< Imisebenzi 17 >
1 Kwathi sebedabule iAmfipholi leApoloniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapho okwakukhona isinagoge lamaJuda;
2 njalo njengomkhuba kaPawuli wangena kuwo, wakhulumisana lawo ngokuvela emibhalweni okwamasabatha amathathu,
3 evula etshengisa ukuthi kwakufanele uKristu ahlupheke avuke kwabafileyo, lokuthi: UJesu lo, mina engimtshumayela kini, unguKristu.
4 Labanye babo bakholwa, bazihlanganisa loPawuli loSilasi, njalo ixuku elikhulu lamaGriki akhonzayo, lakwabesifazana abadumileyo abangabalutshwana.
5 Kodwa amaJuda angakholwayo aba lomona, athatha amanye amadoda amabi angamavila emdangeni, enza ixuku, adunga umuzi; ahlasela indlu kaJasoni, edinga ukubakhuphela ebantwini;
6 kwathi engabatholi, adonsela uJasoni labazalwane abathile kubaphathi bomuzi, ememeza esithi: Laba abayaluzelisa umhlaba, bona sebefikile lalapha,
7 uJasoni abemukeleyo; lalaba bonke benza okuphambene lemithetho kaKesari, besithi kukhona enye inkosi, enguJesu.
8 Asedunga ixuku labaphathi bomuzi besizwa lezizinto.
9 Kwathi sebethethe isibambiso kuJasoni lakwabanye, abakhulula.
10 Njalo abazalwane bahle basusa uPawuli loSilasi babathuma eBeriya ebusuku; okwathi sebefikile khona basuka baya esinagogeni lamaJuda.
11 Lawo ayelungile kulalawo aweThesalonika, emukela ilizwi ngokuvuma konke, ehlolisisa imibhalo insuku ngensuku, ukuthi zinjalo yini lezizinto.
12 Ngakho amanengi kuwo akholwa, lakwabesifazana abahloniphekayo abangamaGriki lakwabesilisa abangabalutshwana.
13 Kodwa kwathi amaJuda eThesalonika esekwazi ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu liyatshunyayelwa nguPawuli leBeriya, eza lakhona enyakazelisa amaxuku.
14 Njalo ngalesosikhathi abazalwane bahle bamthuma uPawuli kungathi uya elwandle; kodwa uSilasi loTimothi basala khona.
15 Lalabo ababephelekezela uPawuli, bamfikisa eAtene; sebemukele umlayezelo oya kuSilasi loTimothi, ukuthi beze kuye ngokuphangisa okukhulu, basuka bahamba.
16 Kwathi uPawuli esabalindele eAtene, umoya wakhe wakhathazeka phakathi kwakhe, ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe.
17 Ngakho waphikisana lamaJuda esinagogeni labanye abakhonzayo, lasemdangeni insuku zonke lalabo ahlangana labo.
18 Labathile kuzo izazi zamaEpikuri lamaStoyiki baphikisana laye. Labanye bathi: Uwumane lolu lufuna ukuthini? Kodwa abanye bathi: Kungathi ungotshumayela onkulunkulu bezizweni; ngoba ngevangeli watshumayela kubo uJesu lokuvuka kwabafileyo.
19 Basebemthatha, bamusa eAreyopagu besithi: Singazi yini ukuthi iyini limfundiso entsha oyifundisayo?
20 Ngoba uletha indaba ezimangalisayo ezithile endlebeni zethu; ngakho sifisa ukwazi ukuthi lezizinto ziyini.
21 Ngoba bonke abeAtene lezethekeli ezihlala khona babechitha isikhathi kungeyisikho ngolutho olunye, ngaphandle kokutshela lokuzwa into entsha.
22 Kwathi uPawuli esima phakathi kweAreyopagu, wathi: Madoda maAtene, ngiyabona ukuthi ezintweni zonke kungathi lilenkolelo enkulu.
23 Ngoba ngithe ngidabula ngikhangela izinto zenu elizikhonzayo, ngasengifica ilathi elilotshwe ukuthi: KUNKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Lowo-ke elimkhonza lingamazi, nguye mina engimtshumayela kini.
24 UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, yena, oyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, kahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla,
25 futhi kakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu, njengoswela ulutho, ngoba yena uqobo lwakhe uyabapha bonke impilo lokuphefumula lazo zonke izinto;
26 njalo wazenza zonke izizwe zabantu zivela egazini linye, ukuthi zihlale ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, wazimisela izikhathi eziqunyiweyo ngaphambili lemingcele yokuhlala kwazo;
27 ukuze zidinge iNkosi, ukuthi mhlawumbe sibili zimuzwe zimthole, njalo kanti kakhatshana kulowo lalowo wethu.
28 Ngoba kuye siphila njalo sihamba futhi sikhona; njengoba lembongi ezithile zakini zithe: Ngoba futhi siyinzalo yakhe.
29 Ngakho lokhu siyinzalo kaNkulunkulu, kakufanele ukuthi sinakane ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide kumbe isiliva loba ilitshe, okubazwe ngeminwe langokunakana kwabantu.
30 Ngakho izikhathi zokungazi uNkulunkulu kazinanzanga, kodwa khathesi uyalaya bonke abantu endaweni zonke ukuthi baphenduke;
31 ngoba umisile usuku, azakwahlulela ngalo umhlaba ngokulunga, ngendoda ayimisileyo, waqinisa kubo bonke, ngokuyivusa kwabafileyo.
32 Kwathi besizwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu; kodwa abanye bathi: Sizaphinda sikuzwe ngalokhu.
33 Langokunjalo uPawuli waphuma phakathi kwabo.
34 Kodwa amadoda athile anamathela kuye, akholwa; phakathi kwawo kwakukhona loDiyonisiyu umAreyopagu, lowesifazana obizo lakhe nguDamari, labanye kanye labo.
