Acts 7
1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
Umpristi omkhulu wasesithi: Kambe lezizinto zinjalo?
2 And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
Wasesithi: Madoda, bazalwane labobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kubaba wethu uAbrahama eseMesopotamiya, engakahlali eHarani,
3 and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’
wasesithi kuye: Phuma elizweni lakini lezihlotsheni zakho, uze elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.
4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.
Wasesuka elizweni lamaKhaladiya wahlala eHarani; kwathi esuka lapho, emva kokufa kukayise, wamsusa wamhlalisa kulelilizwe elihlezi kilo lina khathesi;
5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
kodwa kamnikanga ilifa kilo, hatshi lanyathela; kodwa wathembisa ukumnika lona libe ngelakhe, lelenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe, engakabi lamntwana.
6 God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
UNkulunkulu wasekhuluma kanje esithi inzalo yakhe izakuba yisihambi elizweni lemzini, bazayenza isigqili bazayiphatha kubi, iminyaka engamakhulu amane;
7 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’
kodwa lesosizwe, abazakuba yizigqili kuso, ngizasigweba mina, kutsho uNkulunkulu; njalo emva kwalezizinto bazaphuma, bangikhonze kulindawo.
8 Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
Wasemnika isivumelwano sokusoka; ngokunjalo wazala uIsaka, wamsoka ngosuku lwesificaminwembili; loIsaka wazala uJakobe, loJakobe okhokho abalitshumi lambili.
9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
Okhokho basebesiba lomona bathengisa uJosefa eGibhithe; kodwa uNkulunkulu wayelaye,
10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.
wasemkhulula kuzo zonke inhlupheko zakhe, wamnika umusa lenhlakanipho phambi kukaFaro inkosi yeGibhithe; wasembeka ukuba ngumbusi phezu kweGibhithe lowendlu yakhe yonke.
11 Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
Kwasekufika indlala elizweni lonke leGibhithe leleKhanani, lokuhlupheka okukhulu; labobaba bethu kabatholanga ukudla.
12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
Kodwa uJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe, wathuma obaba bethu okokuqala.
13 On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
Kwathi ngokwesibili uJosefa waziswa kubafowabo, labakibo kaJosefa babonakaliswa kuFaro.
14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.
UJosefa wasethumela wabizela kuye uyise uJakobe, lalo lonke usendo lwakhe, kulemiphefumulo engamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu.
15 So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
UJakobe wasesehlela eGibhithe, wasesifa yena labobaba bethu;
16 Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.
basebethwalelwa eShikemi, balaliswa engcwabeni uAbrahama ayelithenge ngentengo yemali kumadodana kaHamori weShikemi.
17 As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number.
Kwathi sesisondele isikhathi sesithembiso uNkulunkulu ayesifunge kuAbrahama, bakhula abantu banda eGibhithe,
18 Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt.
kwaze kwavela enye inkosi, eyayingamazi uJosefa.
19 He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
Yona yasiphatha ngobuqili isizukulu sakithi, yabahlupha obaba bethu, ukubalahlisa insane zabo, ukuze zingaphili.
20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house.
Ngalesosikhathi kwazalwa uMozisi, waba muhle kuNkulunkulu; owondliwa endlini kayise inyanga ezintathu.
21 When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.
Eselahliwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamdobha, yazondlela yena ukuthi abe yindodana.
22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
Njalo uMozisi wafundiswa kuyo yonke inhlakanipho yamaGibhithe; wasesiba lamandla ngamazwi langemisebenzi.
23 When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
Kwathi eselesikhathi seminyaka engamatshumi amane agcweleyo, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi ahambele abafowabo abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
24 And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.
Kwathi ebona omunye ephathwa kubi, wamvikela wamphindisela ohlutshwayo, watshaya umGibhithe;
25 He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.
njalo wayethemba ukuthi abafowabo bazaqedisisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubanika inkululeko ngesandla sakhe; kodwa kabaqedisisanga.
26 The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’
Njalo ngosuku olulandelayo wazibonakalisa kubo ababesilwa, wabalamula ngamandla, esithi: Madoda, lingabazalwane; liphathanelani kubi?
27 But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?
Kodwa lowo owayemona umakhelwane wamsunduza, esithi: Ubekwe ngubani ukuba ngumbusi lomahluleli phezu kwethu?
28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
Usufuna ukungibulala yini, njengoba ubulele umGibhithe izolo?
29 At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.
Ngalelilizwi uMozisi wasebaleka, waba ngowemzini elizweni leMadiyani, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.
30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
Kwathi sekugcwaliseke iminyaka engamatshumi amane, kwabonakala kuye enkangala yentaba iSinayi ingilosi yeNkosi phakathi kwelangabi lomlilo esihlahleni.
31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him:
Kwathi uMozisi esebonile wamangala ngalowombono; esasondela ukuthi akhangelisise, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuye lisithi:
32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
Mina nginguNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama loNkulunkulu kaIsaka loNkulunkulu kaJakobe. UMozisi wasethuthumela, kazaba lesibindi sokukhangelisisa.
33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
INkosi yasisithi kuye: Khulula amanyathela enyaweni zakho; ngoba indawo omi kiyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.
34 I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
Ngikubonile lokukubona ukuhlutshwa kwabantu bami abaseGibhithe, njalo ngizwile ukububula kwabo; sengehlile ukuthi ngibakhulule; khathesi-ke woza, ngizakuthuma eGibhithe.
35 This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
UMozisi lo abamalayo besithi: Ubekwe ngubani ukuba ngumbusi lomahluleli? - nguye uNkulunkulu amthumayo ukuba ngumbusi lomkhululi ngesandla sengilosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni.
36 He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.
Yena wabakhupha, esenze izimangaliso lezibonakaliso elizweni leGibhithe loLwandle oluBomvu, lenkangala iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
37 This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
Nguye lowo uMozisi owathi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli: INkosi uNkulunkulu wenu uzalivusela umprofethi kubazalwane benu onjengami; lizamuzwa yena.
38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
Nguye lowo owayesebandleni enkangala, kanye lengilosi eyakhuluma laye entabeni iSinayi kanye labobaba bethu; owemukela amazwi aphilayo, ukuze asinike;
39 But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
yena obaba bethu abangavumanga ukumlalela, kodwa bamsunduzela eceleni, basebebuyela eGibhithe ngenhliziyo zabo,
40 They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
besithi kuAroni: Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu; ngoba uMozisi lo, owasikhupha elizweni iGibhithe, kasazi ukuthi wehlelwe yini.
41 At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
Basebesenza ithole ngalezonsuku, baletha umhlatshelo esithombeni, bajabula ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo.
42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
Kodwa uNkulunkulu wafulathela, wabanikela ukuthi bakhonze ibutho lezulu; njengokulotshiweyo encwadini yabaprofethi ukuthi: Laletha kimi yini imihlatshelo leminikelo iminyaka engamatshumi amane enkangala, ndlu kaIsrayeli?
43 You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
Njalo lathatha ithabhanekele likaMoloki lenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uRefani, imifanekiso elayenza ukuthi liyikhonze; njalo ngizalithuthela ngaphambili kweBhabhiloni.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
Obaba bethu babelalo ithabhanekele lobufakazi enkangala, njengokulayela kwalowo owakhuluma loMozisi, ukuthi alenze ngomfanekiso ayewubonile;
45 And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
okwathi futhi obaba bethu abalandelayo sebelemukele balingenisa kanye loJoshuwa empahleni yezizwe, uNkulunkulu azixotsha phambi kobuso babobaba, kwaze kwaba sensukwini zikaDavida;
46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
owathola umusa phambi kukaNkulunkulu, wacela ukutholela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe ithabhanekele.
47 But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.
Kodwa uSolomoni wamakhela indlu.
48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
Kodwa oPhezukonke kahlali ethempelini elenziwe ngezandla, njengokutsho komprofethi ukuthi:
49 ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?
Izulu kimi liyisihlalo sobukhosi, lomhlaba uyisenabelo senyawo zami; lizangakhela indlu enjani, kutsho iNkosi; kumbe yiyiphi indawo yami yokuphumula?
50 Has not My hand made all these things?’
Isandla sami kasizenzanga yini zonke lezizinto?
51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
Lina ntamo zilukhuni njalo abangasokanga enhliziyweni lendlebeni, lina limelana njalonjalo loMoya oyiNgcwele; njengaboyihlo, linjalo lani.
52 Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—
Nguwuphi owabaprofethi oyihlo abangamzingelanga? Basebebulala labo abamemezela ngaphambili ngokuza koLungileyo, yena lo lina khathesi eselabangabanikeli lababulali bakhe;
53 you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
elemukela umlayo ngokuhlela kwezingilosi, kodwa kaliwulondolozanga.
54 On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
Bathi sebezwile lezizinto, bahlabeka enhliziyweni zabo, bamgedlela amazinyo.
55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Kodwa yena egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, wajolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, loJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu,
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
wasesithi: Khangelani, ngibona amazulu evulekile, leNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.
57 At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
Kodwa bamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu, bavala indlebe zabo, batheleka phezu kwakhe bengqondonye;
58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
basebemkhuphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe; labafakazi babeka phansi izembatho zabo enyaweni zejaha elithiwa nguSawuli.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Bamkhanda ngamatshe uStefane, ebiza esithi: Nkosi Jesu, yemukela umoya wami.
60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Waseguqa ngamadolo, wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu esithi: Nkosi, ungababaleli lesisono. Esetshilo lokhu walala.
