IzEnzo 16:1-40
16 Wafika eDerbe naseListra.+ Bheka! kwakukhona umfundi othile ogama lakhe linguThimothewu,+ indodana yowesifazane okholwayo ongumJuda kodwa uyise engumGreki,
2 futhi wayekhulunyelwa kahle abazalwane eListra nase-Ikoniyu.
3 UPawulu wazwakalisa isifiso sokuba lo muntu ahambe naye, futhi wamthatha wamsoka+ ngenxa yamaJuda ayekulezo zindawo, ngoba wonke ngothi lwawo ayazi ukuthi uyise ungumGreki.
4 Manje njengoba behamba bedabula imizi babenikeza labo abalapho izinqumo ezazinqunywe abaphostoli namadoda amadala eJerusalema ukuba bazigcine.+
5 Ngakho-ke, ngempela, amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa okholweni+ futhi anda ngesibalo usuku nosuku.
6 Ngaphezu kwalokho, badabula iFrigiya nezwe laseGalathiya,+ ngoba umoya ongcwele wawubanqabele ukuba bakhulume izwi esifundeni sase-Asiya.
7 Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho befika ezansi eMisiya benza imizamo yokungena eBhithiniya,+ kodwa umoya kaJesu awuzange ubavumele.
8 Ngakho badlula eMisiya behlela eTrowa.+
9 Phakathi nobusuku kwabonakala umbono+ kuPawulu: indoda ethile yaseMakedoniya yayimile imncenga ithi: “Welela eMakedoniya usisize.”
10 Manje ngokushesha lapho esebone lowo mbono, safuna ukuya eMakedoniya,+ sifinyelela isiphetho sokuthi uNkulunkulu wayesibizele ukumemezela izindaba ezinhle kubo.
11 Ngakho-ke sathatha uhambo lwasolwandle sisuka eTrowa safika ngendlela eqondile eSamotrake, kodwa ngosuku olulandelayo saya eNeyapholi,
12 ukusuka lapho saya eFilipi,+ ikoloni eliwumuzi oyinhloko wesifunda saseMakedoniya.+ Sahlala kulo muzi, sichitha izinsuku ezithile khona.
13 Ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwesango saya eceleni komfula, lapho sasicabanga ukuthi kukhona indawo yokuthandaza; futhi sahlala phansi sakhuluma nabesifazane ababehlangene.
14 Owesifazane othile ogama lakhe linguLidiya, umthengisi wokunsomi, wasemzini waseThiyathira+ nongumkhulekeli kaNkulunkulu, wayelalele, futhi uJehova wayivula kakhulu inhliziyo yakhe+ ukuba anake izinto ezazikhulunywa uPawulu.
15 Manje lapho yena nendlu yakhe bebhapathizwa,+ wancenga wathi: “Uma nina madoda niye nangahlulela njengothembekile kuJehova, ngenani endlini yami nihlale.”+ Wasicindezela ukuba sihambe naye.+
16 Njengoba sasiya endaweni yokuthandaza, sahlangana nentombazane ethile eyinceku eyayinomoya,+ idemoni lokubhula.+ Yayivame ukunikeza amakhosi ayo inzuzo enkulu+ ngokusebenzisa ubuciko bokubikezela.
17 Le ntombazane yayilokhu ilandela uPawulu nathi futhi imemeza+ ithi: “Laba bantu bayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, ezimemezela kini indlela yensindiso.”
18 Lokhu yaqhubeka ikwenza izinsuku eziningi. Ekugcineni uPawulu wadinwa yikho+ waphenduka wathi kulo moya: “Ngikuyala egameni likaJesu Kristu ukuba uphume kuye.”+ Waphuma ngalo kanye lelo hora.+
19 Nokho, lapho abaniniyo bebona ukuthi ithemba labo lenzuzo alisekho,+ babamba uPawulu noSila babahudulela esigcawini kubabusi,+
20 futhi, babahola babayisa ezimantshini zomphakathi, bathi: “Laba bantu baphazamisa+ umuzi wakithi kakhulu, njengoba bona bengamaJuda,
21 futhi bamemezela amasiko+ okungekhona okungokomthetho ukuba siwamukele noma siwenze, njengoba thina singamaRoma.”
22 Isixuku sabavukela kanyekanye; futhi izimantshi zomphakathi, ngemva kokubahlubula izingubo zangaphandle, zanikeza umyalo wokuba bashaywe ngezinduku.+
23 Ngemva kokuba sebebashaye imivimbo eminingi,+ babaphonsa etilongweni, bayala umgcini wejele ukuba abagcine ngokuphephile.+
24 Ngenxa yokuthi wayethole umyalo onjalo, wabaphonsa etilongweni elingaphakathi+ futhi wabophela izinyawo zabo ezingongolweni+ waziqinisa.
25 Kodwa cishe phakathi kobusuku+ uPawulu noSila babethandaza futhi bedumisa uNkulunkulu ngengoma;+ yebo, iziboshwa zazibezwa.
26 Kungazelelwe kwaba khona ukuzamazama okukhulu komhlaba, kangangokuthi izisekelo zejele zazamazama. Ngaphezu kwalokho, yonke iminyango yavuleka ngaso leso sikhathi, izibopho zabo bonke zathukululeka.+
27 Umgcini wejele, evuka ebuthongweni futhi ebona ukuthi iminyango yetilongo ivulekile, wahosha inkemba yakhe esethi uyazibulala,+ ecabanga ukuthi iziboshwa ziphunyukile.+
28 Kodwa uPawulu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, ethi: “Ungazilimazi,+ ngoba sikhona sonke!”
29 Ngakho wathi makukhanyiswe wagxumela ngaphakathi, futhi ebanjwe ukuthuthumela, wawa phansi+ phambi kukaPawulu noSila.
30 Wabakhiphela ngaphandle wathi: “Banumzane, yini okumelwe ngiyenze+ ukuze ngisindiswe?”
31 Bathi: “Kholwa yiNkosi uJesu khona-ke uzosindiswa,+ wena nendlu yakho.”+
32 Bakhuluma izwi likaJehova kuye kanye nabo bonke ababesendlini yakhe.+
33 Wabathatha ngalelo hora lobusuku wageza imivimbo yabo; futhi, bonke ngothi lwabo, yena nabakwakhe babhapathizwa+ ngaphandle kokulibala.
34 Wabangenisa endlini yakhe walungisa itafula phambi kwabo, wajabula kakhulu nayo yonke indlu yakhe njengoba esekholelwa kuNkulunkulu.
35 Lapho sekusile, izimantshi zomphakathi+ zathumela onogada ukuba bathi: “Khulula labo bantu.”
36 Ngakho umgcini wejele wabika amazwi abo kuPawulu: “Izimantshi zomphakathi zithumele abantu ukuba nina nobabili nikhululwe. Ngakho-ke, phumani manje nihambe ngokuthula.”
37 Kodwa uPawulu wathi kubo: “Basibhambabule obala singalahlwanga yicala, sibe singamaRoma,+ basiphonsa etilongweni; manje sebesikhipha ngasese? Lutho, neze! mabeze bona bazosikhipha.”
38 Ngakho onogada babika la mazwi ezimantshini zomphakathi. Zona zesaba lapho zizwa ukuthi laba bantu babengamaRoma.+
39 Ngenxa yalokho zeza zabancenga, futhi ngemva kokubakhipha, zabacela ukuba bamuke kulowo muzi.
40 Kodwa baphuma etilongweni baya emzini kaLidiya, futhi lapho bebona abazalwane babakhuthaza+ base bemuka.
