Imisebenzi 16

1 Wafika eDebhe wedlulela eListra lapho okwakuhlala khona umfundi owayethiwa nguThimothi, olonina owaye ngumJudakazi, elikholwa, kodwa uyise engumGrikhi.

2 Abazalwane baseListra lase-Ikhoniyamu babemncoma.

3 UPhawuli wayefuna ukuhamba laye, ngakho wasemsoka ngenxa yamaJuda akuleyondawo ngoba bonke babekwazi ukuthi uyise wayengumGrikhi.

4 Ekuhambeni kwabo kulelo lalelodolobho, babezethula izinqumo ezenziwa ngabapostoli labadala eJerusalema ukuze abantu bazilandele.

5 Ngakho amabandla aqiniswa ekukholweni abantu banda mihla yonke.

6 UPhawuli labaphelekezeli bakhe bayibhoda yonke imango yaseFirigiya laseGalathiya, uMoya oNgcwele esemalele ukuthi atshumayele ilizwi edolobheni lase-Ezhiya.

7 Bathi sebefike emngceleni waseMisiya, bazama ukungena eBhithiniya, kodwa uMoya kaJesu kawubavumelanga.

8 Ngakho bedlula eceleni kweMisiya behlela eTrowasi.

9 Ebusuku uPhawuli wehlelwa ngumbono wendoda yaseMasedoniya imi imncenga isithi, “Woza eMasedoniya uzosisiza.”

10 UPhawuli esebone umbono lowo, sahle salungisa masinyane ukuthi siye eMasedoniya, sibona ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayesibizile ukuba sitshumayele ivangeli kubo.

11 Sasuka eTrowasi sawela ulwandle santsheza saqonda eSamathrake, ngosuku olulandelayo sedlulela eNiyapholi.

12 Sesisuka lapho saya eFiliphi, elaliyilona idolobho elikhulu lesiqinti seMasedoniya eyayibuswa ngamaRoma. Sahlala lapho okwensuku ezinengi.

13 NgeSabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwamasango omuzi saya emfuleni sifuna indawo yokukhuleka. Sahlala phansi saqalisa ukukhuluma labesifazane ababebuthene khonapho.

14 Omunye walabo ababelalele ngowesifazane owayethiwa nguLidiya, umthengisi welembu eliyibubende evela edolobheni laseThiyathira, ekhonza uNkulunkulu. INkosi yayivula inhliziyo yakhe ukuba emukele ilizwi likaPhawuli.

15 Kwathi yena kanye labendlu yakhe sebebhaphathiziwe, wasinxusela emzini wakhe. Wathi, “Nxa lingemukela njengekholwa eNkosini, wozani lizohlala endlini yami.” Wasincenga savuma.

16 Ngelinye ilanga sathi sisiya endaweni yokukhuleka sahlangana lentombazana eyayiyisigqili, ilomoya wobungoma. Yayizuzela abanini bayo imali enengi ngalokho kuhlahlula.

17 Intombazana le yalandela uPhawuli lathi sonke imemeza isithi, “Amadoda la ayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, alitshela indlela yokusindiswa.”

18 Yakwenza lokhu okwensuku ezinengi. Ekucineni uPhawuli kwamcaphula lokho waphenduka wathi kuwo umoya, “Ngiyakulaya ngebizo likaJesu Khristu ukuthi uphume kuyo!” Umoya wahle waphuma kuyo khonapho.

19 Abanikazi bentombazana bathi ngokunanzelela ukuthi ithemba labo lokuzuza imali laselinyamalele, bababamba, uPhawuli loSayilasi babadonsela enkundleni yokuthengisa ukuba bayeqondana leziphathamandla.

20 Babamisa phambi kwabomantshi bathi, “Amadoda la angamaJuda asedunge idolobho lakithi

21 ngokukhuthaza imikhuba engaphandle komthetho ukuthi thina amaRoma siyamukele kumbe siyilandele.”

22 Ixuku layingenela indaba yokuhlasela uPhawuli loSayilasi, ngakho omantshi bathi kabakhululwe izigqoko batshaywe.

23 Sebebatshaye kabuhlungu babaphosela entolongweni kwathiwa umlindijele abakhangele aqinisise.

24 Esezwe lowomlayo wabafuqela endlini yentolongo ephakathi wababopha inyawo, wazibophela ensikeni.

25 Sekungaba phakathi kwamabili ebusuku uPhawuli loSayilasi bakhuleka bahlabela amahubo kuNkulunkulu, ezinye izibotshwa zibalalele.

26 Masinyane kwaba lokuzamazama komhlaba kwaze kwanyikinyeka lezisekelo zentolongo. Izivalo zentolongo zathi gwabu zavuleka, amaketane ezibotshwa athukuluka.

27 Umlindijele waphaphama, wathi ngokubona iminyango yentolongo ivulekile, wakhokha inkemba yakhe esefuna ukuzibulala ngoba ekhumbula ukuthi izibotshwa zasezibalekile.

28 Kodwa uPhawuli wamemeza wathi, “Ungazilimazi bo! Sikhona sonke!”

29 Umlindijele wathi kakulethwe izibane, wangena wazilahla phambi kukaPhawuli loSayilasi eqhaqhazela.

30 Wasebakhuphela phandle wababuza wathi, “Madoda, ngenzeni ukuze ngisindiswe na?”

31 Baphendula bathi, “Kholwa eNkosini uJesu, uzasindiswa; wena kanye lendlu yakho.”

32 Basebemtshumayeza ngelizwi leNkosi kanye labanye abendlu yakhe.

33 Ngalelohola lebusuku umlindijele wabathatha wabagezisa imvimvinya zabo; kwasekusithi khonokho nje yena labendlu yakhe bahle babhaphathizwa.

34 Umlindijele wahamba labo endlini yakhe, wabapha ukudla. Indlu yakhe yonke yaba lokuthokoza ngoba basebekholwa kuNkulunkulu.

35 Kwathi sokusile, omantshi bathuma amanxusa abo kumlindijele lomlayo othi: “Bakhulule abantu labo.”

36 Umlindijele watshela uPhawuli wathi, “Omantshi sebethe wena loSayilasi likhululwe. Selingahamba. Lihambe ngokuthula.”

37 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi emanxuseni: “Basibhaxabule phambi kwabantu singazange sithonisiswe thina singamaRoma agcweleyo, basiphosela entolongweni. Kanti manje sebefuna ukusikhupha ngasese na? Hatshi! Kababuye bona ngokwabo bazesikhupha.”

38 Amanxusa akubika lokhu kubomantshi abathi ngokuzwa ukuthi uPhawuli loSayilasi babengamaRoma agcweleyo, bethuka.

39 Beza ukuzabancenga, babakhupha entolongweni, babacela ukuthi basuke kulelodolobho.

40 UPhawuli loSayilasi sebephumile entolongweni baya endlini kaLidiya lapho abahlangana khona labazalwane babaqinisa. Basebesuka bahamba.