Imisebenzi 17
1 Bathi sebedlule e-Amfipholi le-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika lapho okwakulesinagogu yamaJuda khona.
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 Njengenjayelo yakhe uPhawuli waya esinagogweni, kwathi ngamaSabatha amathathu wabonisana labo ngeMibhalo,
And Paul, as his manner was, went in to them, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 echaza njalo eveza obala ukuthi uKhristu wayemele ahlupheke njalo avuke kwabafileyo. Wathi, “UJesu lo engitshumayela ngaye kini unguye uKhristu.”
Opening and alledging, that it was needful that Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach to you, is Christ.
4 Amanye amaJuda akukholwa lokho asehlanganyelana loPhawuli loSayilasi, njengalokho okwenziwa linani elikhulu lamaGrikhi abesaba uNkulunkulu, kugoqela lehlekanyana labesifazane abahloniphekayo.
And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas: and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief 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 Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain vile fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 Kodwa kwathi sebebaswele basebedonsela uJasoni labanye abazalwane abathile kubaphathi bedolobho bememeza besithi: “Amadoda la abekade edala uhlupho emhlabeni wonke manje aseze lapha,
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down, have come hither also;
7 uJasoni yena wawemukela endlini yakhe. Bonke bahlinikeza imithetho kaKhesari besithi kulenye inkosi ethiwa nguJesu.”
Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying, That there is another king, [one] Jesus.
8 Bathi bekuzwa lokhu abantu labaphathi bedolobho bazonda kakhulu.
And they troubled the people, and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 Kwasekuthiwa uJasoni labanye bakhe kabakhuphe isibambiso ngemali ethile, kwayikhona bekhululwa ukuthi bahambe.
And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other, they let them go.
10 Konela ukuthi kuhlwe abazalwane babasusa uPhawuli loSayilasi babasa eBheriya. Ekufikeni kwabo khona baya esinagogweni yamaJuda.
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who coming [thither], 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.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 AmaJuda amanengi akholwa, kanye labesifazane abanengi bamaGrikhi abahloniphekayo lamadoda amanengi amaGrikhi.
Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women who were Greeks, 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 had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
14 Abazalwane bahle bathumela uPhawuli ngasokhunjini lolwandle, kodwa uSayilasi loThimothi basala eBheriya.
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul, to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still.
15 Amadoda ayephelekezela uPhawuli amtshiya e-Athene asebuyela lomlayezo wokuthi uSayilasi loThimothi bamlandele ngokuphangisa.
And they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens: and receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.
16 UPhawuli esabamelele e-Athene, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngokubona ukuthi idolobho lelo laligcwele izithombe.
Now, while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Ngakho wabonisana lamaJuda kanye lamaGrikhi ayemesaba uNkulunkulu esinagogweni lasendaweni yokuthengisa zonke insuku lalabo ababekhonapho.
Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
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.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? some others, He seemeth to be a setter-forth of strange gods: because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 Basebehamba laye enkundleni ye-Ariyophagasi, bafika bathi kuye, “Ake usitshele ukuthi imfundiso le entsha oyethulayo iyini.
And they took him, and brought him to Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine [is], of which thou speakest?
20 Uletha ezindlebeni zethu imibono engajayelekanga, ngakho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi itshoni.”
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears; we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (Wonke ama-Atheni labezizwe ababehlala khona babechitha isikhathi sabo bengenzi lutho ngaphandle kokukhuluma lokulalela imibono emitsha.)
(For all the Athenians and strangers who were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 UPhawuli wasukuma enkundleni ye-Ariyophagasi wathi, “Madoda ase-Atheni! Ngiyabona ukuthi kukho konke lingabantu abakhonzayo.
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
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 as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I to you.
24 UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo uyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, njalo kahlali emathempelini akhiwe ngezandla.
God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Njalo kancediswa yizandla zabantu ingathi kukhona akuswelayo, ngoba yena ngokwakhe upha bonke abantu impilo, umphefumulo lokunye konke.
Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 Ngomuntu oyedwa wenza zonke izizwe zabantu, ukuthi zakhe emhlabeni wonke; njalo wamisa izikhathi abazilungiselweyo lazo kanye izindawo abamele bahlale kuzo.
And hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 UNkulunkulu wakwenza lokhu ukuze abantu bamdinge lokuthi mhlawumbe bamfinyelele bamfumane, loba nje uvele engakhatshana komunye lomunye wethu.
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every 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 have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring.
29 Ngakho-ke njengoba singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kasingacabangini ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide, loba isiliva kumbe ilitshe; umfanekiso obunjwe ngobungcitshi bomuntu.
Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone graven by art and man's device.
30 Endulo uNkulunkulu kakunakanga ukungazi lokhu, kodwa khathesi uselaya bonke abantu ezindaweni zonke ukuba baphenduke.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Ngoba uselumisile usuku lapho azakwahlulela khona umhlaba ngokulunga ngaye umuntu amkhethileyo. Usebuvezile ubufakazi balokhu kubo bonke abantu ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”
Because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by [that] man whom he hath ordained: [of which] he hath given assurance to all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 Bathi besizwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye babo bamklolodela, kodwa abanye bathi, “Sifuna ukuphinda sikuzwe ukhuluma ngale indaba njalo.”
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again concerning this [matter].
33 Ngalokho-ke, uPhawuli wasesuka enkundleni.
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 certain men adhered to him, and believed: among whom [was] Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
