ImiSebenzi 11:1-30
11 Abaphostoli labazalwane ababeseJudiya bezwa ukuthi labantu bezizweni basebelemukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.
2 Yikho-ke uPhetro wathi efika eJerusalema, abasekela ukusoka baqalisa ukumsola*
3 besithi: “Wena uhambe wayangena endlini yabantu abangasokanga wadla labo.”
4 Sebetsho njalo uPhetro wabachasisela lonke udaba, wathi:
5 “Bengisedolobheni leJopha ngithandaza, ngasengifikelwa ngumbono, ngabona kusehla into* enjengelembu elikhulu lelineni livela ezulwini libanjwe ngamakhona alo womane, lafika lathiwa qithi phambi kwami.
6 Ngithe ngikhangelisisa phakathi kwalo ngabona kulezinyamazana zomhlaba ezilenyawo ezine, lezilo zeganga, lezinanakazana* kanye lezinyoni zezulu.
7 Ngiphinde ngezwa lelizwi lisithi kimi: ‘Vuka Phetro, hlaba udle!’
8 Kodwa mina ngithe: ‘Ngeke ngikwenze lokho Nkosi ngoba emlonyeni wami akukaze kungene into engcolileyo loba engahlambulukanga.’
9 Ilizwi elivela ezulwini laphendula okwesibili lathi: ‘Yekela ukubiza izinto uNkulunkulu asezihlambululile ngokuthi zingcolile.’
10 Lokhu kwenzakala okwesithathu, konke kwasekudonselwa phezulu kwasiwa ezulwini.
11 Kanti njalo ngaso kanye lesosikhathi amadoda amathathu afika endlini esasihlala kuyo, ethunywe kimi evela eKhesariya.
12 Umoya wasungitshela ukuthi ngihambe lamadoda la, ngingathikazi ngitsho lakancane. Labazalwane laba abayisithupha bahambe lami, safika sangena endlini yalowomuntu.
13 “Wasesilandisela ukuthi ubone ingilosi imi endlini yakhe isithi kuye: ‘Thuma abantu eJopha bayebiza uSimoni okuthiwa nguPhetro,
14 njalo uzakutshela ukuthi wena labantu bonke ohlala labo kumele lenzeni ukuze lisindiswe.’
15 Ngithe sengiqalisile ukukhuluma, umoya ongcwele wehlela phezu kwabo njengoba nje wehlela phezu kwethu ekuqaliseni.
16 Sekunjalo ngasengikhumbula amazwi ayejayele ukukhulunywa yiNkosi, athi: ‘UJohane wayebhabhathiza ngamanzi kodwa lina lizabhabhathizwa ngomoya ongcwele.’
17 Ngakho nxa uNkulunkulu ebanike isipho samahala asipha sona thina esikholwa eNkosini uJesu Khristu, bengingubani mina ukuthi ngenelise ukuvimba uNkulunkulu?”*
18 Bathe sebekuzwile lokhu, bayekela ukuphikisana laye* bakhazimulisa uNkulunkulu besithi: “Kutsho ukuthi uNkulunkulu usevumele labantu bezizweni ukuthi baphenduke besebethola ukuphila.”
19 Labo ababesabalele bebalekela ukuhlukuluzwa okwaba khona ngemva kokufa kukaStefane bahamba baze bayafika eFenikhiya leKhuphro le-Antiyokhi, kodwa ilizwi babelitshela amaJuda kuphela.
20 Lanxa kunjalo, abanye phakathi kwabo ababevela eKhuphro leKhurene babuya e-Antiyokhi baqalisa ukuxoxa labantu abakhuluma isiGrikhi, betshumayela izindaba ezinhle ngeNkosi uJesu.
21 Phezu kwalokho isandla sikaJehova sasilabo, abanengi kakhulu baba ngamakholwa baphendukela eNkosini.
22 Umbiko walokho ababekwenza wafika endlebeni zebandla elaliseJerusalema, kwasekuthunywa uBhanabha e-Antiyokhi.
23 Wathi efika wabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayebenzele umusa omkhulu, wathokoza waqalisa ukubakhuthaza bonke ukuthi baqhubeke beseNkosini bezimisele ngenhliziyo yonke.
24 Yena wayeyindoda elungileyo, egcwele umoya ongcwele njalo elokholo oluqinileyo. Ixuku elikhulu lengezelelwa eNkosini.
25 Ngakho waya eThasu ukuze ayedinga uSawuli aze amthole.
26 Esemtholile wabuya laye e-Antiyokhi. Okomnyaka wonke babehlangana lebandla lelo futhi babefundisa ixuku elikhulu elalilapho. Kwaqalisela e-Antiyokhi ukuthi abafundi babizwe ngokuthi ngamaKhristu njalo ibizo leli balithola beqondiswa nguNkulunkulu.
27 Ngalezonsuku abaphrofethi behla besuka eJerusalema bafika e-Antiyokhi.
28 Omunye wabo okwakuthiwa ngu-Agabhu wasukuma wakhuluma encediswa ngumoya, wathi kwasekuzakuba lendlala enkulu emhlabeni wonke futhi lokho kwenzakala sibili ngesikhathi sikaKlawudiyu.
29 Ngakho abafundi bazimisela ukuthi ngamunye wabo anikele okusemandleni akhe ukuze kuthunyelwe okokuncedisa abazalwane abahlala eJudiya.
30 Lakanye benza njalo, basebethuma uBhanabha loSawuli ukuthi bakuhambise ebadaleni.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ukuphikisana laye.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “isitsha esithile.”
^ Kumbe, “lezidalwa ezihuquzelayo.”
^ Kumbe, “ukuma endleleni kaNkulunkulu.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “bathula.”
