ImiSebenzi 21:1-40
21 Sathi sesibavalelise ngezinhliziyo ezibuhlungu, sasuka ngesikepe saqonda eKhosi. Ngelanga elilandelayo saya eRodi, sasuka lapho saya ePhathara.
2 Sathola umkhumbi owawuchapha usiya eFenikhiya sangena kuwo sahamba.
3 Sesikhangelane lesihlenge seKhuphro, sasiceza ngakwesenxele sadlula saya eSiriya, safika sama eThire lapho umkhumbi okwakumele wehlise khona impahla.
4 Sadinga abafundi sabathola, sasesihlala khona okwamalanga ayisikhombisa. Kodwa ngomoya ongcwele babelokhu betshela uPhawuli ukuthi angalugxobi eJerusalema.
5 Isikhathi sethu sokuba lapho sathi sesiphelile sasuka sangena indlela. Bonke abafundi kanye labesifazana labantwana basiphelekezela saze sayafika phandle kwedolobho. Sesisekhunjini saguqa sathandaza,
6 sasesivalelisana. Ngemva kwalokho sangena emkhunjini, bona babuyela emakhaya abo.
7 Sasuka eThire ngomkhumbi sayafika ePhetholemayi, sabingelela abafowethu sahlala labo okwelanga elilodwa.
8 Ngelanga elilandelayo sasuka saya eKhesariya safika sangena endlini kaFiliphu umvangeli sahlala laye. Wayengomunye wamadoda ayisikhombisa ayekhethiwe,
9 njalo wayelamadodakazi amane ayengatshadanga* futhi ayephrofetha.
10 Kodwa sathi sesihlale khona okwensuku ezinengana, umphrofethi u-Agabhu wafika evela eJudiya.
11 Wasilanda wasethatha ibhanti likaPhawuli wazibopha ngalo inyawo lezandla wathi: “Umoya ongcwele uthi, ‘AmaJuda azambopha kanje umnikazi webhanti leli eJerusalema, njalo azamnikela ezandleni zabantu bezizweni.’”
12 Thina labanye ababelapho sathi sikuzwa lokhu, saqalisa ukuncenga uPhawuli ukuthi angayi eJerusalema.
13 Yena waphendula wathi: “Kanti likhalelani lizama ukungiqeda amandla?* Yazini ukuthi angizimiselanga ukuyabotshwa kuphela, kodwa ngizimisele lokufa eJerusalema ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uJesu.”
14 Sithe sibona ukuthi kancengeki sayekela ukumphikisa* sathi: “Intando kaJehova kayenziwe.”
15 Ngemva kwamalanga la salungiselela uhambo lokuya eJerusalema, sasesisuka saya khona.
16 Abanye abafundi ababevela eKhesariya bahamba lathi besisa kuMnasoni waseKhuphro, omunye wabafundi bakuqala esasizafikela emzini wakhe.
17 Sathi sifika eJerusalema, abafowethu basemukela bethokoza.
18 Kodwa ngelanga elilandelayo uPhawuli wahamba lathi kuJakhobe njalo bonke abadala babekhona.
19 Esebabingelele waqalisa ukubalandisela konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzile kwabezizweni ngenkonzo yakhe.
20 Bathi sebekuzwile lokho baqalisa ukukhazimulisa uNkulunkulu, kodwa bathi kuye: “Mfowethu, uyabona ukuthi zinengi njani izinkulungwane ezingamakholwa phakathi kwamaJuda futhi zonke zitshisekela uMthetho.
21 Kodwa abantu laba bazwe amahungahunga okuthi wena ubufundisa wonke amaJuda aphakathi kwabezizweni ukuthi ahlamuke eMthethweni kaMosi, uwatshela ukuthi angasoki abantwabawo lokuthi angalandeli amasiko.
22 Manje kwenziweni ngakho? Loba sekutheni bazakuzwa ukuthi usufikile.
23 Wena yenza esikutshela khona: Silamadoda amane enze isifungo.
24 Thatha amadoda la uyezihlambulula ngokoMthetho kaMosi kanye lawo, ubhadale izindleko zawo ukuze aphuce amakhanda awo. Lapho-ke wonke umuntu uzakwazi ukuthi amahungahunga abekhulunywa ngawe kawasilo qiniso lokuthi wena uhamba ngendlela eqondileyo futhi uyawugcina uMthetho.
25 Amakholwa aphakathi kwabezizweni wona siwabhalele isinqumo sethu sawathumela sona, esokuthi kumele aqhubeke exwaya okuhlatshelwe izithombe, axwaye legazi, lezinto eziklinyiweyo* kanye lokuziphatha okubi kwezemacansini.”*
26 UPhawuli wasethatha amadoda la ngelanga elilandelayo, wazihlambulula ngokoMthetho kaMosi kanye lawo, wasehamba ethempelini esiyabika ukuthi amalanga okuzihlambulula ayezaphela nini ukuze umnikelo wendoda ngayinye unikelwe.
27 Amalanga ayisikhombisa esezaphela, amaJuda ayevela e-Asiya ambona ethempelini adunga lonke ixuku asembamba,
28 ememeza esithi: “Bantu bako-Israyeli ncedani bo! Indoda le yiyo efundisa abantu bonke kuyo yonke indawo izinto ezeyisa abantu bakithi loMthetho wethu kanye lendawo le engcwele. Okubi kakhulu yikuthi ize yabuya lamaGrikhi ethempelini, yangcolisa indawo le engcwele.”
29 Ayesitsho njalo ngoba ayeke abona uPhawuli edolobheni eloTrofimu wase-Efesu, asecabanga ukuthi wayebuye laye ethempelini.
30 Kwasekulokuxokozela edolobheni lonke futhi abantu babuya begijima ndawonye bafika babamba uPhawuli bamhudulela phandle kwethempeli, iminyango yahle yavalwa.
31 Bathi besazama ukumbulala, induna yamabutho yathola umbiko wokuthi kwasekuyisiphithiphithi kulo lonke iJerusalema.
32 Yahle yathatha amasotsha labakhokheli bamabutho bagijima baya khona. Abantu bathi bebona induna yamabutho kanye lamasotsha bama ukutshaya uPhawuli.
33 Induna yamabutho yasondela yambopha yalaya ukuthi abotshwe ngamaketane amabili. Yasibuza ukuthi wayengubani lokuthi kuyini ayekwenzile.
34 Kodwa abanye exukwini babememeza lokhu abanye lokhuya, yacina ingasakwazi ukuthi okuyikho yikuphi ngenxa yokuxokozela kwabo. Yikho yalaya ukuthi alethwe enkambeni yamasotsha.
35 Wathi efika emasitephisini kwasekumele athwalwe ngamasotsha ngenxa yokuthi ixuku lalilodlakela.
36 Phela ixuku labantu lalilokhu lilandela limemeza lisithi: “Mbulale!”
37 UPhawuli wathi esezangeniswa enkambeni yamasotsha wathi enduneni yamabutho: “Ngiyavunyelwa yini ukukhuluma lawe?” Yona yathi: “Uyasikhuluma yini isiGrikhi?
38 Pho kayisuwe umGibhithe owake wavusa umvukela wakhokhela amadoda angu-4 000 ayehlome ngezingqamu, waya lawo enkangala?”
39 UPhawuli wasesithi: “Mina ngingumJuda weThasu yaseKhilikhiya, ngiyisizalwane sedolobho eliqakathekileyo. Yikho ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ungivumele ngikhulume labantu.”
40 Induna yathi isimnike imvumo, uPhawuli wathulisa abantu ngesandla emi emasitephisini. Kwathula cwaka, wasekhuluma labo ngolimi lwesiHebheru wathi:
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “ayezintombi ezigcweleyo.”
^ Kumbe, “ukungenza ngibe buthakathaka enhliziyweni?”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “sathula.”
^ Kumbe, “ezibulawa zingophiswa.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, por·neiʹa. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
