Imisebenzi 15
1 Amadoda athile eza e-Antiyokhi evela eJudiya, afika afundisa abazalwane esithi: “Ngaphandle kokuthi lisokwe ngendlela yomkhuba eyafundiswa nguMosi lingeke lisindiswe.”
And certain men came down from Judea, and taught the brethren, saying: Unless you be circumcised, according to the custom of Moses, you can not be saved.
2 Lokhu kwenza uPhawuli loBhanabhasi baphikisana labo kakhulu. Ngakho uPhawuli loBhanabhasi bakhethwa kanye lamanye amakholwa ukuthi baye eJerusalema ukuyabona abapostoli labadala ngaloludaba.
Therefore, after Paul and Barnabas had no little dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others from among them, should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
3 Ibandla labavalelisa. Bathi bedabula eFenikhiya leSamariya balandisa ngokuthi abeZizwe basebephendukile. Indaba le yathokozisa bonke abazalwane.
Being, therefore, con ducted on their journey by the church, they passed through Phenicia and Samaria, making known the conversion of the Gentiles; and they gave great joy to all the brethren.
4 Bafika eJerusalema bemukelwa kuhle libandla langabapostoli labadala, bababikela konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzile ngabo.
When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and the apostles and elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.
5 Kwasekusithi amanye amakholwa ayengawoluhlu lwabaFarisi asukuma athi, “AbeZizwe kumele basokwe njalo batshelwe ukuthi balandele umthetho kaMosi.”
But some of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, arose, saying, that it was necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
6 Abapostoli labadala bahlangana bakhuluma ngalindaba.
And the apostles and elders came together to deliberate about this matter.
7 Ngemva kokuphikisana okukhulu uPhethro wasukuma wakhuluma kubo wathi: “Bazalwane, liyakwazi ukuthi esikhathini esedluleyo uNkulunkulu wangikhetha phakathi kwenu ukuthi abeZizwe bezwe kwezami izindebe ilizwi levangeli bakholwe.
And after there had been much disputing, Peter arose, and said to them: Brethren, you know that, at the beginning, God made choice among us, that, by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe.
8 UNkulunkulu owazi inhliziyo watshengisa ukuthi uyabemukela ngokubapha uMoya oNgcwele, njengalokhu akwenzayo kithi.
And God, who knows the heart, became a witness for them, by giving them the Holy Spirit, as he gave it also to us;
9 Kenzanga umahluko phakathi kwethu labo, ngoba wahlanza inhliziyo zabo ngokukholwa.
and he made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Pho-ke lizamelani ukulinga uNkulunkulu ngokwethesa abafundi beZizweni ijogwe thina labokhokho bethu esehluleka ukulithwala?
Now, therefore, why do you put God to the proof, by placing a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers, nor we ourselves, were able to bear?
11 Hatshi! Sikholwa ukuthi sisindiswa ngomusa weNkosi uJesu, njengabo labo.”
But we believe that we shall be saved, even as they, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
12 Wonke umhlangano wathula zwi balalela uBhanabhasi loPhawuli belandisa ngemimangaliso lezimanga uNkulunkulu ayezenzile kwabeZizwe ngabo.
Then all the multitude kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul, while they made known what signs and wonders God had done by them among the Gentiles.
13 Bathi sebeqedile uJakhobe wakhuluma wathi: “Bazalwane, ake lingilalele.
And after they were silent, James answered and said: Brethren, hear me;
14 USimoni usesilandisele ngokuthi ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu watshengisa njani ukunakekela kwakhe abeZizwe ngokukhetha phakathi kwabo abantu ukuba babe ngabakhe.
Simeon has declared how God, at the first, did visit the Gentiles, in order to take out from among them a people for his name.
15 Amazwi abaphrofethi ayavumelana lalokhu, njengalokhu kulotshiwe ukuthi:
And with this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 ‘Ngemva kwalokhu ngizabuya ngakhe kutsha indlu kaDavida ewileyo. Amanxiwa ayo ngizawavuselela, njalo ngizayimisa kutsha,
After this I will return, and build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down; and I will build again its ruins, and I will set it up;
17 ukwenzela ukuthi lonke uluntu luyidinge iNkosi, kanye labeZizwe abaziwa ngebizo lami, kutsho iNkosi eyenza lezizinto’:
that the rest of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name has been called, says the Lord, who does all these things.
Known to God from eternity are all bis works. (aiōn g165)
19 Ngokubona kwami, kakumelanga sikwenze kube lukhuni kwabeZizwe abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu.
For these reasons, my judgment is, that we give no trouble to those who, from among the Gentiles, have turned to God;
20 Esikhundleni salokho, kasibalobeleni sibatshele ukuthi baxwaye ukudla okungcoliswe yizithombe, lokuhlobonga, lenyama yenyamazana ekhanyiweyo lobubende.
but that we write to them to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from lewdness, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
21 Phela uMosi sekwatshunyayelwa ngaye kuwo wonke amadolobho kusukela ekuqaleni njalo kufundwa ngaye emasinagogweni amaSabatha wonke.”
For, from ancient times, Moses has, in every city, those who preach him, being read in the synagogue every sabbath-day.
22 Abapostoli labadala kanye lebandla lonke bamisa ukukhetha abanye babo ukuthi babathume e-Antiyokhi loPhawuli loBhanabhasi. Bakhetha uJudasi owayethiwa nguBhasabhasi, loSayilasi, la engamadoda amabili ayengabakhokheli kubazalwane.
Then it pleased the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to send to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas, chosen men from among themselves; Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren;
23 Babaphathisa incwadi le: Abapostoli labadala, abazalwane benu, KwabeZizwe abakholwayo e-Antiyokhi, lase-Asiriya laseSilisiya: Siyalibingelela.
and they wrote by their hands as follows: The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
24 Sesizwile ukuthi bakhona abasuka kithi bengelamvumo yethu bafika balidunga, bedida ingqondo zenu ngalokho ababekutsho.
Inasmuch as we have heard that certain persons went out from us and troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, That you must be circumcised, and keep the law, to whom we gave no commandment,
25 Ngakho sivumelene sonke ukukhetha amadoda athile ukuthi siwathumele kini labangane bethu abathandekayo, uBhanabhasi loPhawuli,
it has seemed good to us, having come together with one mind, to send chosen men to you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 amadoda adele impilo zawo ngenxa yebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu.
men who have endangered their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 Ngakho sithumela uJudasi loSayilasi ukugcwalisa ngomlomo lokhu esikulobayo.
We have sent, therefore, Judas and Silas, who will tell you the same things in word.
28 Kubonakale kufanele kuMoya oNgcwele lakithi ukuthi singalethesi omthwalo omkhulu ngaphandle kwezimiso lezi:
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 Xwayani ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni, ububende, inyama yenyamazana ekhanyiweyo kanye lokuhlobonga. Lizabe lenze kuhle nxa lizixwaya lezizinto. Salani kuhle.
That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from lewdness; from which if you keep yourselves carefully, you will do well. Farewell.
30 Bawavalelisa amadoda ahamba aya e-Antiyokhi, lapho afika ahlanganisa ibandla ndawonye ethula incwadi.
So when these men were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and having assembled the multitude, they delivered this letter.
31 Abantu bayibala bathokoza ngenxa yamazwi ayo akhuthazayo.
When they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation which it gave.
32 UJudasi loSayilasi, bona ngokwabo ababengabaphrofethi, bakhuluma okunengi ukukhuthaza lokuqinisa abazalwane.
And Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and strengthened them.
33 Sebehlale isikhathi esithile khonapho, abazalwane babavalelisa ngesibusiso sokuthula sebebuyela kulabo ababathumayo. [
And after spending some time, they were dismissed in peace from the brethren, to those who had sent them.
34 Kodwa uSayilasi wakhetha ukusala khona.]
But it pleased Silas to remain there.
35 Kodwa uPhawuli loBhanabhasi basala e-Antiyokhi, lapho bona kanye labanye abanengi bafundisa njalo batshumayela ilizwi leNkosi.
Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching, with many others, the word of the Lord.
36 Emva kwesikhatshanyana uPhawuli wathi kuBhanabhasi, “Kasibuyele emuva siyebona abazalwane emadolobheni wonke esitshumayele khona ilizwi leNkosi ukuthi baqhuba njani.”
And, after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us return, and visit our brethren in every city in which we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37 UBhanabhasi wayefuna ukuthi bahambe loJohane, owayethiwa nguMakho,
And Barnabas determined to take with him John, whose surname was Mark.
38 kodwa uPhawuli wakubona kungafanele ukuhamba laye ngoba wayeke wabafulathela besePhamfiliya kaze aqhubeka labo emsebenzini.
But Paul did not think it proper to take with them him who had departed from them from Pamphylia, and did not go with them to the work.
39 Baphikisana kakubi baze bacina betshiyana. UBhanabhasi wamthatha uMakho bawelela eSiphrasi,
There was, therefore, a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other: and Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus.
40 kodwa uPhawuli wakhetha ukuhamba loSayilasi, basuka bebekwe ngabazalwane emuseni weNkosi.
But Paul chose Silas, and departed, having been commended to the grace of God by the brethren.
41 Wahamba phakathi kwe-Asiriya leSilisiya eqinisa amabandla.
And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
