1 ǀGapiǃgôahesa Teofilutse:
ǂGuigu ge ǁîgu ǁkhāsib ǃoa sage ǁaegu ge ī xūna ǁgaeǂhôas ǃnâ ǃamǁaresa ge dītsâ. 2 ǁÎgu ge mûǃgâ-aon xa ge tsoatsoasa xu a mûhe tsî Mîs ǃoaba-aogu xa da ge mîbahe khami ge xoamâi. 3 ǁNā-amaga, ta ge ǁkhāti go ǂâi ǀGapiǃgôahesatse, hoana ta nî ǂōrisase saogubes ǃnâ ôaǃnâ tsî ǂhanu ǀgaub ai satsa xoamâibasa. 4 Tita ge ǁnāsa ra dī, îts ǂan, ǁkhāǁkhāhets gere xūn hoaragase a ama ǃkhaisa.
Johaneb ǁĀǁnâ-aob di ǃnaes ra ǂhôahe
5 Herodeb ge Judeab di gao-ao i ǁaeb ǃnâb ge Saxariab ti ǀon hâ pristeri, Abiab di pristerǃnansa xu ge hâ iba ge hâ i. ǁÎb taras ge Elisabet ti ge ǀon hâ i tsîs ge Aronni suriba xu ge hâ i. 6 ǁÎra ge Elob mûǁae ǂhanu-aise gere ûi tsî ǃKhūb di ǂhanugu tsî mîmāde ǀoasase gere ǁnâuǀnam. 7 ǁÎra ge ge ǀgôao i, Elisabets ge ǀgôa-e hō ǁoa i tsî hoara ge ǁkhāti ǀnai kaira hâ i amaga.
8 ǀGuitsēb Saxariaba ǁîb pristersis di ǁguiǂamde Tempeli ǃnâ, Elob aiǃâ ra dī, 9 hîab ge pristergu ǁnaetib ǃoa, ǂnōgus ǃnâ-u ge ǁhûihe, altars aib ǃgâihamxūna nî ǀanǀanse. Ob ge ǃKhūb di Tempeli ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. 10 ǁÎb ǃgâihamxūna ǀanǀans ǀkha ǀhabe hîan ge ǂnubis khoena ǃauga mâ tsî gere ǀgore. 11 Ob ge ǃKhūb ǀhomǃgāba ǀanǀanaltars di amǀkhāb ai ǁîba ge ǂhai. 12 Saxariab ge ǁîbab ge mû, o burugâ tsî kaise ǃhuri tsî ge ǃao. 13 Xaweb ge ǀhomǃgāba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Tā ǃao, Saxariatse! Elob go sa ǀgoresa ǁnâu-am xuige. Sa taras Elisabets ge ǀgôaroba nî ǁoraba tsi tsîts ge ǁîba Johaneb ti nî ǀonǂgai. 14 Sats ge ǃgâiaǂgao tsî nî dâ tsî ǂguin ge ǁîb ǃnaes ǂama nî ǃgâiaǂgao! 15 Johaneb ge ǃKhūb mûǁae kaise nî ī. ǁÎb ge tātse ǂauxûi-i tamas ka io ǀgaisa āxū-i tsîna ā tide. ǁGûs ǃnāb ǃnâb hâ ǁaeba xub ge ǃAnu Gagab xa nî ǀoa, 16 tsîb ge ǂgui Israelǁîna ǃKhūb, ǁîn di Elob ǃoa nî oahā-ū. 17 ǁÎb ge ǁkhā gagab tsî ǀgaib, kēbo-aob Eliab dib khami īb ǀkha ǃKhūba nî aiǃgûba tsîb ge ǂguin, ǁnâuǀnamoǃnân di ǂgaoga ǂhanu-aisib ǁga ǀkharaǀkhara tsî ǃKhūba khoena nî aiǂhomiba.”
18 Ob ge Saxariaba ǀhomǃgāb ǃoa ge mî: “Mâti ta nēsa nî ǂan? Tita ge kaira khoeta tsî ti taras tsîn kom kaira hâo.”
19 Ob ge ǀhomǃgāba ge ǃeream bi: “Tita ge Gabrielta. Tita ge hoaǁae Elob aiǃâ hâ ta, sats ǀkha ǃhoa tsî ta nē ǃgâi ǂhôasa nî hā-ūba tsise sîhe hâ ta. 20 Xawets kom tita xats ra mîbahena ǂgom tamao, ǁnā-amagats ge nî ǃgome tsîts ge ǃhoa tide, ti mîdi mîmâihe hâ ǁaeb ai nî amas kōse.”
21 Nē ǁaeb ǃnân ge ǂnubis khoena Saxariaba ge ǃâu hâ i, tsî ge burutsoatsoa tare-i ǃaromab go ǁnātikō gaxu ǁaeba Tempeli ǃnâ a ǀhabesa. 22 Tsî ǂoaxab ge ob ge ǁîn ǀkha ge ǃhoa ǁoa i, on ge ge ǂan ai-eb go Tempeli ǃnâ mû ǃkhaisa. ǃGomeb ge xui-aob ge ǁîna ǃomkha ǀkha ǀgui gere ǁgau.
23 Tsî ǁîb di Tempelǃoabas ǁaeb ge toa, ob ge Saxariaba ge ǁaru. 24 Tsî ǁnā tsēdi khaoǃgâs ge ǁîb taras, Elisabetsa ǀgamǀkhā tsî koro ǁkhâgu ǁaeba omsa xu ǂoa tamase ge hâ i. 25 “Nēs ǀkhab ge ǃKhūba ǀunis ai go hui te, ǁîb go ti ǃharaxūba khoen ǃnâ ūbēba te amaga” tis ge ge mî.
Jesub di ǃnaes ra ǂhôahe
26 ǃNaniǁî ǁkhâb Elisabets ǀgamǀkhās dib ǃnâb ge Eloba ǀhomǃgāb Gabriela Galileab ǃnâ ǂnôa ǃās, Nasaret ti ra ǀonǂgaihes ǃnâ hâ oaxaes ǁga ge sî. 27 ǀHomǃgāb ge haisi-am-i, oaxaes hîa Josef ti ǀon hâ khoeb, Davidi omarisa xu hâb xa ge ǃgameba mîmâibahe hâ isab nî mā-e ge ūhâ i. Nē oaxaes ge Maria ti ge ǀon hâ i. 28 ǀHomǃgāb ge ǁîs tawab ge ǂhaio ge mî: “Tawede si ta ra sas ǀkhomma go hōsa! ǃKhūb ge hâǀkhā si, sas taradi ǃnâ ǀkhaehe hâsa!”
29 Marias ge ǀhomǃgāb di ǂhôas xa ge burugâ tsîs ge kaise ge ǂâiǂhansen, nē ǂhôas tare-e ra ǂâibasen ǃkhais xa. 30 Ob ge ǀhomǃgāba ǁîs ǃoa ge mî: “Tā ǃao, Mariase, ǀkhommas go Elob tawa hō xuige. 31 Tsî mû, sas ge ǀgamǀkhā tsî ǀgôaba nî ǁora tsîs ge ǁîba Jesub ti nî ǀonǂgai. 32 ǁÎb ge nî kai tsî Hoan xa ǀGapib di Ôab ti nî ǂgaihe. ǃKhūb Elob ge ǁîb îb Davidi di gaosisa nî mā bi, 33 ob ge ǀamos kōse Jakob surib ǂama nî gao; tsî ǁîb gaosib ge tātsē ǀuni tide!”
34 Os ge Mariasa ǀhomǃgāb ǃoa ge mî: “Tita kom ao-e ūhâ tamao, mâtis nēsa a īǁkhā?”
35 Ob ge ǀhomǃgāba ge ǃeream si: “ǃAnu Gagab ge nî hāǂam si tsî Hoan xa ǀGapib di ǀgaib ge sas ai nî hā. ǁNā-amagab ge sasa xu nî ǃnae ǀgôaba ǃanub, Elob Ôab* ti nî ǂgaihe. 36 Mû, sa khoexakhoes Elisabets ǀgôana hō tidese īs ge nē kairasis tsēdi âs ǃnâ a ǀgamǀkhā tsî nēb ge ǁîs di ǃnaniǁî ǁkhâba. 37 Xū-i xare-i ge Elob tawa īǁoasa tama hâ.”
38 “Tita ge ǃKhūb di ǃgāta, mîts go khami a-i īǀkhā te re” tis ge Mariasa ge mî, ob ge ǀhomǃgāba ǁîsa xu ge bē.
Marias ge Elisabetsa ra sari
39 ǁNā tsēdi ǃnâs ge Mariasa ǂhomisen tsî ǃnoesase Judab di ǃhomxa ǀkharib ǃnâ ǂnôa ǃās ǁga ge ǃgû. 40 Saxariab oms ǃnâ sī ǂgâ tsîs ge Elisabetsa ge tawede. 41 Tsî Elisabets ge Marias di tawedesa ǁnâu, ob ge ǀgôaroba ǃnāb âs ǃnâ ge uri tsîs ge Elisabetsa ǃAnu Gagab xa ǀoa, 42 tsî ǀgaisa dommi ǀkha ge ǂgaiǂui: “Sas ge taradi hoadi xa ǃnāsase ǀkhaehe hâ tsî ǀkhaeheb ge hâ ǀgôarob hîas nî hōba! 43 Mâ ǃgâi xū-e ta dī hâ, os kha ti ǃKhūb îsa tita hā ra sari? 44 Sa tawedesa ta ra ǁnâu hîab ge ti ǀgôaroba ti ǃnāb ǃnâ ǃgâiaǂgaob xa go uri. 45 Tsî ama ǀkhaehes ge hâ sas ǂgom rasa, ǃKhūb xas go mîbahen nî dīǀoaǀoahe ǃkhaisa.”
Marias di koatsanas
46 Os ge Mariasa ge mî:
“Ti ǀoms ge ǃKhūba ra kaikai;
47 tsî ti gagas ge ra dâ,
Elob ti ǃGâiǃōdī-aob ǃnâ.
48 ǁÎb ǃgās di ǃgamǃgamsensab go ǃgapaǀî amaga;
tsî mû, nēsisa xu di ge hoa ǃhaode
ǃgâiǃōse nî kare te,
49 kai xūnab go ǀGaisaba dī te amaga,
tsî ǀons âb ge a ǃanu.
50 ǁÎb di ǀkhomxaǂgaosib ge ra hâhâ
nē ǃhaosa xu nau ǃhaos kōse,
ǁîba ra ǃaoǃgân ǂama.
51 ǀGaisa dī-eb ge ǁîb di ǁôab ǀkha dī
tsî ǁîn ǂgaogu ǃnâ
ǀgapiǂâixana go ǀgaruǀgaru.
52 Gao-aoga tronde xu ūǁnâ
tsîb ge ǃgamǃgamsensana go ǀgapiǀgapi.
53 ǃÂ hâna ǃgâin ǀkha ǁâǁâ,
tsîb ge ǃkhū hâna ǀkhaiǃomse go sîbē.
54 Israeli ǁîb di ǃgābab ge go hui,
ǀkhomxasib âb xa ǂâi tsî.
55 Sada îgab ge mîba khami, Abrahammi
tsî ǁîb di suriba, ǀamos kōse.”
56 Tsîs ge Mariasa ǁaubexa ǃnona ǁkhâga Elisabets tawa hâ tsî ǁnās khaoǃgâ ge ǁaru.
Johaneb di ǃnaes
57 ǁAeb âs ge ǀoa, os ge Elisabetsa ǀgôaroba ge ǁora. 58 ǁÎs ǁanǁare-aon tsî ǀaokhoen tsîn ge ǃKhūb ge kai ǀkhomxaǂgaosiba ǁgau si ǃkhaisa ǁnâu, on ge hoatsama ǁîs ǀkha ge ǃgâiaǂgaoǀhao.
59 ǀGôarob ge a wekhexa on ge ǀgôarob nî ǃgaohese* ge hā tsîn ge ǁîba ǁgûb di ǀons ǃoa Saxaria ti gere ǀonǂgai ǂgao. 60 Xawes ge ǁgûsa “Hî-î, ǁîb ge Johane ti nî ǀonǂgaihe” ti ge mî.
61 On ge ǁîs ǃoa ge mî: “Xawe i kom sa ǀaokhoen ǃnâ ǁnāti ǀon hâ khoe-e a ǀkhaio.” 62 ǁGau rasen ge ǁgûba mâtib ǀgôaroba ra ǂgai ǂgao ǃkhaisa ge dî.
63 Ob ge Saxariaba xoa-aixūro-e ǂgan tsî “ǀOns âb ge a Johane” ti ge xoa. On ge hoana ge buru. 64 ǁNātimîsib ge Saxariaba ǁkhawa ǃhoa ǁkhā tsî Eloba ge koatsoatsoa. 65 Tsî ǁîra ǁanǁare-aon ge ǃaob xa ge ǀoa tsîs ge nē ǂhôasa ǁnā ǃnâuxa ǀkharib Judeab dib ǃnâ kaise gere ǃhoahe. 66 Tsî nēsa gere ǁnâun hoan ge nēs xa ǂgaob ǃnâ ǂâiǂâisen tsî gere dî: “Nē ǀgôaroba ǀguitsē nî tare kai?” ǃKhūb di ǀgaib ge ǁîb ǀkha hâ i amaga.
Saxariab di kēbos
67 Johaneb îb, Saxariab ge ǃAnu Gagab xa ǀoa tsî kēbo tsî ge mî:
68 “Ab karehe Israelǁîn ǃKhūb Eloba!
Sarihā tsîb go ǁaes âba oresa dība amaga.
69 Tsîb ge ǃgâiǃōsib di ǁnâba go ūkhâiba da
Davidi, ǃgāb âb di ommi ǃnâ.
70 ǀNaib ge ǁîb di ǃanu kēbo-aogu ǃnâ-u
mîmâi hâ i khami.
71 Sadab nî orese sada khākhoen,
tsî ǁkhan da ran hoan di ǃomǁaeba xu.
72 Sada îga ǀkhomxa
tsîb nî ǁîb di ǃanu ǃgaeǀhaos xa ǂâise.
73 Abrahammi, sada îb tawab
74 ge nūs ǀkha ge mîmâi,
khākhoen ǃomga xu huiǂui dasa,
ǃaob ose da ǁîba nî ǃoaba ǁkhāse,
75 î da ǁîb aiǃâ ǃanu tsî ǂhanu-ai ǁkhā
sada ûitsēdi hoade.
76 “Sats, ti ôats ge Hoan xa ǀGapib
di kēbo-aots ti nî ǂgaihe.
Sats ge ǃKhūba nî aiǃgûba
ǁîb daobats nî ǂhomiba bise,
77 ǁîb di ǁaesats nî ǃgâiǃōsiba ǂhôase,
ǁîn ǁoren ǀûbas ǃaroma.
78 Sada Elob di ǀkhomxaǂgaosib tsî tsauraǂgaosiba xub
ge ǁîb ǃgâiǃōsib di ǃnâba ǀgapiseba xu, sada ai nî ǃnâ,
79 ǃnâbab nî hā-ūse,
ǃkhaenab tsî ǁōb sommi ǃnâ ûi hân tawa,
sada dāǃharode ǂkhîb daob ai nî ǃammâise.”
80 ǀGôarob ge ǀomkhâi tsî gagas ǃnâ ge ǀgai. Tsîb ge Israelǁîn aiǃâb nî ǁgausen tsēs kōse ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ge hâ i.
1 Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2 They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3 So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4 I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.
An Angel Tells about the Birth of John
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. 6 Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7 But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.
8 One day Zechariah's group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. 9 According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the Lord's temple that day and to burn incense, 10 while the people stood outside praying.
11 All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12 Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13 But the angel told him:
Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15 Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.
16 John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. This is how John will get people ready for the Lord.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”
19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. 20 You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”
21 The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying in the temple so long. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing.
23 When Zechariah's time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24 Soon after this, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25 “What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.”
An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus
26 One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee 27 with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. 28 The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was confused by the angel's words and wondered what they meant. 30 Then the angel told Mary, “Don't be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not even married!”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God's power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37 Nothing is impossible for God!”
38 Mary said, “I am the Lord's servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah's home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. 45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
Mary's Song of Praise
46 Mary said:
With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
47 and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
48 God cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
49 God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him.
51 The Lord has used
his powerful arm
to scatter those
who are proud.
52 God drags strong rulers
from their thrones
and puts humble people
in places of power.
53 God gives the hungry
good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing.
54 God helps his servant Israel
and is always merciful
to his people.
55 The Lord made this promise
to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his family
forever!
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When Elizabeth's son was born, 58 her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her, and they too were glad.
59 Eight days later they did for the child what the Law of Moses commands. They were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John.”
61 The people argued, “No one in your family has ever been named John.” 62 So they motioned to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to name his son.
63 Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was amazed. 64 At once, Zechariah started speaking and praising God.
65 All the neighbors were frightened because of what had happened, and everywhere in the hill country people kept talking about these things. 66 Everyone who heard about this wondered what this child would grow up to be. They knew the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Praises the Lord
67 The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah, and he began to speak:
68 Praise the Lord,
the God of Israel!
He has come
to save his people.
69 Our God has given us
a mighty Savior
from the family
of David his servant.
70 Long ago the Lord promised
by the words
of his holy prophets
71 to save us from our enemies
and from everyone
who hates us.
72 God said he would be kind
to our people and keep
his sacred promise.
73 He told our ancestor Abraham
74 that he would rescue us
from our enemies.
Then we could serve him
without fear,
75 by being holy and good
as long as we live.
76 You, my son, will be called
the prophet of God Most High.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to get everything ready
for him.
77 You will tell his people
that they can be saved
when their sins
are forgiven.
78 God's love and kindness
will shine upon us
like the sun that rises
in the sky.
79 On us who live
in the dark shadow
of death
this light will shine
to guide us
into a life of peace.
80 As John grew up, God's Spirit gave him great power. John lived in the desert until the time he was sent to the people of Israel.
