< Imisebenzi 12 >
1 Ngalesosikhathi uHerodi inkosi waseselula izandla ukuthi ahluphe abanye bebandla.
2 Wasebulala uJakobe umfowabo kaJohane ngenkemba.
3 Esebonile ukuthi lokhu kuyawathokozisa amaJuda, waqhubeka wabamba uPetro laye (njalo kwakuzinsuku zesinkwa esingelamvubelo);
4 esembambile laye wamfaka entolongweni, wamnikela kumaviyo amane alamabutho amane ukuze amlinde, eqonde ukumusa ebantwini emva kwephasika.
5 Ngakho uPetro wagcinwa entolongweni; kodwa umkhuleko oqhubekayo wenziwa libandla ngaye kuNkulunkulu.
6 Kwathi uHerodi esezamkhupha, ngalobobusuku uPetro wayelele phakathi kwabebutho ababili, ebotshwe ngamaketane amabili; labalindi phambi komnyango babegcine intolongo.
7 Njalo khangela, ingilosi yeNkosi yema, lokukhanya kwakhanyisa ekamelweni; yasitshaya uPetro ehlangothini, yamvusa isithi: Sukuma ngokuphangisa. Asesiwa amaketane akhe ezandleni zakhe.
8 Ingilosi yasisithi kuye: Bhinca, ubophe amanyathela akho. Wasesenza njalo. Yasisithi kuye: Yembatha isembatho sakho, ungilandele.
9 Wasephuma wayilandela; njalo wayengazi ukuthi kuliqiniso okwenziwa yingilosi, kodwa wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono.
10 Njalo sebedlulile abalindi bokuqala labesibili, bafika esangweni lensimbi, elokuya emzini, elabavulekela ngokwalo; basebephuma bahamba umgwaqo waba munye; njalo ingilosi yahle yamtshiya.
11 Kwathi uPetro, eseqaqabukile, wathi: Khathesi sengisazi ngeqiniso ukuthi iNkosi ithumile ingilosi yayo, yangikhulula esandleni sikaHerodi lakukho konke okulindelwe yisizwe samaJuda.
12 Kwathi esenanzelele waya endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane othiwa futhi nguMarko, lapho okwakuhlangene khona abanengi bekhuleka.
13 Kwathi uPetro eseqoqodile esivalweni sesango, incekukazi encane yeza ukulalela, uRoda ngebizo,
14 kwathi isilazi ilizwi likaPetro, kayivulanga isango ngenxa yentokozo, kodwa yagijima yangena yabika ukuthi uPetro umi phambi kwesango.
15 Kodwa bathi kuyo: Uyahlanya. Kodwa yaqinisisa ukuthi kunjalo. Basebesithi: Yingilosi yakhe.
16 Kodwa uPetro waqhubeka eqoqoda; sebevulile bambona, basanganiseka.
17 Wasebaqhweba ngesandla ukuze bathule, wabalandisela ukuthi iNkosi imkhuphe njani entolongweni, wathi: Bikelani uJakobe labazalwane lezizinto. Wasephuma waya kwenye indawo.
18 Sekusile, kwaba khona isiphithiphithi esingesincinyane phakathi kwebutho, ukuthi wayesehlelwe yini uPetro.
19 Kwathi uHerodi esemdingile engamtholi, wabuzisisa abalindi, walaya ukuthi basuswe bayebulawa. Wasesuka eJudiya wehlela eKesariya wahlala khona.
20 Njalo uHerodi wayebathukuthelele abeTire labeSidoni; basebesiza kuye bengqondonye; sebevumelene loBlastusi induna yekamelo lokulala lenkosi, bacela ukuthula, ngoba ilizwe labo lalifunzwa ngelenkosi.
21 Njalo ngosuku olumisiweyo uHerodi wembatha isembatho sobukhosi, wasehlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, wenza inkulumo kubo.
22 Abantu basebememeza besithi: Yilizwi likaNkulunkulu njalo kayisilo elomuntu.
23 Njalo yahle yamtshaya ingilosi yeNkosi, ngoba kanikanga udumo kuNkulunkulu; wasedliwa zimpethu, waphela.
24 Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lakhula landa.
25 UBarnabasi loSawuli basebebuya bevela eJerusalema, sebeqedile inkonzo, babuya beloJohane laye othiwa futhi nguMarko.
