ULukha 2:1-52
2 Ngalezonsuku uKhesari Agastu wabeka umlayo wokuthi wonke umuntu embusweni* ayebhalisa ibizo lakhe.
2 (Lokhu kwakuyikubhalisa kokuqala ngesikhathi uKhwirinu engusibalukhulu* waseSiriya.)
3 Abantu bonke bahamba bayabhalisa, lowo lalowo edolobheni lakibo.
4 Ngakho uJosefa laye wasuka edolobheni laseNazaretha eliseGalile waya eJudiya, edolobheni likaDavida elibizwa ngokuthi yiBhethilehema ngoba wayengowendlu kaDavida futhi engowosendo lwakhe.
5 Wahamba wayabhalisa elomkakhe uMariya ayesetshade laye njengokuthembisana kwabo. UMariya wayesezabeletha.
6 Sebekhonale, isikhathi sakhe sokubeletha safika.
7 Wabeletha indodana yakhe elizibulo, waseyigoqela ngamalenjana wayibeka emkolweni wokudlela izifuyo ngoba babeswele indawo ezindlini zezihambi.
8 Esabelweni leso kwakulabelusi ababehlala emlageni belinde imihlambi yabo ebusuku.
9 Masinyane nje ingilosi kaJehova yama phambi kwabo lenkazimulo kaJehova yakhanya lapho ababekhona, besaba kakhulu.
10 Kodwa ingilosi yathi kubo: “Lingesabi. Lalelani! Ngimemezela izindaba ezinhle zentokozo enkulu abantu bonke abazakuba layo.
11 Lamuhla edolobheni likaDavida lizalelwe umsindisi onguKhristu iNkosi.
12 Nanku okuzalitshengisa ukuthi nguye: Lizabona usane lugoqelwe ngamalenjana, lulaliswe emkolweni wokudlela izifuyo.”
13 Khonokho nje ingilosi le yabonakala isilebutho lasezulwini elikhulu, lidumisa uNkulunkulu lisithi:
14 “Kakhazinyuliswe uNkulunkulu osezulwini, labantu abasemhlabeni abamukelwa nguye kababe lokuthula.”
15 Izingilosi zathi sezisukile zaya ezulwini, abelusi bakhuluma bebodwa besithi: “Kasiyeni eBhethilehema khathesi, siyebona lokho osekwenzakele uJehova asitshele khona.”
16 Basuka masinyane bahamba, bafica uMariya loJosefa kanye losane lulaliswe emkolweni wokudlela izifuyo.
17 Abelusi bathi bekubona lokho, balandisa izinto ababezitsheliwe ngomntwana.
18 Bonke abakuzwayo okwakhulunywa ngabelusi bamangala,
19 kodwa uMariya wawalondoloza wonke amazwi la, enakana ngawo enhliziyweni yakhe.
20 Ngemva kwalokho abelusi babuyela bekhazimulisa uNkulunkulu futhi bemdumisa ngakho konke ababekubonile lababekuzwile. Lokho ababekutsheliwe yikho kanye abakutholayo.
21 Ngelanga lesitshiyagalombili, sekuyisikhathi sokuthi asokwe, waphiwa ibizo elithi Jesu, lelo ayeliphiwe yingilosi unina engakazithwali.
22 Kanti njalo kwafika isikhathi sokuthi bayehlanjululwa njengoba kutshiwo eMthethweni kaMosi, basebemletha eJerusalema ukuze bamethule kuJehova,
23 njengoba nje kubhaliwe eMthethweni kaJehova ukuthi: “Wonke owesilisa olizibulo kumele abizwe ngokuthi ungcwele kuJehova.”
24 Banikela ngomhlatshelo belandela uMthetho kaJehova othi: “Kumele unikele ngamajuba amabili kumbe ngenkwilimba ezincane ezimbili.”
25 EJerusalema kwakulendoda eyayithiwa nguSimiyoni eyayilungile njalo eyayizinikele kuNkulunkulu. Yayimelele ukududuzwa kwabako-Israyeli futhi umoya ongcwele wawuphezu kwayo.
26 UNkulunkulu wayekuvezile kuyo ngomoya ongcwele ukuthi yayingasoze ife ingakamboni uKhristu kaJehova.
27 Yakhokhelwa ngumoya ongcwele yangena ethempelini. Abazali bakaJesu bathi bemletha lapho eseselusane, bezokwenza lokho okutshiwo nguMthetho,
28 indoda le yaluphatha usane yadumisa uNkulunkulu yathi:
29 “Khathesi-ke Nkosi Enkulu, usuyivumele inceku yakho ukuthi ihambe ngokuthula njengoba wawuthembisile,
30 ngoba amehlo ami aseyibonile indlela ozayisebenzisa ukuthi usindise abantu,
31 oyilungise izizwe zonke zikhangele,
32 njalo eyinkazimulo yabantu bakho bako-Israyeli kanye lokukhanya okususa iveyili elembese amehlo ezizwe.”
33 Uyise womntwana kanye lonina babemangala nxa besizwa izinto ezazikhulunywa ngomntanabo.
34 Kanti njalo uSimiyoni wababusisa wasesithi kuMariya unina womntwana: “Abanengi ko-Israyeli bazakuwa ngenxa yomntwana lo, labanye abanengi bazavuka, njalo uzakuba yisibonakaliso abazakhuluma kubi ngaso
35 ukuze imicabango yezinhliziyo ezinengi ivele egcekeni. Kodwa wena* uzagwazwa yinkemba ende.”
36 Kwakulomunye umphrofethikazi okwakuthiwa ngu-Ana, owayeyindodakazi kaFanuweli owesizwana sako-Asheri. Owesifazana lo wayeseluphele futhi wayehlale lomkakhe okweminyaka eyisikhombisa ngemva kokutshada kwabo.*
37 Wayengumfelokazi njalo wayeseleminyaka engu-84. Wayehlala ekhona ethempelini, enikela inkonzo engcwele emini lebusuku, ezila futhi esenza imithandazo yokuncenga.
38 Ngalesosikhathi wasondela waqalisa ukubonga uNkulunkulu, ekhuluma ngomntwana lo kubo bonke ababelindele ukukhululwa kweJerusalema.
39 Ngakho-ke bathi sebezenzile zonke izinto belandela okuseMthethweni kaJehova, babuyela eGalile, edolobheni lakibo eNazaretha.
40 Umntwana waqhubeka ekhula futhi eqina, egcwala ukuhlakanipha njalo uNkulunkulu waqhubeka emsekela.
41 Abazali bakhe babejayele ukuya eJerusalema minyaka yonke belanda umkhosi wePhasika.
42 Eseleminyaka engu-12, bahamba emkhosini lo njengenhlalayenza.
43 Amalanga omkhosi athe esedlulile babuyela, kodwa uJesu yena wasala eJerusalema abazali bakhe bengananzeleli.
44 Bahamba okwelanga lonke becabanga ukuthi wayeseqenjini ababehamba lalo. Ngakho baqalisa ukumdinga ezihlotsheni zabo lakulabo ababesazana labo.
45 Sebemswele, babuyela eJerusalema bamdinga phansi phezulu,
46 baze bamthola ethempelini ngemva kwamalanga amathathu. Wayehlezi phakathi kwabafundisi, ebalalele futhi ebabuza imibuzo.
47 Kodwa bonke ababemlalele babelokhu bemangaliswa yikuzwisisa kwakhe lezimpendulo zakhe.
48 Abazali bakhe bathe bembona batsha amathe. Unina wasesithi kuye: “Mntanami, kungani usenze sakhathazeka kangaka? Mina loyihlo sesibhudule sabhudula sikudinga.”
49 Kodwa yena wathi kubo: “Belingidingelani? Belingakwazi yini ukuthi kumele ngibe sendlini kaBaba?”
50 Lanxa kunjalo, kabazange bakuzwisise ayekutsho.
51 Wabuyela labo eNazaretha futhi waqhubeka ezehlisa kubo.* Unina wawagcina enhliziyweni wonke amazwi la.
52 UJesu yena wayelokhu ekhula, eqhubeka ehlakanipha futhi esamukelwa nguNkulunkulu labantu.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “emhlabeni wonke.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo wakho.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “kusukela eyintombi egcweleyo.”
^ Kumbe, “ebalalela.”
