Imisebenzi 16
1 Wasefika eDerbe leListra; njalo khangela, kwakukhona lapho umfundi othile, uTimothi ngebizo, indodana yowesifazana othile ongumJudakazi okholwayo, kodwa uyise wayengumGriki;
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.
2 owayenconywa ngabazalwane eListra leIkoniyuma.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
3 Lo uPawuli wathanda ukuthi aphume laye, wasemthatha wamsoka, ngenxa yamaJuda ayekhona kulezondawo; ngoba wonke ayemazi uyise, ukuthi wayengumGriki.
Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4 Njalo bedabula imizi, babanika izimiso ukuzilondoloza ezamiswa ngabaphostoli labadala ababeseJerusalema.
As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.
5 Ngakho amabandla aqiniswa ekholweni, njalo anda ngenani insuku ngensuku.
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
6 Sebedabule eFrigiya lelizwe leGalathiya, balelwa nguMoya oNgcwele ukukhuluma ilizwi eAsiya,
After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
7 sebefikile ngaseMisiya bazama ukuya eBithiniya; kodwa uMoya kabavumelanga;
And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.
8 basebeyiceza iMisiya behlela eTrowasi.
So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9 Kwasekubonakala umbono kuPawuli ebusuku; indoda ethile umMakedoniya yayimi, imncenga isithi: Chaphela eMakedoniya, usisize.
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
10 Kwathi esewubonile umbono, sahle sazama ukusuka siye eMakedoniya, siphetha sisithi iNkosi isibizele ukutshumayela ivangeli kubo.
As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 Ngakho sasuka eTrowasi ngomkhumbi, saqonda eSamotrake, langolulandelayo eNeyapholi,
We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.
12 sasuka lapho saya eFiliphi, engumuzi wokuqala wesigaba seMakedoniya, esibuswa ngelinye ilizwe; kulowomuzi sasesihlala insuku ezithile.
From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13 Njalo ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle komuzi eceleni komfula, lapho okwakufanele kwenzelwe umkhuleko khona; sasesihlala phansi sakhuluma labesifazana ababebuthene ndawonye.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.
14 Lowesifazana othile uLidiya ngebizo, ongumthengisikazi wamalembu ayibubende owemzini weTiyathira, ekhonza uNkulunkulu, wezwa, onhliziyo yakhe iNkosi yayivula, ukuthi alalele okwakhulunywa nguPawuli.
Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
15 Kuthe esebhabhathiziwe, lendlu yakhe, wasincenga esithi: Uba libonile ukuthi ngithembekile eNkosini, wozani endlini yami, lihlale khona. Wasesicindezela.
And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
16 Kwasekusithi sisiya emkhulekweni, intombazana eyisigqili elomoya wokuhlahlula yahlangana lathi, eyayizuzela amakhosi ayo inzuzo enengi ngokuvumisa.
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.
17 Lo walandela uPawuli lathi, ememeza esithi: Lababantu bazinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, ezisitshumayeza indlela yosindiso.
This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
18 Lalokhu yakwenza insuku ezinengi. Kwathi uPawuli esenengiwe, watshibilika, wathi kumoya: Ngiyakulaya ngebizo likaJesu Kristu ukuthi uphume kuyo. Wasephuma ngalesosikhathi.
She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.
19 Amakhosi akhe esebonile ukuthi ithemba lenzuzo yabo seliphumile, abamba uPawuli loSilasi, abadonsela emdangeni phambi kwababusi,
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
20 esebalethile ezinduneni athi: Lababantu badunga umuzi wethu, bengamaJuda,
They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil
21 batshumayela imikhuba esingavunyelwa ukuyemukela siyenze, singamaRoma.
by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”
22 Lexuku labelekelela, lenduna zabadabulela izembatho zabo zalaya ukuthi babatshaye ngenduku.
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.
23 Sebebatshayile imivimvinya eminengi babaphosela entolongweni, balaya umlindintolongo ukuthi abalondoloze abaqinise;
And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
24 yena, emukele umlayo onjalo, wabaphosela entolongweni ephakathi, waseqinisa inyawo zabo esigodweni.
On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 Kwathi sekungaba phakathi kobusuku uPawuli loSilasi babekhuleka behlabela amahubo endumiso kuNkulunkulu, lezibotshwa zazibezwa;
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26 njalo kwahle kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, kwaze kwanyikinyeka izisekelo zentolongo; kwahle kwavulwa iminyango yonke, kwathukululwa izibopho zabo bonke.
Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
27 Kwathi umlindintolongo ephaphama, esebona iminyango yentolongo ivulekile, wakhokha inkemba, ezimisele ukuzibulala, ecabanga ukuthi izibotshwa zibalekile.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
28 Kodwa uPawuli wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu esithi: Ungazilimazi; ngoba silapha sonke.
But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 Wasecela isibane waphoseka phakathi, njalo wasethuthumela wawela phansi phambi kukaPawuli loSilasi,
Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 njalo esebakhuphela phandle wathi: Makhosi, kumele ngenzeni ukuze ngisindiswe?
Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 Basebesithi: Kholwa eNkosini uJesu Kristu, njalo uzasindiswa wena lendlu yakho.
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 Basebekhuluma kuye ilizwi leNkosi, lakulabo bonke ababesendlini yakhe.
Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
33 Wasebathatha ngalelohola lobusuku wabagezisa amanxeba, njalo wahle wabhabhathizwa yena labakhe bonke.
At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.
34 Wasebasa endlini yakhe wabeka itafula lokudla phambi kwabo, wasethokoza lendlu yakhe yonke, ekholwa kuNkulunkulu.
Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
35 Kwathi sekusile, induna zathuma amapholisa zisithi: Khulula labobantu.
When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”
36 Umlindintolongo wasebikela uPawuli lamazwi esithi: Induna zithumele, ukuthi likhululwe; ngakho phumani khathesi lihambe ngokuthula.
The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”
37 Kodwa uPawuli wathi kuwo: Basitshayile obala singalahlwanga licala, singamaRoma, basebesiphosela entolongweni, njalo khathesi ngensitha sebesiphosela phandle yini? Hatshi bo! Kodwa kumele beze bona basikhuphe.
But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”
38 Amapholisa azibikela izinduna lamazwi; zasezisesaba zisizwa ukuthi bangamaRoma,
So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
39 njalo zeza zabancenga, njalo zabakhupha zabacela ukuthi baphume emzini.
They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.
40 Basebephuma entolongweni bangena koLidiya; kwathi sebebabonile abazalwane, babaduduza, basuka bahamba.
After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.
