ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli 28:1-31
28 Sathi sesifike kuhle ekhunjini, sezwa ukuthi isihlenge leso kwakuthiwa yiMalitha.+
2 Abantu bakuleyondawo* baba lomusa omangalisayo kithi. Basamukela kuhle kakhulu sonke basebebasa umlilo ngoba izulu lalisina futhi kuqanda.
3 UPhawuli wathatha inkuni wazifaka emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ibululu selisizwa sekutshisa, lamuthi nka esandleni.
4 Abantu bakuleyondawo bathi bebona inyoka le eluma kabuhlungu ilenga esandleni sakhe baqalisa ukukhuluma bodwa besithi: “Indoda le ingumbulali sibili. Lanxa isilile elwandle, unkulunkulukazi wokwahlulela kuhle* kayivumelanga ukuthi iqhubeke iphila.”
5 Kodwa uPhawuli wayilabhulela emlilweni inyoka leyo wasala engalimalanga.
6 Babelindele ukuthi uzavuvuka kumbe ahle athi di phansi afe. Bathi sebelinde balinda, babona ukuthi akulanto embi eyenzakalayo kuye, basebetshintsha ingqondo bathi ungunkulunkulu.
7 Endaweni le kwakulamasimu endoda okwakuthiwa nguPhabhiliyu eyayingumbusi walesosihlenge. Yasamukela ngazo zombili, sahlala layo okwamalanga amathathu isiphethe kuhle.
8 Uyise kaPhabhiliyu wayelele embhedeni ephethwe yisihudo lomzimba utshisa. UPhawuli waya kuye wafika wathandaza, wasembeka izandla wamsilisa.+
9 Kwathi sekwenzakele lokhu, labanye ababegula kulesosihlenge baqalisa ukubuya kuye wabelapha.+
10 Basipha izipho ezinengi besibonga futhi sathi sesilungiselela ukuhamba basinika konke esasikufuna.
11 Esihlengeni leso sahlala inyanga ezintathu sasesisuka ngomkhumbi owawulezithombe zamadodana kaZewusi. Umkhumbi lo wawuvela e-Alekizandriya futhi wawufike wama esihlengeni leso ngesikhathi sebusika.
12 Safika sama ethekwini leSirakhusi sahlala khona okwensuku ezintathu,
13 sasesisuka lapho sayafika eRegiyumi. Ngelanga elilandelayo kwavunguza umoya owawuvela eningizimu, sasesihamba sayafika ePhuthewoli ngelanga lesibili.
14 EPhuthewoli sathola abazalwane njalo basincenga ukuthi sihlale labo okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, ngemva kwalokho saqonda eRoma.
15 Abazalwane beRoma bathi sebezwile ngathi babuya bezosihlangabeza, baze bafika eMakethe yase-Aphiya lasendaweni yokudlela lokuphumula ebizwa ngokuthi yiZindlu Ezintathu. UPhawuli uthe ebabona nje, wabonga uNkulunkulu futhi waba lesibindi.+
16 Sathi sesifikile eRoma uPhawuli wavunyelwa ukuthi ahlale yedwa elindwe lisotsha.
17 Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu wabiza amadoda aqakathekileyo esizweni samaJuda. Athe esebuthene wathi kuwo: “Madoda, bafowethu, lanxa ngangingonelanga muntu futhi ngingaphikisananga lamasiko abokhokho bethu,+ ngabotshwa eJerusalema nganikelwa ezandleni zamaRoma.+
18 Ngemva kokungibuzisisa+ ayesefuna ukungikhulula ngoba kwakungelasizatho sokuthi ngibulawe.+
19 Lanxa kunjalo amaJuda ayala ukuthi ngikhululwe, yikho kwakungasela ngenye indlela ngaphandle kokuthi ngidlulisele icala kuKhesari.+ Kodwa ayisikho ukuthi ngangisethesa isizwe sakithi icala.
20 Lokhu yikho okwenze ngacela ukulibona ngikhulume lani. Ngibotshwe ngeketane le ngenxa yethemba labako-Israyeli.”+
21 Bathi kuye: “Asitholanga zincwadi ezivela eJudiya ezikhuluma ngawe njalo akulamfowethu ovela khonale oseke wabuya ezobika kumbe ezokhuluma okubi ngawe.
22 Kodwa sibona kungcono ukuthi wena usitshele ukuthi ucabangani ngoba siyakwazi sibili ukuthi okuliqembu lokhu+ kusolwa ngabantu kuyo yonke indawo.”+
23 Babeka ilanga ababezahlangana ngalo, babuya lapho ayehlala khona sebebanengi kakhulu kulakuqala. Wabachasisela indaba le kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba ntambama, efakaza ngokugcweleyo ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu esebenzisa uMthetho kaMosi+ labaPhrofethi+ ukuze abancede bakholwe kuJesu.+
24 Abanye bakukholwa ayekukhuluma kodwa abanye abakukholwanga.
25 Baqalisa ukusuka lapho ngenxa yokuthi babengavumelani, uPhawuli wasesithi:
“Umoya ongcwele wawuqinisile sibili lapho ukhuluma labokhokho benu usebenzisa umphrofethi u-Isaya,
26 usithi, ‘Hamba uyetshela abantu laba uthi: “Lizakuzwa sibili kodwa alisoze lafa lazwisisa, futhi lizakhangela kodwa alisoze labona loba sekutheni.+
27 Phela inhliziyo zabantu laba sezibe lukhuni. Bazwile ngendlebe zabo kodwa abenzanga lutho njalo bawavalile amehlo abo ukuze bangaboni. Bavale lendlebe zabo ukuze bangezwa futhi bangazwisisi ngezinhliziyo zabo, okwenza bangaphenduki ngibasilise.”’+
28 Ngakho kumele likwazi ukuthi izindaba zensindiso le evela kuNkulunkulu sezithunyelwe ebantwini bezinye izizwe+ futhi bazazilalela.”+
29 *——
30 UPhawuli waqhubeka ekuleyondawo okweminyaka emibili ehlala endlini ayeyibhadalela.+ Wayebamukela kuhle bonke ababemvakatshela.
31 Wayebatshumayeza ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu futhi ebafundisa ngeNkosi uJesu Khristu, ekhuluma ekhululekile kakhulu*+ kungelalutho olumvimbayo.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “Abantu laba ababengakhulumi isiGrikhi.”
^ Ibala lesiGrikhi elisetshenziswe lapha ngelithi Di′ke. Lingatsho unkulunkulukazi kumbe ukwahlulela kuhle khona ngokwakho.
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-A3.
^ Kumbe, “engesabi lutho ngitsho.”
