Imisebenzi 17
1 Kwathi sebedabule iAmfipholi leApoloniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapho okwakukhona isinagoge lamaJuda;
Kwa kupitira Amfipoli na Apoloniya wagenditi mpaka Tesaloniki kweni kuweriti na numba ya Mlungu ya Wayawudi.
2 njalo njengomkhuba kaPawuli wangena kuwo, wakhulumisana lawo ngokuvela emibhalweni okwamasabatha amathathu,
Paulu kingiriti nawomberi mnumba ya Mlungu ntambu yaiweriti shitiba shakuwi, kwa mashaka matatu ga kwoyera kalitakuziyana nawomberi kwa Malembu Mananagala.
3 evula etshengisa ukuthi kwakufanele uKristu ahlupheke avuke kwabafileyo, lokuthi: UJesu lo, mina engimtshumayela kini, unguKristu.
Pakayoweriti na kulagiziya handa imubidi Kristu kutabika na kuzyuka kulawa kwawahowiti kawagambira, “Yesu mweni neni numubwera kwamwenga ndo Kristu.”
4 Labanye babo bakholwa, bazihlanganisa loPawuli loSilasi, njalo ixuku elikhulu lamaGriki akhonzayo, lakwabesifazana abadumileyo abangabalutshwana.
Wamu wawu wajimiliti wayingira na Paulu na Sila. Viravi, walanga ngulu ya Wagiriki wawamguwiriti Mlungu pamwera na wadala wavuwa wa ntambu ya kunani, wayingiriti naomberi.
5 Kodwa amaJuda angakholwayo aba lomona, athatha amanye amadoda amabi angamavila emdangeni, enza ixuku, adunga umuzi; ahlasela indlu kaJasoni, edinga ukubakhuphela ebantwini;
Kumbiti Wayawudi wawona weya, wawatola wafizuli kusoku, watenda shipinga na kujega fuju kumjini koseri. Wayingira numba ya Yasoni watumbiriti kumpata amu Paulu na Sila su wawajegi paweru.
6 kwathi engabatholi, adonsela uJasoni labazalwane abathile kubaphathi bomuzi, ememeza esithi: Laba abayaluzelisa umhlaba, bona sebefikile lalapha,
Kumbiti wawapata ndili na hangu wamkwegiti Yasoni pamwera na walongu wamonga mpaka kwa wakulu wa lushi, washowangana, “Wantu awa wawera wankupavuluga pasipanu poseri na vinu wa panu kumjini.
7 uJasoni abemukeleyo; lalaba bonke benza okuphambene lemithetho kaKesari, besithi kukhona enye inkosi, enguJesu.
Yasoni kawashemera ukaya kwakuwi. Woseri wankutenda shigalambuku sha lagaliru lya Kaisari pawatakula eti, kwana mfalumi yumonga yawamshema Yesu.”
8 Asedunga ixuku labaphathi bomuzi besizwa lezizinto.
Kwa visoweru avi wawatuliti lyoga wakulu wa kumjini na shipinga sha wantu.
9 Kwathi sebethethe isibambiso kuJasoni lakwabanye, abakhulula.
Yawatenda Yasoni na wayaguwi walaviyi zamana, shakapanu wawaleka wagendi zawu.
10 Njalo abazalwane bahle basusa uPawuli loSilasi babathuma eBeriya ebusuku; okwathi sebefikile khona basuka baya esinagogeni lamaJuda.
Pashiru, walongu walii wawahimiziya Paulu na Sila wagendi Bereya. Katepu hera pawayingiriti aku, wagenditi mnumba ya Mlungu ya Wayawudi.
11 Lawo ayelungile kulalawo aweThesalonika, emukela ilizwi ngokuvuma konke, ehlolisisa imibhalo insuku ngensuku, ukuthi zinjalo yini lezizinto.
Wantu wa aku waweriti wapikinira nentu kuliku wantu walii wa Tesaloniki. Wauwankiti ujumbi ulii kwa lwamata lukulu, wawera wankugalolalola Malembu Mananagala kila lishaka, su kulola handa galii gawatakuliti Paulu na Sila gaweriti nakaka.
12 Ngakho amanengi kuwo akholwa, lakwabesifazana abahloniphekayo abangamaGriki lakwabesilisa abangabalutshwana.
Wavuwa wawu wajimiriti na viraa wadala wa Shigiriki wa ntambu ya kunani na wapalu viraa.
13 Kodwa kwathi amaJuda eThesalonika esekwazi ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu liyatshunyayelwa nguPawuli leBeriya, eza lakhona enyakazelisa amaxuku.
Kumbiti, Wayawudi wa Tesaloniki pawavimaniti handa Paulu kaweriti kankubwera shisoweru sha Mlungu aku Bereya, wagenditi aku. Wanja kutenda fuju na kusonguziya shipinga sha wantu.
14 Njalo ngalesosikhathi abazalwane bahle bamthuma uPawuli kungathi uya elwandle; kodwa uSilasi loTimothi basala khona.
Walongu walii wawapelekiti Paulu kanongola kagendi kumbwani kumbiti Sila na Timotewu wasigaliti Beroya.
15 Lalabo ababephelekezela uPawuli, bamfikisa eAtene; sebemukele umlayezelo oya kuSilasi loTimothi, ukuthi beze kuye ngokuphangisa okukhulu, basuka bahamba.
Walongu walii wawapelekiti Paulu wagenditi pamwera nayomberi mpaka Aseni. Shakapanu, wawuya pamuhera na malagaliru kulawa kwa Paulu handa Sila na Timotewu wamfati kanongola ntambu yaiwezekana.
16 Kwathi uPawuli esabalindele eAtene, umoya wakhe wakhathazeka phakathi kwakhe, ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe.
Paulu pakaweriti kankuwahepa Sila na Timotewu aku Aseni, moyu gwakuwi gukalala nentu pakawoniti ntambu lushi alu paluweriti lumema shinyagu sha wamlungu.
17 Ngakho waphikisana lamaJuda esinagogeni labanye abakhonzayo, lasemdangeni insuku zonke lalabo ahlangana labo.
Kalitakuziana na Wayawudi na wantu wamonga yawamluwa Mlungu munumba ya Mlungu, na kila lishaka kaweriti na matakuzianu mahali paweru pamwera na woseri walii wawalawiriti.
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.
Wamonga wawafatiti falisafa ya Epikuru na Staiku walikakatala na yomberi. Wamonga watakuliti, “Kafira kutakula shishi ayu mtuwa visoweru?” Toziya Paulu kaweriti kankubwera kuusu Yesu na kuusu uzyuka, wamonga watakuliti, “lwonikana handa kankubwera kuusu milungu wa shihenja.”
19 Basebemthatha, bamusa eAreyopagu besithi: Singazi yini ukuthi iyini limfundiso entsha oyifundisayo?
Hangu wamtoliti Paulu, wamjegiti Aleopagu, Watakula, “Tufira kuvimana shitwatira ashi shasyayi shaguweriti gwanguyowelera.
20 Ngoba uletha indaba ezimangalisayo ezithile endlebeni zethu; ngakho sifisa ukwazi ukuthi lezizinto ziyini.
Vintu vimonga tuvipikaniriti kwa makutu getu viwonikana weri viloja kwatwenga. Tufira kuvimana vitwatira avi nvina mana gaa.”
21 Ngoba bonke abeAtene lezethekeli ezihlala khona babechitha isikhathi kungeyisikho ngolutho olunye, ngaphandle kokutshela lokuzwa into entsha.
Wantu wa Aseni na wenikaya wamonga wa aku waweriti wankutumiya shipindi shawu shoseri kuligambiziyana na kupikinira visoweru vyasyayi.
22 Kwathi uPawuli esima phakathi kweAreyopagu, wathi: Madoda maAtene, ngiyabona ukuthi ezintweni zonke kungathi lilenkolelo enkulu.
Su, Paulu kagolokiti kuulongolu kumdamu kwa Aleopagu, katakula, “Wenikaya wa Aseni! Mona kuwera mwenga, kwa vyoseri, ndo wantu wa dini nentu.
23 Ngoba ngithe ngidabula ngikhangela izinto zenu elizikhonzayo, ngasengifica ilathi elilotshwe ukuthi: KUNKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Lowo-ke elimkhonza lingamazi, nguye mina engimtshumayela kini.
Mana panweriti nangupita aku na aku panola vinyagu vyenu vya kuguwira moniti pahala pa kutambikira pamu palembitwi ‘Kwa Mlungu yakamanika ndiri!’ Su, ayu yamjimira pota kuvimana, ndomweni yanumubwera kwamwenga.
24 UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, yena, oyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, kahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla,
Mlungu yakanyawiti pasipanu na vyoseri yaviweraamu, ndo Mtuwa gwa kumpindi na isi, yomberi kalivaga ndiri mnumba nkulu za kuluwa Mlungu yazinyawitwi na wantu.
25 futhi kakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu, njengoswela ulutho, ngoba yena uqobo lwakhe uyabapha bonke impilo lokuphefumula lazo zonke izinto;
Ama katendiritwi ndiri kwa mawoku ga wantu kuwera kafira shoseri, toziya mweni ndo yakawapanana woseri ukomu, yakawatenda wantu wapumuli na kuwapanana kila shintu.
26 njalo wazenza zonke izizwe zabantu zivela egazini linye, ukuthi zihlale ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, wazimisela izikhathi eziqunyiweyo ngaphambili lemingcele yokuhlala kwazo;
Kulawirana na muntu yumu kanyawiti maisi goseri na kugatenda galikali pasipanu poseri. Kaamuiti na kupanga pamberi nakamu ndii na koshi maisi aga megalikali.
27 ukuze zidinge iNkosi, ukuthi mhlawumbe sibili zimuzwe zimthole, njalo kanti kakhatshana kulowo lalowo wethu.
Katenditi hangu, su maisi aga gapati kumfata, na handa vila kwa kupapasiya papaya, gapati kumfikira. Ata hangu kumbiti, Mlungu kapatali ndiri na kila yumu gwenu.
28 Ngoba kuye siphila njalo sihamba futhi sikhona; njengoba lembongi ezithile zakini zithe: Ngoba futhi siyinzalo yakhe.
Handa yakatakuliti muntu yumu, ‘Mngati mwakuwi yomberi twenga tulikala, twankugenda na twankupumula!’ Ndo gambira washaili wenu wamonga ntambu yawatakuliti, ‘Twenga twawana wakuwi.’
29 Ngakho lokhu siyinzalo kaNkulunkulu, kakufanele ukuthi sinakane ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide kumbe isiliva loba ilitshe, okubazwe ngeminwe langokunakana kwabantu.
Paiwera twenga twawana wa Mlungu, tufiruwa ndiri kumuhola Mlungu gambira zahabu ama mpiya ama ata libuwi lyalisongolitwi na wantu kwa kutulwa mng'ereng'etu.
30 Ngakho izikhathi zokungazi uNkulunkulu kazinanzanga, kodwa khathesi uyalaya bonke abantu endaweni zonke ukuthi baphenduke;
Mlungu katenda gambira kawona ndiri vipindi vilii wantu pawaweriti wangalimahala. Kumbiti vinu, kahimiziya wantu woseri kila pahali waleki vidoda vyawatenda.
31 ngoba umisile usuku, azakwahlulela ngalo umhlaba ngokulunga, ngendoda ayimisileyo, waqinisa kubo bonke, ngokuyivusa kwabafileyo.
Toziya katula lishaka lyeni hakapatozi pasipanu kwa kutenda galii yagafiriziya Mlungu kwajili ya muntu yumu yakamsyaguliti. Mlungu kawalanguziya woseri shitwatira ashi kwa kumzyukisiya muntu ayu kulawa kwawahowiti!”
32 Kwathi besizwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu; kodwa abanye bathi: Sizaphinda sikuzwe ngalokhu.
Pawampikiniriti Paulu kankutakula kuusu vitwatira vya kuzyuka kwa wahowiti, wamonga wawu waguwiti kwa kusekelera, kumbiti wamonga walongiti, “Tufira kupikinira kayi kuusu shitwatira ashi”
33 Langokunjalo uPawuli waphuma phakathi kwabo.
Hangu, Paulu kawalekiti, kalawiti pamdamu.
34 Kodwa amadoda athile anamathela kuye, akholwa; phakathi kwawo kwakukhona loDiyonisiyu umAreyopagu, lowesifazana obizo lakhe nguDamari, labanye kanye labo.
Kumbiti wantu wavuwa ndiri wagenditi pamuhera na yomberi, wawera wajimira. Muwamu mwawu waweriti Dionisiwu gwa Aleopagu na mdala yumu yawamshema Damari na wamonga wawu.
