¹But it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census should be made of all the habitable world.

¹Zvino zvakaitika nemazuva iwayo, chiga chakabuda kubva kuna Kesari Agasto, kuti nyika yose inyorwe.

²The census itself first took place when Cyrenius had the government of Syria.

²Kunyorwa uku kwaiva kwekutanga kwakaitwa Kuriniosi ari mutungamiriri weSiria.

³And all went to be inscribed in the census roll, each to his own city:

³Vose ndokuenda kunonyorwa, umwe neumwe kuguta rekwake.

⁴and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city Nazareth to Judaea, to David's city, the which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

⁴NaJosefawo akakwira achibva Garirea muguta Nazareta, akaenda Judhiya kuguta raDhavhidhi, rinonzi Bhetirehemu, nekuti waiva weimba nedzinza raDhavhidhi,

⁵to be inscribed in the census roll with Mary who was betrothed to him [as his] wife, she being great with child.

⁵kunonyorwa naMaria mukadzi wakange atsidzira kuwanikwa naye, ava nemimba.

⁶And it came to pass, while they were there, the days of her giving birth [to her child] were fulfilled,

⁶Zvakaitika kuti vachipo, mazuva okusununguka kwake akazadzisika;

⁷and she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him up in swaddling-clothes and laid him in the manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁷ndokuzvara mwanakomana wake wedangwe, akamuputira nemicheka, akamuvanzarika muchidyiro, nekuti makange musina nzvimbo yavo muimba yevaeni.

⁸And there were shepherds in that country abiding without, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

⁸Zvino kwakange kune vafudzi munyika iyoyo vaigara kuuragu vachichengetedza nguva dzekurinda mapoka avo usiku.

⁹And lo, an angel of [the] Lord was there by them, and [the] glory of [the] Lord shone around them, and they feared [with] great fear.

⁹Zvino tarira, mutumwa waIshe akamira pedo navo, nekubwinya kwaIshe kukapenya kwakavakomba; vakatya nekutya kukuru.

¹⁰And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I announce to you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people;

¹⁰Zvino mutumwa akati kwavari: Musatya; nekuti tarirai, ndinokuparidzirai mashoko akanaka emufaro mukuru, uchava kuvanhu vose;

¹¹for to-day a Saviour has been born to you in David's city, who is Christ [the] Lord.

¹¹nekuti mazvarirwa nhasi Muponesi, unova Kristu Ishe, muguta raDhavhidhi.

¹²And this is the sign to you: ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and lying in a manger.

¹²Zvino ichi chiratidzo kwamuri: Muchandowana mucheche akaputirwa nemicheka, avete muchidyiro.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

¹³Uye pakarepo kukavapo pamwe nemutumwa chaunga chehondo yekudenga vachirumbidza Mwari, vachiti:

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in men.

¹⁴Rumbidzo kuna Mwari kumusoro-soro, norugare panyika; chishuwo chakanaka kuvanhu.

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels departed from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, Let us make our way then now as far as Bethlehem, and let us see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

¹⁵Zvino kwakaitika kuti vatumwa vabva kwavari vaenda kudenga, vanhu vafudzi vakataurirana, vachiti: Ngatiende ikozvino Bhetirehemu, tinoona chinhu ichi chakaitika, Ishe chaatizivisa.

¹⁶And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger;

¹⁶Zvino vakakurumidza kusvika, vakawana vose Maria naJosefa, nemucheche avete muchidyiro.

¹⁷and having seen [it] they made known about the country the thing which had been said to them concerning this child.

¹⁷Vakati vaona, vakazivisa kose shoko ravakange vaudzwa maererano neucheche uyu.

¹⁸And all who heard [it] wondered at the things said to them by the shepherds.

¹⁸Zvino vose vakanzwa vakashamisika nezvinhu zvakange zvataurwa kwavari nevafudzi.

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things [in her mind], pondering [them] in her heart.

¹⁹Asi Maria wakachengeta zvinhu izvi zvose, achifungisisa mumoyo make.

²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things which they had heard and seen, as it had been said to them.

²⁰Zvino vafudzi vakadzokera, vachikudza nekurumbidza Mwari pamusoro pezvinhu zvose zvavakange vanzwa nekuona, sezvakange zvataurwa kwavari.

²¹And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called Jesus, which was the name given by the angel before he had been conceived in the womb.

²¹Mazuva masere akati apera kuti mucheche adzingiswe, zita rake ndokunzi Jesu, raakange atumidzwa nemutumwa asati agamuchirwa mudumbu.

²²And when the days were fulfilled for their purifying according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present [him] to the Lord

²²Zvino mazuva ekunatswa kwake nemurairo waMozisi akati apera, vakauya naye kuJerusarema, kuti vamukumikidze kuna Ishe,

²³(as it is written in the law of [the] Lord: Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),

²³(sezvazvakanyorwa pamurairo waIshe kuti: Chirume chose chinozarura chizvaro, chichanzi chitsvene kuna Ishe),

²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of [the] Lord: A pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.

²⁴uye vabayire chibayiro sezvazvakarehwa pamurairo waIshe, hangaiwa mbiri, kana njiva mbiri duku.

²⁵And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and pious, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and [the] Holy Spirit was upon him.

²⁵Zvino tarira, kwakange kune munhu muJerusarema, zita rake raiva Simioni, ndiyewo munhu waiva akarurama akazvipira kushumira Mwari, akamirira kunyaradzwa kwaIsraeri, neMweya Mutsvene wakange uri pamusoro pake.

²⁶And it was divinely communicated to him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he should see [the] Lord's Christ.

²⁶Zvino zvakange zvaratidzwa kwaari neMweya Mutsvene, kuti haangaoni rufu asati aona Kristu waIshe.

²⁷And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and as the parents brought in the child Jesus that they might do for him according to the custom of the law,

²⁷Wakapinda mutembere neMweya; zvino vabereki vakati vachiuisa mucheche Jesu, kuti vaite pamusoro pake netsika yemurairo,

²⁸*he* received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁸iye akamutora mumaoko ake, akavonga Mwari, achiti:

²⁹Lord, now thou lettest thy bondman go, according to thy word, in peace;

²⁹Tenzi, ikozvino regai muranda wenyu aende nerugare, seshoko renyu;

³⁰for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

³⁰nekuti meso angu aona ruponeso rwenyu,

³¹which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;

³¹rwamakagadzirira pamberi pezviso zvevanhu vose;

³²a light for revelation of [the] Gentiles and [the] glory of thy people Israel.

³²chiedza chekuzarurira vahedheni, nekubwinya kwerudzi rwenyu Israeri.

³³And his father and mother wondered at the things which were said concerning him.

³³Josefa namai vake vakashamisika nezvinhu zvakarehwa pamusoro pake.

³⁴And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, Lo, this [child] is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against;

³⁴Zino Simioni akavaropafadza, akati kuna Maria mai vake: Tarira, uyu wakaisirwa kuwa nekumuka kwevazhinji kuna Israeri, nekuva chiratidzo chichapikiswa;

³⁵(and even a sword shall go through thine own soul;) so that [the] thoughts may be revealed from many hearts.

³⁵uye newe, munondo uchapinda nemweya wako pachako; kuti ndangariro dzemoyo mizhinji dzifukurwe.

³⁶And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of [the] tribe of Asher, who was far advanced in years, having lived with [her] husband seven years from her virginity,

³⁶Zvino kwakange kuna Ana muporofitakadzi, mukunda waFanueri, wedzinza raAsheri; wakange akwegura kwazvo, wakararama nemurume makore manomwe kubvira paumhandara hwake.

³⁷and herself a widow up to eighty-four years; who did not depart from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers;

³⁷Uye ari chirikadzi yemakore angava makumi masere nemana, wakange asingabvi mutembere, achishumira nemitsanyo neminyengetero usiku nemasikati.

³⁸and she coming up the same hour gave praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem.

³⁸Naiye wakati achisvika nenguva iyoyo akatenda Mwari, akataura pamusoro pake kuna vose vakange vachitarisira kusunungurwa muJerusarema.

³⁹And when they had completed all things according to the law of [the] Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own city Nazareth.

³⁹Zvino vakati vapedza zvinhu zvose zvaienderana nemurairo waIshe, vakadzokera Garirea kuguta ravo Nazareta.

⁴⁰And the child grew and waxed strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom, and God's grace was upon him.

⁴⁰Mucheche akakura, akasimba mumweya, akazara nenjere; nenyasha dzaMwari dzakange dziri pamusoro pake.

⁴¹And his parents went yearly to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover.

⁴¹Zvino vabereki vake vaienda kuJerusarema makore ose pamutambo wepasika.

⁴²And when he was twelve years old, and they went up [to Jerusalem] according to the custom of the feast

⁴²Zvino wakati ava nemakore gumi nemaviri, vakakwira kuJerusarema zvichienderana netsika yemutambo,

⁴³and had completed the days, as they returned, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and his parents knew not [of it];

⁴³vakati mazuva apera, pakudzoka kwavo, mwana Jesu akasara kuJerusarema, asi Josefa namai vake vasingazvizivi,

⁴⁴but, supposing him to be in the company that journeyed together, they went a day's journey, and sought him among their relations and acquaintances:

⁴⁴asi vaimufungira kuva mune vamwe vevakange vachifamba navo, vakafamba mufambo wezuva, vakazomutsvaka pakati pehama nekuvazikanwi.

⁴⁵and not having found him they returned to Jerusalem seeking him.

⁴⁵Asi vakati vasingamuwani, vakadzokera kuJerusarema vachimutsvaka.

⁴⁶And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers and hearing them and asking them questions.

⁴⁶Zvino zvakaitika shure kwemazuva matatu, vakamuwana mutembere, agere pakati pavadzidzisi, achivateerera, achivabvunza.

⁴⁷And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

⁴⁷Vose vakange vachimunzwa vakavhiringidzika nekuziva nemhinduro dzake.

⁴⁸And when they saw him they were amazed: and his mother said to him, Child, why hast thou dealt thus with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee distressed.

⁴⁸Zvino vakati vamuona vakakatyamara; mai vake vakati kwaari: Mwana, waitirei zvakadai kwatiri? Tarira, baba vako neni tanga tichikutsvaka tichishungurudzika.

⁴⁹And he said to them, Why [is it] that ye have sought me? did ye not know that I ought to be [occupied] in my Father's business?

⁴⁹Akati kwavari: Munonditsvaka sei? Manga musingazivi kuti ndinofanira kuva pazvinhu zvaBaba vangu here?

⁵⁰And they understood not the thing that he said to them.

⁵⁰Asi ivo havana kunzwisisa shoko raakataura kwavari.

⁵¹And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he was in subjection to them. And his mother kept all these things in her heart.

⁵¹Zvino akaburuka navo, akasvika Nazareta; akazviisa pasi pavo. Asi mai vake vakachengeta mashoko iwayo ose mumoyo mavo.

⁵²And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.

⁵²Jesu akawedzera panjere nekukura, nepakudiwa naMwari nevanhu.