Imisebenzi 19
1 Kwasekusithi, uApolosi eseseKorinte, uPawuli wafika eEfesu esedabule indawo eziphakemeyo; wasefica abafundi abathile
And it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper districts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples,
2 wathi kubo: Lamemukela yini uMoya oNgcwele mhla likholwayo? Basebesithi kuye: Kodwa kasizanga sizwe ngitsho ukuthi kukhona uMoya oNgcwele.
he said to them, Did ye receive [the] Holy Spirit when ye had believed? And they [said] to him, We did not even hear if [the] Holy Spirit was [come].
3 Wasesithi kubo: Pho labhabhathizelwa kukuphi? Basebesithi: Kubhabhathizo lukaJohane.
And he said, To what then were ye baptised? And they said, To the baptism of John.
4 Kodwa uPawuli wathi: UJohane isibili wabhabhathiza ubhabhathizo lokuphenduka, etshela abantu ukuze bakholwe kulowo oweza emva kwakhe, okuyikuthi, kuKristu Jesu.
And Paul said, John indeed baptised [with] the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him that was coming after him, that is, on Jesus.
5 Lalabo abezwayo babhabhathizwa ebizweni leNkosi uJesu.
And when they heard that, they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 Wathi uPawuli esebeke izandla phezu kwabo, uMoya oyiNgcwele weza phezu kwabo; basebekhuluma ngendimi, baprofetha.
And Paul having laid [his] hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
7 Njalo wonke amadoda ayengaba litshumi lambili.
And all the men were about twelve.
8 Wasengena esinagogeni wakhuluma ngesibindi, inyanga ezintathu etshumayela eqinisekisa izinto ngombuso kaNkulunkulu.
And entering into the synagogue, he spoke boldly during three months, reasoning and persuading [the things] concerning the kingdom of God.
9 Kodwa kwathi abanye besiba lukhuni bengakholwa, bekhuluma kubi ngaleyondlela phambi kwabantu, wasuka kubo wehlukanisa abafundi, insuku ngensuku etshumayela esikolo sothile uTiranu.
But when some were hardened and disbelieved, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, he left them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
10 Lalokhu kwenzeka okweminyaka emibili, baze balizwa ilizwi leNkosi uJesu bonke abakhileyo eAsiya, amaJuda kanye lamaGriki.
And this took place for two years, so that all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 UNkulunkulu wasesenza imisebenzi yamandla engejwayelekanga ngezandla zikaPawuli,
And God wrought no ordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 kwaze kwathi lakwabagulayo kwasiwa izifinyo kumbe amafasikoti okuvela emzimbeni wakhe, lezifo zasuka kubo, labomoya ababi baphuma kubo.
so that even napkins or aprons were brought from his body [and put] upon the sick, and the diseases left them, and the wicked spirits went out.
13 Kwathi abanye kumihambuma yamaJuda, izanuse, bazama ukubiza ibizo leNkosi uJesu kulabo ababelabomoya ababi, besithi: Siyalifungisa ngoJesu amtshumayelayo uPawuli.
And certain of the Jewish exorcists also, who went about, took in hand to call upon those who had wicked spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches.
14 Njalo kwakukhona amadodana ayisikhombisa athile kaSikeva umJuda umpristi omkhulu akwenzayo lokho.
And there were certain [men], seven sons of Sceva, Jewish high priest, who were doing this.
15 Kodwa umoya omubi waphendula wathi: UJesu ngiyamazi, loPawuli ngiyazi ngaye; kodwa lina lingobani?
But the wicked spirit answering said to them, Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; but ye, who are ye?
16 Lowomuntu okwakukuye umoya omubi waseseqela phezu kwabo, njalo wabehlula, wabanqoba, baze babaleka kuleyondlu benqunu belimele.
And the man in whom the wicked spirit was leaped upon them, and having mastered both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 Lokhu kwasekusaziwa yibo bonke abakhileyo eEfesu amaJuda kanye lamaGriki; lokwesaba kwasekubehlela bonke; njalo lakhuliswa ibizo leNkosi uJesu.
And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who inhabited Ephesus, and fear fell upon all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 Labanengi balabo abakholwayo beza, bevuma, bememezela izenzo zabo.
And many of those that believed came confessing and declaring their deeds.
19 Labanengi balabo ababesenza amasalamusi baletha ingwalo ndawonye bazitshisa phambi kwabo bonke; basebebala intengo yazo, bathola izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amahlanu zesiliva.
And many of those that practised curious arts brought their books [of charms] and burnt them before all. And they reckoned up the prices of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 Ngokunjalo ilizwi leNkosi lakhula ngamandla lanqoba.
Thus with might the word of the Lord increased and prevailed.
21 Kwathi lezizinto seziphelile, uPawuli wazimisela emoyeni, esedabule eMakedoniya leAkaya, ukuya eJerusalema, esithi: Emva kokuba kwami lapho, ngimele ukubona iRoma layo.
And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in his spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, After I have been there I must see Rome also.
22 Esethume eMakedoniya ababili balabo ababemsiza, uTimothi loErastu, yena wahlala eAsiya okwesikhathi.
And having sent into Macedonia two of those ministering to him, Timotheus and Erastus, he remained himself awhile in Asia.
23 Kodwa ngalesosikhathi kwasuka isiphithiphithi esingesincinyane mayelana laleyondlela.
And there took place at that time no small disturbance about the way.
24 Ngoba umuntu othile onguDemetriyu ngebizo, umkhandi wesiliva, owenza amathempelana esiliva kaDiyana, waletha kuzingcwethi inzuzo engencinyane;
For a certain [man] by name Demetrius, a silver-beater, making silver temples of Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans;
25 owabaqoqayo bona, lezisebenzi zezinto ezifananayo, wathi: Madoda, liyazi ukuthi inotho yethu ivela kulumsebenzi.
whom having brought together, and those who wrought in such things, he said, Men, ye know that our well-living arises from this work,
26 Njalo liyabona liyezwa ukuthi kungeyisikho eEfesu kuphela, kodwa phose kulo lonke iAsiya, uPawuli lo uncengile njalo uphambule ixuku elikhulu, esithi kayisibo onkulunkulu abenziwe ngezandla.
and ye see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, saying that they are no gods which are made with hands.
27 Njalo kayisikho lokhu kuphela ukuthi sisengozini yokuthi lolugatsha lomsebenzi lufike ekutheni lungahlonitshwa, kodwa lethempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu uDiyana lizathiwa liyinto engesilutho, njalo lobukhulukazi bakhe buzakwehliswa, elimkhonzayo yonke iAsiya lomhlaba wonke.
Now not only there is danger for us that our business come into discredit, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be counted for nothing, and that her greatness should be destroyed whom the whole of Asia and the world reveres.
28 Kwathi bekuzwa bagcwala intukuthelo, bamemeza besithi: Mkhulu uDiyana wamaEfesu!
And having heard [this], and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great [is] Artemis of the Ephesians.
29 Njalo umuzi wonke wagcwala isiphithiphithi; basebetheleka kanyekanye endaweni yokudlalela, bahudula uGayusi loAristako amaMakedoniya, abaphelekezeli bakaPawuli.
And the [whole] city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord to the theatre, having seized and carried off with [them] Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, fellow-travellers of Paul.
30 Kwathi uPawuli efuna ukungena exukwini, abafundi kabamvumelanga.
But Paul intending to go in to the people, the disciples suffered him not;
31 Njalo labanye bababusi beAsiya, ababengabangane bakhe, bathuma kuye, bemncenga ukuthi angazinikeli endaweni yokudlalela.
and some of the Asiarchs also, who were his friends, sent to him and urged him not to throw himself into the theatre.
32 Ngakho abanye bamemeza okunye labanye okunye; ngoba umhlangano wawusanganisekile, njalo inengi labo lalingazi ukuthi libuthene lapho ngenxa yani.
Different persons therefore cried out some different thing; for the assembly was tumultuous, and the most did not know for what cause they had come together.
33 Basebemusa phambili uAleksandro esuka exukwini, ngoba amaJuda amqhubela phambili. UAleksandro waseqhweba ngesandla, efuna ukuzivikela ebantwini.
But from among the crowd they put forward Alexander, the Jews pushing him forward. And Alexander, beckoning with his hand, would have made a defence to the people.
34 Kodwa bathi sebekwazi ukuthi ungumJuda, kwaba lelizwi elilodwa livela kubo bonke okungaba ngamahola amabili limemeza lisithi: Mkhulu uDiyana wamaEfesu!
But, recognising that he was a Jew, there was one cry from all, shouting for about two hours, Great [is] Artemis of the Ephesians.
35 Njalo kwathi umabhalane eselithulisile ixuku wathi: Madoda eEfesu, kanti kukhona yini umuntu ongaziyo ukuthi umuzi weEfesu ungumlondolozi wethempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu uDiyana lowento eyawa ivela kuZewusi?
And the townclerk, having quieted the crowd, said, Ephesians, what man is there then who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of Artemis the great, and of the [image] which fell down from heaven?
36 Ngakho njengoba lezizinto zingephikwe, kufanele lithule, lingenzi lutho ngamawala.
These things therefore being undeniable, it is necessary that ye should be calm and do nothing headlong.
37 Ngoba lilethe lamadoda, angeyisibo abaphangi bamathempeli langahlambazi unkulunkulukazi wenu.
For ye have brought these men, [who are] neither temple-plunderers, nor speak injuriously of your goddess.
38 Ngakho uba uDemetriyu lezingcwethi kanye laye belodaba ngomuntu, amalanga okuthonisa amacala ayagcinwa, bakhona lababusi; kabamangalelane.
If therefore Demetrius and the artisans who [are] with him have a matter against any one, the courts are being held, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.
39 Kodwa uba lidinga ulutho ngezinye izinto, kuzalungiswa emhlanganweni osemthethweni.
But if ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.
40 Ngoba futhi sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngomvukela ngenxa yalamuhla, kungelambangela esingalandisa ngayo ngalesisiphithiphithi.
For also we are in danger to be put in accusation for sedition for this [affair] of to-day, no cause existing in reference to which we shall be able to give a reason for this concourse.
41 Njalo esetshilo lokho, wawuchitha umhlangano.
And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
