Ngesikhathi seKhisimusi abantu abanengi bajayele ukukhuluma ngezivakatshi ezahamba zayabona uJesu esesemncane. Bazibiza ngokuthi ‘ngamadoda amathathu ahlakaniphileyo’ kumbe “amakhosi amathathu.” Kodwa iBhayibhili kaliwabizi njalo amadoda la. (UMathewu 2:1) Umlobi wevangeli uMathewu wasebenzisa ibala lesiGrikhi elithi ma’goi ngesikhathi ekhuluma ngamadoda la. Ibala leli lingatsho umuntu osebenzisa izinkanyezi ukuze abone okuzakwenzakala loba owenza eminye imikhuba yesidimoni. a Amanye amaBhayibhili abiza amadoda la ngokuthi “yizazi.” b

•  Zazingaki izazi?

•  Zazingamakhosi yini?

•  Zazingobani amabizo azo?

•  Zamvakatshela nini uJesu?

•  NguNkulunkulu yini owasebenzisa inkanyezi ukukhokhela izazi?

 Zazingaki izazi?

 IBhayibhili alisitsheli ukuthi zazingaki, kodwa abantu balemibono etshiyeneyo ngendaba le. Ibhuku okuthiwa yi-Encyclopedia Britannica lithi: “Abantu be-Asia bathi izazi lezi zazingu-12, kodwa abe-Europe bona bathi zazintathu ngenxa yokuthi umntwana waphiwa izipho ezintathu, ‘igolide, impepha kanye lemure.’”—UMathewu 2:11.

 Zazingamakhosi yini?

 Izindaba ezinengi ezimayelana leKhisimusi zithi izazi lezi zazingamakhosi kodwa iBhayibhili kalikutsho lokho. I-Encyclopedia Britannica ithi ngemva kwesikhathi eside uJesu ezelwe, abantu baqalisa ukukhuluma indaba ezitshiyeneyo ngokuzalwa kwakhe futhi yikho lapho okwavela khona ukuthi izazi lezi zazingamakhosi.

 Zazingobani amabizo azo?

 IBhayibhili kaliwaqambi amabizo ezazi lezi. I-International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ibika ukuthi abantu bathi amabizo amadoda la kwakunguGaspar, uMelchior, loBalthasar kodwa lokhu kuvela ezinganekwaneni.

 Zamvakatshela nini uJesu?

 Kungenzakala ukuthi izazi lezi zahamba zayabona uJesu eselezinyanga ezelwe. Okwenza sitsho njalo yikuthi iNkosi uHerodi yathi abafana abaleminyaka emibili kusehla babulawe esenzela ukubulala uJesu. Wakhetha iminyaka le esebenzisa isikhathi ayesitshelwe yizazi zezinkanyezi.—UMathewu 2:16.

 Izazi lezi azizange zimvakatshele ngelanga azalwa ngalo uJesu. IBhayibhili lithi: “Sezingenile endlini, zabona nangu umntwana omncane elonina uMariya.” (UMathewu 2:11) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi uJesu wayesekhulakhulile ngoba basebehlala endlini, sebesukile lapho okugcinwa khona izifuyo.—ULukha 2:16.

 NguNkulunkulu yini owasebenzisa inkanyezi ukukhokhela izazi?

 Abanye abantu bacabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu nguye owathuma inkanyezi ukuthi ikhokhele izazi ziye eBhethilehema. Kodwa lokhu akusiloqiniso ngenxa yezizathu ezilandelayo:

•   Inkanyezi leyo yaqala yakhokhela izazi yazisa eJerusalema. IBhayibhili lithi: “Izazi zezinkanyezi zafika eJerusalema zivela eMpumalanga, zathi: ‘Ungaphi lowo ozelweyo oyinkosi yamaJuda? Sibone inkanyezi yakhe siseMpumalanga, yikho size lapha ukuze sizomkhothamela.’”—UMathewu 2:1, 2.

•   INkosi uHerodi yiyo eyalayela izazi ukuthi ziqonde eBhethilehema hatshi inkanyezi. Ngesikhathi uHerodi esizwa ukuthi kwakuzazalwa umntwana owayezakuba ‘yinkosi yamaJuda,’ wabuzisisa ukuthi wayezazalelwa ngaphi. (UMathewu 2:3-6) Wathi esizwa ukuthi uKhristu wayezazalelwa eBhethilehema wahle watshela izazi lezo ukuthi ziyemdinga beseziphenduka zizomtshela.

 Ngemva kwalokho izazi zaqonda eBhethilehema. IBhayibhili lithi: “Sezikuzwile okwakutshiwo yinkosi, zaqhubeka ngohambo lwazo, zasezibona nansiya inkanyezi ezaziyibone ziseseMpumalanga. Yazikhokhela yaze yayakuma maqondana lalapho umntwana omncane ayekhona.”—UMathewu 2:9.

•   Ukubonakala kwenkayenzi kwabangela ukuthi kubulawe abantwana abangelacala lokuthi impilo kaJesu ibe sengozini. Izazi zathi zisuka eBhethilehema, uNkulunkulu wazixwayisa ukuthi zingabuyeli kuHerodi.—UMathewu 2:12.

 Wenzani uHerodi? IBhayibhili lithi: “UHerodi wathi ebona ukuthi izazi zezinkanyezi zazimbambise ilitshe, wazonda wabila, wasethuma abantu ukuthi babulale bonke abafana eBhethilehema lakuzo zonke izigaba zayo, kusukela kwabaleminyaka emibili kusiya phansi, esebenzisa isikhathi ayesitshelwe lapho ebuzisisa izazi zezinkanyezi.” (UMathewu 2:16) UNkulunkulu wayengeke abangele into embi kangako.—UJobe 34:10.