ImiSebenzi 15:1-41
15 Kwafika amanye amadoda evela eJudiya aqalisa ukufundisa abazalwane esithi: “Nxa lingasokwanga njengoba uMthetho kaMosi usitsho, kalisoze lisindiswe.”
2 Kodwa uPhawuli loBhanabha kabazange bavumelane lawo njalo kwaba lokuphikisana. Kwasekuhlelwa ukuthi uPhawuli loBhanabha kanye labanye bahambise udaba lolu* kubaphostoli labadala eJerusalema.
3 Amadoda la athi esephelekezelwe libandla okomangwana, aqhubeka ngohambo, adabula eFenikhiya leSamariya elandisa konke okuphathelane lokuguquka kwabantu bezizweni. Lokhu kwenza bonke abazalwane bathokoza kakhulu.
4 Efika eJerusalema emukelwa kuhle libandla langabaphostoli kanye labadala njalo alandisa izinto ezinengi uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngawo.
5 Kodwa abanye abeqembu labaFarisi abasebengamakholwa basukuma ezihlalweni zabo bathi: “Kumele basokwe futhi balaywe ukuthi balandele uMthetho kaMosi.”
6 Ngakho abaphostoli labadala bahlanganisa amakhanda ukuze bahluze udaba lolu.
7 Kwathi sekube lempikiswano etshisayo okwesikhathi eside, uPhetro wasukuma wathi kubo: “Madoda, bafowethu, likwazi mhlophe ukuthi kusukela ezinsukwini zokuqala uNkulunkulu wangikhetha phakathi kwenu ukuthi abantu bezizweni balizwe ngomlomo wami ilizwi lezindaba ezinhle bakholwe.
8 UNkulunkulu owazi inhliziyo wafakaza ngokubapha umoya ongcwele njengoba wayesiphile lathi,
9 njalo waveza ukuthi kawukho ngitsho umehluko phakathi kwethu labo, wahlambulula izinhliziyo zabo ngokholo.
10 Manje selimlingelani uNkulunkulu ngokugaxa entanyeni zabafundi ijogwe thina labokhokho bethu esehluleka ukulithwala?
11 Thina sikholwa ukuthi sisindiswa ngomusa omkhulu weNkosi uJesu njalo labo bakholwa ukuthi basindiswa ngawo.”
12 Iqembu lonke lathi lisizwa lokhu lathula zwi, laqalisa ukulalela uBhanabha loPhawuli belandisa ngezibonakaliso ezinengi lezimanga uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngabo ebantwini bezizweni.
13 Sebeqedile ukukhuluma, uJakhobe wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, ngilalelani.
14 USimeyoni usesilandisele konke okumayelana lokuthi uNkulunkulu waqalisa njani ukunaka abezizweni ukuze athathe abantu bebizo lakhe phakathi kwabo.
15 Lamazwi abaPhrofethi avumelana lalokhu njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi:
16 ‘Ngemva kwalezizinto ngizaphenduka, ngilivuse futhi itende* likaDavida eseliwile njalo ngizawakha kutsha amanxiwa alo ngilivuselele,
17 ukuze abantu abaseleyo bamdinge ngenhliziyo yonke uJehova belabantu bezizwe zonke, abantu ababizwa ngebizo lami, utsho njalo uJehova owenza izinto lezi
18 ezivele zisaziwa kusukela endulo.’
19 Ngakho-ke isinqumo sami* yikuthi singabahluphi abavela ezizweni abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu,
20 kodwa sibabhalele ukuthi baxwaye izinto ezingcoliswe yizithombe, lokuziphatha okubi kwezemacansini,* lezinto eziklinyiweyo* kanye legazi.
21 Kusukela endulo, abantu bebetshumayela ngoMosi kuwo wonke amadolobho futhi ngamasabatha wonke abantu abasemasinagogeni babalelwa izinto azibhalayo.”
22 Abaphostoli labadala kanye lebandla lonke basebebona kungcono ukuthi bakhethe amanye amadoda phakathi kwabo ababengawathuma ukuthi ahambe loPhawuli loBhanabha e-Antiyokhi. Bathuma uJudasi owayebizwa ngokuthi nguBhasabha kanye loSila. Amadoda la ayekhokhela phakathi kwabazalwane.
23 Babhala incwadi bawaphathisa. Yayisithi:
“Abaphostoli labadala, abafowenu. Kini bafowethu base-Antiyokhi leSiriya leKhilikhiya, elingabezizweni: Siyalibingelela!
24 Njengoba sesizwile ukuthi kulabanye abasuke phakathi kwethu balidalela uhlupho ngalokho abakutshoyo bezama ukuliphambula,* befundisa izinto esingabalayanga zona,
25 sesivumelene senza isinqumo sokuthi sikhethe amadoda siwathume kini elabathandekayo bethu, uBhanabha loPhawuli,
26 amadoda adele ukuphila kwawo* ngenxa yebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu.
27 Ngakho sithuma uJudasi loSila ukuze labo balibikele ngomlomo izinto ezisencwadini le,
28 ngoba kubonakale kufanele emoyeni ongcwele lakithi ukungalingezeleli omunye umthwalo ngaphandle kwalezizinto eziqakathekileyo:
29 ukuthi liqhubeke lixwaya izinto ezihlatshelwe izithombe, lixwaya legazi, lezinto eziklinyiweyo* kanye lokuziphatha okubi kwezemacansini.* Nxa lingaqhubeka lizibalekela lezizinto, lizaphumelela. Libe lempilakahle!”*
30 Amadoda la esetshelwe ukuthi ahambe, ehla aya e-Antiyokhi afika abuthanisa lonke ixuku labafundi alinika incwadi.
31 Yathi isibaliwe, bathokoza ngoba yayikhuthaza.
32 Njengoba uJudasi loSila labo babengabaphrofethi, bakhuthaza abazalwane ngenkulumo ezinengi babaqinisa.
33 Amadoda la athi eseke ahlala isikhathi, abazalwane bawavalelisa ngokuthula esebuyela kulabo ababewathumile.
34 *——
35 Kodwa uPhawuli loBhanabha basala e-Antiyokhi befundisa njalo bememezela izindaba ezinhle zelizwi likaJehova belabanye abanengi.
36 Ngemva kwensuku ezithile uPhawuli wathi kuBhanabha: “Khathesi kasibuyele siyevakatshela abafowethu kuwo wonke amadolobho esatshumayela kuwo ilizwi likaJehova, siyebona ukuthi banjani.”
37 UBhanabha wayezimisele ukuthi bahambe loJohane owayebizwa ngokuthi nguMakho.
38 Kodwa uPhawuli wayengavumelani lokuthi bahambe laye ngoba wayebatshiyile ePhamfiliya, wangahambi labo emsebenzini.
39 Baphikisana kwathunqa uthuli, bacina besehlukana. UBhanabha wasethatha uMakho baya eKhuphro ngesikepe.
40 UPhawuli yena wakhetha uSila, njalo abazalwane bathi sebenikele uPhawuli emuseni omkhulu kaJehova, wasuka wahamba.
41 Wadabula eSiriya leKhilikhiya eqinisa amabandla.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “impikiswano le.”
^ Kumbe, “isihonqo; indlu.”
^ Kumbe, “umbono wami.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, por·neiʹa. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “lalokho okubulawa kungophiswa.”
^ Kumbe, “ukuphambula imiphefumulo yenu.”
^ Kumbe, “imiphefumulo yawo.”
^ Kumbe, “lalokho okubulawa kungophiswa.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, por·neiʹa. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “Salani kuhle.”
^ Ivesi le kayitholakali kweminye imibhalo yasendulo njalo ubufakazi obukhona butshengisa ukuthi yayingekho eMibhalweni ephefumulelweyo.
