¹ Labanyenti batsetse lomsebenti wekufaka kanye kanye umbiko waletintfo letagcwaliseka emkhatsisini wetfu, ² njengobe tabhalelwa tsine phasi ngulabo labebatibona ekucaleni netisebenti telivi. ³ Ngako kwabonakala kukuhle kimi futsi, ngobe ngiphenyisise konkhe kusukela ekucaleni, kubhala ngalokuhlelekile nginilandzise, Tiyofelasi lohloniphekile, ⁴ khona nitokwati letintfo leticinisekile lenafundziswa tona. ⁵ Emalangeni enkhosi Herodi waseJudiya kwakunemphristi lotsite labebitwa ngekutsi nguZakhariya abewelicembu la-Abiya; umkakhe Elizabethe naye abewesitukulwane sa Aroni. ⁶ Bobabili bebalungile phambi kwaNkulunkulu, bahamba kuyo yonkhe imiyalo nemitsetfo yeNkhosi. ⁷ Kepha bebete umntfwana ngoba Elizabethi abengatali, futsi bobabili besebakhulile ngalesikhatsi lesi. ⁸ Nyalo kwefika lapho khona Zekhariya abesebukhoneni baNkulunkulu, enta imisebenti yebuphristi njengalokwetayelekile. ⁹ Ngelisiko indlela yekukhetsa kutsi ngumuphi umphristi lotokhonta, wakhetfwa ngenkatho kutsi angene ethempelini leNkhosi ashise imphepho. ¹⁰ Sonkhe lesicuku sebantfu besithandaza ngephandle ngesikhatsi lesibekiwe ngesikhatsi lemphepho ishiswa. ¹¹ Manje ingelosi yeNkhosi yavela kuye yema futsi ime ngesekudla selilati lekushisela imphepho. ¹² Nakayibona Zakhariya, wetfuka, nekwesaba kwefika kuye. ¹³ Kepha lengelosi yatsi kuye, ''Ungesabi, Zekhariya, ngoba imithandazo yakho seyivakele. Umkakho Elizabethe utakutalela indvodzana. Utametsa utsi nguJohane libito lakhe. ¹⁴ Utawuba nenjabulo nentfokoto, futsi labanyenti batawujabula ekutalweni kwakhe. ¹⁵ Ngobe utawuba mkhululu emehlweni eNkhosi. Akumeli anatse liwayini nome tinatfo letidzakanako, futsi utawugcwaliswa ngaMoya Longcwele kusukela esibeletfweni samake wakhe. ¹⁶ Labanyenti baka-Israyeli labamahlubuka batawugucukela eNkhosini Nkulunkulu wabo. ¹⁷ Utawuhamba phambi kwebuso beNkhosi kumoya nemandla a-Elija, kuyoguculela tinhlitiyo tabobabe kubantfwana nalabangalaleli enhlakaniphweni yekulunga- kubenta labantfu balungele yona iNkhosi.'' ¹⁸ Zekhariya watsi kulengelosi, ''Ngingakwati kanjani loku? Ngoba ngiyindvodza lendzala futsi umkami mudzala kakhulu.'' ¹⁹ Lengelosi yamphendvula bese yatsi kuye, ''NginguGabriyeli, lome ebukhoneni baNkulunkulu. Ngitfunywe kutokhuluma kuwe, kutoletsa lelivangeli leli. ²⁰ Buka! Utawuba simungulu, ungakhoni kukhuluma, lize lelinga laletintfo leti tigcwaliseke. Loku kungoba awukawakholwa emavi ami, latawugcaliseka ngesikhatsi lesingiso.'' ²¹ Manje labantfu bebamele Zakhariya. Bamangala kutsi utsetse sikhatsi lesidze ethempelini. ²² Kepha uma aphuma, akakhonanga kukhuluma nabo. Babona kutsi ubone umbono uma asesethempelini. Abephele kwenta timphawu kubo wahlala waba simungulu. ²³ Kwefika kutsi uma emalanga ekusebenta aphele, waya endlini yakhe. ²⁴ Emvakwalamalanga lawa, umkakhe Elizabethe wakhulelwa watifihla tinyanga letintsatfu. Watsi, ²⁵ ''Loku nguloku iNkhosi lengentele kona uma ingibuka seyingisitile isuse lihlazo lami phambi kwebantfu.'' ²⁶ Enyangeni yesitfupha, ingelosi Gabhriyeli yatfunyelwa ichamuka kuNkulunkulu iya edolobheni eGalile lelitsiwa iNazaretha, ²⁷ entfombini lebeyimiselwe indvodza libito layo bekungu Josefa, lobekawesitukulwane saDavide, libito lalentfombi bekungu Mariya. ²⁸ Weta kuye watsi, ''Ngiyakubingelela, wena lobusisekile! INkhosi inawe.'' ²⁹ Kepha waphiceka kakhulu ngalamavi akhe futsi wakhatsateka kutsi kungaba luhlobo luni lekuvuselwa leli. ³⁰ Lengelosi yatsi kuye, ''Ungesabi, Mariya, ngoba utfola umusa naNkulunkulu. ³¹ Buka, utawukhulelwa esibelethweni sakho bese utala indvodzana. Utawumetsa libito 'Jesu' libito lakhe. ³² Utawuba mkhulu futsi utawubitwa Indvodzana yalosetikwako konkhe. INkhosi Nkulunkulu itamunika lesihlalo sakhokho wakhe Davide. ³³ Utawubusa tikwendlu yaJakobe phakadze, futsi umbuso wakhe ungeke ube nesiphetfo.'' ³⁴ Mariya watsi kulengelosi, ''Kungenteka njani loku, ngingakahlangani nome nguyiphi indvodza?'' ³⁵ Lengelosi yaphendvula yatsi kuye, ''Moya Longcwele utawuta tikwakho, bese emandla alosetikwako konkhe atawuta tikwakho. Ngako longcwele lototalwa utawubitwa ngekutsi Indvodzana yaNkulunkulu. ³⁶ Buka, sihlobo sakho Elizabethe ukhulelwe indvodzana ebudzaleni bakhe. Lena inyanga yakhe yesitfupha, yena lobekabitwa ngenyumba. ³⁷ Ngoba Nkulunkulu kute lokumehlulako.'' ³⁸ Mariya watsi, ''Buka, ngisisebenti lesisikati seNkhosi. Akwenteke kimi ngendlela yembiko wakho.'' Yabese lengelosi iyamshiya. ³⁹ Mariya wabese uyavuka kulawo malanga masinyane waya edvwaleni lelive, edolobheni eJudiya. ⁴⁰ Waya emtini wa Zakhariya wayawuvusela Elizabethe. ⁴¹ Manje kwenteka kutsi ngesikhatsi Elizabethe eva kubingelela kwaMariya, lomntfwana wagcuma esiswini sakhe, Elizabethe wagcwaliswa ngaMoya Longcwele. ⁴² Waphakamisa liphimbo lakhe wakhuluma kakhulu watsi, ''Ubusisiwe wena kulabasikati, futsi nentalo yesisu sakho ibusisiwe. ⁴³ Leni kwenteke kimi kutsi make weNkhosi yami angeta kimi? ⁴⁴ Ngobe buka, ngesikhatsi kubingelela kwakho kufika emadlebeni ami, lomntfwana esiswini sami wagcuma ngenca yenjabulo.'' ⁴⁵ Ubusisiwe nguloyo lokholwe kutsi kutawuba nekugcwaliseka kwetintfo letatjelwa yena letichamuka eNkhosini.'' ⁴⁶ Mariya watsi, ''Umphefumulo wami udvumisa iNkhosi, ⁴⁷ futsi umoya wami uyatfokota ngaNkulunkulu uMhlengi wami. ⁴⁸ Ngoba ubuke simo lesiphasi sesisebenti sakhe lesisikati. Ngobe buka, kusukela manje tonkhe titukulwane titawungibita lobusisekile. ⁴⁹ Ngobe loyo lonemandla sewungentele tintfo letinkhulu, futsi libito lakhe lingcwele. ⁵⁰ Umusa wakhe uyema kusukela esitukulwaneni kuya esitukulwaneni kulabo labamesabako. ⁵¹ Ukhombise emandla ngemkhono wakhe; usakate labo labatigcabhako ngemicabango yetinhlitiyo tabo. ⁵² Wehlisa phasi emakhosi etihlalweni tabo bese uphakamisa labo labasetimeni letiphasi. ⁵³ Wesutsise labalambile ngetintfo letinhle, kepha kulabacebile bahambe bete lutfo. ⁵⁴ Unike lusito encekwini yakhe Israyeli, ngako kukhumbula kukhombisa umusa ⁵⁵ (njengobe asho kubokhokho betfu) kuAbrahama nesitukulwane sakhe phakadze.'' ⁵⁶ Mariya wahlala naElizabethe tinyanga letingacishe tibe tintsatfu wabese ubuyela ekhaya lakhe. ⁵⁷ Manje sesifikile sikhatsi saElizabethe kubeleka umntfwana wakhe futsi wabeleka indvodzana. ⁵⁸ Bomakhelwane bakhe netihlobo teva kutsi Inkhosi seyikhombise umusa lomkhulu kuye, bese batfokota kanye naye. ⁵⁹ Manje kwenteka ngelilanga lesiphohlongo kutsi bete batosoka lomntfwana. Bebatawumetsa ''Zakhariya,'' emvakwelibito leyise. ⁶⁰ Kepha unina wakhe waphendvula watsi, ''Cha. Utawubitwa Johane.'' ⁶¹ Batsi kuye, ''Kute ngisho sinye sihlobo sakho lesibitwa ngalelibito leli.'' ⁶² Benta timphawu ngetandla kubabe wakhe kutsi abefuna etsiwe atsiweni. ⁶³ Uyise wakhe wacela kokubhalela wabhala, ''Libito lakhe nguJohane.'' Bamangala bonkhe kuloku. ⁶⁴ Ngaleso sikhatsi umlomo wakhe wavuleka nelulwimi lwakhe lwakhululeka. Wakhuluma futsi wadvumisa Nkulunkulu. ⁶⁵ Kwesaba kwefika kubo bonkhe labebaphila madvute nabo. Tonkhe letindzaba leti tandza kulolonkhe live letintsaba taseJudiya. ⁶⁶ Bonkhe lababeva batigcina etinhlitiyweni tabo, batsi, ''Utawuba yini lontfwana lona?'' Ngobe sandla seNkhosi sasisetikwakhe. ⁶⁷ Babe wakhe Zakhariya wagcwala ngaMoya Longcwele waphrofetha, atsi, ⁶⁸ ''Ayidvunyiswe iNkhosi, lenguNkulunkulu waIsrayeli, ngobe utele kutosita futsi ukugcwalisile kuhlengwa kwebantfu bakhe. ⁶⁹ Usivusele luphondvo lwensindziso endlini yesisebenti sakhe Davide ⁷⁰ (njengobe wakhuluma ngemlomo wemphrofethi wakhe longcwele kusukela kadzeni), ⁷¹ insindziso etitseni tetfu nasesandleni sabo bonkhe labasenyanyako. ⁷² Utakwenta loku kukhombisa sihawu kubokhokho betfu futsi nekukhumbula sifungo sakhe lesingcwele, ⁷³ lesifungo lasikhuluma kuAbrahama babe wetfu. ⁷⁴ Wafunga kukwenta kwenteke kitsi kutsi tsine, nasesikhululiwe esandleni setitsa tetfu, sitamkhonta ngaphandle kwekwesaba ⁷⁵ ebungcweleni nasekulungeni phambi kwakhe emalanga etfu onkhe. ⁷⁶ Yebo, futsi nawe, ntfwana, utawubitwa umphrofethi walosetikwako konkhe, ngoba utawuhamba phambi kwebuso beNkhosi kuyolungisa indlela yakhe, kulungiselela bantfu ngekuta kwakhe, ⁷⁷ kunika lwati lwensindziso kubantfu bakhe ngekucolelwa kwetono tabo. ⁷⁸ Loku kutawenteka ngenca yalesihawu lesihle saNkulunkulu wetfu, ngenca yekuphuma kwelilanga ngetulu litawuta kutawusisita, ⁷⁹ kutokhanyisa kulabo labahleli ebumnyameni nasetfuntini lekufa. Utakwenta loku kucondzisa tinyawo tetfu endleleni yekuthula.'' ⁸⁰ Manje lomtfwana wakhula waba nemandla emoyeni, waba sehlane kwaze kwaba lilanga lavela ngalo ebaleni ku-Israyeli.