Luka 1:1-41

Njengoba abanengi sebebambele isandla ukuhlela isimemezelo sezinto ezikholwayo phakathi kwethu, njengalokho basinikela bona, ababengofakazi bokuzibonela kwasekuqaleni nezikhonzi zezwi; Kwabonakala kukuhle kimi nami, sengikwazi kahle zonke izinto kusukela ekuqaleni, ukukubhalela ngokulandelana, Theyofilu odumileyo, ukuze wazi iqiniso lezinto ozifundisiweyo. Emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya kwakukhona umpristi othile ogama lakhe linguZakariya, owesigaba sika-Abiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe kungu-Elisabethe. Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu, behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi bengasoleki. Babengenamntwana, ngokuba u-Elisabethe wayeyinyumba, futhi base bekhulile bobabili. Kwasekusithi esenza inkonzo yobupristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngehlelo lesigaba sakhe. Njengomkhuba wobupristi, kwaba yinkatho yakhe ukushisa impepho, lapho engena ethempelini leNkosi. Isixuku sonke sabantu sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sempepho. Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene se-altare lempepho. UZakariya eyibona wethuka, novalo lwamehlela. Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakariya, ngokuba ukukhuleka kwakho kuzwakele; umkakho u-Elisabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJohane. Wena uyakuba nokujabula nokuthokoza; nabaningi bayakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe. Ngokuba uyakuba mkhulu phambi kweNkosi, angaphuzi wayini naphuzo oludakayo; futhi uyogcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele kusukela esizalweni sikanina. Abaningi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli uyakubaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo. Iyakuhamba phambi kwayo emoyeni nangamandla ka-Eliya ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana, nabangalaleliyo ekuhlakanipheni kwabalungileyo; ukulungisa isizwe esilungiselwe iNkosi. UZakariya wathi engelosini: “Ngiyakwazi ngani lokhu na? ngokuba mina sengimdala, nomkami usekhulile. Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “Mina nginguGabriyeli, omayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume kuwe, ngikubikele lezi zindaba ezinhle. Bheka, uyakuba yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma, kuze kufike usuku okuyakwenzeka ngalo lokho, ngokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi ami ayakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo. Abantu babemlindile uZakariya, bamangala ngokulibala kwakhe ethempelini. Esephumile wahluleka ukukhuluma labo, basebeqonda ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini, wasebaqhweba, wahlala eyisimungulu. Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wamuka waya endlini yakhe. Emva kwalezo zinsuku u-Elisabethe umkakhe wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, wathi: Yenze njalo kimi uJehova ezinsukwini eyangibheka ngazo ukususa ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu. Ngenyanga yesithupha ingelosi uGabriyeli yathunywa nguNkulunkulu emzini waseGalile othiwa iNazaretha. Entombini eyayimiselwe indoda egama layo linguJosefa wendlu kaDavide; lebizo lentombi nguMariya. Ingelosi yangena kuye, yathi: “Sawubona, wena ophiwe umusa, uJehova unawe; ubusisiwe wena phakathi kwabesifazane. Kwathi eyibona wethuka ngezwi layo, wacabanga ukuthi kungaba kubingelela bani lokhu. Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Mariya, ngokuba ufumene umusa kuNkulunkulu. Bheka, uzakukhulelwa, uzale indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJesu. Yena uyakuba mkhulu, ibizwe ngokuthi iNdodana yoPhezukonke, futhi iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavide. Uyakubusa phezu kwendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade; nombuso wakhe awuyikuba nakuphela. UMariya wayesethi engelosini: “Lokhu kuyakwenzeka kanjani, lokhu ngingayazi indoda na? Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, namandla oPhezukonke akusibekele; Bheka, u-Elisabethe umzala wakho, naye ukhulelwe indodana esebudaleni bakhe; Ngokuba akukho lutho olungenzeke kuNkulunkulu. UMariya wathi: “Bheka, ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi; makube kimi njengezwi lakho. Ingelosi yamuka kuye. Ngalezo zinsuku uMariya wasuka waya ngokushesha ezintabeni, emzini wakwaJuda; Wangena endlini kaZakariya, wabingelela u-Elisabethe. Kwathi u-Elisabethe ezwa ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana waxhuma esizalweni sakhe; u-Elisabethe wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele