Imisebenzi 16

1 Wasefika eDerbe leListra; njalo khangela, kwakukhona lapho umfundi othile, uTimothi ngebizo, indodana yowesifazana othile ongumJudakazi okholwayo, kodwa uyise wayengumGriki;

2 owayenconywa ngabazalwane eListra leIkoniyuma.

3 Lo uPawuli wathanda ukuthi aphume laye, wasemthatha wamsoka, ngenxa yamaJuda ayekhona kulezondawo; ngoba wonke ayemazi uyise, ukuthi wayengumGriki.

4 Njalo bedabula imizi, babanika izimiso ukuzilondoloza ezamiswa ngabaphostoli labadala ababeseJerusalema.

5 Ngakho amabandla aqiniswa ekholweni, njalo anda ngenani insuku ngensuku.

6 Sebedabule eFrigiya lelizwe leGalathiya, balelwa nguMoya oNgcwele ukukhuluma ilizwi eAsiya,

7 sebefikile ngaseMisiya bazama ukuya eBithiniya; kodwa uMoya kabavumelanga;

8 basebeyiceza iMisiya behlela eTrowasi.

9 Kwasekubonakala umbono kuPawuli ebusuku; indoda ethile umMakedoniya yayimi, imncenga isithi: Chaphela eMakedoniya, usisize.

10 Kwathi esewubonile umbono, sahle sazama ukusuka siye eMakedoniya, siphetha sisithi iNkosi isibizele ukutshumayela ivangeli kubo.

11 Ngakho sasuka eTrowasi ngomkhumbi, saqonda eSamotrake, langolulandelayo eNeyapholi,

12 sasuka lapho saya eFiliphi, engumuzi wokuqala wesigaba seMakedoniya, esibuswa ngelinye ilizwe; kulowomuzi sasesihlala insuku ezithile.

13 Njalo ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle komuzi eceleni komfula, lapho okwakufanele kwenzelwe umkhuleko khona; sasesihlala phansi sakhuluma labesifazana ababebuthene ndawonye.

14 Lowesifazana othile uLidiya ngebizo, ongumthengisikazi wamalembu ayibubende owemzini weTiyathira, ekhonza uNkulunkulu, wezwa, onhliziyo yakhe iNkosi yayivula, ukuthi alalele okwakhulunywa nguPawuli.

15 Kuthe esebhabhathiziwe, lendlu yakhe, wasincenga esithi: Uba libonile ukuthi ngithembekile eNkosini, wozani endlini yami, lihlale khona. Wasesicindezela.

16 Kwasekusithi sisiya emkhulekweni, intombazana eyisigqili elomoya wokuhlahlula yahlangana lathi, eyayizuzela amakhosi ayo inzuzo enengi ngokuvumisa.

17 Lo walandela uPawuli lathi, ememeza esithi: Lababantu bazinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, ezisitshumayeza indlela yosindiso.

18 Lalokhu yakwenza insuku ezinengi. Kwathi uPawuli esenengiwe, watshibilika, wathi kumoya: Ngiyakulaya ngebizo likaJesu Kristu ukuthi uphume kuyo. Wasephuma ngalesosikhathi.

19 Amakhosi akhe esebonile ukuthi ithemba lenzuzo yabo seliphumile, abamba uPawuli loSilasi, abadonsela emdangeni phambi kwababusi,

20 esebalethile ezinduneni athi: Lababantu badunga umuzi wethu, bengamaJuda,

21 batshumayela imikhuba esingavunyelwa ukuyemukela siyenze, singamaRoma.

22 Lexuku labelekelela, lenduna zabadabulela izembatho zabo zalaya ukuthi babatshaye ngenduku.

23 Sebebatshayile imivimvinya eminengi babaphosela entolongweni, balaya umlindintolongo ukuthi abalondoloze abaqinise;

24 yena, emukele umlayo onjalo, wabaphosela entolongweni ephakathi, waseqinisa inyawo zabo esigodweni.

25 Kwathi sekungaba phakathi kobusuku uPawuli loSilasi babekhuleka behlabela amahubo endumiso kuNkulunkulu, lezibotshwa zazibezwa;

26 njalo kwahle kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, kwaze kwanyikinyeka izisekelo zentolongo; kwahle kwavulwa iminyango yonke, kwathukululwa izibopho zabo bonke.

27 Kwathi umlindintolongo ephaphama, esebona iminyango yentolongo ivulekile, wakhokha inkemba, ezimisele ukuzibulala, ecabanga ukuthi izibotshwa zibalekile.

28 Kodwa uPawuli wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu esithi: Ungazilimazi; ngoba silapha sonke.

29 Wasecela isibane waphoseka phakathi, njalo wasethuthumela wawela phansi phambi kukaPawuli loSilasi,

30 njalo esebakhuphela phandle wathi: Makhosi, kumele ngenzeni ukuze ngisindiswe?

31 Basebesithi: Kholwa eNkosini uJesu Kristu, njalo uzasindiswa wena lendlu yakho.

32 Basebekhuluma kuye ilizwi leNkosi, lakulabo bonke ababesendlini yakhe.

33 Wasebathatha ngalelohola lobusuku wabagezisa amanxeba, njalo wahle wabhabhathizwa yena labakhe bonke.

34 Wasebasa endlini yakhe wabeka itafula lokudla phambi kwabo, wasethokoza lendlu yakhe yonke, ekholwa kuNkulunkulu.

35 Kwathi sekusile, induna zathuma amapholisa zisithi: Khulula labobantu.

36 Umlindintolongo wasebikela uPawuli lamazwi esithi: Induna zithumele, ukuthi likhululwe; ngakho phumani khathesi lihambe ngokuthula.

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.

38 Amapholisa azibikela izinduna lamazwi; zasezisesaba zisizwa ukuthi bangamaRoma,

39 njalo zeza zabancenga, njalo zabakhupha zabacela ukuthi baphume emzini.

40 Basebephuma entolongweni bangena koLidiya; kwathi sebebabonile abazalwane, babaduduza, basuka bahamba.