< Imisebenzi 8 >
1 Njalo uSawuli wayevumelana lokubulawa kwakhe. Ngalolosuku kwasekusuka ukuzingelwa okukhulu kwebandla elaliseJerusalema; bonke basebehlakazeka emazweni eJudiya leSamariya, ngaphandle kwabaphostoli.
2 Amadoda akholwayo asembutha uStefane, amenzela isililo esikhulu.
3 Kodwa uSawuli walichitha ibandla, engena izindlu ngezindlu, ehudula amadoda labafazi ebafaka entolongweni.
4 Ngakho abahlakazekileyo badabula ilizwe, betshumayela ilizwi.
5 UFiliphu wasesehlela emzini weSamariya, watshumayela kubo uKristu.
6 Amaxuku aselalela nganhliziyonye okwakhulunywa nguFiliphu, esizwa njalo ebona izibonakaliso azenzayo.
7 Ngoba kwabanengi ababelabomoya abangcolileyo, bememeza ngelizwi elikhulu baphuma; labanengi ababome umhlubulo lababeyiziqhuli basiliswa.
8 Kwaba khona intokozo enkulu kulowomuzi.
9 Njalo indoda ethile, uSimoni ngebizo, eyayikade isenza imilingo emzini isanganisa isizwe saseSamariya, isithi ingumuntu omkhulu;
10 abayilalelayo bonke kusukela kwabancinyane kuze kube kwabakhulu, besithi: Lo ungamandla amakhulu kaNkulunkulu.
11 Basebemlalela, ngoba wabasanganisa isikhathi eside ngemilingo.
12 Kodwa kwathi sebekholwe uFiliphu etshumayela indaba ezinhle zezinto ngombuso kaNkulunkulu langebizo likaJesu Kristu, babhabhathizwa bonke amadoda labafazi.
13 LoSimoni laye wakholwa, njalo esebhabhathiziwe wanamathela kuFiliphu; wasanganiseka, ebona imisebenzi yamandla lezibonakaliso ezazisenziwa.
14 Kwathi abaphostoli abaseJerusalema bezwe ukuthi iSamariya ilemukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, bathuma kubo uPetro loJohane;
15 abathi sebehlile babakhulekela, ukuze bamemukele uMoya oNgcwele;
16 ngoba wayengakehleli lakoyedwa wabo, kodwa babebhabhathizwe ebizweni leNkosi uJesu kuphela.
17 Basebebeka izandla phezu kwabo, basebesemukela uMoya oNgcwele.
18 Njalo uSimoni esebonile ukuthi ngokubekwa kwezandla zabaphostoli uyaphiwa uMoya oyiNgcwele, waletha imali kubo,
19 esithi: Ngiphani lami lawomandla, ukuze kuthi loba ngubani engibeka izandla zami phezu kwakhe, emukele uMoya oNgcwele.
20 Kodwa uPetro wathi kuye: Isiliva sakho kanye lawe kakube sekubhubheni, ngoba ucabanga ukuthi isipho sikaNkulunkulu singazuzwa ngemali.
21 Kawulasabelo lelifa kuloludaba. Ngoba inhliziyo yakho kayiqondanga phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
22 Ngakho phenduka kulobububi bakho, njalo ucele iNkosi, ukuthi uba kungenzeka uthethelelwe umnakano wenhliziyo yakho.
23 Ngoba ngibona ukuthi usenyongweni ebabayo njalo usekubotshweni yisono.
24 USimoni wasephendula esithi: Ngikhulekelani lina eNkosini, ukuze ngingehlelwa ngolunye lwalezizinto elizikhulumileyo.
25 Ngakho kuthe sebefakazile bekhulumile ilizwi leNkosi, babuyela eJerusalema, njalo betshumayela ivangeli emizaneni eminengi yamaSamariya.
26 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasikhuluma loFiliphu, yathi: Sukuma uye eningizimu endleleni eyehla isuka eJerusalema isiya eGaza; yona iyinkangala.
27 Wasesukuma ehamba; njalo khangela umuntu weEthiyophiya umthenwa induna enkulu kaKandake indlovukazi yamaEthiyophiya, eyayiphezu kwempahla yakhe eligugu yonke, eyayifikile eJerusalema ukukhonza,
28 yayisibuyela ihlezi enqoleni yayo, ibala kumprofethi uIsaya.
29 UMoya wasesithi kuFiliphu: Sondela uhambe lalinqola.
30 UFiliphu wasegijimela kuyo wayizwa ibala umprofethi uIsaya, wathi: Kambe uyaqedisisa yini lezizinto ozifundayo?
31 Yasisithi: Kambe ngingakwenelisa njani, ngaphandle kokuthi omunye angiqondise? Yasimcela uFiliphu ukuthi akhwele ahlale layo.
32 Lesehlukwana sombhalo eyayisifunda yilesi: Walethwa ekuhlatshweni njengemvu; lanjengewundlu lithule phambi komgundi walo, ngokunjalo kawuvuli umlomo wakhe.
33 Ekuthotshisweni kwakhe ukwahlulelwa kwakhe kwasuswa, njalo ngubani ongalandisa ngesizukulwana sakhe? Ngoba impilo yakhe iyasuswa emhlabeni.
34 Umthenwa wasephendula uFiliphu wathi: Ngiyakubuza, umprofethi ukhuluma lokhu ngobani? Ngaye ngokwakhe, kumbe ngomunye yini?
35 UFiliphu wasevula umlomo wakhe, eseqala kulowombhalo, watshumayela uJesu kuye.
36 Kwathi besahamba endleleni, bafika emanzini athile; lomthenwa wathi: Khangela, nanka amanzi; kuyini okungivimbela ukuthi ngibhabhathizwe?
37 UFiliphu wasesithi: Uba ukholwa ngenhliziyo yonke, kuvunyelwe. Wasephendula wathi: Ngiyakholwa ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
38 Waselaya ukuthi inqola ime; basebesehlela emanzini bobabili, uFiliphu lomthenwa; wasembhabhathiza.
39 Kwathi sebekhuphukile emanzini, uMoya weNkosi wamhluthuna uFiliphu; njalo umthenwa kazabe esambona; wahamba-ke ngendlela yakhe ethokoza.
40 Kodwa uFiliphu waficwa eAzotu; njalo edabula watshumayela ivangeli kuyo yonke imizi, waze wafika eKesariya.
