ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli 21:1-40
21 Sathi sesibavalelise ngezinhliziyo ezibuhlungu, sasuka ngomkhumbi saqonda eKhosi. Ngelanga elilandelayo saya eRodi, sasuka lapho saya ePhathara.
2 Sathola umkhumbi owawusiya eFenikhiya sangena kuwo sahamba.
3 Sesikhangelane lesihlenge seKhuphro, sasiceza ngakwesenxele saya eSiriya, safika sama eThire lapho umkhumbi okwakumele wehlise khona impahla.
4 Sadinga abafundi sabathola, sasesihlala khona okwamalanga ayisikhombisa. Kodwa ngenxa yalokho ababekutshengiswe ngumoya ongcwele babelokhu betshela uPhawuli ukuthi angalugxobi eJerusalema.+
5 Isikhathi sethu sokuba lapho sathi sesiphelile sasuka. Bonke abafundi kanye labesifazana labantwana basiphelekezela saze saphuma edolobheni. Sesisekhunjini saguqa sathandaza,
6 sasesivalelisana. Ngemva kwalokho sangena emkhunjini, bona babuyela emakhaya abo.
7 Sasuka eThire ngomkhumbi sayafika ePhetholemayi sabingelela abafowethu sahlala labo okwelanga elilodwa.
8 Ngelanga elilandelayo sasuka saya eKhesariya safika sangena endlini kaFiliphu umvangeli sahlala laye. Wayengomunye wamadoda ayisikhombisa ayekhethiwe+
9 njalo wayelamadodakazi amane ayengatshadanga* futhi ayephrofetha.+
10 Kodwa sathi sesihlale khona okwensuku ezinengi, umphrofethi u-Agabhu+ wafika evela eJudiya.
11 Wasilanda wasethatha ibhanti likaPhawuli wazibopha ngalo inyawo lezandla wathi: “Umoya ongcwele uthi, ‘AmaJuda azambopha kanje umnikazi webhanti leli eJerusalema+ njalo azamnikela ebantwini bezinye izizwe.’”+
12 Thina labanye ababelapho sathi sikuzwa lokhu, saqalisa ukuncenga uPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema.
13 Yena waphendula wathi: “Kanti likhalelani lingiqeda amandla? Yazini ukuthi angizimiselanga ukuyabotshwa kuphela kodwa ngizimisele lokufa eJerusalema ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uJesu.”+
14 Sithe sibona ukuthi kancengeki sayekela ukumphikisa* sathi: “Intando kaJehova* kayenziwe.”
15 Ngemva kwalokho salungiselela ukuya eJerusalema, sasesisuka saya khona.
16 Abanye abafundi ababevela eKhesariya bahamba lathi komunye wabafundi bokuqala okwakuthiwa nguMnasoni owayedabuka eKhuphro. Nguye esasizafikela emzini wakhe.
17 Sathi sifika eJerusalema abafowethu basamukela ngentokozo.
18 Kodwa ngelanga elilandelayo uPhawuli wahamba lathi kuJakhobe+ njalo bonke abadala babekhona.
19 Esebabingelele waqalisa ukubalandisela konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzile kwabezinye izizwe ngenkonzo yakhe.
20 Bathi bekuzwa lokho bakhazimulisa uNkulunkulu kodwa bathi kuye: “Mfowethu, uyabona ukuthi kulezinkulungwane ezinengi zamaJuda asengamakholwa futhi wonke atshisekela uMthetho.+
21 Kodwa azwe amahungahunga okuthi wena ubufundisa wonke amaJuda aphakathi kwabezizweni ukuthi ahlamuke eMthethweni kaMosi, uwatshela ukuthi angasoki abantwabawo lokuthi angalandeli amasiko.+
22 Manje kwenziweni ngakho? Phela bazakuzwa ukuthi usufikile.
23 Wena yenza esikutshela khona: Silamadoda amane enze isifungo.
24 Thatha amadoda la uyezihlambulula ngokoMthetho kaMosi kanye lawo, ubhadale izindleko zawo ukuze aphuce amakhanda awo. Lapho-ke wonke umuntu uzakwazi ukuthi amahungahunga abekhulunywa ngawe angamanga lokuthi wena uhamba ngendlela eqondileyo futhi uyawugcina uMthetho.+
25 Amakholwa aphakathi kwabezinye izizwe wona siwabhalele isinqumo sethu sawathumela sona, esokuthi kumele aqhubeke exwaya okuhlatshelwe izithombe,+ axwaye legazi,+ lezinto eziklinyiweyo*+ kanye lokufeba.”*+
26 UPhawuli wasethatha amadoda la ngelanga elilandelayo, wazihlambulula ngokoMthetho kaMosi kanye lawo,+ wasehamba ethempelini esiyabika ukuthi amalanga okuzihlambulula ayezaphela nini ukuze umnikelo wendoda ngayinye unikelwe.
27 Amalanga ayisikhombisa esezaphela, amaJuda ayevela e-Asiya ambona ethempelini asevusa isiphithiphithi futhi ambamba
28 ememeza esithi: “Bantu bako-Israyeli ncedani bo! Indoda le yiyo efundisa abantu bonke kuyo yonke indawo izinto ezenza beyise isizwe sakithi loMthetho wethu kanye lendawo le engcwele. Okubi kakhulu yikuthi ize yabuya lamaGrikhi ethempelini yangcolisa indawo le engcwele.”+
29 Ayesitsho njalo ngoba ayeke abona uPhawuli edolobheni eloTrofimu+ we-Efesu, asecabanga ukuthi wayebuye laye ethempelini.
30 Kwasekulokuxokozela edolobheni lonke futhi abantu babuya begijima bafika babamba uPhawuli bamhudulela phandle kwethempeli, iminyango yahle yavalwa.
31 Bathi besazama ukumbulala, induna yamabutho yathola umbiko wokuthi kwasekulesiphithiphithi kuyo yonke iJerusalema.
32 Yahle yathatha amasotsha labakhokheli bamabutho bagijima baya khona. Abantu bathe bebona induna yamabutho kanye lamasotsha bama ukutshaya uPhawuli.
33 Induna yamabutho yasondela yamthatha yasisithi abotshwe ngamaketane amabili.+ Yabuza ukuthi wayengubani lokuthi kuyini ayekwenzile.
34 Kodwa abanye babememeza lokhu abanye lokhuya, yacina ingasakwazi ukuthi okuyikho yikuphi ngenxa yokuxokozela kwabo. Yikho yathi alethwe enkambeni yamasotsha.
35 Wathi efika emasitephisini amasotsha amthwala ngenxa yokuthi abantu babelodlakela.
36 Phela babelokhu belandela bememeza besithi: “Kabulawe!”
37 UPhawuli wathi esezangeniswa enkambeni yamasotsha wathi enduneni yamabutho: “Ngiyavunyelwa yini ukukhuluma lawe?” Yona yathi: “Uyasikhuluma yini isiGrikhi?
38 Pho ayisuwe umGibhithe owake wavusa umvukela wakhokhela amadoda angu-4 000 ayehlome ngezingqamu waya lawo enkangala?”
39 UPhawuli wasesithi: “Mina ngingumJuda+ weThasu+ yaseKhilikhiya, ngiyisizalwane sedolobho eliqakathekileyo. Yikho ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ungivumele ngikhulume labantu.”
40 Induna yathi isimnike imvumo, uPhawuli wathulisa abantu ngesandla emi emasitephisini. Kwathula cwaka, wasekhuluma labo ngolimi lwesiHebheru+ wathi:
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ayezintombi ezigcweleyo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “sathula.”
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-A5.
^ Kumbe, “ezibulawa zingophiswa.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, por·nei′a. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
