NgokukaLuka 1:5-25

Kwakukhona emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya, umphristi othile, ogama lakhe nguZakhariya, esigabeni sika-Abhiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe ngu-Elizabethe. Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu, behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki. Kepha babengenamntwana, ngokuba u-Elizabethe wayeyinyumba, futhi bobabili base bekhulile. Kwathi-ke uZakhariya enza umsebenzi wakhe wobuphristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu, njengokuhlelwa kwesikhathi sesigaba ayekuso, ngokomthetho wobuphristi, kwaba nguye owadliwa wunkatho ukuba angene ethempelini leNkosi, azoshisa impepho. Isixuku sonke sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sokunikelwa kwempepho. Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene se-althare lempepho. Kuthe uZakhariya eyibona wethuka, wehlelwa luvalo. Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakhariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho u-Elizabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama uthi nguJohane. Uzakujabula uthokoze ngaye; nabaningi bazakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe. Ngokuba uzakuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi; akayukuliphuza iwayini nophuzo olunamandla; uzakugcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele esesesiswini sikanina. Uyakuphendulela abaningi kubantu bakwa-Israyeli, eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo. Uyakuhamba phambi kwayo enomoya namandla ka-Eliya ukuphendula izinhliziyo zawoyise, babuyisane nabantwana, abangalaleliyo babe nokuqonda kwabalungileyo, ukulungisela iNkosi isizwe esikulungiselweyo ukufika kwayo.” UZakhariya wathi engelosini: “Ngiyakukwazi ngani lokhu na? Sengiyindoda endala, nomkami usekhule kakhulu.” Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “NginguGabhriyeli mina, omi phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume nawe, nokuba ngikubikele lezi zindaba ezinhle. Wena-ke uzakuba yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube wusuku okwenzeka ngalo lokhu, ngokuba awuwakholwanga amazwi ami azakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.” Abantu babemlindele uZakhariya nokho bamangala ngokulibala kwakhe ethempelini. Esephumile, kakwazanga ukukhuluma kubo; bakhanyelwa ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini; wayelokhu ekhuluma ngezandla, wahlala-ke eyisimungulu. Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wahamba waya ekhaya. Emva kwalezo zinsuku u-Elizabethe, umkakhe, wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, ethi: “INkosi yenze kanje kimina emihleni engibheke ngayo ngomusa ukuba ilisuse ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.”