< Imisebenzi 9 >
1 Kusenjalo, uSawuli wayelokhu esonga ngomvamvithi ukubulala abafundi beNkosi. Waya kuMphristi omkhulu
2 wayacela izincwadi zokuya emasinagogweni aseDamaseko, ukuze kuthi nxa engafumana khonale labo abangabeNdlela, abesilisa loba abesifazane, abalethe eJerusalema beyizibotshwa.
3 Wathi esebanga eDamaseko ngohambo lwakhe, masinyane kwaphazima ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini kwamzingelezela.
4 Wawela phansi, wezwa ilizwi lisithi kuye, “Sawuli, Sawuli, ungihlukuluzelani na?”
5 USawuli wabuza wathi, “Ungubani, Nkosi?” Ilizwi lathi, “NginguJesu omhlukuluzayo.
6 Manje phakama uye edolobheni lapho ozatshelwa khona omele ukwenze.”
7 Amadoda ayehamba loSawuli ema lapho esetshe amathe; balizwa ilizwi, kodwa kababonanga muntu.
8 USawuli wavuka phansi, kodwa wathi evula amehlo akhe wayengasaboni lutho. Ngakho bamhola ngesandla bangena laye eDamaseko.
9 Waba yisiphofu okwensuku ezintathu, engadli njalo enganathi lutho.
10 EDamaseko kwakulomfundi owayethiwa ngu-Ananiya. INkosi yambiza ngombono yathi, “Ananiya!” Waphendula wathi, “Yebo, Nkosi.”
11 INkosi yamtshela yathi, “Hamba uye endlini kaJudasi eMgwaqweni oQondileyo, ubuze khona ngendoda yaseThasasi ethiwa nguSawuli, ngoba iyakhuleka.
12 Usebelombono wabona indoda ethiwa ngu-Ananiya ifika imbeka izandla ibuyisa ukubona kwakhe.”
13 U-Ananiya waphendula wathi, “Nkosi sengiyizwile indumela yalumuntu mayelana lokubi konke akwenzayo ebantwini bakho eJerusalema.
14 Uze lapha ngamandla awaphiwe ngabaphristi abakhulu ukuzabopha bonke ababiza ibizo lakho.”
15 Kodwa iNkosi yathi ku-Ananiya, “Hamba! Indoda le iyisitsha sami engisikhethileyo ukuthwala ibizo lami phambi kwabeZizwe lamakhosi abo laphambi kwabantu bako-Israyeli.
16 Ngizamtshengisa ukuthi uzahlupheka kanganani ngenxa yebizo lami.”
17 U-Ananiya wasehamba esiya kuleyondlu wafika wangena. Wabeka izandla zakhe phezu kukaSawuli wathi, “Mzalwane, Sawuli, iNkosi uJesu obonakale kuwe endleleni usiza lapha ungithumile ukuze ukwazi ukubona njalo futhi ugcwaliswe ngoMoya oNgcwele.”
18 Masinyane, kwakhithika okwakungathi zinkwethu emehlweni kaSawuli, wasebona njalo. Wasukuma wabhaphathizwa,
19 kwathi esedlile, wathola amandla. USawuli wahlala insuku ezithile labafundi eDamaseko.
20 Waseqalisa ukutshumayela emasinagogweni ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
21 Bonke labo abamuzwayo bamangala babuza bathi, “Kasuye yini umuntu lo owenza isihluku eJerusalema kulabo abalibizayo lelibizo na? Njalo kabuyanga yini lapha ukuzabathatha beyizibotshwa abese kubaphristi abakhulu na?”
22 Kodwa uSawuli wasebenza ngamandla amakhulu wadidekisa amaJuda ayehlala eDamaseko ngokubonisa kamhlophe ukuthi uJesu unguKhristu.
23 Sekudlule insuku ezinengi amaJuda abumba icebo lokumbulala,
24 kodwa uSawuli walizwa icebo labo. Emini lebusuku bamlindela emasinagogweni edolobho ukuze bambulale.
25 Kodwa abalandeli bakhe bamthatha ebusuku bamehlisa ngesilulu esikhaleni esasisemdulini.
26 Wathi esefikile eJerusalema wazama ukuhlangana labafundi, kodwa bonke babemesaba, bengakholwa ukuthi ngempela wayesengumfundi.
27 Kodwa uBhanabhasi wamthatha wamusa kubapostoli. Wabatshela ngokuthi uSawuli wayibona njani iNkosi esendleleni esiya eDamaseko lokuthi watshumayela njani ngesibindi ngebizo likaJesu.
28 USawuli wasehlala labo, wazihambela ekhululekile eJerusalema, ekhuluma ngesibindi ngebizo leNkosi.
29 Wakhuluma njalo waphikisana lamaJuda esiGrikhi, kodwa azama ukumbulala.
30 Kwathi abazalwane bekuzwa lokhu, bambalekisela eKhesariya bafika bamedlulisela eThasasi.
31 Ngalesosikhathi ibandla kulolonke elaseJudiya leGalile leSamariya laba lesikhathi esihle sokuthula. Laqina, njalo ngokukhuthazwa nguMoya oNgcwele landa ngobunengi, lahlala liyesaba iNkosi.
32 Kwathi uPhethro ebhoda phakathi kwelizwe wayakwethekelela abangcwele eLida.
33 Wafumana khonale indoda eyayithiwa ngu-Eniyasi, eyayiyisigulane esome umhlubulo sihlezi silele okweminyaka eyisificaminwembili.
34 UPhethro wathi kuye, “Eniyasi, uJesu Khristu uyakusilisa. Vuka uthathe icansi lakho.” Masinyane u-Eniyasi wasukuma.
35 Bonke labo ababehlala eLida laseSharoni bambona baphendukela eNkosini.
36 EJopha kwakulomfundi owayethiwa nguThabitha (ngesiGrikhi ibizo lakhe nguDokhasi), owayehlala esenza okuhle esiza abaswelayo.
37 Ngalesosikhathi wagula wafa, isidumbu sakhe sageziswa, sabekwa endlini ephezulu.
38 ILida yayiseduze kweJopha; yikho abafundi sebezwile ukuthi uPhethro wayeseLida, bathuma amadoda amabili kuye bamncenga bathi, “Sicela ukuthi uze ngokuphangisa!”
39 UPhethro wahamba labo, wathi ekufikeni kwakhe wasiwa endlini ephezulu. Bonke abafelokazi bema bemhanqile, bekhala, bemtshengisa izembatho lezinye izigqoko ezazithungwe nguDokhasi esaphila.
40 UPhethro wabakhupha bonke endlini; waseguqa ngamadolo wakhuleka. Wasephendukela esidunjini sowesifazane wathi, “Thabitha, vuka!” Owesifazane wasevula amehlo akhe, wathi ebona uPhethro wahlala.
41 Wambamba ngesandla wamsukumisa. Wasebiza amakholwa labafelokazi wamethula kubo esephila.
42 Lokhu kwasuka kwaziwa kulolonke iJopha, abantu abanengi bakholwa eNkosini.
43 UPhethro wahlala okwesikhathi eJopha loSimoni umtshuki wezikhumba.
