< Imisebenzi 9 >
1 Kwathi uSawuli, esaphefumula insongo lokubulala emelane labafundi beNkosi, waya kumpristi omkhulu,
2 wacela kuye incwadi zokuya eDamaseko kumasinagoge, ukuze kuthi uba ethola abanye baleyondlela, amadoda kanye labafazi, abalethe eJerusalema bebotshiwe.
3 Kwathi ekuhambeni, kwenzeka ukuthi esesondele eDamaseko; njalo kwahle kwamphazimela inhlangothi zonke ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini;
4 njalo ewela emhlabathini, wezwa ilizwi lisithi kuye: Sawuli, Sawuli, ungizingelelani?
5 Wasesithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? INkosi yasisithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo; kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlelana lezincijo.
6 Ethuthumela njalo emangala wathi: Nkosi, uthanda ukuthi ngenzeni? LeNkosi yathi kuye: Sukuma ungene emzini, njalo uzatshelwa lokho omele ukwenze.
7 Lamadoda ayehamba laye ayemi engelakukhuluma, esizwa ilizwi, kodwa engaboni muntu.
8 USawuli wasevuka emhlabathini; kwathi esevule amehlo akhe, kabonanga muntu. Basebembamba ngesandla, bamusa eDamaseko.
9 Wasesiba lensuku ezintathu engaboni, njalo engadli futhi enganathi.
10 Kwakukhona eDamaseko umfundi othile uAnaniya ngebizo; iNkosi yasisithi kuye ngombono: Ananiya! Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha, Nkosi.
11 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Sukuma uye endleleni ethiwa iQondile, udinge endlini kaJudasi umuntu, uSawuli ngebizo, weTarsu; ngoba khangela uyakhuleka,
12 njalo ubonile ngombono umuntu, uAnaniya ngebizo, engena ebeka isandla phezu kwakhe, ukuze abuye abone.
13 Kodwa uAnaniya waphendula wathi: Nkosi, ngizwile ngabanengi ngalindoda, kungakanani okubi akwenzileyo kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalema;
14 lalapha ulamandla avela kubapristi abakhulu, okubopha bonke labo ababiza ibizo lakho.
15 Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Hamba, ngoba lowo uyisitsha sami esikhethiweyo, ukuphatha ibizo lami phambi kwezizwe lamakhosi, labantwana bakoIsrayeli;
16 ngoba mina ngizamtshengisa ukuthi umele ukuhlupheka kangakanani ngenxa yebizo lami.
17 UAnaniya wasesuka wangena endlini, wabeka izandla zakhe phezu kwakhe esithi: Sawuli mzalwane, iNkosi ingithumile, uJesu obonakele kuwe endleleni oze ngayo, ukuze ubuye ubone njalo ugcwaliswe ngoMoya oNgcwele.
18 Kwahle kwawa emehlweni akhe kwangathi zinkwethu, wahle wabuye wabona, njalo esukuma wabhabhathizwa,
19 njalo esedlile wathola amandla. USawuli wasehlala labafundi ababeseDamaseko insuku ezithile.
20 Wahle-ke watshumayela uKristu emasinagogeni, ukuthi yena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
21 Njalo bonke abezwayo basanganiseka bathi: Lo kayisuye yini owachitha eJerusalema labo ababiza lelibizo, lalapha uzele lokho ukuthi abaqhube bebotshiwe abase kubapristi abakhulu?
22 Kodwa uSawuli waqiniswa kakhulu, wasanganisa amaJuda akhileyo eDamaseko, eqinisa ukuthi lo unguye uKristu.
23 Kwathi sezigcwalisiwe insuku ezinengi, amaJuda enza icebo ndawonye ukuthi ambulale;
24 kodwa iqhinga lawo laziwa nguSawuli. Aselinda emasangweni emini lebusuku, ukuze ambulale;
25 kodwa abafundi bamthatha ebusuku, bamehlisela emthangaleni bemehlisa ngesilulu.
26 Kwathi uSawuli esefikile eJerusalema, wazama ukuzihlanganisa labafundi; kodwa bonke bamesaba, bengakholwa ukuthi ungumfundi.
27 Kodwa uBarnabasi wamthatha wamusa kubaphostoli, wabalandisela ukuthi uyibone njani iNkosi endleleni, lokuthi ikhulumile kuye, lokuthi eDamaseko ukhulume njani ngesibindi ebizweni likaJesu.
28 Wasehlala labo engena ephuma eJerusalema,
29 wasekhuluma ngesibindi ngebizo leNkosi uJesu, wakhuluma njalo futhi ephikisana lamaHelenisiti; kodwa bazama ukumbulala.
30 Kodwa abazalwane sebekwazi bamehlisela eKesariya, bamthuma eTarsu.
31 Ngakho amabandla kuyo yonke iJudiya leGalili leSamariya aba lokuthula, esakheka, ehamba ekwesabeni iNkosi langenduduzo kaMoya oNgcwele, anda.
32 Kwasekusithi uPetro edabula indawo zonke wehlela lakwabangcwele abahlala eLida.
33 Wasefica khona umuntu othile uEneya ngebizo, owayeselele ecansini iminyaka eyisificaminwembili, ome umhlubulo.
34 UPetro wasesithi kuye: Eneya, uJesu Kristu uyakusilisa; sukuma uzendlalele icansi. Njalo wahle wasukuma.
35 Basebembona bonke abakhileyo eLida leSaroni, abaphendukela eNkosini.
36 Kwakukhona eJopha umfundikazi othile, uTabitha ngebizo, okungokuchasiswa kuthiwa nguDorkasi; lo wayegcwele imisebenzi emihle lemisebenzi yomusa ayenzayo.
37 Kwasekusithi kulezonsuku wagula wafa; sebemgezisile bamlalisa endlini ephezulu.
38 Njalo njengoba iLida yayiseduze leJopha, abafundi sebezwile ukuthi uPetro wayekhona kuyo, bathuma amadoda amabili kuye, bemncenga ukuthi angaphuzi ukuza kubo.
39 UPetro wasesukuma wahamba labo; okwathi esefikile bamthatha bamusa endlini ephezulu, labafelokazi bonke bema laye bekhala bemtshengisa izembatho lezigqoko uDorkasi ayezenzile eselabo.
40 Kodwa uPetro esebakhuphele phandle bonke eguqa ngamadolo wakhuleka; esetshibilikela esidunjini, wathi: Tabitha, vuka! Wasevula amehlo akhe; wabona uPetro, walulama.
41 Wamelulela isandla, wamsukumisa; esebize abangcwele labafelokazi, wambeka phambi kwabo ephila.
42 Kwasekusaziwa kuyo yonke iJopha, labanengi bakholwa eNkosini.
43 Kwenzeka ukuthi ahlale eJopha insuku ezinengi loSimoni othile umtshuki wezikhumba.
