NgokukaMathewu 2

2 ¹Emva kokuba uJesu ezelwe eBhetlehema laseJudiya, ezinsukwini zenkosi uHerode, kwafika eJerusalema izazi ezivela empumalanga, ²zathi: “Uphi lowo ozelwe eyinkosi yamaJuda? Ngokuba sibone inkanyezi yakhe empumalanga, size ukumkhonza.” ³Kwathi inkosi uHerode ikuzwa lokho, yakhathazeka, nalo lonke iJerusalema kanye nayo. ⁴Wabutha bonke abapristi abakhulu nababhali babantu, wababuza ukuthi uKhristu wayezozalelwa kuphi. ⁵Bathi kuye: “EBhetlehema laseJudiya, ngokuba yilokhu okwabhalwa ngomprofethi: ⁶‘Nawe-ke, Bhetlehema, ezweni lakwaJuda, kanjalo awusona nhlobo esincane phakathi kwababusi bakwaJuda; ngokuba kuwe kuyakuvela umbusi oyakwalusa u-Israyeli, isizwe sami.’”

⁷Khona-ke uHerode wazibizela izazi ngasese, wathola kuzo ngqo isikhathi inkanyezi eyabonakala ngaso. ⁸Wazithuma eBhetlehema, wathi: “Hambani niyofuna umntwana ngokucophelela. Nxa nimtholile, buyani nizongibikela, ukuze nami ngiye ngimkhonze.”

⁹Sezizwile inkosi, zahamba; nayinkanyezi ezaziyibone empumalanga yahamba phambi kwazo, yaze yema phezu kwendawo lapho umntwana ayekhona. ¹⁰Kwathi zibona inkanyezi, zathokoza ngenjabulo enkulu kakhulu. ¹¹Zingena endlini, zabona umntwana noMariya unina, zawa phansi zamkhonza. Zavula amabhokisi azo amagugu, zamnika izipho: igolide, nenhlaka, nemure. ¹²Kwathi ngoba zexwayiswa ephusheni ukuba zingabuyeli kuHerode, zabuyela ezweni lazo ngenye indlela.

uBaba Uvikela iNdodana Yakhe

¹³Emva kokuba zihambile, ingelosi kaBaba wethu yabonakala kuJosefa ephusheni, yathi: “Vuka, uthathe umntwana nonina, ubalekele eGibhithe, uhlale khona ngize ngikutshele—ngokuba uHerode usezofuna umntwana ukuze ambulale.”

¹⁴Wavuka wathatha umntwana nonina ebusuku, wamuka waya eGibhithe,

¹⁵wahlala khona waze wafa uHerode, ukuze kugcwaliseke lokho uBaba wethu akusho ngomprofethi, ethi: “Ngayibiza indodana yami iphuma eGibhithe.” ^a a v15 UMathewu usebenzisa la mazwi kaHoseya kuJesu: iNdodana yeqiniso egcwalisa lokho u-Israyeli, owabizwa ephuma eGibhithe, angakwazanga ukukufeza.

¹⁶Khona-ke uHerode, ebona ukuthi izazi zimkhohlisile, wathukuthela kakhulu, wathuma amadoda ukuba abulale bonke abafana abaneminyaka emibili nangaphansi eBhetlehema nasesifundeni sonke salo, njengesikhathi ayesithole ezazini. ¹⁷Khona-ke kwagcwaliseka okwakhulunywa ngoJeremiya umprofethi, ukuthi: ¹⁸“Kwezwakala izwi eRama, ukukhala nokulila okukhulu, uRaheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe; wala ukududuzwa, ngokuba abasekho.”

uBaba Umbizela Ekhaya

¹⁹Kodwa esefile uHerode, ingelosi kaBaba wethu yabonakala ephusheni kuJosefa eGibhithe, ²⁰yathi: “Vuka, uthathe umntwana nonina, uye ezweni lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba sebefile ababefuna ukuphila komntwana.”

²¹Wavuka-ke, wathatha umntwana nonina, waya ezweni lakwa-Israyeli. ²²Kodwa ezwa ukuthi u-Arkhelawu wayebusa eJudiya esikhundleni sikayise uHerode, wesaba ukuya khona. Exwayiswe ephusheni, wamuka waya esifundeni saseGalile. ²³Wafika wahlala emzini othiwa iNazaretha, ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngabaprofethi, ukuthi: “Uyakubizwa ngokuthi umNazaretha.”