IzEnzo 15:1-41
15 Abantu abathile behla bevela eJudiya+ futhi baqala ukufundisa abazalwane bethi: “Ngaphandle kokuba nisokwe+ ngokwesiko likaMose,+ ngeke nisindiswe.”
2 Kodwa lapho sekuvele ukungezwani nokuphikisana okukhulu phakathi kwabo noPawulu noBarnaba, bahlela ukuba uPawulu noBarnaba nabanye kubo bakhuphukele kubaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema+ ngokuqondene nalokhu kuphikisana.
3 Ngakho, ngemva kokuphelezelwa kancane yibandla,+ la madoda aqhubeka nendlela yawo edabula iFenike neSamariya, elandisa ngokuningiliziwe ukuguquka kwabantu bezizwe,+ futhi babangela ukujabula okukhulu+ kubazalwane.
4 Lapho efika eJerusalema amukelwa ngomusa+ yibandla nabaphostoli namadoda amadala, futhi alandisa izinto eziningi uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngawo.+
5 Nokho, abanye kulabo behlelo labaFarisi ababeye bakholwa, basukuma bathi: “Kudingekile ukubasoka+ nokubayala ukuba bagcine umthetho kaMose.”+
6 Abaphostoli namadoda amadala bahlangana ukuze bayihlole le ndaba.+
7 Lapho sekuvele ukuphikisana+ okukhulu, uPetru wasukuma wathi kubo: “Madoda, bafowethu, nazi kahle ukuthi kusukela ezinsukwini zakuqala uNkulunkulu wakhetha phakathi kwenu ukuba abantu bezizwe balizwe ngomlomo wami izwi lezindaba ezinhle, bakholwe;+
8 futhi uNkulunkulu, owazi inhliziyo,+ wafakaza ngokubanika umoya ongcwele,+ njengoba nje enza nakithi.
9 Akenzanga mahluko nhlobo phakathi kwethu nabo,+ kodwa wahlanza izinhliziyo zabo ngokholo.+
10 Ngakho-ke, manje kungani nivivinya uNkulunkulu ngokuthwesa abafundi ijoka+ okhokho bethu kanye nathi esingakwazanga ukulithwala na?+
11 Kunalokho, nathi sithemba ukuthi siyosindiswa ngomusa ongafanelwe+ weNkosi uJesu ngendlela efanayo nalabo bantu.”+
12 Khona-ke lonke uquqaba lwathula, lwaqala ukulalela uBarnaba noPawulu belandisa izibonakaliso nezimangaliso eziningi uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngabo phakathi kwezizwe.+
13 Ngemva kokuba sebeyekile ukukhuluma, uJakobe waphendula, wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, ngizweni.+
14 USimeyoni+ useyilandise ngokuphelele indlela uNkulunkulu anaka ngayo izizwe ngokokuqala ukuze athathe kuzo isizwe segama lakhe.+
15 Futhi amazwi abaProfethi ayavumelana nalokhu, njengoba nje kulotshiwe,
16 ‘Ngemva kwalezi zinto ngiyobuya futhi ngilakhe kabusha idokodo likaDavide eliwele phansi; futhi ngiyowakha kabusha amanxiwa alo ngiphinde ngilimise,+
17 ukuze labo abasele kubantu bamfune ngobuqotho uJehova, kanye nabantu bazo zonke izizwe, abantu ababizwa ngegama lami, kusho uJehova, owenza lezi zinto,+
18 ezaziwa kusukela kudala.’+
19 Ngakho isinqumo sami siwukuthi singabakhathazi labo abavela ezizweni abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu,+
20 kodwa sibalobele ukuba badede ezintweni ezingcoliswe izithombe+ nasebufebeni+ nakokuklinyiwe+ nasegazini.+
21 Ngoba kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo emzini ngomuzi kuye kwaba nalabo abashumayela ngoMose, ngoba ufundwa emasinagogeni ngawo wonke amasabatha.”+
22 Abaphostoli namadoda amadala kanye nalo lonke ibandla babe sebebona kukuhle ukuthuma amadoda akhethiwe phakathi kwabo ukuba aye e-Antiyokiya kanye noPawulu noBarnaba, okuyilawa, uJuda owayebizwa ngokuthi uBarsaba+ noSila, amadoda aholayo phakathi kwabazalwane;
23 futhi baloba ngesandla sabo ukuthi:
“Abaphostoli namadoda amadala, abafowenu, kubafowethu e-Antiyokiya+ naseSiriya naseKhilikhiya+ abavela ezizweni: Siyanibingelela!
24 Njengoba siye sezwa ukuthi abanye phakathi kwethu banihlupha ngezinkulumo,+ bezama ukuphambukisa imiphefumulo yenu, nakuba bengayalezwanga yithi,+
25 sivumelane ngazwi-linye+ futhi sakubona kukuhle ukukhetha amadoda, siwathumele kini kanye nabathandekayo bethu, uBarnaba noPawulu,+
26 abantu abaye banikela imiphefumulo yabo ngenxa yegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.+
27 Ngakho-ke sithumela uJuda noSila,+ ukuze nabo babike lezi zinto ezifanayo ngomlomo.+
28 Ngoba umoya ongcwele+ nathi ngokwethu sikubone kukuhle ukunganezeli omunye umthwalo osindayo+ kini, ngaphandle kwalezi zinto ezidingekile,
29 ukuba niqhubeke nideda ezintweni ezihlatshelwe izithombe+ nasegazini+ nasezintweni eziklinyiwe+ nasebufebeni.+ Uma nizigcina ngokucophelela kulezi zinto,+ niyochuma. Mpilonhle!”
30 Ngakho, lapho la madoda ededelwa, ehlela e-Antiyokiya, abuthela uquqaba ndawonye alunikeza le ncwadi.+
31 Ngemva kokuyifunda, lwajabula ngaleso sikhuthazo.+
32 UJuda noSila, njengoba nabo ngokwabo babengabaprofethi,+ bakhuthaza abazalwane ngezinkulumo eziningi futhi babaqinisa.+
33 Ngakho, lapho sebedlulise isikhathi esithile, badedelwa ngokuthula+ ngabazalwane ukuba babuyele kulabo ababebathumile.
34 ——
35 Nokho, uPawulu noBarnaba, kanye nabanye abaningi, baqhubeka bechitha isikhathi e-Antiyokiya+ befundisa futhi bememezela izindaba ezinhle zezwi likaJehova.+
36 Manje ngemva kwezinsuku ezithile uPawulu wathi kuBarnaba: “Ngaphezu kwakho konke, masibuye futhi sihambele abafowethu kuyo yonke imizi esamemezela kuyo izwi likaJehova ukuze sibone ukuthi banjani.”+
37 UBarnaba, yena, wayezimisele ukuthatha noJohane, owayebizwa ngokuthi uMarku,+ ukuba bahambe naye.
38 Kodwa uPawulu akakubonanga kufanelekile ukumthatha bahambe naye, njengoba ayebashiyile ePhamfiliya+ futhi engayanga nabo emsebenzini.
39 Khona-ke kwaqhuma intukuthelo enkulu, baze bahlukana; uBarnaba+ wathatha uMarku bahamba ngomkhumbi baya eKhupro.+
40 UPawulu wakhetha uSila+ wahamba ngemva kokuba esenikelwe ngabazalwane emseni ongafanelwe kaJehova.+
41 Kodwa wadabula iSiriya neKhilikhiya, eqinisa amabandla.+
