UMatewu 2 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Izazi zasempumalanga

¹ Kwathi uJesu esezelwe eBetlehema elaseJudiya ensukwini zikaHerodi inkosi, kwafika izazi eJerusalema zivela kwelasempumalanga,

² zisithi: Ungaphi ozelwe eyinkosi yabaJuda na? Ngoba sibonile inkanyezi yakhe kwelasempumalanga, size ukumkhonza.

³ Ngakho uHerodi inkosi esekuzwile lokho wakhathazeka leJerusalema lonke kanye laye.

⁴ Esebuthanisile bonke abapristi abakhulu lababhali babantu, wabuza kubo ukuthi uKristu uzakuzalelwa ngaphi.

⁵ Bathi kuye: EBetlehema elaseJudiya; ngoba kulotshiwe ngokunjalo ngumprofethi ukuthi:

⁶ Lawe Betlehema, lizwe lakoJuda, kawusuye omncinyane lakanye kubabusi bakoJuda, ngoba kuzakuvela kuwe umbusi ozakwalusa abantu bami uIsrayeli.

⁷ Kwang’khona uHerodi, esezibizile izazi ngensitha, wabuzisisa kuzo isikhathi sokubonakala kwenkanyezi.

⁸ Wazithuma eBetlehema, wathi: Hambani libuzisise ngomntwana; kuzakuthi nxa limfumene, libike kimi ukuba lami ngiye ngimkhonze.

⁹ Kwathi seziyizwile inkosi, zasuka zahamba; inkanyezi ezayibona kwelasempumalanga yahamba phambi kwazo, yaze yafika yema phezu kwalapho umntwana ayekhona.

¹⁰ Zathi ukuyibona inkanyezi, zathokoza ngokuthokoza okukhulu kakhulu.

¹¹ Zasezingena endlini, zabona umntwana loMariya unina, zakhothamela phansi, zamkhonza, zasibukula izitsha zazo ezilempahla eligugu, zamkhunga ngeziphiwo, igolide lamakha lenhlaka.

¹² Kwathi sezilayiwe ngephupho ukuba zingabuyeli kuHerodi, zasuka zabuyela elizweni lakibo ngenye indlela.

Ukubalekela eGibithe

¹³ Sezisukile, isithunywa seNkosi sabonakala kuJosefa ephupheni sisithi: Vuka, uthathe umntwana lonina ubalekele eGibithe, uhlale khona ngize ngikutshele; ngoba uHerodi uzakumfuna umntwana ukuze ambulale.

¹⁴ Wavukake, wathatha umntwana lonina ebusuku, wasuka waya eGibithe.

¹⁵ Wahlala khona, waze wafa uHerodi, ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa yiNkosi ngomprofethi ukuthi: Ngayibiza indodana yami ukuba iphume eGibithe.

Ukubulawa kwabantwana baseBetlehema

¹⁶ Kwathi uHerodi, esebonile ukuthi izazi zimphicile, wathukuthela kakhulu, wathumela wabulala bonke abafana baseBetlehema lasendaweni yonke yakhona, abaleminyaka emibili langaphansi, njengesikhathi abesibuzisisile kuzo izazi.

¹⁷ Kwasekugcwaliseka okwakhulunywa nguJeremiya umprofethi ukuthi:

¹⁸ Kwezwakala ilizwi eRama, ukukhala lokulila okukhulu, uRaheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe, engavumi ukududuzwa ngoba bengasekho.

Ukubuyela elizweni lakoIsrayeli

¹⁹ Kwathi esefile uHerodi, isithunywa seNkosi sabonakala ephupheni kuJosefa eGibithe, sathi:

²⁰ Vuka, uthathe umntwana lonina uye elizweni lakoIsrayeli, ngoba sebefile ababezingela ukusila komntwana.

²¹ Wavukake, wathatha umntwana lonina, wafika elizweni lakoIsrayeli.

²² Kodwa esezwile ukuthi uAkelawu usebusa eJudiya esikhundleni sikaHerodi uyise, wesaba ukuya khona; esexwayisiwe ephupheni wasuka waya elizweni laseGalili.

²³ Wafika, wahlala emzini othiwa iNazaretha ukuba kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngabaprofethi ukuthi: Uzakubizwa ngokuthi ngoweNazaretha.