Imisebenzi 9
1 Kwathi uSawuli, esaphefumula insongo lokubulala emelane labafundi beNkosi, waya kumpristi omkhulu,
But Saul, still speaking threats even of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 wacela kuye incwadi zokuya eDamaseko kumasinagoge, ukuze kuthi uba ethola abanye baleyondlela, amadoda kanye labafazi, abalethe eJerusalema bebotshiwe.
and asked him for letters for the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Kwathi ekuhambeni, kwenzeka ukuthi esesondele eDamaseko; njalo kwahle kwamphazimela inhlangothi zonke ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini;
As he was traveling, it happened that as he came near to Damascus, suddenly there shone all around him a light out of heaven;
4 njalo ewela emhlabathini, wezwa ilizwi lisithi kuye: Sawuli, Sawuli, ungizingelelani?
and he fell upon the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 Wasesithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? INkosi yasisithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo; kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlelana lezincijo.
Saul replied, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting;
6 Ethuthumela njalo emangala wathi: Nkosi, uthanda ukuthi ngenzeni? LeNkosi yathi kuye: Sukuma ungene emzini, njalo uzatshelwa lokho omele ukwenze.
but rise, enter into the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”
7 Lamadoda ayehamba laye ayemi engelakukhuluma, esizwa ilizwi, kodwa engaboni muntu.
The men who traveled with Saul stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one.
8 USawuli wasevuka emhlabathini; kwathi esevule amehlo akhe, kabonanga muntu. Basebembamba ngesandla, bamusa eDamaseko.
Saul arose from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 Wasesiba lensuku ezintathu engaboni, njalo engadli futhi enganathi.
For three days he was without sight, and he neither ate nor drank.
10 Kwakukhona eDamaseko umfundi othile uAnaniya ngebizo; iNkosi yasisithi kuye ngombono: Ananiya! Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha, Nkosi.
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “See, I am here, Lord.”
11 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Sukuma uye endleleni ethiwa iQondile, udinge endlini kaJudasi umuntu, uSawuli ngebizo, weTarsu; ngoba khangela uyakhuleka,
The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12 njalo ubonile ngombono umuntu, uAnaniya ngebizo, engena ebeka isandla phezu kwakhe, ukuze abuye abone.
He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, so that he might see again.”
13 Kodwa uAnaniya waphendula wathi: Nkosi, ngizwile ngabanengi ngalindoda, kungakanani okubi akwenzileyo kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalema;
But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
14 lalapha ulamandla avela kubapristi abakhulu, okubopha bonke labo ababiza ibizo lakho.
He has authority from the chief priests to arrest everyone here who calls upon your name.”
15 Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Hamba, ngoba lowo uyisitsha sami esikhethiweyo, ukuphatha ibizo lami phambi kwezizwe lamakhosi, labantwana bakoIsrayeli;
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel;
16 ngoba mina ngizamtshengisa ukuthi umele ukuhlupheka kangakanani ngenxa yebizo lami.
for I will show him how much he must suffer for the cause of my name.”
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.
So Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road when you were coming, has sent me so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Kwahle kwawa emehlweni akhe kwangathi zinkwethu, wahle wabuye wabona, njalo esukuma wabhabhathizwa,
Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he received his sight; he arose and was baptized;
19 njalo esedlile wathola amandla. USawuli wasehlala labafundi ababeseDamaseko insuku ezithile.
and he ate and was strengthened. He stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days.
20 Wahle-ke watshumayela uKristu emasinagogeni, ukuthi yena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
Right away he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying that he is the Son of God.
21 Njalo bonke abezwayo basanganiseka bathi: Lo kayisuye yini owachitha eJerusalema labo ababiza lelibizo, lalapha uzele lokho ukuthi abaqhube bebotshiwe abase kubapristi abakhulu?
All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who destroyed those in Jerusalem who called on this name? He has come here to take them bound to the chief priests.”
22 Kodwa uSawuli waqiniswa kakhulu, wasanganisa amaJuda akhileyo eDamaseko, eqinisa ukuthi lo unguye uKristu.
But Saul became more and more powerful, and he was causing distress among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
23 Kwathi sezigcwalisiwe insuku ezinengi, amaJuda enza icebo ndawonye ukuthi ambulale;
After many days, the Jews planned together to kill him.
24 kodwa iqhinga lawo laziwa nguSawuli. Aselinda emasangweni emini lebusuku, ukuze ambulale;
But their plan became known to Saul. They watched the gates day and night in order to kill him.
25 kodwa abafundi bamthatha ebusuku, bamehlisela emthangaleni bemehlisa ngesilulu.
But his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 Kwathi uSawuli esefikile eJerusalema, wazama ukuzihlanganisa labafundi; kodwa bonke bamesaba, bengakholwa ukuthi ungumfundi.
When he had come to Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27 Kodwa uBarnabasi wamthatha wamusa kubaphostoli, wabalandisela ukuthi uyibone njani iNkosi endleleni, lokuthi ikhulumile kuye, lokuthi eDamaseko ukhulume njani ngesibindi ebizweni likaJesu.
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how at Damascus Saul had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
28 Wasehlala labo engena ephuma eJerusalema,
He met with them as they were coming in and going out of Jerusalem. He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus
29 wasekhuluma ngesibindi ngebizo leNkosi uJesu, wakhuluma njalo futhi ephikisana lamaHelenisiti; kodwa bazama ukumbulala.
and debated with the Grecian Jews; but they kept trying to kill him.
30 Kodwa abazalwane sebekwazi bamehlisela eKesariya, bamthuma eTarsu.
When the brothers learned of this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 Ngakho amabandla kuyo yonke iJudiya leGalili leSamariya aba lokuthula, esakheka, ehamba ekwesabeni iNkosi langenduduzo kaMoya oNgcwele, anda.
So then, the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the church grew in numbers.
32 Kwasekusithi uPetro edabula indawo zonke wehlela lakwabangcwele abahlala eLida.
Now it came about that, as Peter went throughout the whole region, he came down also to the believers who lived in the town of Lydda.
33 Wasefica khona umuntu othile uEneya ngebizo, owayeselele ecansini iminyaka eyisificaminwembili, ome umhlubulo.
There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been in his bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
34 UPetro wasesithi kuye: Eneya, uJesu Kristu uyakusilisa; sukuma uzendlalele icansi. Njalo wahle wasukuma.
Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,” and right away he got up.
35 Basebembona bonke abakhileyo eLida leSaroni, abaphendukela eNkosini.
So everyone who lived in Lydda and in Sharon saw the man and they turned to the Lord.
36 Kwakukhona eJopha umfundikazi othile, uTabitha ngebizo, okungokuchasiswa kuthiwa nguDorkasi; lo wayegcwele imisebenzi emihle lemisebenzi yomusa ayenzayo.
Now there was in Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated as “Dorcas.” This woman was full of good works and merciful deeds that she did for the poor.
37 Kwasekusithi kulezonsuku wagula wafa; sebemgezisile bamlalisa endlini ephezulu.
It came about in those days that she fell sick and died; when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
38 Njalo njengoba iLida yayiseduze leJopha, abafundi sebezwile ukuthi uPetro wayekhona kuyo, bathuma amadoda amabili kuye, bemncenga ukuthi angaphuzi ukuza kubo.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, begging him, “Come to us without delay.”
39 UPetro wasesukuma wahamba labo; okwathi esefikile bamthatha bamusa endlini ephezulu, labafelokazi bonke bema laye bekhala bemtshengisa izembatho lezigqoko uDorkasi ayezenzile eselabo.
Peter arose and went with them. When he had arrived, they brought him to the upper room, and all the widows stood by him weeping, showing him the coats and garments that Dorcas had made while she had been with them.
40 Kodwa uPetro esebakhuphele phandle bonke eguqa ngamadolo wakhuleka; esetshibilikela esidunjini, wathi: Tabitha, vuka! Wasevula amehlo akhe; wabona uPetro, walulama.
Peter put them all out of the room, knelt down, and prayed; then, turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.
41 Wamelulela isandla, wamsukumisa; esebize abangcwele labafelokazi, wambeka phambi kwabo ephila.
Peter then gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he called the believers and the widows, he presented her alive to them.
42 Kwasekusaziwa kuyo yonke iJopha, labanengi bakholwa eNkosini.
This matter became known throughout all Joppa, and many people believed on the Lord.
43 Kwenzeka ukuthi ahlale eJopha insuku ezinengi loSimoni othile umtshuki wezikhumba.
It happened that Peter stayed for many days in Joppa with a man named Simon, a tanner.
