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.
Introduction
1 Dear Theophilus:
Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us. 2 They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message. 3 And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you. 4 I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist Is Announced
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family. 6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service. 9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord, 10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned. 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar where the incense was burned. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John. 14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born! 15 John will be great in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home. 24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months. 25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
The Birth of Jesus Is Announced
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27 He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 30 The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 37 For there is nothing that God cannot do.”
38 “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? 44 For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. 45 How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”
Mary's Song of Praise
46 Mary said,
“My heart praises the Lord;
47 my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
48 for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me happy,
49 because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.
His name is holy;
50 from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honor him.
51 He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.
52 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
55 He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants forever!”
56 Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her.
59 When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No! His name is to be John.”
61 They said to her, “But you don't have any relative with that name!” 62 Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.
63 Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, “His name is John.” How surprised they all were! 64 At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God. 65 The neighbors were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, “What is this child going to be?” For it was plain that the Lord's power was upon him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message:
68 “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.
69 He has provided for us a mighty Savior,
a descendant of his servant David.
70 He promised through his holy prophets long ago
71 that he would save us from our enemies,
from the power of all those who hate us.
72 He said he would show mercy to our ancestors
and remember his sacred covenant.
73-74 With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham
he promised to rescue us from our enemies
and allow us to serve him without fear,
75 so that we might be holy and righteous before him
all the days of our life.
76 “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his road for him,
77 to tell his people that they will be saved
by having their sins forgiven.
78 Our God is merciful and tender.
He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us
79 and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death,
to guide our steps into the path of peace.”
80 The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.
