Imisebenzi 17
1 Bathi sebedlule e-Amfipholi le-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika lapho okwakulesinagogu yamaJuda khona.
Now after passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 Njengenjayelo yakhe uPhawuli waya esinagogweni, kwathi ngamaSabatha amathathu wabonisana labo ngeMibhalo,
And according to Paul's custom, he went in to them, and for three sabbaths he discoursed with them from the scriptures,
3 echaza njalo eveza obala ukuthi uKhristu wayemele ahlupheke njalo avuke kwabafileyo. Wathi, “UJesu lo engitshumayela ngaye kini unguye uKhristu.”
explaining and pointing out that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead, and, This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.
4 Amanye amaJuda akukholwa lokho asehlanganyelana loPhawuli loSayilasi, njengalokho okwenziwa linani elikhulu lamaGrikhi abesaba uNkulunkulu, kugoqela lehlekanyana labesifazane abahloniphekayo.
And some of them were persuaded, and joined with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great quantity, and of the prominent women not a few.
5 Kodwa amaJuda aba lomona; ngakho asehuga izixhwali endaweni yokuthengisa, abalixuku elithile asevusa umsindo edolobheni. Aphuthumela endlini kaJasoni edinga uPhawuli loSayilasi efuna ukubaletha phambi kukazulu.
But the disobedient Jews having taken along certain evil men of the marketplaces, and having gathered a mob, were rioting the city. And having stood by the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the populace.
6 Kodwa kwathi sebebaswele basebedonsela uJasoni labanye abazalwane abathile kubaphathi bedolobho bememeza besithi: “Amadoda la abekade edala uhlupho emhlabeni wonke manje aseze lapha,
And not having found them, they dragged Jason and some brothers to the city rulers, shouting, The men who have agitated the world, these are present here also,
7 uJasoni yena wawemukela endlini yakhe. Bonke bahlinikeza imithetho kaKhesari besithi kulenye inkosi ethiwa nguJesu.”
whom Jason has received. And all these men are acting against the decrees of Caesar, asserting another man to be king, Jesus.
8 Bathi bekuzwa lokhu abantu labaphathi bedolobho bazonda kakhulu.
And they disturbed the multitude and the city rulers when they heard these things.
9 Kwasekuthiwa uJasoni labanye bakhe kabakhuphe isibambiso ngemali ethile, kwayikhona bekhululwa ukuthi bahambe.
And after taking bond from Jason and the other men, they released them.
10 Konela ukuthi kuhlwe abazalwane babasusa uPhawuli loSayilasi babasa eBheriya. Ekufikeni kwabo khona baya esinagogweni yamaJuda.
And the brothers straightaway sent both Paul and Silas away through the night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 AmaJuda eBheriya wona ayelesimilo esingcono kulaleso esamaThesalonika, ngoba alemukela ilizwi ngomfutho omkhulu njalo ayihlola iMibhalo insuku zonke ukuze abone ukuthi lokho uPhawuli ayekutsho kwakuliqiniso na.
But these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all willingness, examining the scriptures daily, if it has these things this way.
12 AmaJuda amanengi akholwa, kanye labesifazane abanengi bamaGrikhi abahloniphekayo lamadoda amanengi amaGrikhi.
Indeed therefore many of them believed, also of the prominent Greek women, and of men, not a few.
13 Kwathi amaJuda aseThesalonika esezwile ukuthi uPhawuli wayesetshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu eBheriya, aya khona futhi, athela abantu umoya omubi abadunga.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica also learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there also, agitating the crowds.
14 Abazalwane bahle bathumela uPhawuli ngasokhunjini lolwandle, kodwa uSayilasi loThimothi basala eBheriya.
But then straightaway the brothers sent Paul away to go as far as to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy remained there.
15 Amadoda ayephelekezela uPhawuli amtshiya e-Athene asebuyela lomlayezo wokuthi uSayilasi loThimothi bamlandele ngokuphangisa.
And those who brought Paul led him as far as Athens. And after taking a command for Silas and Timothy, that they should come to him quickly, they departed.
16 UPhawuli esabamelele e-Athene, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngokubona ukuthi idolobho lelo laligcwele izithombe.
But while Paul waited for them in Athens, his spirit was aroused within him, seeing the city being completely idolatrous.
17 Ngakho wabonisana lamaJuda kanye lamaGrikhi ayemesaba uNkulunkulu esinagogweni lasendaweni yokuthengisa zonke insuku lalabo ababekhonapho.
Indeed therefore he was discoursing in the synagogue with the Jews, and with those who worship, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened by.
18 Ixuku lezazi zama-Ephikhuri lamaStoyikhi laphikisana laye. Abanye babo babuza bathi, “Uwumani lolu luzama ukuthini kanti?” Abanye bathi, “Kungathi utshumayela ngonkulunkulu bezizweni.” Bakutsho lokhu ngoba uPhawuli wayetshumayela izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu langokuvuka kwabafileyo.
And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, Whatever does this babbler want to say? But others, He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities, because he brought the good news-Jesus and the resurrection.
19 Basebehamba laye enkundleni ye-Ariyophagasi, bafika bathi kuye, “Ake usitshele ukuthi imfundiso le entsha oyethulayo iyini.
And having taken him, they brought him to the Areopagus, saying, Can we understand what this new doctrine is, being spoken by thee?
20 Uletha ezindlebeni zethu imibono engajayelekanga, ngakho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi itshoni.”
For thou bring some surprising things to our ears. Therefore, we want to know whatever these things aim to be.
21 (Wonke ama-Atheni labezizwe ababehlala khona babechitha isikhathi sabo bengenzi lutho ngaphandle kokukhuluma lokulalela imibono emitsha.)
Now all the Athenians, and the foreigners who dwell alien there, were at leisure in nothing else, than to tell or to hear something new.
22 UPhawuli wasukuma enkundleni ye-Ariyophagasi wathi, “Madoda ase-Atheni! Ngiyabona ukuthi kukho konke lingabantu abakhonzayo.
And having stood in the middle of the Areopagus, Paul said, Athenian men, I perceive you as deity-fearing in all things.
23 Ngoba ngithe ngihambahamba, ngabona izithombe zenu, ngaze ngafumana i-alithari elilombhalo othi: Kunkulunkulu Ongaziwayo. Manje-ke lokho elikukhonza njengolutho olungaziwayo yikho engizakutshumayela kini.
For, passing through and examining your religious objects, I also found an altar on which had been engraved, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye worship unknowingly, him I proclaim to you.
24 UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo uyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, njalo kahlali emathempelini akhiwe ngezandla.
The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands,
25 Njalo kancediswa yizandla zabantu ingathi kukhona akuswelayo, ngoba yena ngokwakhe upha bonke abantu impilo, umphefumulo lokunye konke.
nor is he served by the hands of men, as needing anything, since he himself gives to all life, and breath, with all things.
26 Ngomuntu oyedwa wenza zonke izizwe zabantu, ukuthi zakhe emhlabeni wonke; njalo wamisa izikhathi abazilungiselweyo lazo kanye izindawo abamele bahlale kuzo.
And he made from one blood every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, having determined prescribed times, and the limits of their occupancy,
27 UNkulunkulu wakwenza lokhu ukuze abantu bamdinge lokuthi mhlawumbe bamfinyelele bamfumane, loba nje uvele engakhatshana komunye lomunye wethu.
to search for the Lord, if indeed perhaps they might grope for him and find him, although being not far from each one of us.
28 ‘Ngoba siphila kuye, sihambe ngaye njalo sipheleliswe nguye.’ Njengokutsho kwezinye izimbongi zakini ukuthi, ‘Singabantwabakhe.’
For in him we live, and move, and exist, as also some of the performers from you have said, For of him we are also offspring.
29 Ngakho-ke njengoba singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kasingacabangini ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide, loba isiliva kumbe ilitshe; umfanekiso obunjwe ngobungcitshi bomuntu.
Being therefore offspring of God, we ought not think the Divine to be like gold, or silver, or stone handiwork of the skill and thought of man.
30 Endulo uNkulunkulu kakunakanga ukungazi lokhu, kodwa khathesi uselaya bonke abantu ezindaweni zonke ukuba baphenduke.
Indeed therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands for all men everywhere to repent.
31 Ngoba uselumisile usuku lapho azakwahlulela khona umhlaba ngokulunga ngaye umuntu amkhethileyo. Usebuvezile ubufakazi balokhu kubo bonke abantu ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”
Because he appointed a day during which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he appointed, having provided assurance to all men because he raised him from the dead.
32 Bathi besizwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye babo bamklolodela, kodwa abanye bathi, “Sifuna ukuphinda sikuzwe ukhuluma ngale indaba njalo.”
But when they heard the resurrection of the dead, of course they mocked, but others said, We will hear thee again about this.
33 Ngalokho-ke, uPhawuli wasesuka enkundleni.
And so Paul departed from among them.
34 Abantu abathile baba ngabalandeli bakaPhawuli, bakholwa. Phakathi kwabo kwakuloDiyonisiyu owayelilunga le-Ariyophagasi, njalo lowesifazane okwakuthiwa nguDamari kanye labanye abalinani elithile.
But some men, having joined with him, believed, among whom was also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
