UMathewu 2:1-23
2 UJesu wathi esezelwe eBhethilehema yaseJudiya ezinsukwini zeNkosi uHerodi,* izazi zezinkanyezi zafika eJerusalema zivela eMpumalanga,
2 zathi: “Ungaphi lowo ozelweyo oyinkosi yamaJuda? Sibone inkanyezi yakhe siseMpumalanga, yikho size lapha ukuze sizomkhothamela.”
3 INkosi uHerodi ithe ikuzwa lokhu yakhathazeka kakhulu, kwaba yiso leso lakulo lonke iJerusalema.
4 Yabuthanisa bonke abaphristi abakhokhelayo kanye lababhali, yasibabuza ukuthi uKhristu* wayezazalelwa ngaphi.
5 Bona bathi kuyo: “EBhethilehema yaseJudiya, ngoba nanku okwabhalwa kusetshenziswa umphrofethi:
6 ‘Lawe, O Bhethilehema yaselizweni lakoJuda, kawusilo dolobho elingaqakathekanga kulawo wonke kubosibalukhulu* bakoJuda, ngoba kuwe kuzavela umkhokheli ozakwelusa abantu bami ama-Israyeli.’”
7 Ngemva kwalokho uHerodi wazibizela ensitha izazi zezinkanyezi, wazibuzisisa ukuthi inkanyezi yayiphume nini.
8 Wasethuma izazi lezi eBhethilehema, wathi: “Hambani liyedingisisa ukuthi ungaphi lowomntwana. Nxa selimtholile, liphenduke lizongitshela ukuze lami ngihambe ngiyemkhothamela.”
9 Sezikuzwile okwakutshiwo yinkosi, zaqhubeka ngohambo lwazo, zasezibona nansiya inkanyezi ezaziyibone ziseseMpumalanga. Yazikhokhela yaze yayakuma maqondana lalapho umntwana omncane ayekhona.
10 Zathi zibona inkanyezi isima, zathaba zafa.
11 Sezingenile endlini, zabona nangu umntwana omncane elonina uMariya, zazilahla phansi zamkhothamela. Zasezivula amabhokisi azo zamupha izipho—igolide, lempepha* kanye lemure.*
12 Kodwa zasuka zaya elizweni lazo zihamba ngenye indlela ngoba zazixwayiswe nguNkulunkulu ephutsheni ukuthi zingabuyeli kuHerodi.
13 Izazi zezinkanyezi zathi sezisukile, ingilosi kaJehova yabonakala kuJosefa ephutsheni isithi: “Thatha umntwana lonina ubalekele eGibhithe, ufike uhlale khonale ngize ngikutshele ukuthi uphenduke ngoba uHerodi usezamdinga umntwana ukuze ambulale.”
14 Ngakho uJosefa wasuka ebusuku lomntwana kanye lonina womntwana, wahamba labo eGibhithe.
15 Wahlala khonale uHerodi waze wafa. Lokhu kwagcwalisa okwakukhulunywe nguJehova esebenzisa umphrofethi wakhe, esithi: “Ngabiza indodana yami ngathi iphume eGibhithe.”
16 UHerodi wathi ebona ukuthi izazi zezinkanyezi zazimbambise ilitshe, wazonda wabila, wasethuma abantu ukuthi babulale bonke abafana eBhethilehema lakuzo zonke izigaba zayo, kusukela kwabaleminyaka emibili kusiya phansi, esebenzisa isikhathi ayesitshelwe lapho ebuzisisa izazi zezinkanyezi.
17 Lapho-ke kwagcwaliseka okwakhulunywa kusetshenziswa umphrofethi uJeremiya owathi:
18 “Kwezwakala ilizwi eRama, kulokukhala futhi kuyizililo zodwa. KwakunguRasheli elilela abantwabakhe, njalo wayengafuni ukududuzwa ngenxa yokuthi babengasekho.”
19 UHerodi esefile, ingilosi kaJehova yabonakala kuJosefa ephutsheni eseGibhithe,
20 yathi: “Thatha umntwana lonina, uye elizweni lako-Israyeli ngoba ababefuna impilo yomntwana* sebefile.”
21 Ngakho wasuka wathatha umntwana kanye lonina, wabuyela elizweni lako-Israyeli.
22 Kodwa uthe esizwa ukuthi u-Akhelawu nguye osebusa eJudiya esikhundleni sikayise uHerodi, wesaba ukuya khona. Kanti njalo wathi esexwayiswe nguNkulunkulu ephutsheni, wasuka waya esabelweni saseGalile.
23 Wafika wahlala edolobheni okuthiwa yiNazaretha ukuze kugcwaliseke lokho okwakhulunywa kusetshenziswa abaphrofethi, ukuthi: “Uzabizwa ngokuthi ngumNazaretha.”*
Amabala angaphansi
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “uMesiya; oGcotshiweyo.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo womntwana.”
^ Kungenzakala ukuthi ibizo leli lithethwe ebaleni lesiHebheru elitsho “ihlumela.”
