Imisebenzi 17
1 Kwathi sebedabule iAmfipholi leApoloniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapho okwakukhona isinagoge lamaJuda;
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2 njalo njengomkhuba kaPawuli wangena kuwo, wakhulumisana lawo ngokuvela emibhalweni okwamasabatha amathathu,
Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 evula etshengisa ukuthi kwakufanele uKristu ahlupheke avuke kwabafileyo, lokuthi: UJesu lo, mina engimtshumayela kini, unguKristu.
explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."
4 Labanye babo bakholwa, bazihlanganisa loPawuli loSilasi, njalo ixuku elikhulu lamaGriki akhonzayo, lakwabesifazana abadumileyo abangabalutshwana.
Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the prominent women.
5 Kodwa amaJuda angakholwayo aba lomona, athatha amanye amadoda amabi angamavila emdangeni, enza ixuku, adunga umuzi; ahlasela indlu kaJasoni, edinga ukubakhuphela ebantwini;
But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.
6 kwathi engabatholi, adonsela uJasoni labazalwane abathile kubaphathi bomuzi, ememeza esithi: Laba abayaluzelisa umhlaba, bona sebefikile lalapha,
When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
7 uJasoni abemukeleyo; lalaba bonke benza okuphambene lemithetho kaKesari, besithi kukhona enye inkosi, enguJesu.
whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."
8 Asedunga ixuku labaphathi bomuzi besizwa lezizinto.
The crowd and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.
9 Kwathi sebethethe isibambiso kuJasoni lakwabanye, abakhulula.
When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 Njalo abazalwane bahle basusa uPawuli loSilasi babathuma eBeriya ebusuku; okwathi sebefikile khona basuka baya esinagogeni lamaJuda.
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11 Lawo ayelungile kulalawo aweThesalonika, emukela ilizwi ngokuvuma konke, ehlolisisa imibhalo insuku ngensuku, ukuthi zinjalo yini lezizinto.
Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
12 Ngakho amanengi kuwo akholwa, lakwabesifazana abahloniphekayo abangamaGriki lakwabesilisa abangabalutshwana.
Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.
13 Kodwa kwathi amaJuda eThesalonika esekwazi ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu liyatshunyayelwa nguPawuli leBeriya, eza lakhona enyakazelisa amaxuku.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, inciting and disturbing the crowds.
14 Njalo ngalesosikhathi abazalwane bahle bamthuma uPawuli kungathi uya elwandle; kodwa uSilasi loTimothi basala khona.
Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
15 Lalabo ababephelekezela uPawuli, bamfikisa eAtene; sebemukele umlayezelo oya kuSilasi loTimothi, ukuthi beze kuye ngokuphangisa okukhulu, basuka bahamba.
But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
16 Kwathi uPawuli esabalindele eAtene, umoya wakhe wakhathazeka phakathi kwakhe, ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe.
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.
17 Ngakho waphikisana lamaJuda esinagogeni labanye abakhonzayo, lasemdangeni insuku zonke lalabo ahlangana labo.
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.
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.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
19 Basebemthatha, bamusa eAreyopagu besithi: Singazi yini ukuthi iyini limfundiso entsha oyifundisayo?
They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?
20 Ngoba uletha indaba ezimangalisayo ezithile endlebeni zethu; ngakho sifisa ukwazi ukuthi lezizinto ziyini.
For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean."
21 Ngoba bonke abeAtene lezethekeli ezihlala khona babechitha isikhathi kungeyisikho ngolutho olunye, ngaphandle kokutshela lokuzwa into entsha.
Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 Kwathi uPawuli esima phakathi kweAreyopagu, wathi: Madoda maAtene, ngiyabona ukuthi ezintweni zonke kungathi lilenkolelo enkulu.
Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.
23 Ngoba ngithe ngidabula ngikhangela izinto zenu elizikhonzayo, ngasengifica ilathi elilotshwe ukuthi: KUNKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Lowo-ke elimkhonza lingamazi, nguye mina engimtshumayela kini.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.
24 UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, yena, oyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, kahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla,
The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,
25 futhi kakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu, njengoswela ulutho, ngoba yena uqobo lwakhe uyabapha bonke impilo lokuphefumula lazo zonke izinto;
neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.
26 njalo wazenza zonke izizwe zabantu zivela egazini linye, ukuthi zihlale ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, wazimisela izikhathi eziqunyiweyo ngaphambili lemingcele yokuhlala kwazo;
He made from one blood every nation of the human race to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 ukuze zidinge iNkosi, ukuthi mhlawumbe sibili zimuzwe zimthole, njalo kanti kakhatshana kulowo lalowo wethu.
that they should seek God, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
28 Ngoba kuye siphila njalo sihamba futhi sikhona; njengoba lembongi ezithile zakini zithe: Ngoba futhi siyinzalo yakhe.
'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'
29 Ngakho lokhu siyinzalo kaNkulunkulu, kakufanele ukuthi sinakane ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide kumbe isiliva loba ilitshe, okubazwe ngeminwe langokunakana kwabantu.
Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by human art and design.
30 Ngakho izikhathi zokungazi uNkulunkulu kazinanzanga, kodwa khathesi uyalaya bonke abantu endaweni zonke ukuthi baphenduke;
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
31 ngoba umisile usuku, azakwahlulela ngalo umhlaba ngokulunga, ngendoda ayimisileyo, waqinisa kubo bonke, ngokuyivusa kwabafileyo.
because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to everyone by raising him from the dead."
32 Kwathi besizwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu; kodwa abanye bathi: Sizaphinda sikuzwe ngalokhu.
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this."
33 Langokunjalo uPawuli waphuma phakathi kwabo.
Thus Paul went out from among them.
34 Kodwa amadoda athile anamathela kuye, akholwa; phakathi kwawo kwakukhona loDiyonisiyu umAreyopagu, lowesifazana obizo lakhe nguDamari, labanye kanye labo.
But some people joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
