< Imisebenzi 10 >
1 EKhesariya kwakulendoda eyayithiwa nguKhoneliyasi, yayingumlawuli webutho lekhulu elalithiwa liViyo lase-Ithaliya.
2 Yena lendlu yakhe yonke babekhonza njalo bemesaba uNkulunkulu. Wayenika ngesihle labo abaswelayo njalo ekhuleka kuNkulunkulu kokuphela.
3 Ngelinye ilanga, sokungaba lihola lesithathu emini waba lombono. Wabona kamhlophe ingilosi kaNkulunkulu, eyeza kuye yathi, “Khoneliyasi!”
4 UKhoneliyasi wayiqhuzulela amehlo ngokwesaba. Wabuza wathi, “Kuyini, Nkosi?” Ingilosi yaphendula yathi, “Imikhuleko yakho lezipho zakho kwabaswelayo sekufinyelele kuNkulunkulu kwaba yisikhumbuzo.
5 Ngakho-ke, thumela amadoda eJopha ayebuya lendoda ethiwa nguSimoni owaziwa ngokuthi nguPhethro.
6 Ihlala loSimoni ongumtshuki wezikhumba, olendlu okhunjini lolwandle.”
7 Ingilosi eyakhuluma laye isihambile, uKhoneliyasi wabiza izinceku zakhe ezimbili kanye loyedwa owayengumncedisi webutho owayeyindoda ekhonzayo.
8 Wabatshela konke okwakwenzakele, wasebathuma eJopha.
9 Sekungaba phakathi laphakathi kwemini sebebanga edolobheni, uPhethro wakhwela ophahleni ukuyakhuleka.
10 Wezwa eselambile esefuna ulutho lokudla, kwathi ukudla kusalungiswa wehlelwa yisiyeziphupho.
11 Wabona izulu livulekile, kusehliselwa emhlabeni ulutho olwalunjengelembu elikhulu libanjwe ngamagumbi alo womane.
12 Lalithwele yonke imihlobo yezinyamazana ezilenyawo ezine, kanye lezinanakazana ezihuquzelayo emhlabeni lezinyoni zemoyeni.
13 Ilizwi laselimtshela lathi, “Vuka Phethro. Hlaba udle.”
14 UPhethro waphendula wathi, “Hatshi, Nkosi! Kangikaze ngidle lutho olungahlanzekanga lolungcolileyo.”
15 Laphinda ilizwi lakhuluma okwesibili kuye lathi, “Ungabokuthi ulutho oseluhlanjululwe nguNkulunkulu kaluhlanzekanga.”
16 Lokhu kwenzakala kathathu, kwasekusithi masinyane ilembu labuyiselwa ezulwini.
17 Kwathi uPhethro esamangele ngokuthi umbono lowo wawusitshoni, amadoda ayethunywe nguKhoneliyasi ayibona indlu kaSimoni, ema entubeni.
18 Akhuleka abuza ingabe uSimoni owayethiwa nguPhethro wayehlala khonapho yini.
19 Kwathi uPhethro elokhu esacabanga ngombono, uMoya wathi kuye, “Simoni, kulamadoda amathathu akudingayo.
20 Ngakho-ke, phakama wehlele phansi. Ungathandabuzi ukuhamba lawo, ngoba ngiwathumile.”
21 UPhethro wehla wathi emadodeni lawo, “Nginguye lowo elimdingayo. Lilandeni?”
22 Amadoda aphendula athi, “Sivela kuKhoneliyasi umlawuli wekhulu lamabutho. Ungumuntu olungileyo owesaba uNkulunkulu, ohlonitshwa yibo bonke abangamaJuda. Ingilosi engcwele imtshele ukuthi kakulethe endlini yakhe ukuze ezwe lokho ongabe uyakutsho.”
23 UPhethro wasewangenisa endlini amadoda lawo njengezethekeli zakhe. Ngosuku olulandelayo uPhethro wasuka labo, kwathi labanye abazalwane beJopha bahamba laye.
24 Ngelanga elilandelayo wafika eKhesariya. UKhoneliyasi wayesebalindele esebize izihlobo zakhe labangane abaseduze.
25 Kuthe uPhethro engena, uKhoneliyasi wamhlangabeza, wazilahla phansi ezinyaweni zakhe ngenhlonipho.
26 Kodwa uPhethro wamsukumisa. Wathi, “Sukuma, mina ngingumuntu nje.”
27 UPhethro wangena endlini elokhu ekhuluma laye, wafumana ixuku labantu elikhulu.
28 Wathi kubo, “Liyakwazi ukuthi kungaphandle komthetho wethu ukuthi umJuda ahlanganyele loweZizwe loba ukuthi amethekelele. Kodwa uNkulunkulu usengitshengisile ukuthi kangingakutsho ukuthi omunye umuntu kahlanzekanga loba ungcolile.
29 Yikho kuthe lapho ngibizwa lapha, ngahle ngeza ngingazange ngibalise lokhu lalokhuyana. Sengibuza-ke manje, ungibizelani?”
30 UKhoneliyasi waphendula wathi, “Ensukwini ezintathu ezedluleyo bengisendlini yami ngikhuleka ngasonalesi isikhathi, ngehola lesithathu emini. Masinyane indoda ebigqoke izigqoko ezikhazimulayo yema phambi kwami,
31 yathi, ‘Khoneliyasi, uNkulunkulu usewuzwile umkhuleko wakho wakhumbula lezipho zakho kwabaswelayo.
32 Thumela ilizwi eJopha ubize uSimoni owaziwa ngokuthi nguPhethro. Wethekelele emzini kaSimoni umtshuki wezikhumba, ohlala malungana lolwandle.’
33 Yikho ngihle ngathuma abantu kuwe ngokuphangisa, kwaba kuhle ukuthi lawe uze. Manje sonke sesikhona lapha phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi sizwe konke iNkosi ekuyale ukuthi usitshele khona.”
34 UPhethro waseqalisa ukukhuluma wathi: “Sengibona khathesi ukuthi ngeqiniso uNkulunkulu kalabandlululo,
35 kodwa wamukela abantu benhlanga zonke abamesabayo, abenza okulungileyo.
36 Yilo leli ilizwi uNkulunkulu alithumela ebantwini bako-Israyeli, elikhuluma ngezindaba ezinhle zokuthula ngoJesu Khristu oyiNkosi yabo bonke.
37 Liyakwazi osekwenzakele kulolonke elaseJudiya, kusukela eGalile ngemva kobhaphathizo olwatshunyayelwa nguJohane,
38 ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamgcoba kanjani uJesu waseNazaretha ngoMoya oNgcwele langamandla, lokuthi wahamba izindawana zonke esenza ubuhle njalo esilisa bonke ababesemandleni omubi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayelaye.
39 Singofakazi bakho konke akwenzayo elizweni lamaJuda laseJerusalema. Bambulala ngokumlengisa esiphambanweni,
40 kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo ngosuku lwesithathu, wakwenza ukuthi abonakale.
41 Kabonwanga ngabantu bonke, kodwa ngofakazi uNkulunkulu ayevele esebakhethile, yithi thina esadla sanatha laye ngemva kokuvuka kwakhe kwabafileyo.
42 Wasilaya ukuba sitshumayele ebantwini bonke njalo sifakaze ukuthi unguye uNkulunkulu ambekayo ukuba ngumahluleli wabaphilayo labafileyo.
43 Bonke abaphrofethi bafakaza ngaye ukuthi bonke abakholwa kuye baphiwa ukuthethelelwa kwezono ngebizo lakhe.”
44 UPhethro elokhu esakhuluma amazwi la uMoya oNgcwele wehlela kubo bonke abalizwayo ilizwi.
45 AmaJuda, amakholwa asokiweyo ayeze loPhethro amangaliswa yikuthi uMoya oNgcwele wawuthululelwe lakwabeZizwe.
46 Ngoba babezwa bekhuluma ngendimi bedumisa uNkulunkulu. UPhethro wasesithi,
47 “Kambe ukhona yini umuntu ongalela abantu laba ukuba babhaphathizwe ngamanzi na? Sebemukele uMoya oNgcwele njengathi.”
48 Wasesithi kababhaphathizwe ebizweni likaJesu Khristu. Basebecela uPhethro ukuthi ahlale labo okwensukwana ezithile.
