Verse 1: Njengokuba abaningi sebezamile ukulanda ngokuhlelekile ngalezo zindaba ezigcwaliseke phakathi kwethu,
Verse 2: njengalokho basinika zona labo ababekhona kwasekuqaleni, bezibonela ngamehlo, beyizikhonzi zezwi,
Verse 3: kwasengathi kuhle nakimina, lokhu ngizihlolisisile zonke izinto, kusukela ekuqaleni, ngikulobele ngokulandelana, Theyofilu odumileyo,
Verse 4: ukuze wazi ukuqiniseka kwalezo zindaba ozifundisiweyo.
Verse 5: Emihleni kaHerode inkosi yaseJudiya kwakukhona umpristi othile ogama lakhe nguZakariya, esigabeni sika-Abiya, nomkakhe engowamadodakazi ka-Aroni, igama lakhe ngu-Elisabethe.
Verse 6: Babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki.
Verse 7: Kepha babengenamntwana, ngokuba u-Elisabethe wayeyinyumba; bobabili base bekhulile.
Verse 8: Kwathi-ke esayenza inkonzo yobupristi phambi kukaNkulunkulu njengokuhlelwa kwesikhathi sesigaba sakubo,
Verse 9: ngokomthetho wobupristi kwaba nguye owabelwa ukungena ethempelini leNkosi, azoshisa impepho.
Verse 10: Isixuku sonke sabantu sasikhuleka ngaphandle ngesikhathi sempepho.
Verse 11: Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi yeNkosi imi ngakwesokunene se-altare lempepho.
Verse 12: UZakariya eyibona wethuka, wehlelwa luvalo.
Verse 13: Kepha ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Zakariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho u-Elisabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJohane.
Verse 14: Uzakuba nokujabula nokuthokoza wena; nabaningi bazakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe.
Verse 15: Ngokuba uzakuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi; kasoze waphuza iwayini nophuzo oludakisayo; uzakugcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele esesesiswini sikanina.
Verse 16: Abaningi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli uyakubaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo.
Verse 17: Uyakuhamba ngaphambi kwayo emoyeni nasemandleni ka-Eliya ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana nabangalaleliyo ekuqondeni kwabalungileyo, ukulungisela iNkosi isizwe esilungiselweyo.”
Verse 18: UZakariya wathi engelosini: “Ngiyakukwazi ngani lokhu na? Ingani sengiyindoda endala mina, nomkami uqhubekile ezinsukwini zakhe.”
Verse 19: Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “NginguGabriyeli mina, omiyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume kuwe, ngikubikele lezi zindaba ezinhle.
Verse 20: Bheka-ke, uzakuba yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube lusuku okwenzeka ngalo lokhu, ngokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi ami azakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.”
Verse 21: Abantu bemlindele uZakariya bamangala ngokulibala kwakhe ethempelini.
Verse 22: Kuthe esephuma, wahluleka ukukhuluma kubo; bazi ukuthi ubone umbono ethempelini; wayelokhu ebaqhweba, wahlala eyisimungulu.
Verse 23: Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku zokukhonza kwakhe, wamuka waya ekhaya.
Verse 24: Kepha emva kwalezo zinsuku u-Elisabethe umkakhe wakhulelwa, wazifihla izinyanga eziyisihlanu, wathi:
Verse 25: “Yenze njalo iNkosi kimi emihleni eyangibheka ngayo ukususa ihlazo lami phakathi kwabantu.”
Verse 26: Ngenyanga yesithupha ingelosi uGabriyeli yathunywa nguNkulunkulu emzini waseGalile ogama lawo yiNazaretha,
Verse 27: entombini eyayimiselwe indoda ebizo layo nguJosefa wendlu kaDavide; ibizo lentombi nguMariya.
Verse 28: Yangena ingelosi kuye, yathi: “E wena ophiwe umusa! INkosi inawe; ubusisiwe esifazaneni.”
Verse 29: Kepha yena wethuka ngezwi layo ezindla ngokuthi kungaba ngukubingelela kuni lokhu.
Verse 30: Ingelosi yathi kuye: “Ungesabi, Mariya, ngokuba ufumene umusa kuNkulunkulu.
Verse 31: Bheka, uzakukhulelwa, uzale indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJesu.
Verse 32: Yena uyakuba mkhulu, athiwe iNdodana yoPhezukonke; iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavide;
Verse 33: uyakuba yinkosi yendlu kaJakobe kuze kube phakade, nombuso wakhe awuyikuba nakuphela.”
Verse 34: UMariya wathi engelosini: “Lokhu kuyakwenzeka kanjani, njengokuba ngingayazi indoda na?”
Verse 35: Ingelosi yaphendula, yathi kuye: “UMoya oNgcwele uzakuza phezu kwakho, amandla oPhezukonke akusibekele; ngakho-ke okungcwele okuzozalwa kuzakuthiwa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
Verse 36: Bheka, u-Elisabethe isihlobo sakho naye ukhulelwe indodana esemdala; lena ngeyesithupha yakhe obethiwa inyumba.
Verse 37: Ngokuba akukho lutho olungenzeke kuNkulunkulu.”
Verse 38: UMariya wathi: “Bheka, ngiyincekukazi yeNkosi; akube kimi njengezwi lakho.” Ingelosi yamuka kuye.
Verse 39: Ngalezo zinsuku uMariya wasuka waya ngokushesha kwelezintaba emzini wakwaJuda.
Verse 40: Wangena endlini kaZakariya, wambingelela u-Elisabethe.
Verse 41: Kwathi ukuba u-Elisabethe ezwe ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sakhe; u-Elisabethe wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele,
Verse 42: wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ubusisiwe wena esifazaneni! Sibusisiwe nesithelo sesisu sakho!
Verse 43: Ngehlelwe kanjani yilokhu ukuba unina weNkosi yami ahambele kimi na?
Verse 44: Ngokuba bheka, kuthe izwi lokubingelela kwakho lifika ezindlebeni zami, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sami ngokujabula.
Verse 45: Ubusisiwe owakholwayo, ngokuba kuzakuba khona ukufezeka kwalokho akutshelwa, kuvela eNkosini.”
Verse 46: Wayesethi uMariya: “Umphefumulo wami uyayitusa Nkosi,
Verse 47: nomoya wami uyathokoza kuNkulunkulu, uMsindisi wami,
Verse 48: ngokuba ubhekile ubuphansi bencekukazi yakhe. Bheka, kusukela manje izizukulwane zonke ziyakuthi ngibusisiwe.
Verse 49: Ngokuba uSomandla ungenzele izinto ezinkulu: igama lakhe lingcwele.
Verse 50: Isihawu sakhe sikuzo izizukulwane ngezizukulwane kubo abamesabayo.
Verse 51: Wenzile amandla ngengalo yakhe; uchithile abazidlayo ekuzidleni kwenhliziyo yabo.
Verse 52: Uwisile amakhosi ezihlalweni, uphakamisile abantukazana.
Verse 53: Abalambileyo ubasuthisile ngezinto ezinhle, abacebileyo ubamukise ze.
Verse 54: Uyisizile inceku yakhe u-Israyeli, ukuze akhumbule isihawu,
Verse 55: njengalokho akusho kokhokho bethu ku-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe kuze kube phakade.”
Verse 56: UMariya wahlala naye kungathi izinyanga ezintathu, wabuyela ekhaya.
Verse 57: Saphelela-ke isikhathi sika-Elisabethe sokuba abelethe; wazala indodana.
Verse 58: Abakhelene naye nezihlobo zakhe bezwa ukuthi iNkosi yenze isihawu sayo saba sikhulu kuye, bathokoza naye.
Verse 59: Kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili beza ukusoka umntwana, bamqamba ngegama likayise uZakariya.
Verse 60: Unina wayesephendula ethi: “Qhabo, uzakuthiwa uJohane.”
Verse 61: Bathi kuye: “Akakho noyedwa emndenini wakini obizwa ngalelo gama.”
Verse 62: Bamqhweba uyise ukuthi ufuna ukumqamba ngaliphi.
Verse 63: Wabiza isileti, waloba ukuthi. “NguJohane igama lakhe.” Bamangala bonke.
Verse 64: Kwase kuvuleka umlomo wakhe khona lapho nolimi lwakhe, wakhuluma embonga uNkulunkulu.
Verse 65: Bonke abakhelene nabo behlelwa ngukwesaba, bakhuluma ngazo zonke lezo zindaba kulo lonke lezintaba laseJudiya,
Verse 66: nabo bonke abazizwayo bazigcina ezinhliziyweni zabo, bethi: “Kodwa lo mntwana uyakuba yini na?” Isandla seNkosi sasinaye.
Verse 67: UZakariya uyise wagcwala uMoya oNgcwele, waprofetha wathi:
Verse 68: “Mayibongwe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngokuba ibahambele abantu bayo, yabenzela inkululeko.
Verse 69: Yasivusela uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavide inceku yayo,
Verse 70: njengalokho yakhuluma ngomlomo wabaprofethi bayo abangcwele basendulo,
Verse 71: insindiso ezitheni zethu nasesandleni sabo bonke abasizondayo,
Verse 72: ukwenzela okhokho bethu isihawu nokukhumbula isivumelwano sayo esingcwele,
Verse 73: isifungo eyasifunga kubaba u-Abrahama,
Verse 74: ukusinika ukuba sithi sikhululiwe esandleni sezitha zethu, siyikhonze singenakwesaba
Verse 75: ngobungcwele nangokulunga phambi kwayo zonke izinsuku zethu.
Verse 76: Nawe-ke mntwana, uyakuthiwa umprofethi woPhezukonke, ngokuba uyakuhamba phambi kweNkosi ukulungisa izindlela zayo
Verse 77: ukunika abantu bayo ukuyazi insindiso ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zabo,
Verse 78: ngemisesane yesihawu sikaNkulunkulu wethu esizakuhanjelwa ngayo ngukusa kwaphezulu,
Verse 79: ukubakhanyisela abahlezi ebumnyameni nasethunzini lokufa nokuqondisa izinyawo zethu endleleni yokuthula.”
Verse 80: Wakhula-ke umntwana, waba namandla emoyeni; wahlala ehlane kwaze kwaba lusuku lokubonakaliswa kwakhe ku-Israyeli.