Imisebenzi 5
1 Indoda eyayithiwa ngu-Ananiya ilomkayo uSafira labo bathengisa isiqinti sabo.
There was, however, a man named Ananias, who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property,
2 Wavumelana lomkakhe ukuthi afihle enye imali ibe ngeyabo, kwathi enye wayethula kubapostoli.
and, with her connivance, kept back some of the proceeds. He brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 UPhethro wasesithi, “Ananiya, kungani uSathane esegabhele inhliziyo yakho usuze uqamba amanga kuMoya oNgcwele, wazigcinela ingxenye yemali eliyizuzileyo ngesiqinti senu na?
“Ananias,” Peter exclaimed, “how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?
4 Kanti besingesisenu yini singakathengiswa? Njalo lapho sesithengisiwe, imali ibingaqondananga lani na? Kuyini okubangele ukuthi ucabange ukwenza into enje na? Kawuqambelanga muntu lawo manga, kodwa uwaqambele uNkulunkulu.”
While it was unsold, was not it your own? And after it was sold, was not the money at your own disposal? How did you come to think of such a thing? You have lied, not to people, but to God!”
5 U-Ananiya wonela ukukuzwa lokhu, wawela phansi wafa. Bonke abezwa ngalesisehlakalo bangenwa yikwesaba okukhulu.
As Ananias heard these words, he fell down and expired; and everyone who heard of it was appalled.
6 Kwasekungena amajaha agoqela isidumbu sakhe amthwalela phandle, ayamngcwaba.
The young men got up, and, winding the body in a sheet, carried it out and buried it.
7 Ngemva kwamahola amathathu umkakhe laye wangena engazi okwasekwenzakele.
After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 UPhethro wambuza wathi, “Ake ungitshele, yiyo yini le intengo eliyizuzileyo wena lo-Ananiya esiqintini senu?” Wathi, “Yebo, yiyo intengo yaso.”
“Is it true,” Peter asked, addressing her, “that you sold your land for such a sum?” “Yes,” she answered, “we did.”
9 UPhethro wathi kuye, “Kungani livumelane ukulinga uMoya weNkosi na? Lalela! Yizisinde zamadoda asengcwabe umkakho esezisemnyango, bazakuthwala lawe futhi.”
Then Peter said, “How did you come to agree to provoke the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out too.”
10 Khonokho wasakazeka phansi eduze kukaPhethro, wafa. Asengena amajaha yena esefile, amthwala aphuma laye ayamngcwaba malungana lomkakhe.
Instantly Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and expired. On coming in, the young men found her dead; so they carried her out and buried her by her husband’s side.
11 Ibandla lonke lafikelwa yikwesaba okukhulu kanye labo bonke abazizwayo lezizehlakalo.
The whole church and all who heard of these events were appalled.
12 Abapostoli benza imimangaliso lezimanga ezinengi ebantwini. Amakholwa wonke ayevame ukuhlangana ndawonye eKhulusini likaSolomoni.
Many signs and wonders continued to occur among the people, through the instrumentality of the apostles, whose custom it was to meet all together in the Colonnade of Solomon;
13 Kakho omunye owaqunga isibindi wahlangana labo, lanxa kunjalo babalodumo ebantwini.
but of the rest no one ventured to join them. On the other hand, the people were full of their praise,
14 Lanxa kunjalo, amadoda labafazi abanengi bakholwa eNkosini, bengezelela ubunengi babo.
and still larger numbers, both of men and women, as they became believers in the Lord, were added to their number.
15 Kwathi ngenxa yalokho, abantu baletha abagulayo ezitaladini, babalalisa emibhedeni lemacansini ukuze isithunzi sikaPhethro sisithe abanye babo lapho esedlula kuphela nje.
The consequence was that people would bring out their sick even into the streets, and lay them on mattresses and mats, in the hope that, as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on someone of them.
16 Amaxuku abantu abuthana eqhamuka emizini eyayiseduze kweJerusalema, eletha abagulayo lalabo ababehlukuluzwa yimimoya emibi, bonke basiliswa.
Besides this, the inhabitants of the towns around Jerusalem flocked into the city, bringing with them their sick and those who were troubled by foul spirits; and they were cured everyone.
17 Kwasekusithi umphristi omkhulu kanye leqembu lakhe elalingelexuku labaSadusi bangenwa ngumhawu.
At this the high priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,
18 Bababopha abapostoli babaphosela entolongweni yomuntu wonke.
arrested the apostles, and had them placed in custody.
19 Kodwa ebusuku ingilosi yeNkosi yavula iminyango yentolongo yabakhupha.
An angel of the Lord, however, opened the prison doors at night and led them out.
20 Yathi, “Hambani liyekuma emagumeni ethempeli, litshele abantu lonke ilizwi lempilo entsha.”
“Go,” he said, “and stand in the Temple Courts, and tell the people the whole message of this new life.”
21 Kwathi emadabukakusa bahle bangena emagumeni ethempeli, bafundisa abantu njengokutshelwa kwabo. Ekufikeni komphristi omkhulu leqembu lakhe bahle babiza iSanihedrini; inkundla yonke yabadala bako-Israyeli bathumela ilizwi entolongweni lokuthi kulethwe abapostoli,
When they heard this, they went at daybreak into the Temple Courts, and began to teach. The high priest and his party, on their arrival, summoned the High Council, including all the leaders of the people among the Israelites, and sent to the jail to fetch the apostles.
22 kodwa izithunywa zathi zifika entolongweni zafumana bengasekho. Ngakho zasezibuyela zayabika zathi,
But, when the officers got there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported that,
23 “Sifumane intolongo ivalwe kuhle labalindi bemi eminyango; kodwa sithe siyivula kasibonanga muntu phakathi.”
while they had found the jail barred securely and the guards posted at the doors, yet, on opening them, they had not found anyone inside.
24 Induna yabalindi bethempeli kanye labaphristi abakhulu bathi bekuzwa lokhu batsha amathe, bamangala ukuthi into le yayikhombani.
When the officer in charge at the Temple and the chief priests heard their story, they were perplexed about the apostles and as to what all this would lead to.
25 Kwasekufika omunye umuntu wathi, “Zwanini! Amadoda eliwaphosele entolongweni emi emagumeni ethempeli afundisa abantu.”
Presently, however, someone came and told them, that the men whom they had put in prison were actually standing in the Temple Courts, teaching the people.
26 Besizwa lokho, induna yahle yasuka lamanxusa ayo bayabuya labapostoli. Kabasebenzisanga udlakela ngoba besesaba ukuthi abantu babengabakhanda ngamatshe.
Then, the officer went with his men and fetched the apostles – without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people –
27 Sebebalethile abapostoli, babamisa phambi kweSanihedrini ukuthi bathonisiswe ngumphristi omkhulu.
and then brought them before the Council. The high priest demanded an explanation from them.
28 Wathi, “Saliqonqosela ukuthi lingafundisi ngebizo leli. Kodwa seligcwalise iJerusalema ngemfundiso yenu njalo lizimisele ukusethesa umlandu ngegazi lomuntu lo.”
“We gave you strict orders,” he said, “not to teach in this name. Yet you have actually flooded Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to make us responsible for the death of this man.”
29 UPhethro labanye abapostoli baphendula bathi, “Kumele silalele uNkulunkulu kulokulalela abantu!
To this Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.
30 UNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu wamvusa uJesu kwabafileyo, yena elalimbulele ngokumlengisa esiphambanweni.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross.
31 UNkulunkulu wamphakamisela kwesokunene sakhe waba yiNkosana loMsindisi ukuze anike ukuphenduka lokuthethelelwa kwezono ku-Israyeli.
It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a guide and a Savior, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
32 Thina singofakazi balezizinto, njengaye uMoya oNgcwele, uNkulunkulu amnike kulabo abamlalelayo.”
And we are witness to the truth of this, and so is the Holy Spirit – the gift of God to those who obey him.”
33 Bathi bekuzwa lokhu bathukuthela kakhulu, bafuna ukuthi babulawe.
The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the apostles to death.
34 Kodwa umFarisi owayethiwa nguGamaliyeli, engumfundisi womthetho, ehlonitshwa ngabantu bonke, wasukuma wema phambi kweSanihedrini wathi amadoda lawo ake amiswe phandle kancane.
But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.
35 Wasesithi emphakathini weSanihedrini, “Madoda ako-Israyeli, cabangani kuhle ngalokhu elifuna ukukwenza emadodeni la.
He then said, “People of Israel, take care as to what you intend to do with these men.
36 Ngesikhathi esadlulayo kwafika uThewuda ezitshaya umuntu oqakathekileyo, wahuga amadoda angaba ngamakhulu amane. Wabulawa, bonke abalandeli bakhe bahlakazeka, konke kwaphelela emoyeni.
For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away.
37 Ngemva kwakhe, uJudasi umGalile laye wavela ngezinsuku zokubalwa kwabantu, wakhokhela ixuku labantu ukuba lihlamuke. Laye wabulawa, labalandeli bakhe bonke bahlakazeka.
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census, and induced people to follow him; yet he, too, perished and all his followers were dispersed.
38 Ngakho, mayelana lalindaba yamanje ngixwayisa lokhu: Bayekeleni abantu laba! Kabahambe! Ngoba nxa inhloso yabo kumbe umkhankaso wabo uvela ebantwini, uzakuba yize.
And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to leave them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;
39 Kodwa nxa uvela kuNkulunkulu, kalisoze libe lamandla okubamisa lababantu; lizazifumana seliphikisana loNkulunkulu.”
but, if they are of divine origin, you will be powerless to put an end to them – or else you may find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 Inkulumo yakhe bayamukela. Bababiza abapostoli bangeniswa kwathiwa kabatshaywe. Basebeqonqoselwa ukuthi bangaqali ukukhuluma ngebizo likaJesu, basebekhululwa.
The Council followed his advice, and, calling the apostles in, had them flogged, and then, after cautioning them not to speak in the name of Jesus, set them free.
41 Abapostoli basuka eSanihedrini bethokoza ngoba basebebonakalisile ukuthi bangalimela ihlazo lokulihluphekela iBizo.
But the apostles left the Council, rejoicing that they had been thought worthy to suffer disgrace for that name;
42 Insuku ngensuku, emagumeni ethempeli, njalo behamba bengena indlu ngendlu, kabazange bame ukufundisa lokutshumayela izindaba ezinhle ukuthi uJesu unguKhristu.
and never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the good news of Jesus, the Christ.
