¹Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,

¹Sezvo vazhinji vakaedza kuronga rondedzero yezvinhu zvakatendeka zvizere pakati pedu,

²as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,

²sezvavakapa kwatiri ivo avo kubva pakutanga vakazvionera, uye vari varanda veshoko,

³it has seemed good to *me* also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,

³zvakaonekwa zvakanaka kwandiriwo, ndanyatsoongorora zvinhu zvose kubva pakutanga, kuti ndikunyorerei nekutevedzanisa, imwi Teofiro makakurumbira,

⁴that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.

⁴kuti muzive chokwadi chezvinhu zvamakadzidziswa.

⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

⁵Kwaivapo nemazuva aHerodhe mambo weJudhiya umwe mupristi wainzi Zakaria, weboka raAbhiya; nemukadzi wake waibva kuvanasikana vaAroni, nezita rake riri Erizabheti.

⁶And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

⁶Uye vari vaviri vakange vakarurama pamberi paMwari, vachifamba nemurairo wose nezviga zvaIshe, vasina chavangapomerwa.

⁷And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

⁷Uye vakange vasina mwana, nekuti Erizabheti wakange ari mhanje, uye vakange vaenda pamakore vari vaviri.

⁸And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,

⁸Zvino zvakaitika kuti wakati achiita ushumiri hweupristi pamberi paMwari, pachidanho cheboka rake,

⁹it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.

⁹maererano netsika yeushumiri hweupristi, wakabatwa nemujenya kuti apise zvipfungaidzo zvinonhuwira apinda mutembere yaIshe.

¹⁰And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.

¹⁰Zvino chaunga chose chavanhu chakange chichinyengetera kunze nenguva yezvipfungaidzo zvinonhuhwira.

¹¹And an angel of [the] Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.

¹¹Zvino kwakaonekwa kwaari mutumwa waIshe, amire kurutivi rwerudyi rwearitari yezvifungaidzo zvinonhuhwira.

¹²And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him.

¹²Zvino Zakaria wakati achimuona akavhiringidzika, kutya kukamuwira.

¹³But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹³Asi mutumwa wakati kwaari: Usatya Zakaria; nekuti munyengetero wako wanzwikwa, nemukadzi wako Erizabheti uchakuberekera mwanakomana, ugotumidza zita rake Johwani.

¹⁴And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁴Uye uchava nemufaro nekupembera, nevazhinji vachafarira kuberekwa kwake.

¹⁵For he shall be great before [the] Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with [the] Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

¹⁵Nekuti uchava mukuru pamberi paIshe, haangatongomwi waini kana zvinodhaka; uye uchazadzwa neMweya Mutsvene kunyange kubva padumbu ramai vake.

¹⁶And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to [the] Lord their God.

¹⁶Nevazhinji vevana vaIsraeri uchatendeusira kuna Ishe Mwari wavo;

¹⁷And *he* shall go before him in [the] spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to [the] thoughts of just [men], to make ready for [the] Lord a prepared people.

¹⁷uye iye uchafamba pamberi pake mumweya nesimba raEria, kutendeusira moyo yemadzibaba kuvana, nevasingateereri kuuchenjeri hwevakarurama, kugadzirira Ishe vanhu vakagadzirwa.

¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for *I* am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?

¹⁸Zakaria akati kumutumwa: Izvozvi ndichazviziva nei? Nekuti ini ndava mukweguru, nemukadzi wangu waenda pamazuva ake.

¹⁹And the angel answering, said to him, *I* am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee;

¹⁹Mutumwa achipindura akati kwaari: Ini ndini Gabhirieri, unomira pamberi paMwari; ndatumwa kuti nditaure kwauri, ndikuparidzire mashoko awa akanaka.

²⁰and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.

²⁰Zvino tarira, uchava chimumumu, usingagoni kutaura, kusvikira zuva rinoitika zvinhu izvi, nekuti hauna kutenda mashoko angu, achazadziswa nenguva yawo.

²¹And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.

²¹Vanhu vakange vakamirira Zakaria, vakashamisika nekunonoka kwake mutembere.

²²But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb.

²²Zvino wakati abuda, akakonewa kutaura kwavari; vakaziva kuti wakange aona dzengerere mutembere; iye akavaninira nemaoko, akaramba ari chimumu.

²³And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.

²³Zvino zvakaitika kuti mazuva okushumira kwake akati achangopera, akaenda kumba kwake.

²⁴Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

²⁴Zvino shure kwemazuva iwayo, mukadzi wake Erizabheti akatora mimba, akazvivanza mwedzi mishanu, achiti:

²⁵Thus has [the] Lord done to me in [these] days in which he looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men.

²⁵IShe wandiitira saizvozvi nemazuva aakanditarira, kuti abvise ruzvidzo rwangu pakati pevanhu.

²⁶But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which [the] name [was] Nazareth,

²⁶Zvino nemwedzi wechitanhatu mutumwa Gabrieri wakatumwa naMwari kuguta reGarirea rinonzi Nazareta,

²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.

²⁷kumhandara, yakange yatsidza kuwanikwa nemurume ainzi Josefa, weimba yaDhavhidhi; zita remhandara riri Maria.

²⁸And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, [thou] favoured one! the Lord [is] with thee: [blessed art *thou* amongst women].

²⁸Mutumwa akapinda kwaari akati: Hekanhi, iwe une nyasha! Ishe unewe, wakaropafadzwa iwe pakati pavakadzi.

²⁹But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.

²⁹Iye wakati achimuona akavhiringidzwa neshoko rake, akafunganya kuti uku kukwazisa rudzii kwakadai.

³⁰And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;

³⁰Zvino mutumwa akati kwaari: Usatya Maria; nekuti wawana nyasha kuna Mwari.

³¹and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.

³¹Zvino tarira, uchava nemimba, ugozvara mwanakomana, uchatumidza zita rake kuti Jesu.

³²*He* shall be great, and shall be called Son of [the] Highest; and [the] Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father;

³²Iye uchava mukuru, uchanzi Mwanakomana weWekumusoro-soro; Ishe Mwari uchapa kwaari chigaro cheushe chababa vake Dhavhidhi.

³³and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end.

³³Uchatonga pamusoro peimba yaJakobho kusvikira narinhi, neushe hwake hahwungavi nemugumo.

³⁴But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?

³⁴Maria ndokuti kumutumwa: Izvi zvingava sei, nekuti handizivi murume?

³⁵And the angel answering said to her, [The] Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of [the] Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God.

³⁵Mutumwa akapindura akati kwaari: Mweya Mutsvene uchauya pamusoro pako, nesimba reWokumusoro-soro richakudzikatira; naizvozvo icho chitsvene chichaberekwa newe chichanzi Mwanakomana waMwari.

³⁶And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren:

³⁶Uye tarira, Erizabheti hama yako, iyewo wava nemimba yemwanakomana pakuchembera kwake; nemwedzi uno wava wechitanhatu kuna iye wainzi mhanje.

³⁷for nothing shall be impossible with God.

³⁷Nekuti naMwari hakuna chinhu chisingazogoneki.

³⁸And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of [the] Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

³⁸Maria ndokuti: Tarirai, murandakadzi waIshe; ngazvive kwandiri seshoko renyu. Mutumwa ndokubva kwaari.

³⁹And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,

³⁹Zvino Maria akasimuka nemazuva iwayo akaenda kunyika yazvikomo nekukurumidza, kuguta raJudha;

⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.

⁴⁰akapinda mumba maZakaria, akakwazisa Erizabheti.

⁴¹And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with [the] Holy Spirit,

⁴¹Zvino zvakaitika kuti Erizabheti wakati achinzwa kukwazisa kwaMaria, mwana akatamba mudumbu rake; naErizabheti akazadzwa neMweya Mutsvene,

⁴²and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed [art] *thou* amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb.

⁴²akadanidzira nenzwi guru, akati: Wakaropafadzwa iwe pakati pavakadzi, uye chakaropafadzwa chibereko chedumbu rako!

⁴³And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴³Ko zvandibvira nepi, kuti mai vaIshe wangu vauye kandiri?

⁴⁴For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb.

⁴⁴Nekuti tarira, inzwi rekukwazisa kwako rangoti richisvika munzeve dzangu, mwana watamba mudumbu rangu nemufaro.

⁴⁵And blessed [is] she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from [the] Lord.

⁴⁵Uye wakaropafadzwa unotenda, nekuti zvakataurwa naIshe kwaari zvichazadziswa.

⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,

⁴⁶Maria akati: Moyo wangu unokudza Ishe,

⁴⁷and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.

⁴⁷nemweya wangu unofara muna Mwari Muponesi wangu;

⁴⁸For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

⁴⁸nekuti wakatarira kuninipiswa kwemurandakadzi wake; nekuti tarira, kubva zvino mazera ose achati ndakaropafadzwa.

⁴⁹For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy [is] his name;

⁴⁹Nekuti une masimba wakandiitira zvinhu zvikuru; nezita rake idzvene.

⁵⁰and his mercy [is] to generations and generations to them that fear him.

⁵⁰Netsitsi dzake dziri kuna avo vanomutya kubva kumazera nemazera.

⁵¹He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty [ones] in the thought of their heart.

⁵¹Wakaita zvinesimba noruoko rwake; wakaparadzira vanozvikudza mundangariro dzemoyo yavo.

⁵²He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.

⁵²Wakaburusa vane masimba pazvigaro zvoushe, akasimudza vakaderera.

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty.

⁵³Vanenzara wakavagutsa nezvinhu zvakanaka, asi vafumi wakavaendesa vasina chinhu.

⁵⁴He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,

⁵⁴Wakabatsira Israeri muranda wake kuti arangarire tsitsi,

⁵⁵(as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

⁵⁵sezvaakataura kumadzibaba edu, kuna Abhurahamu nekumbeu yake kusvikira rinhi narinhi.

⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.

⁵⁶Maria akagara naye mwedzi inenge mitatu, akadzokera kumba kwake.

⁵⁷But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.

⁵⁷Zvino nguva yaErizabheti yekusununguka kwake yakazara; akabereka mwanakomana.

⁵⁸And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁸Zvino vavakidzani nehama dzake vakati vanzwa kuti Ishe wakange amuitira tsitsi dzake huru, vakafara naye.

⁵⁹And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.

⁵⁹Zvino zvakaitika kuti nezuva rerusere vakauya kuzodzingisa mucheche, vakamutumidza maererano nezita rababa vake Zakaria.

⁶⁰And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.

⁶⁰Asi mai vake vakapindura vakati: Kwete, asi uchanzi Johwani.

⁶¹And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.

⁶¹Vakati kwaari: Hakuna munhu kuhama dzenyu unodaidzwa nezita iro.

⁶²And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.

⁶²Vakataura nemaoko kuna baba vake, kuti vanoda kuti anzi ani.

⁶³And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.

⁶³Vakakumbira chinyorero, vakanyora vachiti: NdiJohwani zita rake; vakashamisika vose.

⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.

⁶⁴Muromo wake ukazarurwa pakarepo, nerurimi rwake rukasununguka, akataura, achirumbidza Mwari.

⁶⁵And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.

⁶⁵Kutya kukawira vose vaigara vakavakomba; nemashoko iwayo ose akanzwikwa kunyika yose yezvikomo yeJudhiya.

⁶⁶And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him.

⁶⁶Zvino vose vakanzwa, vakazviisa mumoyo yavo, vachiti: Mucheche uyu uchazova ani? Uye ruoko rwaIshe rwakava naye.

⁶⁷And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁷Zvino Zakaria baba vake vakazadzwa neMweya Mutsvene, vakaporofita, vachiti:

⁶⁸Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,

⁶⁸Ngaarumbidzwe Ishe Mwari waIsraeri, nekuti wakashanyira kuvanhu vake nekuvadzikunura;

⁶⁹and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;

⁶⁹akatisimudzira runyanga rworuponeso mumba maDhavhidhi muranda wake;

⁷⁰as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began;

⁷⁰sezvaakataura nemuromo wevaporofita vake vatsvene, vakange varipo kubva pasichigare;

⁷¹deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;

⁷¹ruponeso pamhandu dzedu, neparuoko rwavose vanotivenga;

⁷²to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,

⁷²kuitira madzibaba edu tsitsi, nekurangarira sungano yake tsvene,

⁷³[the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father,

⁷³mhiko yaakapika kuna Abhurahamu baba vedu;

⁷⁴to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear

⁷⁴kutipa, kuti tasunungurwa muruoko rwevavengi vedu, timushumire tisingatyi;

⁷⁵in piety and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁵muutsvene nekururama pamberi pake mazuva ose eupenyu hwedu.

⁷⁶And *thou*, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways;

⁷⁶Newe mucheche, uchanzi muporofita weWokumusoro-soro, nekuti uchatungamira pamberi pechiso chaIshe, kugadzirira nzira dzake;

⁷⁷to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins

⁷⁷kupa ruzivo rweruponeso kuvanhu vake nekangamwiro yezvivi zvavo;

⁷⁸on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us,

⁷⁸netsitsi dzaMwari wedu, mauri mambakwedza ekudenga anotishanyira;

⁷⁹to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.

⁷⁹kuvhenekera vagere murima nemumvuri worufu, nekururamisa tsoka dzedu munzira yerugare.

⁸⁰-- And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.

⁸⁰Mucheche akakura, akasimba mumweya, akava mumarenje, kusvikira zuva rekuratidzwa kwake kuna Israeri.