< Imisebenzi 21 >
1 Sathi sesizehlukanise kubo ngobuhlungu, sawela ulwandle saqonda nta eKhosi. Ngosuku olulandelayo saya eRodi, sasuka khona saya ePhathara.
2 Safumana umkhumbi owawuchaphela eFenikhiya, sangena kuwo, sahamba.
3 Sayithi tshazi iSiphrasi, sedlula ngeningizimu kwayo, saya e-Asiriya. Sakhuphukela eThire lapho umkhumbi wethu wawuzakwethula khona umthwalo wawo.
4 Safumana abafundi khona, sahlala labo insuku eziyisikhombisa. Baholwa nguMoya ukuthi bamncenge uPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema.
5 Kodwa isikhathi sethu sesifikile, sasuka saqhubeka ngohambo lwethu. Bonke abafundi lamakhosikazi abo kanye labantwana basiphelekezela basikhupha edolobheni, safika okhunjini saguqa sakhuleka.
6 Sesivalelisene, sangena emkhunjini, bona babuyela emakhaya.
7 Saqhubeka ngohambo lwethu sisuka eThire sayakhuphukela ePhetholemayi, lapho sabingelela abazalwane, sahlala labo usuku lonke.
8 Sasuka ngelanga elilandelayo safika eKhesariya sayahlala endlini kaFiliphu umvangeli, engomunye wabayisiKhombisa.
9 Wayelamadodakazi amane angendanga njalo ephrofitha.
10 Sesihlale insuku ezimbalwa kwafika umphrofethi owayethiwa ngu-Agabhasi evela eJudiya.
11 Weza kithi, wathatha ibhanti likaPhawuli, wazibopha izandla lezinyawo zakhe ngalo, wathi, “UMoya oNgcwele uthi, ‘Ngayonale indlela amaJuda aseJerusalema azabopha umninibhanti leli abesemnikela kwabeZizwe.’”
12 Sathi sikuzwa lokhu sonke labantu bakhonapho sancengana loPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema.
13 UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “Likhalelani lingidabula inhliziyo yami na? Kangilungelanga ukubotshwa kuphela, kodwa lokufa eJerusalema ngifela ibizo leNkosi uJesu.”
14 Kwathi ngoba engancengeki sadela sathi, “Mayenzeke intando yeNkosi.”
15 Ngemva kwalokhu, salungisa sasesisiya eJerusalema.
16 Abafundi abathile abaseKhesariya basiphelekezela basisa emzini kaMnasoni lapho esasizahlala khona. Wayeyindoda edabuka eSiphrasi, engomunye wabafundi bakuqala.
17 Ekufikeni kwethu eJerusalema abazalwane basamukela ngokuthokoza.
18 Ngosuku olulandelayo uPhawuli lathi sonke sahamba ukuyabona uJakhobe, bonke abadala babekhona.
19 UPhawuli wababingelela, wabika ngokugcweleyo konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzile kwabeZizwe ngokusebenza kwakhe.
20 Bathi sebekuzwile lokhu bamdumisa uNkulunkulu. Ngakho basebesithi kuPhawuli, “Uyabona mzalwane ukuthi izinkulungwane ezinengi zamaJuda sezikholiwe njalo wonke atshisekela umlayo.
21 Sebetshelwe ukuthi wena ufundisa wonke amaJuda ahlala phakathi kwabeZizwe ukuthi afulathele uMosi, ubatshela ukuthi angasoki abantwababo lokuthi angalandeli amasiko ethu.
22 Pho senzeni? Ngeqiniso bazakuzwa ukuthi usufikile,
23 ngakho yenza lokhu esikutshela khona. Kulamadoda amane phakathi kwethu asenze isifungo.
24 Hamba lawo amadoda la, ubambisane lawo emkhutsheni wokuzihlambulula, uwabhadalele izindleko zawo zakhona ukuze aphuce amakhanda awo. Ngakho umuntu wonke uzakwazi ukuthi akulaqiniso kulimibiko ngawe, kodwa babone ukuthi wena ngokwakho uphila ngokulandela umlayo.
25 AbeZizwe bona abakholwayo sesibalobele ngesinqumo sethu ukuthi kabaxwaye ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni, bangadli ububende, lenyama yenyamazana ekhanyiweyo lokuhlobonga.”
26 Ngosuku olulandelayo uPhawuli wawathatha lawomadoda wayazihlambulula kanye lawo. Wasesiya ethempelini ukuyakwazisa ngosuku lokuphela kwensuku zokuhlambulula lokuthi umnikelo walowo lalowo wabo wawuzakwenziwa nini.
27 Kwathi lezinsuku eziyisikhombisa sezizaphela, amaJuda athile esifunda sase-Ezhiya abona uPhawuli ethempelini. Alidunga lonke ixuku ambamba
28 ehlaba umkhosi esithi, “Madoda ako-Israyeli; sibambiseni! Yiyo le indoda efundisa abantu bonke ezindaweni zonke okuphambene labantu bakithi lomlayo wakithi kanye lendawo le. Ngaphandle kwalokho, usengenise amaGrikhi emagumeni ethempeli wangcolisa indawo le eNgcwele.”
29 (Mandulo babebone uThrofimasi wase-Efesu edolobheni eloPhawuli basebekhumbula ukuthi uPhawuli wayeze laye emagumeni ethempeli.)
30 Idolobho lonke laphithizela, abantu beza begijima beqhamuka inxa zonke. Bamdumela uPhawuli bamhudula bemsusa ethempelini, amasango alo ahle avalwa.
31 Bathi besazama ukumbulala, umbiko wafika kumlawuli wamabutho amaRoma ukuthi idolobho lonke laseJerusalema laseliphithizela.
32 Khonokho nje wathatha abanye abaphathi kanye lamabutho wagijimela esiphithiphithini leso. Kwathi labo ababevusa uthuli bebona umlawuli lamabutho akhe bema ukutshaya uPhawuli.
33 Umlawuli weza wafika wambopha wathi kabotshwe ngamaketane amabili. Wasembuza ukuthi wayengubani lokuthi wayoneni.
34 Abathile exukwini bamemeza lokhu, abanye bamemeza okunye, kwasekusithi ngoba umlawuli engalizwa iqiniso ngenxa yokuxokozela waselaya ukuthi uPhawuli kasiwe enkambeni yamabutho.
35 Esefikile ezinyathelweni zokuqansela endlini, abantu baphithizela ngamandla waze wathwalwa ngamabutho.
36 Ixuku elalilandela laphikelela limemeza lisithi, “Msusele amanqe!”
37 Amabutho esathi amngenisa ngaphakathi, uPhawuli wacela kumlawuli wathi, “Ngingaba lelizwi lawe na?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Uyasikhuluma yini isiGrikhi?
38 Kawusuye yini umGibhithe owaqala umvukela, wakhokhela izinkulungwane ezine zamathekulambuso enkangala?”
39 UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “NgingumJuda waseThasasi eSilisiya, isakhamuzi sedolobho elihloniphekayo. Ngicela ukuthi kengikhulume labantu laba.”
40 Esethole imvumo kumlawuli, uPhawuli wema ezinyathelweni zokuqansela endlini wathulisa ixuku ngesandla. Kwathi bonke sebethule wakhuluma kubo ngesiHebheru wathi,
