ImiSebenzi 27:1-44
27 Kwathi sekukhethwe ukuthi siye e-Ithali ngomkhumbi, umkhokheli webutho owayethiwa nguJuliyu watshelwa ukuthi athathe uPhawuli lezinye izibotshwa. Wayengowebutho lika-Agastu.
2 Sangena emkhunjini owawuvela e-Adramithiyumi owawusuzasuka uye emathekwini* esabelo sase-Asiya, sasesihamba silo-Aristakhu indoda eyayivela eThesalonika esabelweni saseMakhedoniya.
3 Ngelanga elilandelayo safika sama eSidoni. UJuliyu waba lomusa kuPhawuli, wamvumela ukuthi aye kubangane bakhe bayemnakekela.
4 Sasesisuka ngomkhumbi sahamba sisekele isihlenge seKhuphro, sicatshele umoya owawuphambana lathi.
5 Ngemva kwalokho sadabula elwandle sisekele iKhilikhiya lePhamfiliya, sayakuma ethekwini laseMira elaliseLikhiya.
6 Sesilapho umkhokheli webutho wathola umkhumbi owawuvela e-Alekizandriya usiya e-Ithali, wathi siyengena kuwo.
7 Sasuka ngomkhumbi sanyonyoba okwensuku ezinengi, safika nzima eKhinidu. Saqhubeka ngohambo sisekele iKhrethe siseSalimone ukuze sicatshele umoya owawusibuyisela emuva.
8 Sahamba nzima sigudle ikhumbi, saze safika endaweni okuthiwa yiMatheku Amahle, eyayiseduze ledolobho laseLaseya.
9 Kwadlula isikhathi eside, futhi kwasekuyingozi ukuqhubeka ngohambo ngoba lokuzila ukudla okwakusenziwa ngeLanga Lokubuyisana kwasekudlulile. Yikho uPhawuli wabacebisa
10 wathi: “Madoda, ngiyabona ukuthi uhambo lolu luzasidalela umonakalo njalo sizalahlekelwa zimpahla lomkhumbi, ngitsho lempilo zethu* sibili.”
11 Lanxa kunjalo, umkhokheli webutho walalela umtshayeli womkhumbi lomnikazi wawo kulokuthi alalele uPhawuli.
12 Kodwa ethekwini lelo kwakungahlaleki ngesikhathi sebusika. Yikho abanengi bathi kungcono sisuke lapho sibone ukuthi singafika yini eFenikhe, sihlale khona ebusika. IFenikhe kwakulitheku laseKhrethe elalikhangele enyakatho mpumalanga laseningizimu mpumalanga.
13 Kwathi sekuvunguza umoya omnandi owawuvela eningizimu, bacabanga ukuthi ababekufisa kwasekusenzakala. Basebengcothula izingwegwe zomkhumbi, umkhumbi wangena indlela, uhamba usekele iKhrethe eduze lasekhunjini.
14 Kodwa bengakayi ngaphi kwaqubuka umoya ololaka okuthiwa nguYurokhilo.*
15 Umkhumbi wakhulelwa ngumoya lo wehluleka ukuphikisana lawo, sawuyekela wandenda nje ulandela umoya.
16 Kwaze kwathi cosololo sesisithele ngale kwesihlenge esincane okuthiwa yiKhawuda. Loba kunjalo, sasivikela nzima isikepe esincane* esasingemva komkhumbi.
17 Kodwa bathi sebesidonsele phakathi komkhumbi bathandela umkhumbi ngentambo ukuze uqine, amapulanka awo angehlukani. Behlisa amaseyili wandenda uqhutshwa ngumoya ngoba babesesaba ukuthi bazatshayelela eSithisi.*
18 Ngelanga elilandelayo saqalisa ukuphungula imithwalo eyayisemkhunjini ngoba isiphepho sasilolaka, sisijikela le lale.
19 Ngelanga lesithathu baphosela emanzini ezinye intambo ezazisemkhunjini.
20 Isiphepho saqhubeka sisidla ubhedu, kwedlula insuku ezinengi singaliboni ilanga lenkanyezi singasazazi, saze saqalisa ukuphelelwa lithemba lokuthi sizasila.
21 Sebehlale okwesikhathi eside bengadlanga lutho, uPhawuli wasukuma phakathi kwabo wathi: “Madoda, ngabe lingilalele ngilicebisa ukuthi lingasuki eKhrethe, besingeke sehlelwe ngumonakalo lo sicine sesilahlekelwe kangaka.
22 Lanxa kunjalo wobani lesibindi ngoba kakho loyedwa wenu ozakufa, umkhumbi yiwo wodwa ozabhidlika.
23 Ebusuku ingilosi kaNkulunkulu wami engimenzela inkonzo engcwele ifike yama eceleni kwami
24 yathi: ‘Ungesabi Phawuli. Kumele ume phambi kukaKhesari, njalo bonke ohamba labo uNkulunkulu uzabasindisa ngenxa yakho.’
25 Yikho madoda wobani lesibindi ngoba ngiyakholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzakwenza khona kanye engikutsheliweyo.
26 Kodwa umkhumbi uzatshayeka kwesinye isihlenge.”
27 Kwathi sekulilanga lesi-14 phakathi laphakathi kobusuku, umoya ulokhu usiphosela le lale eLwandle Lwase-Adriya, abagwedli bomkhumbi baqalisa ukucabangela ukuthi sasesisondela lapho okulomhlabathi khona.
28 Balinganisa ukuthi amanzi ayetshona kangakanani, bathola ukuthi ayengamamitha angaba ngu-36. Baqhubeka okomangwana, balinganisa futhi, bathola ukuthi kwasekungamamitha angaba ngu-27.
29 Bathe sebesesaba ukuthi bazatshayeka emadwaleni, baphosa izingwegwe ezine ezisindayo ezazingemuva komkhumbi ukuze ume, bafisa ukuthi ngabe kuyasa.
30 Abagwedli bazama ukubaleka emkhunjini, behlisa isikepe esincane elwandle, besenza angathi bafuna ukwehlisa izingwegwe ezisindayo ezaziphambi komkhumbi.
31 UPhawuli wasesithi kumkhokheli webutho kanye lasemasotsheni: “Kalisoze lisile nxa amadoda la angaphuma emkhunjini.”
32 Ngakho amasotsha aquma intambo zesikepe esincane, asiyekela sawa.
33 Kwathi sekuzakusa, uPhawuli wakhuthaza bonke ukuthi badle, wathi: “Sekulilanga lesi-14 lilokhu lilinde ngabomvu, futhi belingadli lutho.
34 Yikho ngicela ukuthi lidle bakithi ukuze liqine, ngoba akula lolulodwa unwele olusemakhanda enu oluzatshabalala.”
35 Esetsho njalo wathatha isinkwa wabonga uNkulunkulu phambi kwabo bonke, wasihlephuna waqalisa ukudla.
36 Bonke basebesiba lesibindi, labo baqalisa ukudla.
37 Sonke esasisemkhunjini sasingu-276.
38 Bathi sebedle basutha baqalisa ukuphungula imithwalo eyayisemkhunjini ngokuphosela ingqoloyi elwandle.
39 Sekusile kabazange bayazi indawo ababekuyo kodwa babezibonela ikhumbi elilitshebetshebe, basebezimisela ukuthi bayewumisa lapho umkhumbi nxa bengenelisa.
40 Yikho-ke baquma intambo zengwegwe ezisindayo baziyekela zawela elwandle, ngapha bethukulula intambo zamaphini okuqondisa umkhumbi. Basebekhweza iseyili elincane elaliphambili ukuze lifuqwe ngumoya, nampo beqonda ekhunjini.
41 Bafika babhaja etshebetshebeni eyayisekhunjini, umkhumbi wama mpo. Wabanjelwa phambili wangatshedi, ngapha emuva watshaywa ngamagagasi awuvuthuza.
42 Amasotsha athe ekubona lokhu athi kungcono abulale izibotshwa ukuze zingabhukutshi zibaleke.
43 Kodwa umkhokheli webutho wawavimbela ukwenza lokho ngoba wayezimisele ukufika loPhawuli ephila. Wasesithi ababesenelisa ukubhukutsha beqele elwandle bayefika kuqala emhlabathini,
44 abaseleyo besebelandela bephezu kwamapulanka lokunye okwakuhlephuke emkhunjini. Ngakho bonke bafika kuhle emhlabathini.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Itheku yindawo okuma khona imikhumbi.
^ Kumbe, “lemiphefumulo yethu.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo umoya ovela enyakatho mpumalanga.
^ Isikepe lesi esincane sasinganceda abantu nxa umkhumbi usucwila.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
