IVangeli Elabhalwa NguMathewu
2 UJesu wathi esezelwe eBhethilehema+ yaseJudiya ezinsukwini zeNkosi uHerodi,*+ izazi zezinkanyezi zafika eJerusalema zivela eMpumalanga, 2 zathi: “Ingaphi inkosi yamaJuda ezelweyo?+ Sibone inkanyezi yayo siseMpumalanga, yikho size lapha ukuzoyikhothamela.” 3 INkosi uHerodi ithe ikuzwa lokhu yakhathazeka kakhulu, kwaba yiso leso lakuyo yonke iJerusalema. 4 Yabuthanisa bonke abaphristi abakhokhelayo lababhali, yasibabuza ukuthi uKhristu* wayezazalelwa ngaphi. 5 Bona bathi kuyo: “EBhethilehema+ yaseJudiya ngoba nanku okwabhalwa ngumphrofethi: 6 ‘Lawe Bhethilehema eselizweni lakoJuda, bonke ababusi* bakoJuda akumelanga babone angathi ulidolobho elingaqakathekanga ngoba kuwe kuzavela umkhokheli ozakwelusa abantu bami bako-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 okwakulomntwana omncane khona. 10 Zathi zibona inkanyezi isima zathaba zafa. 11 Sezingenile endlini zabona umntwana omncane elonina uMariya, zazilahla phansi zamkhothamela. Zasezivula amabhokisi azo zamupha izipho, igolide, lemure* lenhlaka yokwenza impepha.* 12 Kodwa zabuyela elizweni lazo ngenye indlela ngoba uNkulunkulu wazixwayisa ephutsheni+ ukuthi zingabuyeli kuHerodi.
13 Izazi zezinkanyezi zathi sezisukile, ingilosi kaJehova* yabonakala kuJosefa ephutsheni+ yathi: “Thatha umntwana lonina ubalekele eGibhithe, uyehlala khona ngize ngikutshele ukuthi uphenduke ngoba uHerodi usezamdinga umntwana ukuze ambulale.” 14 Ngakho uJosefa wasuka ebusuku lomntwana lonina womntwana, wahamba labo eGibhithe. 15 Wahlala khonale uHerodi waze wafa. Lokhu kwagcwalisa okwakukhulunywe nguJehova* esebenzisa umphrofethi wakhe owathi: “Ngayibiza indodana yami ukuthi iphume eGibhithe.”+
16 UHerodi wathi ebona ukuthi izazi zezinkanyezi zazimbambise ilitshe, wazonda wabila. Wathuma abantu ukuthi babulale bonke abafana eBhethilehema lakuzo zonke izigaba zayo, kusukela kwabaleminyaka emibili kusiya phansi. Lokhu wakutsho esebenzisa isikhathi ayesitshelwe yizazi zezinkanyezi lapho ezibuzisisa.+ 17 Lapho-ke kwagcwaliseka lokho uNkulunkulu akukhuluma esebenzisa umphrofethi uJeremiya owathi: 18 “Kwezwakala ilizwi eRama, ukukhala lokulila okukhulu. KwakunguRasheli+ ekhalela abantwabakhe, engafuni lokududuzwa ngenxa yokuthi babengasekho.”+
19 Kwathi uHerodi esefile, ingilosi kaJehova* yabonakala kuJosefa ephutsheni+ eseGibhithe, 20 yathi: “Thatha umntwana lonina ubuyele elizweni lako-Israyeli ngoba ababefuna ukubulala umntwana 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 seGalile.+ 23 Wafika wahlala edolobheni okuthiwa yiNazaretha+ ukuze kugcwaliseke lokho uNkulunkulu akukhuluma esebenzisa abaphrofethi, ukuthi: “Uzabizwa ngokuthi ngumNazaretha.”*+