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Izazi Zethekelela UKhristu
1 UJesu esezelwe eBhethilehema laseJudiya ngesikhathi sokubusa kwenkosi uHerodi, kwafika eJerusalema iZazi zivela empumalanga, 2 zabuza zathi, “Ungaphi lowo ozalelwe ukuba yinkosi yamaJuda na? Sibone inkanyezi yakhe empumalanga ngakho size ukuzamkhonza.”
3 Kwathi inkosi uHerodi isikuzwile lokhu yakhathazeka, kanye leJerusalema lonke. 4 Kwathi esebizele ndawonye abaphristi abakhulu bonke labafundisi bomthetho, wababuza ukuthi uKhristu wayezazalelwa ngaphi. 5 Baphendula bathi, “EBhethilehema laseJudiya, ngoba lokhu yikho okwalotshwa ngumphrofethi ukuthi:
6 ‘Kodwa wena Bhethilehema, elizweni lakoJuda,
kawumncinyane kulabo bonke ababusi bakoJuda;
ngoba kuzavela umbusi kuwe,
ozakuba ngumelusi wabantu bami bako-Israyeli.’*UMikha 5.2”
7 UHerodi wasezibiza iZazi ngasese wadingisisa kuzo isikhathi inkanyezi eyaphuma ngaso ngqe. 8 Wabathuma eBhethilehema wathi, “Hambani liyemdinga umntwana. Lingamfumana lingazise masinyane ukuze lami ngihambe ngiyemkhonza.”
9 Sezizwile okwatshiwo yinkosi, zasuka zahamba, inkanyezi leyo ezaziyibonile empumalanga yahamba phambi kwazo yaze yayakuma lapho umntwana ayekhona. 10 Zathi ziyibona inkanyezi zagcwala intokozo. 11 Zangena endlini zambona umntwana lonina uMariya, zakhothama zamkhonza. Zasezivula impahla zazo eziligugu zamkhunga ngezipho zegolide lempepha lemure. 12 Kwathi ngoba zixwayisiwe ephutsheni ukuthi zingabuyeli kuHerodi, zaqonda elizweni lakibo ngenye indlela.
Ukubalekela EGibhithe
13 Kwathi sezihambile, ingilosi yeNkosi yabonakala kuJosefa ngephupho. Yathi, “Vuka uthathe umntwana lonina libalekele eGibhithe. Lihlale khonale ngize ngilitshele ngoba uHerodi uzamdinga umntwana efuna ukumbulala.”
14 Ngakho wavuka wathatha umntwana lonina ebusuku waya eGibhithe 15 lapho abahlala khona uHerodi waze wafa. Ngakho kwagcwaliseka lokho iNkosi eyayikutshilo ngomphrofethi ukuthi, “Indodana yami ngayikhupha eGibhithe.”†UHosiya 11.1
16 Kwathi ukuba uHerodi ananzelele ukuthi iZazi zazimphicile wazonda kakhulu, wasekhupha umlayo wokuthi kubulawe bonke abantwana abangabafana eBhethilehema lasemangweni wonke oseduze, bonke ababeleminyaka emibili kusehla, kuhambelana lesikhathi leso ayesitshelwe yiZazi. 17 Ngakho lokho okwakutshiwo ngumphrofethi uJeremiya kwagcwaliseka ukuthi:
18 “Ilizwi lizwakala eRama,
ukukhala lesililo esikhulu,
uRasheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe njalo
wala ukududuzwa,
ngoba kabasekho.”‡UJeremiya 31.15
Ukubuyela ENazaretha
19 UHerodi esefile, ingilosi yeNkosi yabonakala ngephupho kuJosefa eseGibhithe 20 yathi, “Sukuma uthathe umntwana lonina liye elizweni lako-Israyeli ngoba labo ababefuna ukubulala umntwana sebefile.”
21 Ngakho wasukuma wathatha umntwana lonina waya elizweni lako-Israyeli. 22 Kodwa wathi ngokuzwa ukuthi u-Akhelasi wayebusa eJudiya esikhundleni sikayise uHerodi wesaba ukuya khona. Kwathi esexwayisiwe ephutsheni wahamba wayahlala eGalile, 23 edolobheni elalithiwa yiNazaretha. Ngalokho kwagcwaliseka okwatshiwo ngabaphrofethi ukuthi: Uzabizwa ngokuthi ngoweNazaretha.