni uKristu weNkosi. Wafika ngoMoya ethempelini. Kwathi ukuba abazali balethe umntwana uJesu ethempelini ukuba benze kuye njengesiko lomthetho, wamamukela ngokumgona, wambonga uNkulunkulu, wathi:
“Sale usumukisa ngokuthula inceku yakho,
Somandla, njengezwi lakho,
ngokuba amehlo ami abonile insindiso yakho
oyilungisele ebusweni babantu bonke,
ukukhanya kokwambulela abezizwe
nenkazimulo yesizwe sakho u-Israyeli.”
Uyise nonina bamangala ngalokho okukhulunywa ngaye. USimeyoni wababusisa, wathi kuMariya unina: “Bheka, lo umiselwe ukuwa nokuvuka kwabaningi ku-Israyeli, nesibonakaliso esiphikwayo – yebo, inkemba iyakudabula nowakho umphefumulo – ukuba kwambulwe izizindlo zezinhliziyo eziningi.”
Kwakukhona nomprofethikazi, u-Ana, indodakazi kaFanuweli, owesizwe sika-Aseri; wayesekhulile kakhulu, ebehlalile nendoda iminyaka eyisikhombisa emva kobuntombi bakhe, engumfelokazi waze waba neminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nane, engasuki ethempelini, ekhonza ngokuzila nangokukhuleka ubusuku nemini. Naye-ke efika ngasona leso sikhathi wamtusa uNkulunkulu, wakhuluma ngaye kubo bonke ababebheke ukukhululwa kweJerusalema.
Kwathi sebefeze konke okungokomthetho weNkosi babuyela eGalile emzini wakubo iNazaretha. Wakhula umntwana, waba namandla, wagcwala ukuhlakanipha; nomusa kaNkulunkulu wawuphezu kwakhe.
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