Matama e kutanga
1 Banji bakazwipa kukwala mbiko ye zwithu zwakashingikala pakati kwedu, 2 koga sekwa takazwibudziwa ndi ibabo bakabe balipo kutanga, bali batendeki kakale bali bashingili be dama le Ndzimu. 3 Ndizo se imi ndakashakisisa nge njele tjimwe ne tjimwe kudwa mukutangisa, ndawana kwakandilulwamila kuti ndimukukwalile ndebo yakatambunuka, imwi tate Teofilo, 4 kuti ndizo muzibe malebeswa ngekwe zwithu zwamakadiyiwa.
Kulebegwa mbeli kwe kuzwagwa kwa Johani we N'dubiki
5 Mu misi ya Herode mambo we Judiya, kwakabe kuna mpirisiti edang'wa kuyi Zakhariya, ali mmwe we goko la Abhiya, ngono wakabe ana nkadzi zina lile lili Elizabeta ali mmwe we zwizekugwana zwa Aroni. 6 Bubili gwabo, bakabe bali balulwami mu mesho e Ndzimu, basina nlandu belondolodza milayo ya She yose, ne ndaulo dzidze. 7 Koga bakabe basina bana ngobe Elizabeta wakabe asingathame bana, kakale bakabe bakwegula bose bubili.
8 Ndizo kukati kuli zolo le goko la Zakhariya kubhata nshingo we bupirisiti se kwaakabe ali mpirisiti we Ndzimu, 9 kashalugwa nge hakata kuyendidzana ne tjilenje tje bupirisiti kungina mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu She ne kupisa motsha. 10 Mu tjibaka itjetjo tje kupisa motsha, gubungano le bathu lakabe litembezela kuzhe.
11 Ipapo ntumwa wa She kazwilakidza kunli, ali mile ku luji gwe tjibeso tje motsha. 12 Kukati Zakhariya embona, kadziyidzika kakale katja kwazo. 13 Koga ntumwa we kudzimu kati kunli, “Usitje Zakhariya, ntembezelo uwo wahwika. Nkadzi uwo Elizabeta unowokuwanila mwana we tjilisana, ngono unowon'dana uti Johani. 14 Unowobe ne kushatha ukapululudza, ne banji banowoshatha mu kuzwagwa kukwe, 15 ngobe Johani unowobe nkulu mu mesho a She. Aatowong'wa nkumbi we zhambi, kene tjimwe tjing'o tjakabila. Ngobe unowozhadziwa nge Meya yakayengemala kudwila tjose atji mu tjibumbilo tja mmeyabe. 16 Unowoshandusila bana banji be Iziraela kuna She, Ndzimu wabo. 17 Kakale unowoyenda mbeli kwa She mu meya ne mu masimba a Elija, eshandusila mimoyo ya botate ku bana babo, ne basingahwe kathama kuti bahwilile Ndzimu bayende mu butjejendu gwe balulwami, elulwamisila bathu kuzha kwa She.”
18 Ngono Zakhariya kabhuzwa ntumwa kati, “Ndingabe ne malebeswa tjini ngekwa ikoku? Ndi nthuntana ne nkadzi wangu wakwegula.”
19 Ntumwa we kudzimu kan'dabila kati, “Ndimi Gabhariyele, imi ndinoma mbeli kwe Ndzimu misi yose. Ndatumwa kulebeleka nawe ne kukubudza ndebo mbuya iyeyi. 20 Bona! Unowobe mbebebe ukasilebeleke kuswikila zhuba linowoshingikala zwithu izwezwi, ngobe auzogalamoyo matama angu anowozhadzisika nge tjibaka tjawo.”
21 Ipapo bathu bakabe bakalindila Zakhariya, ngono bakatjenamisiwa nge kunonoka kukwe mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu. 22 Ngono kukati ebhuda, kasitubule kulebeleka nabo. Bakaziba ha abona mbono mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu. Wakalebeleka nabo nge maboko koga asingatubule kulebeleka nge nlomo.
23 Kukati zolo lile lawila le kushinga lapela kabgwilila kanyi. 24 Shule kwe mazhuba iyawo nkadzi uwe Elizabeta kazwisenga ngono kazwisumbika mwedzi ili mishanu, 25 eti “She wandishingila ikoku mu mazhuba iyawa, wandilinga nge ngoni dzidze kandidusa shoni pakati kwe bathu.”
Kulebegwa mbeli kwe kuzwagwa kwa Jesu
26 Shule kwe mimwedzi ili mitathatu Elizabeta akazwisenga, Ndzimu wakatuma ntumwa wawo Gabhariyele ku Nazareta nzi u mu ntuthu we Galili 27 ku mwanadi wakabe akabiganyidzigwa ndobolo ne nlume wakabe eyi Josefa, we nsha wa Dafite. Zina le mwanadi iwoyo lakabe lili Mariya. 28 Ntumwa we kudzimu kayenda kunli kati, “Dumila iwe unodika kwazo, She banawe!”
29 Mariya kadziyidzika kwazo nge matama awe, ngono katjenama kuti hwudumilisa kwakatini ikoku. 30 Koga ntumwa we kudzimu kati kunli, “Usitje, Mariya, Ndzimu wakuda. 31 Unowozwisenga, ngono ukawana mwana we tjilisana, unowontumila zina uti Jesu. 32 Unowobe nkulu, kakale unowodang'wa Nkololo we Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi. She Ndzimu banowompa tjigalo tje bushe gwa batategulu babe Dafite, 33 ngono unowobusa nge kusingapele mu ng'umba ya Jakubo, bushe gugwe agutowopela.”
34 Mariya kabhuzwa ntumwa we kudzimu eti, “Ikoku kowoshingikala tjini, se ndili mwanadi ndisathu aziba nlume kene?”
35 Ntumwa we kudzimu kashandula eti, “Meya yakayengemala inowozha mukuli ne masimba e Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi anowobe mukuli. Ndizo mwana iwoyo waunowozwala, unowobe N'yengemali, kadang'wa kuyi Nkololo we Ndzimu. 36 Na Elizabeta gamu lilo, unowobe ne mwana nenguba akakwegula, iye wakabe ali balumbila umu mwedzi uwe we butathatu. 37 Akuna tjisingatubuke ku Ndzimu.”
38 Mariya kashandula eti, “Imi ndi nlanda wa She, ngakushingikale kundili sekwa waleba.” Ipapo ntumwa we kudzimu kansiya.
Mariya ekumba Elizabeta
39 Kukati mu mazhuba iyawo Mariya kazwilulwamisa, kalibilidza kayenda ku nzi umu ntuthu we matombo, e Judiya, 40 ngono kaswika kangina mu nzi wa Zakhariya, kadumilisa Elizabeta. 41 Ndizo kukati Elizabeta ehwa dumiliso ya Mariya, mwana katjuluka mu ntumbu uwe, Elizabeta kazhala Meya yakayengemala. 42 Kalebelekela pezhugwi kati, “Wakakombolegwa mu bakadzi bose, ndizo wakakombolegwa mwana waunowowana! 43 Koga ini kwashingikala kuti mme ba She wangu, bazhe kundili? 44 Ndati koga ndihwa udumilisa, mwana umu ntumbu wangu katjuluka nge kushatha. 45 Wakakombolegwa ngobe wakagalamoyo kuti matama awakabudziwa ndi She anoshingakala!”
Mariya kamba lumbo gwe kukudza
46 Mariya kati,
“Meya yangu inokudza She.
47 Meya yangu inoshatha ngekwe Ndzimu Ntjidzi wangu,
48 ngobe wayitila hanya butukununu gwe nlandakadzi uwe.
Kudwa nasi zwizekugwana zose zondidana wakakombolegwa,
49 ngobe Ndzimu Masimbawose wandishingila zwikulu.
Zina lawo lakayengemala.
50 Unohwila zogwadza ibabo banoutja, banouteta
kudwa mu tjizekugwana kunoti mu tjizekugwana.
51 Wakathama zwikulu nge luboko gwawo;
Ukapaladza ibabo banozwikudza, mumimoyo yabo.
52 Wakadelusa boshe mu zwigalo zwabo zwe bushe.
Koga ukamilidzila pezhugwi ibabo batukununu.
53 Wakagutsha bana zhala nge zwithu zwakanaka,
koga bafumi kabashandusa bakalembedza maboko.
54 Wakabhatsha nlanda uwe Iziraela,
ukumbulukigwa mahwilo zogwadza,
55 sekwa wakalebeleka na botate bedu, bo Abhurahama
ne zwizekugwana zwabo nge kusingapele kose.”
56 Mariya kagala na Elizabeta kungabe mimwedzi mitatu, kudwapo kabgwilila kanyi.
Kuzwagwa kwa Johani we N'dubiki
57 Kwakati tjibaka tjatjizha tje kuti Elizabeta awane mwana, katshibama mwana we tjilisana. 58 Ngono babakidzani naye ne makamu awe bakahwa kuti She wakanhwila ngoni kukulu, bakashatha naye.
59 Ndizo mu zhuba le buzhanakadzi (8) bakazha kuwothumbila mwana, bakabe bewontumila beti Zakhariya, zina la tate babe. 60 Koga mmeyabe bakalebeleka beti, “Akutowojalo, unowodang'wa kuyi Johani.”
61 Bakati kunli, “Akuna mmwe pakati kwe makamu awo una zina ilelo.” 62 Ndizo bakalebeleka nge maboko na tate babe, beshako ziba kuti ibo tate be mwana banoda kuntumila beti ani.
63 Zakhariya kakumbila bgwe linokwaligwa, ngono kakaabadza mmwe ne mmwe ngokwala eti, “Zina lile ndi Johani.” 64 Tjinyolotjo kazhula nlomo ne lulimi gugwe gukasununguka, katangisa kulebeleka, elumbidza Ndzimu. 65 Babakidzani naye bakatjenama kwazo ne mu ntuthu wose we matombo we Judiya, bathu bakabe belebeleka ngekwe zwithu izwezwi zose. 66 Mmwe ne mmwe wakahwa ikoku ezwibhuzwisisa eti, “Mwana iwoyu ini tjaanowobe itjo ngono?” Ngobe simba la She lakabe lilimunli.
Lumbo gwa Zakhariya
67 Tate ba Johani, Zakhariya bakazhala Meya yakayengemala, ngono bakalebelambeli beti,
68 “Gudzo ngalibe muna She, Ndzimu we Iziraela,
ngobe wazha ku bathu bawo ukabadzutunula.
69 Watizhisila Ntjidzi una masimba
unodwa mu ng'umba ye nlanda uwe Dafite.
70 Sekwa wakaleba nge balebesambeli bawo
bakayengemala kudwa ntolo,
71 kuti takafanila tjidziwa mu zwita zwedu,
ne mu maboko abose bakatibenga.
72 Wakathama ikoku kulakidza mahwilo zogwadza
akagadziwabgwe bobatategulu bedu,
ne kukumbula tjidumano tjawo tjakayengemala,
73 ne kutuna kwawakatuna kuna tate bedu Abhurahama,
74 kutisunungula mu maboko e zwita zwedu,
kuti titubule kushingila She tisingatje tjimwe
75 mu kuyengemala ne kululwama mbeli kukwe,
mu butjilo gwedu gose.
76 Nawe mwanangu, unowodang'wa
nlebesambeli we Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi,
ngobe unowoyenda mbeli kwa She kunlulwamisila zila
77 kupa bathu ba She zibo ye kuti jidzo lozha
nge kuzwiibhatigwa kwe zwibi zwabo,
78 nge mahwilo zogwadza e Ndzimu
kowopenya tjedza mutili tjidwa zhuzhugwi.
79 Kupa tjedza ibabo
bagele mu zhalima ne bamu ntutshi we lufu,
kutitungamilila mu zila ye kunyalala.”
80 Ngono mwana kakula kasima mu meya, ndizo kagala mu tjilambanyika kudzina eboneka patjena ku Iziraela.
Introduction
1 Dear Theophilus:
Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us. 2 They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message. 3 And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you. 4 I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist Is Announced
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family. 6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service. 9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord, 10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned. 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar where the incense was burned. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John. 14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born! 15 John will be great in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home. 24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months. 25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
The Birth of Jesus Is Announced
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27 He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 30 The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 37 For there is nothing that God cannot do.”
38 “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? 44 For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. 45 How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”
Mary's Song of Praise
46 Mary said,
“My heart praises the Lord;
47 my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
48 for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me happy,
49 because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.
His name is holy;
50 from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honor him.
51 He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.
52 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
55 He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants forever!”
56 Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her.
59 When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No! His name is to be John.”
61 They said to her, “But you don't have any relative with that name!” 62 Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.
63 Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, “His name is John.” How surprised they all were! 64 At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God. 65 The neighbors were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, “What is this child going to be?” For it was plain that the Lord's power was upon him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message:
68 “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.
69 He has provided for us a mighty Savior,
a descendant of his servant David.
70 He promised through his holy prophets long ago
71 that he would save us from our enemies,
from the power of all those who hate us.
72 He said he would show mercy to our ancestors
and remember his sacred covenant.
73-74 With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham
he promised to rescue us from our enemies
and allow us to serve him without fear,
75 so that we might be holy and righteous before him
all the days of our life.
76 “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his road for him,
77 to tell his people that they will be saved
by having their sins forgiven.
78 Our God is merciful and tender.
He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us
79 and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death,
to guide our steps into the path of peace.”
80 The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.