The Birth of Jesus
(Matthew 1.18-25)1 At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. 3 Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.
4 Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. 5 He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, 6 and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, 10 but the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! 12 And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. 17 When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. 18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. 19 Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. 20 The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.
Jesus Is Named
21 A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.
25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him 26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah. 27 Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required, 28 Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:
29 “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,
and you may let your servant go in peace.
30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
32 A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles
and bring glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against 35 and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”
36-37 There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying. 38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.
The Return to Nazareth
39 When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”
49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer.
51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.
Kuzwagwa kwa Jesu
(Matewu 1:18-25)1 Kwakati mu misi iyeyo, Kaisara Agusito, kadusa nlayo unoti, mazina e bathu mu shango yose ye Roma akwagwe. 2 Kukwagwa ikoku, kwakabe kuli kwe kutanga kuthamiwa, Kwiriniyo ali nlauli we Siriya. 3 Ngono mmwe ne mmwe kayenda kanyi kwabo kunozwikwalisa.
4 Josefa na iye kabhuda mu Galili mu nzi we Nazareta, kayenda ku Judiya ku nzi wa Dafite unodang'wa Bhetelehema, ngobe wakabe ali we nsha wa Dafite. 5 Kayenda ikoko kunozwikwalisa na Mariya waakabe abiganyidzila ndobolo. Mariya wakabe akuligwa. 6 Kukati batji ikoko, tjibaka tjikazha tjekuti mwana azwagwe, 7 ngono katshibama mbano iye ye tjilisana. Kampetela nge matyila ngono kankushika mu n'goro, ngobe kusina bugalo mu ng'umba ye bezi.
Batumwa banobudza balisi ngekwa Jesu
8 Kwakabe kuna balisi mu ntuthu iwoyo, begala mu shango bakalisa pkhwizi dzabo busiku. 9 Ntumwa wa She kaboneka ku bali ne tjedza tja She tjikapenya kubapoteleka, ndizo bakatja. 10 Koga ntumwa we kudzimu kati ku bali, “Musitje! Ngobe bonani, ndamuzhisila ndebo mbuya ye kushatha kukulu, kunowozha mu bathu bose. 11 Nasi mu nzi wa Dafite, mazwaligwa Ntjidzi, Kirisiti ali She. 12 Tjilakidzo kumuli tjowobe etji, mowowana mwana akapetegwa nge matyila ali lele mu n'goro.”
13 Tjinyolotjo kwakaboneka ntumwa we kudzimu ana bunji gwe goko le kudzimu bekudza Ndzimu beti,
14 “Gudzo ngalibe ku Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi kudzimu,
ne mu shango ngakubepo kunyalala mu bathu banoushathisa.”
15 Kukati batumwa be kudzimu batjibgwilila kudzimu, balisi bakalebesana beti, “Ngatiyendeni ku Bhetelehema tinobona tjithu itjetji tjashingikala, tjatalakidziwa ndi She.”
16 Ndizo bakalibilidza bakayenda, bakawana Mariya na Josefa ne mwana ali lele mu n'goro. 17 Bakati bambona, bakaleba sekwa bababudziwa ngekwe mwana iwoyu. 18 Bose bakahwa bakatjenamila tjalebwa nge balisi. 19 Koga Mariya kalondolodza zwithu izwezwi zose, kazwikumbula mu moyo uwe. 20 Balisi bakabgwilila, bekudza Ndzimu beulumbidza mu zwithu zose zwabakabe bahwa ne zwabakabe babona ngobe zwakabe zwili sekwa bakabe babudziwa.
Jesu unopiwa zina
21 Mu zhuba le buzhanakadzi, kukabe kwabe tjibaka tjekuti athumbigwe, ngono katumigwa zina kuyi Jesu, zina laakapiwa nge ntumwa we kudzimu mmeyabe basathu bakazwisenga.
Jesu unoyisiwa ku Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
22 Kukati tjibaka tje kutjenepadza kuyendidzana nge nlayo wa Mushe tjazha, Josefa na Mariya bakayisa Jesu ku Jerusalema kumpa She Ndzimu 23 sekwa kwakakwagwa mu nlayo wa She kuyi, “Mbano imwe ne imwe ye mbisana inowobigigwa ntome kuti ibe mwana wa She,” 24 kakale bakabe benolondolodza tjimu nlayo wa She nge kudusa tjibhayilo, “Njiba mbili kene ngurukukwana mbili.”
25 Kwakabe kuna mmwe nlume mu Jerusalema edang'wa kuyi Simiyoni. Wakabe akalulwama mu mesho e Ndzimu akazwipa nge buzhalo. Wakabe akalindila Ndzimu kubhatsha Iziraela ne Meya yakayengemala yakabe ili munli. 26 Wakabe azumbunuligwa nge Meya yakayengemala kuti aangafe asathu kabona Kirisiti wa She. 27 Meya yakayengemala ikathama kuti Simiyoni angine mu ng'umba ye Ndzimu. Kukati bazwadzi bazhisa mwana wabo Jesu kuwonthamila tjinoshakwa nge nlayo, 28 Simiyoni kamfukata nge maboko awe, ngono kakudza Ndzimu eti,
29 “She, sekwa makagadzabgwe,
ngwenu tjiletjani nlanda wenyu eyizele nge mbakiso.
30 Ngobe mesho angu abona jidzo lenyu,
31 lamakathama mbeli kwe bathu bose.
32 Tjedza tje zumbunulo kuna be zwitjaba,
ne tjilumbi tje bathu benyu Iziraela.”
33 Tate na mme be mwana bakatjenamisiwa nge tjinolebgwa nge kukwe. 34 Ipapo Simiyoni kabakombolela, ngono kati kuna Mariya mmeyabe, “Mwana iwoyu wakabigigwa kuwa ne kumuka kwe banji mu Iziraela ne kube tjilakidzo tjinowonyanyayidziwa. 35 Ngono unowohwa zogwadza ukanga nthu wabhayiwa nge thumo kuti ndizo Ndzimu uzumbunule tjinokumbugwa ne mmwe ne mmwe.”
36 Kwakabe kuli yapo nlebesambeli we tjikadzi edang'wa Anna, ali nkololokadzi wa Fanuele, we ludzi gwa Asheri. Wakabe akakwegula kwazo. Wakatjila ne nlume uwe makole ali kutendeka shule kwe ndobolo yabo, nlume uwe kabe efa. 37 Ngono ipapo kabe tjilikadzi kuswikila ana makole ali makumi ali zhanakadzi ana makole manna. Wakabe asingabhude mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, koga enamata Ndzimu siku ne sikati, ezwinyima zojiwa, etembezela. 38 Kazha ku bali tjibaka itjetjo, kaboka Ndzimu kalebeleka ngekwe mwana kuna bose bakabe bakalindila kusunungugwa kwe Jerusalema.
Kubgwilila kwa Josefa na Mariya ku Nazareta
39 Kukati Josefa na Mariya bapedza zose zwinoshakwa nge nlayo wa She, bakabgwilila ku nzi wa kanyi kwabo we Nazareta mu ntuthu we Galili. 40 Ndizo mwana kakula kasima kakale akatjenjela kwazo ne Ndzimu un'da.
Mbisana Jesu ali mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
41 Gole ne gole bazwadzi ba Jesu bakabe beyenda ku Jerusalema ku Nzano we Kupinda pezhugwi. 42 Kukati ana makole ali gumi lina makole mabili, bakayenda ku nshingo se wolobela kwabo. 43 Kukati nshingo wapela bebgwilila kanyi, mbisana Jesu kasala mu Jerusalema, koga bazwadzi babe bakasizibe ikoku. 44 Bakayenda gwendo gwe zhuba lose bekumbula kuti umuna ibabo babanoyenda nabo. Bakatangisa kunshaka mu makamu abo ne mu bazwalani babo. 45 Bakati bansheta bakabgwilila ku Jerusalema kunshaka. 46 Shule kwe mazhuba matatu bakan'wana mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ali gele pakati kwe badiyi be nlayo, akabahwilila kakale ebabhuzwa dzibhuzo. 47 Bose bakahwa bakatjenamila kuhwisisa kukwe nenge dabilo dzidze. 48 Kukati bazwadzi babe bembona bakakaabala. Mmeyabe bakati kunli, “Mwanangu, ini watibhata uyijali! Bona, tabe tikushaka na tate babo, tidziyidzika mu meya.”
49 Kababhuzwa kati, “Ini mabe mundishaka? Amuzobe muziba kuti ndakafanila kube mu ng'umba ya Tate bangu kene?” 50 Koga bakasihwisise ndebo yaaleba ebabudza.
51 Shule kwa ikoko kayenda nabo ku Nazareta, ngono ebateta. Koga mmeyabe bakalondolodza zwithu izwezwi zose mu moyo wabo. 52 Jesu kakula akatjenjela kwazo, ediwa nge Ndzimu nenge bathu.