ImiSebenzi 20:1-38
20 Kwathi isiphithiphithi sesiphelile, uPhawuli wabiza abafundi wabakhuthaza, wasebavalelisa wangena umango elubangise eMakhedoniya.
2 Wadabula ezindaweni ezazikulowomango ebakhuthaza kakhulu ababelapho, wasefika eGrisi.
3 Wahlala lapho okwenyanga ezintathu kodwa wathi esezakuya eSiriya ngomkhumbi, amaJuda abumba icebo lokumbulala. Yikho wazimisela ukubuyela ngendlela edlula eMakhedoniya.
4 Wayephelekezelwa nguSophatha indodana kaPhirusi waseBheriya, lo-Aristakhu, loSekhundu waseThesalonika, loGayu waseDebhe, loThimothi kanye loThikhikhu lo-Trofimu ababevela esabelweni sase-Asiya.
5 Amadoda la asiqalela ukuhamba ayasimelela eTrowa.
6 Ngemva kwensuku zoMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingelamvubelo, sasuka eFiliphi ngesikepe sayafika eTrowa ngemva kwamalanga amahlanu, sahlala khona okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
7 Ngelanga lokuqala leviki sabuthana ukuze sidle ndawonye. UPhawuli waqalisa ukukhuluma labo njengoba wayezasuka ngelanga elilandelayo. Wakhuluma okwesikhathi eside kwaze kwaba phakathi laphakathi kobusuku.
8 Endlini ephezulu esasibuthene kuyo kwakulezibane ezinengana.
9 Kwakulejaha okuthiwa nguYuthikhu elalihlezi ewindini elajunywa yibuthongo uPhawuli elokhu ekhuluma, lalala nya. Selithethwe yibuthongo, lawa lisuka esitezi sesithathu balidobha selifile.
10 UPhawuli wehla waya phansi, wafika waziphosela phezu kwalo waligona, wasesithi: “Yekelani ukuphithizela, uyaphila.”*
11 Wasekhwela waya phezulu wafika wahlephuna isinkwa waqalisa ukudla. Waqhubeka ekhuluma okwesikhathi eside kwaze kwaba semadabukakusa wasesuka.
12 Ngakho bamthatha umfana bahamba laye esephila, baduduzeka kakhulu.
13 Thina sasuka kuqala sayagada umkhumbi saqonda e-Asosi kodwa uPhawuli yena wahamba ngenyawo. Sasizahlangana laye khona simthathe ngomkhumbi njengoba wayesitshele ukuthi senze njalo.
14 Ngakho wathi esithola e-Asosi, samthatha sahamba laye ngomkhumbi eMithilene.
15 Sasuka lapho ngelanga elilandelayo sayakuma eduze leKhiyosi. Ngelanga lesibili safika sama kancane eSamosi, sasesifika eMilethu ngelanga lesithathu.
16 UPhawuli wayekhethe ukuyiceza i-Efesu ukuze angahlali esabelweni sase-Asiya ngoba wayejahe ukuthi nxa kuvuma ayefika eJerusalema ngosuku loMkhosi WePhentekhosti.
17 Lanxa kunjalo, wathi eseMilethu wathumela ilizwi e-Efesu ebiza abadala bebandla.
18 Bathi sebefikile kuye wathi kubo: “Likwazi mhlophe ukuthi ngangiphila njani phakathi kwenu kusukela ngelanga lokuqala ngibeka olwami esabelweni sase-Asiya.
19 Ngayisebenzela nzima iNkosi ngokuthobeka* konke langezinyembezi lobunzima obangehlelayo ngenxa yamacebo ayebunjwa ngamaJuda.
20 Kangizange ngithikaze ukulitshela loba yini eyayingalinceda, lokulifundisa obala lasendlini ngendlu.
21 Kodwa ngafakaza ngokugcweleyo kumaJuda lakumaGrikhi ukuthi kumele baphendukele kuNkulunkulu njalo babe lokholo eNkosini yethu uJesu.
22 Khathesi ngiqhutshwa ngumoya ongcwele ngiya eJerusalema lanxa ngingakwazi okuzangehlela khonale,
23 ngaphandle kokuthi umoya ongcwele uqhubeka ufakaza kimi idolobho ngedolobho, usithi ngizabotshwa njalo ngehlelwe zinhlupho.
24 Loba kunjalo eyami impilo* angiyiboni iligugu kimi.* Okuqakathekileyo yikuthi ngiqede umsebenzi lenkonzo engayamukela eNkosini uJesu, eyokufakaza ngokugcweleyo izindaba ezinhle zomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu.
25 “Khathesi ngiyazi ukuthi kini engalitshumayeza ngoMbuso, kakho ozaphinda abone ubuso bami futhi.
26 Lamuhla nje ngifuna libe ngofakazi bokuthi ngimsulwa egazini labantu bonke
27 ngoba kangizange ngithikaze ukulitshela yonke intando* kaNkulunkulu.
28 Zilindeni lina lawo wonke umhlambi umoya ongcwele olibeke ukuthi libe ngababonisi phezu kwawo, ukuba leluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu alithenga ngegazi leNdodana yakhe.
29 Ngiyazi ukuthi nxa sengihambile impisi ezilesihluku zizangena phakathi kwenu njalo kazisoze ziwuphathe ngozwelo umhlambi,
30 futhi phakathi kwenu kuzavela amadoda azakhuluma izinto ezinxele efuna ukudukisa abafundi ukuze bawalandele.
31 “Ngakho hlalani lilindile, likhumbule ukuthi okweminyaka emithathu kangizange ngiyekele ukweluleka ngamunye wenu ngezinyembezi ebusuku lemini.
32 Khathesi ngilinikela kuNkulunkulu laselizwini lomusa wakhe omkhulu, lona elenelisa ukulakha lokulipha ilifa phakathi kwabo bonke abangcwelisiweyo.
33 Kangizange ngihawukele isiliva loba igolide kumbe izigqoko zomuntu.
34 Lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi izandla zami lezi yizo ezenze ngathola ebengikuswela lokwalabo ebengilabo.
35 Ngilitshengisile kukho konke ukuthi ngokusebenza nzima ngalindlela, kumele lincedise ababuthakathaka njalo lihlale likhumbula amazwi akhulunywa yiNkosi uJesu ngokwayo, athi: ‘Ukupha kuyathokozisa kakhulu ukwedlula ukwamukela.’”
36 Esekutshilo lokhu waguqa phansi labo bonke wathandaza.
37 Bonke bakhala ezimathonsi sibili, bamgona uPhawuli* bamqabuza
38 ngoba kwakubazwisa ubuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi wayethe babengasoze baphinde babubone ubuso bakhe. Basebemphelekezela esesiya emkhunjini.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ngoba umphefumulo wakhe ukuye.”
^ Kumbe, “ngokuzehlisa.”
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo.”
^ Kumbe, “ngiyibona ingasilutho ngitsho.”
^ Kumbe, “injongo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “bawela entanyeni kaPhawuli.”
