ImiSebenzi 13:1-52
13 Ebandleni elalise-Antiyokhi kwakulabaphrofethi labafundisayo. Amabizo abo kwakunguBhanabha, loSimeyoni owayebizwa ngokuthi nguNigeri, loLukhiyu waseKhurene, loManayeni owafunda loHerodi umbusi wesigaba, kanye loSawuli.
2 Bathi besakhonza uJehova futhi bezile ukudla, umoya ongcwele wathi: “Ngikhethelani uBhanabha loSawuli ukuze benze umsebenzi engibabizele wona.”
3 Ngemva kokuzila lokuthandaza, bababeka izandla babayekela bahamba.
4 Asuka-ke amadoda la ethunywe ngumoya ongcwele, aya eSelusiya, asesuka lapho aya eKhuphro ngesikepe.
5 Efika eSalami aqalisa ukumemezela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogeni amaJuda. Ayehamba loJohane, engumsizi wawo.
6 Athi esebhode sonke isihlenge aze ayafika ePhafo, ahlangana lomunye umJuda owayebizwa ngokuthi nguBha-Jesu, owayeyisanuse futhi engumphrofethi wamanga.
7 Wayelosibalukhulu wesabelo* uSegiwu Phawuli, indoda eyayikhaliphile. Indoda le yabiza uBhanabha loSawuli, izimisele ukuzwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.
8 Kodwa u-Elima isanuse waqalisa ukubaphikisa, ezama ukudukisa usibalukhulu ukuze aphambuke ekukholweni. (Ibizo elithi Elima lihunyutshwa ngokuthi isanuse.)
9 USawuli owayebizwa ngokuthi nguPhawuli wasegcwala umoya ongcwele, wamkhangela wamuthi nhlo,
10 wathi: “Yeyi wena muntu ogcwele yonke imihlobo yobuqili labo bonke ububi, wena ndodana kaDeveli, sitha sakho konke okulungileyo, kuzaze kube nini uphambanisa izindlela zikaJehova eziqondileyo?
11 Lalela! Isandla sikaJehova siphezu kwakho. Uzakuba yisiphofu, ungaboni ukukhanya kwelanga okwesikhathi esithile.” Masinyane nje inkungu lobumnyama kwamgubuzela, wahamba ephumputha edinga umuntu ongamkhokhela embambe ngesandla.
12 Usibalukhulu wesabelo wathi esebone okwakwenzakele, waba likholwa ngoba wayemangaliswe yimfundiso ngoJehova.
13 UPhawuli layehamba labo basebesuka ePhafo ngesikepe, bafika ePhega esePhamfiliya. Kodwa uJohane wabatshiya wabuyela eJerusalema.
14 Loba kunjalo basuka ePhega baya e-Antiyokhi yasePhisidiya. Sebelapho bangena esinagogeni ngelanga leSabatha, bafika bahlala phansi.
15 Abantu bathi sebebalelwe uMthetho labaPhrofethi, abaphathi besinagogi bathumela ilizwi kuPhawuli loBhanabha bathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, nxa lilelizwi lokukhuthaza abantu likhulumeni.”
16 Yikho uPhawuli wasukuma, wabatshengisa ngesandla ukuthi bathule, wasesithi:
“Madoda, bantu bako-Israyeli lani lonke elesaba uNkulunkulu, lalelani.
17 UNkulunkulu wabantu bako-Israyeli wakhetha okhokho bethu, wabaphakamisa besesengabantu bezizweni elizweni leGibhithe njalo wabakhipha kulo ngengalo ephakemeyo.
18 Wababekezelela okweminyaka engaba ngu-40 besenkangala.
19 Uthe esebhubhise izizwe eziyisikhombisa elizweni laseKhenani, wabapha ilizwe lelo ukuthi libe yilifa labo.
20 Konke lokhu kwenzakala phakathi kweminyaka engaba ngu-450.
“Ngemva kwalokho wabanika abahluleli kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sikamphrofethi uSamuyeli.
21 Kodwa bona basebesithi bafuna inkosi, futhi uNkulunkulu wabanika uSawuli indodana kaKhishi, indoda yesizwe sakoBhenjamini. Wababusa okweminyaka engu-40.
22 Uthe esemsusile wakhetha uDavida ukuthi abe yinkosi yabo, lowo afakaza ngaye wathi: ‘Sengithole uDavida indodana kaJese, indoda evumelana lenhliziyo yami. Uzakwenza konke engikufisayo.’
23 UNkulunkulu uselethe ko-Israyeli uJesu umsindisi, ovela enzalweni* yendoda le, njengoba nje wayethembisile.
24 UJesu engakafiki, uJohane wayetshumayeza abantu bonke obala, ebatshela ukuthi babhabhathizwe ukuze batshengise ukuthi sebephendukile.
25 Kodwa uJohane esesiyaqeda inkonzo yakhe wayesithi: ‘Libona angathi nginguye yini? Kangisuye. Kodwa zwanini! Uyeza ngemva kwami lowo okungangifanelanga ukuthukulula intambo zamanyathela akhe.’
26 “Madoda, bafowethu, lina zizukulwane zika-Abrahama lani lonke elesaba uNkulunkulu, ilizwi lensindiso le selithunyelwe kini.
27 Abahlala eJerusalema lababusi kabamnanzelelanga lo, kodwa bathi besahlulela bagcwalisa izinto ezakhulunywa ngabaPhrofethi, ezibalelwa abantu ngamasabatha wonke.
28 Lanxa bengatholanga isizatho sokuthi afe, batshela uPhilathu ukuthi abulawe.
29 Bathi sebegcwalise konke okubhaliweyo ngaye, bamethula esigodweni* bambeka ethuneni.
30 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo,
31 njalo wabonakala okwamalanga amanengi kulabo ababesuke laye eGalile baqansa baya eJerusalema. Laba yibo asebengofakazi bakhe ebantwini.
32 “Yikho-ke simemezela izindaba ezinhle eziphathelane lesithembiso esenziwa kubokhokho bethu.
33 Konke okumayelana laso uNkulunkulu usekugcwalisile kithi thina abantwababo ngokuvusa uJesu, njengoba kubhaliwe kuhubo lesibili ukuthi: ‘Wena uyindodana yami; lamuhla sengibe nguyihlo.’
34 Wamvusa kwabafileyo ukuze angaphindi abuyele ekonakaleni, futhi lokhu wakuphrofetha lapho esithi: ‘Ngizalitshengisa uthando oluqotho olwathenjiswa uDavida, njalo lona luthembekile.’
35 Lakwelinye ihubo kuthiwa: ‘Kawusoze uvumele ukuthi oqotho wakho akubone ukonakala.’
36 UDavida yena wenzela uNkulunkulu inkonzo engcwele* esizukulwaneni sakhe, wasesifa* wabekwa labokhokho bakhe njalo wakubona ukonakala.
37 Kodwa lowo owavuswa nguNkulunkulu kazange akubone ukonakala.
38 “Ngakho kakwazakale kini bafowethu ukuthi ngayena lo kumenyezelwa kini ukuthethelelwa kwezono.
39 Ngomuntu lo, loba ngubani okholwayo kuthiwa kalacala. Kodwa uMthetho kaMosi wona kawenelisi ukwesula amacala enu.
40 Nanzelelani-ke ukuthi amazwi abhalwe kubaPhrofethi kawenzakali kini, athi:
41 ‘Lina abachothozayo khangelani limangale futhi litshabalale ngoba ezinsukwini zenu ngenza umsebenzi elingasoze liwukholwe lanxa umuntu elitshela konke okuphathelane lawo.’”
42 Kwathi sebephuma, abantu babancenga ukuthi bakhulume ngezinto lezi ngeSabatha elilandelayo.
43 Umhlangano owawusesinagogeni wathi uphela, amaJuda amanengi lababephendukele okholweni lwesiJuda* njalo ababekhonza uNkulunkulu balandela uPhawuli loBhanabha. Bona bakhuluma labo bebakhuthaza ukuthi baqhubeke bebambelele emuseni omkhulu kaNkulunkulu.
44 NgeSabatha elilandelayo, phose lonke idolobho labuthana lizokuzwa ilizwi likaJehova.
45 AmaJuda athi ebona amaxuku, aba lomhawu kakhulu njalo aqalisa ukuthuka, ephikisa okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli.
46 UPhawuli loBhanabha basebekhuluma lawo belesibindi, bathi: “Ilizwi likaNkulunkulu bekumele likhulunywe kini kuqala. Njengoba lingalamukeli futhi lizahlulela ukuthi ukuphila okungapheliyo akulifanelanga, sesisiya kwabezizweni.
47 UJehova usilaye ngamazwi la athi: ‘Ngikubeke ukuthi ube yikukhanya kwezizwe, ukuze ube yinsindiso efika emaphethelweni omhlaba.’”
48 Abantu bezizweni bathi bekuzwa lokhu bathokoza baqalisa ukukhazimulisa ilizwi likaJehova, njalo bonke ababelesifiso sokuthola ukuphila okungapheliyo baba ngamakholwa.
49 Ilizwi likaJehova lalo laqhubeka lihazwa kuyo yonke indawo.
50 Lanxa kunjalo amaJuda atshotshozela amadoda aqakathekileyo edolobho kanye labesifazana abadumileyo ababesesaba uNkulunkulu, abangela ukuthi uPhawuli loBhanabha bahlukuluzwe, abaphosela phandle kwemingcele yawo.
51 Ngakho bathintitha uthuli olwalusenyaweni zabo,* basebesiya e-Ikhoniyami.
52 Abafundi baqhubeka bethokoza kakhulu futhi begcwala umoya ongcwele.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Usibalukhulu wesabelo samaRoma. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “enhlanyelweni.”
^ Kumbe, “esihlahleni.”
^ Kumbe, “wenza intando kaNkulunkulu.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “waselala.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “lamaphroselithe.”
^ Ukuthintitha uthuli enyaweni kwakutshengisa ukuthi kabaselamlandu kubo.
