ImiSebenzi 16:1-40
16 Wafika eDebhe laseListra. Lapho kwakulomfundi okwakuthiwa nguThimothi. Wayeyindodana yowesifazana ongumJuda olikholwa, kodwa uyise wayengumGrikhi.
2 Abazalwane baseListra labase-Ikhoniyami babekhuluma kuhle ngaye.
3 UPhawuli waveza ukuthi wayelesifiso sokuhamba loThimothi, wasemthatha wamsoka ngenxa yamaJuda akulezondawo ngoba wonke ayesazi ukuthi uyise wayengumGrikhi.
4 Babehamba idolobho ngedolobho, besethulela abazalwane izinqumo ezazenziwe ngabaphostoli labadala eJerusalema ukuze bazilandele.
5 Yikho amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa ekukholweni futhi abazalwane besanda usuku ngosuku.
6 Badabula laseFrigiya kanye lasemangweni weGalathiya ngoba umoya ongcwele wawalile ukuthi bakhulume ilizwi esabelweni sase-Asiya.
7 Bathe befika eMisiya bazama ukungena eBhithiniya, kodwa umoya kaJesu kawubavumelanga.
8 Ngakho badlula* eMisiya, bafika eTrowa.
9 UPhawuli wasefikelwa ngumbono ebusuku, wabona indoda yaseMakhedoniya imi imncenga isithi: “Chaphela ngapha eMakhedoniya usincede.”
10 Uthe esebone umbono lo, sahle sazama ukuyangena eMakhedoniya, sesiphethe ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wayesibizele ukuthi sitshumayele izindaba ezinhle kubo.
11 Yikho-ke sasuka eTrowa ngesikepe saqonda eSamothrake kodwa ngelanga elilandelayo saya eNiyapholi.
12 Sisuka lapho salubangisa eFiliphi, idolobho leRoma* eliqakathekileyo esigabeni seMakhedoniya. Sahlala edolobheni leli okwamalanga athile.
13 Ngelanga leSabatha saya ngaphandle kwegedi eceleni komfula, lapho esasicabanga ukuthi kulendawo yokuthandaza. Safika sahlala phansi saqalisa ukukhuluma labesifazana ababebuthene.
14 Kwakulowesifazana owayedabuka edolobheni laseThiyathira okuthiwa nguLidiya owayelalele. Wayengumthengisi wamalembu ayibubende* futhi wayekhonza uNkulunkulu. UJehova wayivula kakhulu inhliziyo yakhe ukuze emukele okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli.
15 Kwathi yena layehlala labo sebebhabhathiziwe, wasincenga wathi: “Nxa lingibona ngithembekile kuJehova, wozani lizohlala endlini yami.” Lakanye sahamba laye ngoba wayelokhu esincenga.
16 Sathi sisiya endaweni yokuthandaza, sahlangana lenye intombazana eyincekukazi eyayilomoya, idimoni lokubonisa ngekusasa. Yayisenzela abaniniyo inzuzo enengi ngokutshela abantu okuzakwenzakala.
17 Intombazana le yaqhubeka ilandela uPhawuli lathi, imemeza isithi: “Amadoda la ayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke futhi khathesi amemezela kini indlela yensindiso.”
18 Yayilokhu isenza njalo okwamalanga amanengi. Ekucineni uPhawuli wadakeka, watshibilika wathi emoyeni lo: “Ngebizo likaJesu Khristu, ngikulaya ukuthi uphume kuye.” Umoya lo wahle waphuma ngalesosikhathi.*
19 Abaniniyo bathe bebona ukuthi ithemba labo lokuthola inzuzo laseliphelile, babamba uPhawuli loSila babahudulela kubabusi emakethe.
20 Bafika labo kubomantshi, bathi: “Amadoda la aphambanisa idolobho lethu kakhulu. AngamaJuda
21 njalo afundisa amasiko okungekho emthethweni ukuthi thina siwemukele loba siwalandele, njengoba singamaRoma.”
22 Ixuku laqubuka lonke labavukela. Omantshi bathi izigqoko zamadoda la zidatshulwe, basebesithi kawatshaywe ngemiqwayi.
23 Bathi sebewatshaye bawatshaya, bawaphosela ejele balaya ukuthi umgcinijele awalinde angaphunyuki.
24 Njengoba wayetshelwe ukuthi enze njalo, wawaphosela esitokisini esiphakathi laphakathi kwejele, wabophela inyawo zawo emapulankeni amakhulu.
25 Kodwa sekungaba phakathi kwamabili uPhawuli loSila babethandaza futhi behlabela bedumisa uNkulunkulu, izibotshwa zibalalele.
26 Khonokho nje kwaba lokuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, okwenza izisekelo zejele zanyikinyeka. Kusenjalo yonke iminyango yathi gwabu, amaketane akhululeka emuntwini wonke.
27 Umgcinijele wathi ephaphama wabona iminyango yejele isivulekile, wasehwatsha inkemba yakhe esithi kahle azibulale, ecabanga ukuthi izibotshwa zasezibalekile.
28 Kodwa uPhawuli wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Ungazibulali ngoba sonke sikhona!”
29 Ngakho wacela izibane wahaluzela engena phakathi, eqhuqha engasazazi. Wazilahla phansi phambi kukaPhawuli loSila.
30 Waphuma labo phandle wathi: “Madoda, kumele ngenzeni ukuze ngisindiswe?”
31 Bathi: “Kholwa eNkosini uJesu, uzasindiswa, wena lalabo ohlala labo.”
32 Basebetshumayela kuye ilizwi likaJehova, batshumayeza labo bonke ababesendlini yakhe.
33 Wabathatha ngalelohola ebusuku wagezisa amanxeba abo. Yena labo bonke abendlu yakhe bahle babhabhathizwa.
34 Wabangenisa endlini yakhe wabafakela ukudla etafuleni, njalo yena labo bonke ayehlala labo bathokoza kakhulu ngoba wayesekholwa kuNkulunkulu.
35 Sekusile omantshi bathuma abalindi ukuthi bayekuthi: “Khulula amadoda lawaya.”
36 Umgcinijele watshela uPhawuli amazwi abo wathi: “Omantshi bathume amadoda ukuthi azokhulula lina lobabili. Yikho phumani khathesi lizihambele ngokuthula.”
37 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi kubo: “Basibhaxabule phambi kwabantu singalahlwanga licala,* lanxa singamaRoma, basebesiphosela ejele. Manje khathesi sebesikhulula ngudlu? Okungaqalwayo! Kababuye bona baphume lathi.”
38 Abalindi babikela omantshi amazwi la. Omantshi besaba besizwa ukuthi amadoda la ayengamaRoma.
39 Ngakho beza bazowancenga. Bathi sebephume lawo, bawacela ukuthi asuke edolobheni lelo.
40 Kodwa wona aphuma ejele aya emzini kaLidiya, njalo athi ebona abazalwane abakhuthaza asehamba.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “baquma.”
^ Idolobho leli lalingekho e-Ithali futhi ababehlala kulo babelamalungelo aqakathekileyo.
^ NgesiNgisi, “purple.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ngalelohola.”
^ Kumbe, “singathonisiswanga.”
