1 Nyakuubahwa Tewofilo*,

Abantu benshi baagerageje kwandika ibyabaaye muri twe. 2 Banditse nk'uko twabibwiwe n'abaabyireebeye n'amaaso yaabo bigitangira kandi bakabyamamaza. 3 Nuuko reero nanje ubwanje maze kubibaririza neeza uko byagiiye, bimbeera byiza kubikwandikira uko byagiiye bikurikirana, 4 kugira ngo bigufashe kumenya neeza ukuri kw'ibyo wiigiishijwe byose.

5 Ku ngoma ya Herodi umwami w'i Buyuda, haariho Umuheerezabitambo witwaga Zaakariya. Yari akomooka mu muryango w'abaheerezabitambo wa Abiya. Umugore we yitwaga Elizaabeeti, akaba yari akomooka mu muryango wa Arooni, Umuheerezabitambo Mukuru. 6 Zaakariya na Elizaabeeti baari intungaane imbere y'Imaana kandi baakurikizaga amategeko n'amabwiriza y'Imaana. 7 Ntamwana baari bafite kuko Elizaabeeti yari ingumba kandi bombi baari bageze mu zaabukuru.

8 Umunsi umwe, umuryango w'abaheerezabitambo wa Zaakariya ni wo wari ugenewe gukora mu Nzu y'Imaana kandi Zaakariya ni we wari uramukiwe. 9 Ukurikije umugenzo w'abaheerezabitambo, ubufindo bufata Zaakariya maze atooranywa kuja mu Nzu y'Imaana kootsa ibihuumura neeza. 10 Mu gihe yabyotsaga, abantu benshi baari hanze basenga.

11 Nuuko malayika w'Uhoraho aramubonekera, ahagarara iburyo bw'igicaaniro c'ibihuumura neeza. 12 Zaakariya amuboonye ariikanga agira ubwoba, 13 ariko malayika aramubwira ati, "wiitiinya Zaakariya, kuko Imaana yumviise gusenga kwawe. Umugore waawe Elizaabeeti azaakubyarira umuhungu nuuko uzamwite Yohaana. 14 Azaakubeera umuneezeero n'ibyishiimo, ndetse benshi baziishiimira kuvuka kwe. 15 Azaaba umuntu ukomeye imbere y'Imaana. Ntaazanywa divaayi cangwa igisindiisha coose, kandi azuuzuzwa Umwuka Weera uheereye akiri mu nda ya nyina. 16 Azaayobora Abiisirayeli kugira ngo biihane ibyaha byabo bagarukire Imaana, 17 kandi azaagendera imbere y'Imaana mu Mwuka n'ububaasha nka Eliya. Azaahuuza imitima y'abaana n'ababyeyi, hamwe n'abatumvira Imaana, azaabayobora mu bwenge bwo kuyumvira, kugira ngo ateguure abantu maze batungaanire Imaana."

18 Zaakariya abaza malayika ati, "Ibyo naabyemera nte ko ndi umusaaza kandi n'umugore wanje akaba ari umukeecuru?"

19 Malayika aramusubiza ati, "Ninje malayika Gaburyeri uhora imbere y'Imaana, kandi natumwe kuvugana naawe ngo nkubwire ubwo butumwa bwiza. 20 Uheereye noone, ntuuribwongere kuvuga ku bwo gushidiikanya kwawe, kugeza umunsi ibyo nkubwiye bizaakubaho kuko amagambo yanje azaasohora mu gihe caayo."

21 Abantu baari bategereje Zaakariya, batangaazwa n'uko atinze mu Nzu y'Imaana. 22 Asohotse, ntiyashobora kuvugana na bo. Nuuko abantu bareebera ku bimenyeetso yakoreeshaga no guceceka kwe maze bateekereza ko agomba kuba yaboonye iyerekwa akiri mu Nzu y'Imaana.

23 Iminsi ya Zaakariya yo guheereza ibitambo ishize, asubira iwe. 24 Hashize igihe, umugore we Elizaabeeti asama inda, nuuko amara ameezi ataanu ataja ahagaragara. Aravuga ati, 25 "Mbeega ibyo Imaana yankoreye muri iyi minsi! Yarantabaaye, inkiza ibyankozaga isoni* mu bantu."

26 Igihe Elizaabeeti yari afite inda y'ameezi atandatu, Imaana ituma malayika Gaburyeri mu tawuni y'i Galileeya yitwa Nazaareeti. 27 ✝Imutuma ku mwari w'isugi wiitwa Mariya wari usabwe n'umugabo witwaga Yozefu wo mu muryango wa Dawudi. 28 Malayika abonekera Mariya aramubwira ati, "Ni amahoro uhiiriwe! Uhoraho ari kumwe naawe."

29 Mariya ariikanga, ahagarika umutima ku bw'iyo ndamutso ateekereza ico imenyeesha. 30 Malayika aramubwira ati, "Ntuugire ubwoba Mariya, kuko uhiiriwe ku Maana. 31 ✝Dore uzaasama inda, ubyare umuhungu, uzamwite Yesu. 32 Azaaba ukomeye, kandi aziitwa Umwana w'Isumbabyose. Imaana izaamugira Umwami nka seekuruza Dawudi. 33 Azaaba Umwami mu nzu ya Isirayeli iteeka ryose, ndetse Ubwami bwe ntibuzaashira."

34 Mariya abaza uwo malayika ati, "Ibyo bizaabaho bite ko ntaamugabo mfite?"

35 Malayika aramusubiza ati, "Umwuka Weera azaakuuzaho, n'ububaasha bw'Isumbabyose bukubundikire mu gicuucu ce, ni co gituma umwana uzaavuuka azaaba Uweera, akiitwa Umwana w'Imaana. 36 Dore mwene waanyu Elizaabeeti na we afite inda y'umuhungu yo mu bukeecuru. Uwitwaga ingumba, ubu ni ukwezi kwe kwa gatandatu atwite, 37 kuko ari ntaajambo Imaana ivuga ngo rihere."

38 Mariya aramubwira ati, "Dore ndi umuja w'Imaana, byose bimbeho uko uvuze." Nuuko malayika amusiga aho aragenda.

39 Muri ico gihe, Mariya arahaguruka agenda yihuuta, aja mu tawuni yo mu gihugu c'imisozi y'i Yudeeya. 40 Mariya yinjira mu nzu ya Zaakariya, aramukanya na Elizaabeeti. 41 Mariya akimuramutsa, umwana wa Elizaabeeti yisimbiza mu nda. Maze Elizaabeeti yuzura Umwuka Weera, 42 avuga mu ijwi rirenga ati, "Mariya, mu bagore boose urahiirwa, n'umwana uzaabyara arahiirwa. 43 Mbese ni nje nde kubona nyina w'Umwami wanje ambaramiye? 44 Numviise indamutso yaawe, ako kaanya umwana asimbizwa mu nda yanje ku bw'umuneezeero mwinshi. 45 Kandi urahiirwa kuko wizeeye ibyo wabwiwe n'Uhoraho ko bizaabaho."

46 Maze Mariya aravuga ati,

"Umutima wanje uhimbaaze Uhoraho,

47 kandi wishiimire Imaana Umukiza wanje,

48 kuko yitaaye ku kwiciisha bugufi ku muja we.

Kuva ubu, ab'ibihe byose bazanyita uhiiriwe,

49 kuko Ushoborabyose yankoreye ibikomeye,

izina rye ni iryera.

50 Imbabazi z'Uhoraho zihora ku bamwubaha,

b'ibihe byose.

51 Imaana yakoreesheje ukuboko kwayo gukomeye,

gutaatanya abiibone n'imigambi yaabo.

52 Yimuye abaami ku ngoma,

ishira heejuru abiiciisha bugufi.

53 Imaana yahaagije ibyiza abafite inzara,

ariko abakire yabaseezereye amaara masa.

54 Yatabaaye Isirayeli umugaragu waayo,

kandi yibutse kugirira imbabazi

55 Aburahamu n'urubyaro rwe iteeka ryose,

nk'uko yabwiye ba sogokuruza."

56 Nuuko Mariya aguma kwa Elizaabeeti kumara ameezi atatu, abona gutaaha.

57 Igihe ca Elizaabeeti co kubyara kigeze, abyara umwana w'umuhungu. 58 Abatuuranyi be na beene waabo bumva ko Nyagasani Imaana yamugiriye imbabazi nyinshi, abantu boose biishiimana na we.

59 Umwana amaze iminsi munaane avuutse, bamujaana gukebwa. Bashaaka kumwitirira izina rya se Zaakariya, 60 ariko nyina arababwira ati, "Oya, akwiriye kwitwa Yohaana."

61 Baramubwira bati, "Ko ari ntaawe wo mu muryango waanyu wiitwa iryo zina!"

62 Baciira se amarenga kugira ngo bamenye izina ryo ashaaka kumwita. 63 Asaba ico kwandikaho, arandika ati, "Izina rye ni Yohaana." Boose baratangaara. 64 Muri ako kaanya Zaakariya atangira kuvuga ashiima Imaana. 65 Abatuuranyi be bateerwa n'ubwoba, ibyo byose byamamara mu misozi yoose y'i Yudeeya. 66 Abaabyumviise barabizirikana, bariibaza bati, "Mbese uyu mwana azaaba iki?" Nuuko Imaana ikomeza kubaana n'uwo mwana.

67 Zaakariya se wa Yohaana, ayoborwa n'Umwuka Weera, arahanuura ati,

68 "Nyagasani ahimbaazwe, Imaana y'Abiisirayeli,

kuko igendereye abantu baayo, kubacungura.

69 Kandi itwoherereje Umukiza ukomeye,

kuva mu rubyaro rw'umugaragu waayo Dawudi.

70 Nk'uko Imaana yakoreesheje abahanuuzi baayo kuva keera, yaseezeranyije

71 yuuko izaadukiza abanzi n'amaboko y'abatwanga boose.

72 Yagiriye ba sogokuruza imbabazi,

yibuka iseezerano ryayo ryera,

73 n'indahiro yarahiye sogokuruza Aburahamu

74 yuuko nitumara gukizwa amaboko y'abanzi baacu,

tuzaayikorera tudatiinya,

75 turi abeera, dukiraanuka imbere yayo iminsi yoose yo kubaho kwacu.

76 Kandi naawe mwana wanje, uziitwa umuhanuuzi w'Imaana Isumbabyose.

Uzaabanziriza Umukiza kugira ngo utungaanye inzira ze.

77 Uzaamenyeesha abantu yuuko inzira y'agakiza,

ari ukubabarirwa ibyaha byabo.

78 Urukundo rw'Imaana n'imbabazi zaayo, bizaatuuzaho

nk'uko izuuba ritumurikira umuseke utambitse,

79 ukamurikira abiicaye mu mwijima no mu gicuucu c'urupfu,

no kuyobora ibirenge byacu mu nzira y'amahoro."

80 Uwo mwana arakura, agwiza ubutwari, aguma mu butaayu kugeza igihe yigaragarije mu Biisirayeli.