Isahluko 1
1 Njengokuba abaningi sebezamile ukulanda ngokuhlelekile ngalezo zindaba ezigcwaliseke phakathi kwethu,
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njengalokho basinika zona labo ababekhona kwasekuqaleni, bezibonela ngamehlo, beyizikhonzi zezwi,
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kwasengathi kuhle nakimina, lokhu ngizihlolisisile zonke izinto, kusukela ekuqaleni, ngikulobele ngokulandelana, Theyofilu odumileyo,
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ukuze wazi ukuqiniseka kwalezo zindaba ozifundisiweyo.
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Emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya kwakukhona umpristi othile ogama lakhe nguZakariya, esigabeni sika-Abiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe ngu-Elisabethe.
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Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki.
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Kepha babengenamntwana, ngokuba u-Elisabethe wayeyinyumba; bobabili base bekhulile.
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Kwathi-ke esayenza inkonzo yobupristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu njengokuhlelwa kwesikhathi sesigaba sakubo,
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ngokomthetho wobupristi kwaba nguye owabelwa ukungena ethempelini leNkosi, azoshisa impepho.
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Isixuku sonke sabantu sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sempepho.
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Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene se-altare lempepho.
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UZakariya eyibona wethuka, wehlelwa luvalo.
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Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho u-Elisabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJohane.
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Uzakuba nokujabula nokuthokoza wena; nabaningi bazakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe.
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Ngokuba uzakuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi; kasoze waphuza iwayini nophuzo oludakisayo; uzakugcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele esesesiswini sikanina.
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Abaningi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli uyakubaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo.
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Uyakuhamba ngaphambi kwayo emoyeni nasemandleni ka-Eliya ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana nabangalaleliyo ekuqondeni kwabalungileyo, ukulungisela iNkosi isizwe esilungiselweyo.”
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UZakariya wathi engelosini: “Ngiyakukwazi ngani lokhu na? Ingani sengiyindoda endala mina, nomkami uqhubekile ezinsukwini zakhe.”
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Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “NginguGabriyeli mina, omiyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume kuwe, ngikubikele lezi zindaba ezinhle.
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Bheka-ke, uzakuba yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube lusuku okwenzeka ngalo lokhu, ngokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi ami azakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.”
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Abantu bemlindele uZakariya bamangala ngokulibala kwakhe ethempelini.
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Kuthe esephuma, wahluleka ukukhuluma kubo; bazi ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini; wayelokhu ebaqhweba, wahlala eyisimungulu.
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Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wamuka waya ekhaya.
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Kepha emva kwalezo zinsuku u-Elisabethe umkakhe wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, wathi:
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“Yenze njalo iNkosi kimi emihleni eyangibheka ngayo ukususa ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.”
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Ngenyanga yesithupha ingelosi uGabriyeli yathunywa nguNkulunkulu emzini waseGalile ogama lawo yiNazaretha,
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entombini eyayimiselwe indoda ebizo layo nguJosefa wendlu kaDavide; ibizo lentombi nguMariya.
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Yangena ingelosi kuye, yathi: “E wena ophiwe umusa! INkosi inawe; ubusisiwe esifazaneni.”
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Kepha yena wethuka ngezwi layo ezindla ngokuthi kungaba ngukubingelela kuni lokhu.
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Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Mariya, ngokuba ufumene umusa kuNkulunkulu.
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Bheka, uzakukhulelwa, uzale indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJesu.
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Yena uyakuba mkhulu, athiwe iNdodana yoPhezukonke; iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavide;
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uyakuba yinkosi yendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade, nombuso wakhe awuyikuba nakuphela.”
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UMariya wathi engelosini: “Lokhu kuyakwenzeka kanjani, njengokuba ngingayazi indoda na?”
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Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, amandla oPhezukonke akusibekele; ngakho-ke okungcwele okuzozalwa kuzakuthiwa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
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Bheka, u-Elisabethe isihlobo sakho naye ukhulelwe indodana esemdala; lena ngeyesithupha yakhe obethiwa inyumba.
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Ngokuba akukho lutho olungenzeke kuNkulunkulu.”
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UMariya wathi: “Bheka, ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi; akube kimi njengezwi lakho.” Ingelosi yamuka kuye.
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Ngalezo zinsuku uMariya wasuka waya ngokushesha kwelezintaba emzini wakwaJuda.
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Wangena endlini kaZakariya, wambingelela u-Elisabethe.
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Kwathi ukuba u-Elisabethe ezwe ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sakhe; u-Elisabethe wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele,
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wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ubusisiwe wena esifazaneni! Sibusisiwe nesithelo sesisu sakho!
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Ngehlelwe kanjani yilokhu ukuba unina weNkosi yami ahambele kimi na?
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Ngokuba bheka, kuthe izwi lokubingelela kwakho lifika ezindlebeni zami, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sami ngokujabula.
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Ubusisiwe owakholwayo, ngokuba kuzakuba khona ukufezeka kwalokho akutshelwa, kuvela eNkosini.”
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Wayesethi uMariya: “Umphefumulo wami uyayitusa Nkosi,
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nomoya wami uyathokoza kuNkulunkulu, uMsindisi wami,
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ngokuba ubhekile ubuphansi bencekukazi yakhe. Bheka, kusukela manje izizukulwane zonke ziyakuthi ngibusisiwe.
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Ngokuba uSomandla ungenzele izinto ezinkulu: igama lakhe lingcwele.
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Isihawu sakhe sikuzo izizukulwane ngezizukulwane kubo abamesabayo.
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Wenzile amandla ngengalo yakhe; uchithile abazidlayo ekuzidleni kwenhliziyo yabo.
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Uwisile amakhosi ezihlalweni, uphakamisile abantukazana.
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Abalambileyo ubasuthisile ngezinto ezinhle, abacebileyo ubamukise ze.
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Uyisizile inceku yakhe u-Israyeli, ukuze akhumbule isihawu,
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njengalokho akusho kokhokho bethu ku-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe kuze kube phakade.”
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UMariya wahlala naye kungathi izinyanga ezintathu, wabuyela ekhaya.
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Saphelela-ke isikhathi sika-Elisabethe sokuba abelethe; wazala indodana.
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Abakhelene naye nezihlobo zakhe bezwa ukuthi iNkosi yenze isihawu sayo saba sikhulu kuye, bathokoza naye.
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Kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili beza ukusoka umntwana, bamqamba ngegama likayise uZakariya.
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Unina wayesephendula ethi: “Qhabo, uzakuthiwa uJohane.”
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Bathi kuye: “Akakho noyedwa emndenini wakini obizwa ngalelo gama.”
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Bamqhweba uyise ukuthi ufuna ukumqamba ngaliphi.
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Wabiza isileti, waloba ukuthi. “NguJohane igama lakhe.” Bamangala bonke.
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Kwase kuvuleka umlomo wakhe khona lapho nolimi lwakhe, wakhuluma embonga uNkulunkulu.
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Bonke abakhelene nabo behlelwa ngukwesaba, bakhuluma ngazo zonke lezo zindaba kulo lonke lezintaba laseJudiya,
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nabo bonke abazizwayo bazigcina ezinhliziyweni zabo, bethi: “Kodwa lo mntwana uyakuba yini na?” Isandla seNkosi sasinaye.
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UZakariya uyise wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, waprofetha wathi:
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“Mayibongwe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngokuba ibahambele abantu bayo, yabenzela inkululeko.
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Yasivusela uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavide inceku yayo,
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njengalokho yakhuluma ngomlomo wabaprofethi bayo abangcwele basendulo,
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insindiso ezitheni zethu nasesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo,
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ukwenzela okhokho bethu isihawu nokukhumbula isivumelwano sayo esingcwele,
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isifungo eyasifunga kubaba u-Abrahama,
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ukusinika ukuba sithi sikhululiwe esandleni sezitha zethu, siyikhonze singenakwesaba
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ngobungcwele nangokulunga phambi kwayo zonke izinsuku zethu.
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Nawe-ke mntwana, uyakuthiwa umprofethi woPhezukonke, ngokuba uyakuhamba phambi kweNkosi ukulungisa izindlela zayo
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ukunika abantu bayo ukuyazi insindiso ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo,
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ngemisesane yesihawu sikaNkulunkulu wethu esizakuhanjelwa ngayo ngukusa kwaphezulu,
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ukubakhanyisela abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa nokuqondisa izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”
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Wakhula-ke umntwana, waba namandla emoyeni; wahlala ehlane kwaze kwaba lusuku lokubonakaliswa kwakhe ku-Israyeli.