Luik 1 - Tha Fower Gospels ïn Ulstèr-Scots 2021

Forethocht

¹ Maist warthie Theophilus, A hale lock o fowk haes taen ït ïn han tae draa up an accoont o aa tha thïngs that haes cum aboot amang iz.

² The' hae brocht thegither whut wus hannit doon tae iz frae yins that saa ït aa wi thair ain een richt frae tha stairt, an that becum sarvints o tha Wurd o God.

^3-4 An sae, haein lukt ïntae ït aa masel richt frae whaniver tha hale storie begun, A thocht ït wud be a guid thïng fer me tae pit doon a trig accoont fer ye forbye, Theophilus, tae mak ye shair o tha truith o whut ye hae bin lairnt.

Birth o Jhone tha Baptiser foretelt

⁵ Whaniver Herod wus Kïng o Judea, thair wus thïs preesht caad Zechariah. Noo he belanged til tha preeshtlie connection o Abijah; an hïs wife Lïzbeth, hir femlie went bak til tha dochtèrs o Aaron as weel.

⁶ An the' wur baith upricht ïn tha Loard's sicht, keepin aa tha commauns an laas o tha Loard.

⁷ But the' haed nae femlie, fer Lïzbeth cudnae hae weans; an tha baith o thaim wus weel up ïn yeirs.

⁸ Yin time whan ït wus tha turn o Zechariah's connection fer daein thair dutie ïn tha Hoose o God,

⁹ Zechariah wus pïckt oot bi tha draain o lots - laik tha preeshts aye daen ïn thaim days - tae gang ïntae tha Halie o Halies an burn ïncense.

¹⁰ Noo whaniver tha time cum roon fer burnin tha ïncense, aa tha fowk wus ootbye, prayin.

¹¹ An aa o a suddent an angel o tha Loard appeart, stannin on tha richt han side o tha althar o ïncense!

¹² Zechariah wus tuk bak whan he saen tha angel an he wus hairt-scarred.

¹³ But tha angel saed, “Dïnnae be feart, Zechariah, fer God haes heerd yer prayer, an yer wife Lïzbeth wull gie ye a wee sinn! An ye maun caa hïm Jhone.

¹⁴ Ye'll be quare an gled whan he's boarn, an sae wull a brave wheen o ither fowk alang wi ye.

¹⁵ Fer he wull be ootstannin ïn tha sicht o tha Loard. He's no tae tak wine or onie ither kine o strang drïnk, an he'll be fu o tha Halie Spïrit richt frae hïs mither's wame.

¹⁶ An he'll gether monie an Israelite bak tae tha Loard thair God.

¹⁷ He wull be laik Elijah, fu o God's Spïrit an pooer; he wull saffen tha hairts o tha faithers tae thair weans, turnin contrairie yins tae a richt wye o thïnkin; an he wull gang afore tha Loard tae mak tha fowk readie fer hïm.”

¹⁸ Zechariah axt tha angel, “Hoo cud A be shair whut ye'r sayin's richt? Fer baith me an tha wife ïs weel up ïn yeirs!”

¹⁹ Then tha angel saed, “A'm Gabriel. An A'm cum strecht frae God hissel fer tae gie ye thïs guid news.

²⁰ Mairk thïs weel! Seein as ye niver believed whut A toul ye, ye'll be struck dum an no be fït tae taak tae tha wean's boarn. But thïs'll cum aboot ïn tha richt time.”

²¹ Aa tha while, tha yins ootbye wus wunnèrin hoo cum Zechariah wus takkin sae lang ïn tha Loard's Hoose.

²² Whaniver he cum oot he cudnae say ocht ava, ner taak tae tha fowk. The' knowed bi tha signs he wus giein, he maun hae saen a vïsion ïn tha Hoose o tha Loard, but aa tha while he cudnae taak.

²³ Bye an bye, whaniver he haed hïs turn at tha althar daen, he went bak hame.

²⁴ No lang eftèr that, Lïzbeth fun oot she wus gaun tae hae a wean, an sae she stapt ïn tha hoose oot o sicht fer five month.

²⁵ “Tha Loard haes bin mair ner guid tae me,” Lïzbeth saed, “an A'm no affrontit onie lang'r wi haein nae femlie.”

Tha birth o Jesus foretelt

²⁶ Whan Lïzbeth wus sïx month gan, God sent tha angel Gabriel tae tha toon o Nazareth ïn Galilee,

²⁷ tae a virgin bi tha name o Mary that wus trystit tae a man caad Joseph, descendit frae Kïng Davit.

²⁸ Tha angel saed til hir, “Fair faa ye, blisst amang weemen, tha Loard ïs wi ye.”

²⁹ Mary wus aa throu hirsel as she tried tae mak sense o whut tha angel haed telt hir.

³⁰ “Dïnnae be feart, Mary,” tha angel saed, “fer ye hae fun favour wi God.

³¹ Tak tent, ye ir fer haein a wean, a sinn, an ye maun caa hïm Jesus.

³² He wull be ootstannin, an be caad tha Sinn o tha Maist Heich God. An God wull gie hïm tha throne o hïs forefaither Davit,

³³ an he wull rule ower Israel fer iver an aye, an thair'll be nae enn tae hïs Kïngdom.”

³⁴ Mary axt tha angel, “Hoo can A hae a wean, wi me a virgin an niver bin wi a man?”

³⁵ Tha angel toul hir, “Tha Halie Spïrit an tha pooer o God wull cum doon on ye. An sae tha wean boarn tae ye wull be halie, an wull be caad tha Sinn o God.

³⁶ An yer cousin Lïzbeth ïs fer haein a sinn ïn hir oul age as weel, tha mair fowk thocht she cudnae hae onie; but she's ïn hir sïxth month.

³⁷ Fer thair's naethin ava God cannae dae.”

³⁸ Mary saed, “Weel, A'm tha sarvint o tha Loard an A'll dae whutiver he wants. Sae, jist let ït aa cum aboot laik ye say.” An then tha angel went awa frae hir.

Mary gies Lïzbeth a vïsit

³⁹ Eftèr thïs, Mary got hirsel readie, an heidit aff ïn a bïg hurrie tae a toon ïn tha hïlls o Judea.

⁴⁰ Up she cum thonner tae Zechariah's hoose, an toul Lïzbeth ït wus guid tae see hir.

⁴¹ Whaniver Lïzbeth heerd tha soon o Mary's voice, tha bairn gien a lep ïn hir wame, an she wus fu o tha Halie Spïrit.

⁴² Lïzbeth caad oot wi a gled cry tae Mary, “Amang aa weemen ye'r blisst bi God, an blisst be tha wean ye'r fer haein!

⁴³ But hoo cum ït's me haes bin gien sae bïg an honour, wi tha mither o ma Loard cumin tae vïsit me?

⁴⁴ Tha mïnit A heerd yer wairm wurds, A cud feel tha bairn ïn ma wame giein a lep fer joy.

⁴⁵ Ye ir ïn fer a blissin, Mary, fer ye dïdnae doot tha Loard wud dae jist whut he toul ye.”

Tha sang o Mary

⁴⁶ Then Mary saed, “Ma sowl gies praise tae tha Loard,

⁴⁷ an ma spïrit ïs gled ïn God ma Saviour!

⁴⁸ Fer he haes tuk notysh o me, a puir sarvin lass, an aa genèrations frae noo on wull caa me blisst.

⁴⁹ Tha Michtie Yin haes daen wunnèrfu thïngs fer me, an Halie ïs hïs name.

⁵⁰ Hïs mercie bides wi thaim that houls hïm ïn reverence, richt doon tha genèrations.

⁵¹ Hoo pooerfu hïs michtie airm ïs, that can skail thaim that's fu o thairsels.

⁵² He haes brocht doon tha michtie frae thair heich saits o pooer, an lïftit up tha doon-an-oots.

⁵³ He haes fed tha hung'rie wi guid thïngs, an he's turnt tha weel-aff yins bak empie-hannit.

⁵⁴ He haes lukt eftèr hïs sarvint Israel, an he niver fergets tae be merciefu.

⁵⁵ Fer he promist thïs tae oor faithers - tae Abraham an aa hïs childèr - fer iver an aye.”

⁵⁶ Then Mary stapt ower wi Lïzbeth fer aboot thrie month afore gaun bak hame.

Tha birth o Jhone tha Baptiser

⁵⁷ Noo whan Lïzbeth's time cum fer tha wean tae be boarn, she haed a wee sinn.

⁵⁸ Wurd wusnae lang gaun roon o hoo guid tha Loard haed bin til hir, an hir freens an nighbers wus aa wile plaised.

⁵⁹ Whaniver tha wean wus echt day oul, thair wus a guid turnoot o freens an nighbers at tha circumcisin, an the' wur aa wantin tae caa hïm eftèr hïs faither.

⁶⁰ But “Na!” Lïzbeth saed, “He maun hae tha name o Jhone.”

⁶¹ “Whut!” the' saed, “Nane o yer femlie wus iver a Jhone.”

⁶² Sae the' axt tha wean's faither, bi makkin signs, whut he thocht tha name shud be.

⁶³ He waved fer thaim tae get hïm sumthin tae write on, but the' wur aa tuk bak whan he püt thïs doon: “Hïs name ïs Jhone!”

⁶⁴ Strecht aff Zechariah fun hïs tung an he stairtit giein praise tae God.

⁶⁵ Aa tha fowk roon aboot wus dumfoonèrt, an ït wus tha taak o tha hale kintrieside o Judea.

⁶⁶ An iveriebodie that heerd aboot ït wus wunnèrin whut wye thïs wee fella wud turn oot. Oniebodie cud see that tha han o tha Loard wus upon hïm.

Tha sang o Zechariah

⁶⁷ Then hïs faither Zechariah, fu o tha Halie Spïrit, stairtit makkin a proaphesie:

⁶⁸ “Praise tha Loard God o Israel, fer he haes cum doon amang hïs fowk an pyed tha coast o settin thaim free.

⁶⁹ Frae tha line o Davit's croon, he haes brocht iz a michtie Saviour,

⁷⁰ jist laik he saed he wud throu tha mooth o hïs halie proaphits, a lang while bak.

⁷¹ Noo we wull be saved frae thaim that's agin aa we dae, an frae thaim that cannae stan iz.

⁷² He haes showed mercie tae Abraham an tae aa oor forefaithers,

⁷³ bi haein mine o hïs halie coveynant.

⁷⁴ Sae noo we can sarve hïm wi'oot bein feart o thaim that's wantin tae hairm iz,

⁷⁵ wi us bein halie an ïn guid stannin ïn tha ee o tha Loard as lang as we leeve.

⁷⁶ An you, ma wee sinn, ye'll get caad ‘Tha proaphit o tha maist heich God’, fer ye'll mak tha wye readie fer tha cumin o tha Loard.

⁷⁷ Ye'll tell tha fowk hoo the' can get saved bi haein thair sïns forgien.

⁷⁸ Heiven's risin sin ïs jist aboot tae brek on iz, oot o tha guidness o God's hairt,

⁷⁹ giein licht tae thaim that sïts ïn tha dairk shedda o deith, an róadin iz ïntae tha pad o peace.”

⁸⁰ Jhone wus raired an he becum strang ïn spïrit, an he leeved oot ïn tha wuldèrness tae tha time cum tae stairt praichin tae Israel.