Abantu bonke bahamba kwaba yilowo nalowo ukuyobalwa emzini wakubo.
UJosefa naye wakhuphukela eGalile, emzini iNazaretha, waya eJudiya, umuzi kaDavide, okuthiwa yiBhethlehema, ngokuba wayengowendlu nowolibo lukaDavide, ukuze ayobalwa kanye noMariya owayemethembise ukuba abe ngumkakhe, ekhulelwe. Kwathi beselapho, safika isikhathi sokuba uMariya abelethe. Wazibula ngendodana, wayisonga ngendwangu, wayilalisa emkhombeni, ngokuba beswela indawo endlini yezihambi.
Kwakukhona abelusi kulelo lizwe ababehlezi endle, belinda umhlambi wabo ebusuku. Ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala kubo, inkazimulo yeNkosi yabakhanyisa nxazonke; bagcwala ukwesaba okukhulu. Ingelosi yathi kubo: “Ningesabi, ngokuba nginibikela izindaba ezinhle zokuthokoza okukhulu okuzakuba kubantu bonke, ukuthi namuhla nizalelwe uMsindisi, onguKhristu iNkosi, emzini kaDavide. Lokhu kuyisibonakaliso kini: Niyakufumana umntwana esongiwe, elele emkhombeni.”
Masinyane kwaba khona kanye nengelosi uquqaba lwebandla lasezulwini, lumdumisa uNkulunkulu, luthi:
“Udumo kuNkulunkulu kweliphezulu,
nokuthula emhlabeni kubantu abathokozelwa nguye.”
Kwathi ukuba zihambe izingelosi, zibuyela ezulwini, abelusi bathi omunye komunye: “Masihambe manje siye eBhethlehema, sibone le nto eyenzekileyo, iNkosi esazise ngayo.”
Baphuthuma baya khona, bafica uMariya, noJosefa, nomntwana elele emkhombeni. Sebebonile, balanda ngalelo lizwi ababelitsheliwe ngalo mntwana. Bonke abezwayo bamangala ngokukhulunywe kubo ngabelusi. Kepha uMariya wawalonda wonke lawo mazwi, ezindla ngawo enhliziyweni yakhe. Abelusi baphindela emuva bemdumisa, bembonga uNkulunkulu ngakho konke ababekuzwile nababekubonile, njengokuba kwakukhulunyiwe kubo.
Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili, umntwana wasokwa, wayeseqanjwa igama kwathiwa nguJesu, igama elalishiwo yingelosi unina engakakhulelwa.
Kwathi ukuba ziphelele izinsuku zokuhlanjululwa kwabo ngokomthetho kaMose, benyukela naye eJerusalema ukuba bayomethula eNkosini, njengalokhu kulotshiwe emthethweni weNkosi ukuthi: “Konke okwesilisa okuyizibulo kuyakuthiwa okwehlukaniselwe iNkosi, nokuba banikele ngomhlatshelo njengokushiwo emthethweni weNkosi, amahobhe amabili noma amaphuphu amabili amajuba.”
Kwakukhona umuntu eJerusalema, ogama lakhe kunguSimeyoni. Lo muntu wayelungile, futhi emesaba uNkulunkulu, elindele induduzo ka-Israyeli, uMoya oNgcwele wayephezu kwakhe. Wembulelwa nguMoya oNgcwele ukuthi akayukufa engakamboni uKhristu, iNkosi. Wafika ngoMoya ethempelini. Kwathi ukuba abazali balethe umntwana uJesu ethempelini ukuba bamenzele lokho okuyisiko lomthetho, wamemukela ngokumgona, wambonga uNkulunkulu, wathi:
“Nkosi, sale usumukisa inceku yakho ngokuthula,
njengezwi lakho,
ngokuba amehlo ami ayibonile 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: “Lo umiselwe ukuwa nokuvuka kwabaningi ku-Israyeli, nokuba yisibonakaliso esiphikwayo – yebo, inkemba iyakudabula nowakho umphefumulo – ukuba kwambulwe izizindlo zezinhliziyo eziningi.”
Kwakukhona nomphrofethikazi, u-Ana, owayeyindodakazi kaFanuweli, wesizwe sika-Aseri; wayesekhule kakhulu. Wayehlale nendoda yakhe iminyaka eyisikhombisa emva kobuntombi bakhe. Wayengumfelokazi waze waba neminyaka engama-84, engasuki ethempelini, ekhonza ngokuzila nangokukhuleka ubusuku nemini. Naye-ke wafika ngaleso sikhathi, wamtusa uNkulunkulu, wabatshela ngaye bonke ababebheke ukukhululwa kweJerusalema.
Kwathi sebekufeze konke okungokomthetho weNkosi babuyela eGalile, emzini wakubo, iNazaretha. Wakhula umntwana, waba namandla, wagcwala ukuhlakanipha; umusa kaNkulunkulu wawuphezu kwakhe.
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