NgokukaMathewu

Isahluko Sokuqala

¹ Incwadi yokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu, indodana kaDavide, indodana ka-Abrahama. ² U-Abrahama wazala u-Isaka, u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala uJuda nabafowabo; ³uJuda wazala oFaresi noZara kuTamari, uFaresi wazala u-Esiromu, u-Esiromu wazala u-Aramu; ⁴u-Aramu wazala u-Aminadaba, u-Aminadaba wazala uNasoni, uNasoni wazala uSalimoni; ⁵uSalimoni wazala uBowasi kuRakhabi, uBowasi wazala u-Obede kuRuthe, u-Obede wazala uJesayi; ⁶uJesayi wazala uDavide, inkosi. UDavide wazala uSolomoni kumka-Uriya; ⁷uSolomoni wazala uRobowamu, uRobowamu wazala u-Abiya, u-Abiya wazala u-Asafa; ⁸u-Asafa wazala uJosafati, uJosafati wazala uJoramu, uJoramu wazala u-Oziya; ⁹u-Oziya wazala uJothamu, uJothamu wazala u-Akazi, u-Akazi wazala uHezekiya; ¹⁰uHezekiya wazala uManase, uManase wazala u-Amoni, u-Amoni wazala uJosiya; ¹¹uJosiya wazala uJekoniya nabafowabo ngesikhathi sokuthunjelwa eBabiloni. ¹²Kwathi emva kokuthunjelwa eBabiloni uJekoniya wazala uSalatiyeli, uSalatiyeli wazala uZorobabeli; ¹³uZorobabeli wazala u-Abiyudi, u-Abiyudi wazala u-Eliyakimi, u-Eliyakimi wazala u-Azori; ¹⁴u-Azori wazala uSadoki, uSadoki wazala u-Akimi, u-Akimi wazala u-Eliyudi; ¹⁵u-Eliyudi wazala u-Eleyazare, u-Eleyazare wazala uMathani, uMathani wazala uJakobe; ¹⁶uJakobe wazala uJosefa, indoda kaMariya, azalwa nguye uJesu othiwa uKristu. ¹⁷Zinjalo-ke izizukulwane zonke ezisukela ku-Abrahama ziye kuDavide, ziyizizukulwane eziyishumi nane; nezisukela kuDavide ziye ekuthunjelweni eBabiloni ziyizizukulwane eziyishumi nane; nezisukela ekuthunjelweni eBabiloni ziye kuKristu ziyizizukulwane eziyishumi nane. ¹⁸Ukuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu kwaba nje: unina uMariya esemiselwe uJosefa, bengakahlangani wafunyanwa ekhulelwe ngoMoya oNgcwele. ¹⁹Kepha uJosefa indoda yakhe engumuntu olungileyo, engathandi ukumthela ihlazo, wayefuna ukumlahla ngasese. ²⁰Esazindla ngalokho, bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala kuye ngephupho, ithi: “Josefa, ndodana kaDavide, ungesabi ukumthatha uMariya umkakho, ngokuba lokho akukhulelweyo kungoMoya oNgcwele. ²¹Uzakuzala indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJesu, ngokuba nguye oyakusindisa abantu bakhe ezonweni zabo.” ²²Lokhu konke kwenzeka ukuba kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa yiNkosi ngomprofethi ukuthi: ²³“Bheka, intombi iyakukhulelwa, izale indodana; bayakuyiqamba igama lokuthi u-Emanuweli,” okungukuthi ngokuhunyushwa “uNkulunkulu unathi”. ²⁴UJosefa esevukile ebuthongweni wenza njengalokho imyalile ingelosi yeNkosi, wamthatha umkakhe; ²⁵akaze aya kuye, waze wazibula ngendodana; wayiqamba igama lokuthi uJesu.

Isahluko Sesibili

¹ UJesu esezelwe eBetlehema laseJudiya emihleni kaHerode inkosi, bheka, kwafika izazi eJerusalema, zivela empumalanga, zithi: ²Uphi lowo ozelwe eyinkosi yabaJuda na? Ngokuba sibonile inkanyezi yakhe kwelasempumalanga, size ukukhuleka kuye.” ³UHerode inkosi esekuzwile lokho wakhathazeka neJerusalema lonke kanye naye. ⁴Wabutha bonke abapristi abakhulu nababhali besizwe, wabuza kubo ukuthi uKristu uzakuzalelwaphi. ⁵Bathi kuye: “EBetlehema laseJudiya, ngokuba kulotshiwe kanjalo ngomprofethi ukuthi: ⁶“ ‘Nawe Betlehema, lizwe lakwaJuda, kawusiye omncane nakanye kubabusi bakwaJuda, ngokuba kuyakuvela kuwe umbusi oyakwalusa isizwe sami u-Israyeli.’ ” ⁷Khona uHerode, ezibizile izazi ngasese, wabuzisisa kuzo isikhathi inkanyezi ebonakele ngaso, ⁸wazithuma eBetlehema, wathi: “Hambani nibuzisise ngomntwana; kuyakuthi nxa nimfumene, ningitshele ukuba nami ngiye ngikhuleke kuye.” ⁹Seziyizwile inkosi, zamuka; bheka, inkanyezi ezayibona kwelasempumalanga yahamba phambi kwazo, yaze yafika yema phezu kwalapho umntwana ekhona. ¹⁰Zathi ukuyibona inkanyezi, zathokoza ngokuthokoza okukhulu kakhulu. ¹¹Zase zingena endlini, zabona umntwana noMariya unina, zawa phansi, zakhuleka kuye, zavula amagugu azo, zamkhunga ngezipho: igolide namakha nenhlaka. ¹²Kwathi ziyaliwe nguNkulunkulu ngephupho ukuba zingabuyeli kuHerode, zabuyela ezweni lakubo ngenye indlela. ¹³Sezimukile, bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala kuJosefa ngephupho, ithi: “Vuka uthabathe umntwana nonina, ubalekele eGibithe, uhlale khona, ngize ngikutshele; ngokuba uHerode uzakumfuna umntwana ukuba ambhubhise.” ¹⁴Wavuka-ke, wathabatha umntwana nonina ebusuku, wamuka waya eGibithe, ¹⁵wahlala khona, waze wafa uHerode, ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa yiNkosi ngomprofethi ukuthi: “Ngayibiza indodana yami iphume eGibithe.” ¹⁶Khona uHerode, esebonile ukuthi izazi zimphambile, wathukuthela kakhulu, wathumela wabulala bonke abantwana besilisa baseBetlehema nasendaweni yonke yangakhona, abaminyaka mibili nangaphansi njengesikhathi abesibuzisisile kuzo izazi. ¹⁷Khona kwagcwaliseka okwakhulunywa ngoJeremiya umprofethi ukuthi: ¹⁸“Kwezwakala izwi eRama, ukukhala nokulila okukhulu, uRakheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe, engavumi ukududuzwa, ngokuba abasekho.” ¹⁹Kepha uHerode esefile, bheka, ingelosi yeNkosi yabonakala ngephupho kuJosefa eGibithe, yathi: ²⁰“Vuka uthabathe umntwana nonina, uye ezweni lakwa-Israyeli; ngokuba sebefile ababezingela ukuphila komntwana.” ²¹Wasuka-ke, wathabatha umntwana nonina, wafika ezweni lakwa-Israyeli. ²²Kepha ezwa ukuthi sekubusa u-Arkelawu eJudiya esikhundleni sikaHerode uyise, wesaba ukuya khona; eseyaliwe nguNkulunkulu ngephupho wamuka waya kwelaseGalile; ²³wafika wakha emzini othiwa iNazaretha ukuba kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngabaprofethi ukuthi: “Uyakubizwa ngokuthi umNazaretha.”

Isahluko Sesithathu

¹Ngaleyo mihla kwavela uJohane uMbhapathizi eshumayela ehlane laseJudiya, ethi: ²“Phendukani, ngokuba umbuso wezulu ususondele!” ³Ngokuba nguye akhuluma ngaye umprofethi u-Isaya, ethi: “Izwi lomemezayo ehlane, lithi: ‘Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, nenze imikhondo yayo iqonde.’ ” ⁴Yena uJohane wayenengubo yoboya bekamela noqhotho lwesikhumba okhalweni lwakhe; ukudla kwakhe kwakuyizinkumbi nezinyosi zasendle. ⁵Khona kwaphumela kuye iJerusalema, neJudiya lonke, nezwe lonke laseJordani, ⁶babhapathizwa nguye emfuleni iJordani bevuma izono zabo. ⁷Kepha kwathi ebona abaningi kubaFarisi nabaSadusi beza embhapathizweni, wathi kubo: “Nzalo yezinyoka, ngubani onibonise ukubalekela intukuthelo ezayo na? ⁸Ngakho vezani izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka. ⁹Ningacabangi ukuba ningasho phakathi kwenu ukuthi: ‘Sinobaba u-Abrahama;’ ngokuba ngithi kini: UNkulunkulu angamvusela u-Abrahama abantwana kulawa matshe. ¹⁰Izembe selibekiwe empandeni yemithi; ngakho yonke imithi engatheli izithelo ezinhle iyanqunywa, iphonswe emlilweni. ¹¹“Mina nginibhapathiza ngamanzi, kube ngukuphenduka; kepha yena oza emva kwami unamandla kunami engingafanele ukuthwala izicathulo zakhe; yena uzakunibhapathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele nangomlilo, ¹²ombenge yakhe yokwela isesandleni sakhe; uzakushanelisisa isibuya sakhe, abuthele amabele enqolobaneni yakhe; kepha amakhoba uzakuwashisa ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.” ¹³Khona uJesu evela eGalile wafika kuJohane eJordani ukuba azobhapathizwa nguye. ¹⁴Kepha uJohane wamalela wathi: “Yimi engiswela ukubhapathizwa nguwe; wena uza kimi na?” ¹⁵UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Vuma kalokhu, ngokuba kusifanele ukugcwalisa kanjalo ukulunga konke.” Khona wayesemvumela. ¹⁶UJesu esebhapathiziwe wakhuphuka masinyane emanzini; bheka, izulu lavuleka, wabona uMoya kaNkulunkulu ehla njengejuba, eza phezu kwakhe. ¹⁷Bheka, kwavela izwi ezulwini, lithi: “Lo uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo engithokozile ngayo.”