ImiSebenzi 28:1-31
28 Sithe sesifike kuhle ekhunjini, sezwa ukuthi isihlenge leso sasithiwa yiMalitha.
2 Abantu bakuleyondawo* baba lomusa omangalisayo kithi. Basemukela kuhle kakhulu sonke basebebasa umlilo ngoba izulu lalisina futhi kuqanda.
3 UPhawuli wathatha inkuni wazifaka emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ibululu selisizwa sekutshisa, lamuthi nka esandleni.
4 Abantu bakuleyondawo bathi bebona inyoka le eluma kabuhlungu ilenga esandleni sakhe baqalisa ukukhuluma bebodwa besithi: “Indoda le ingumbulali sibili. Lanxa isilile elwandle, uKwahlulela Kuhle* kazange ayivumele ukuthi iqhubeke iphila.”
5 Kodwa yena wayilabhulela emlilweni inyoka, wasala engalimalanga.
6 Babelindele ukuthi uzavuvuka kumbe ahle athi di phansi afe. Bathi sebelinde balinda, babona ukuthi akulanto embi eyenzakalayo kuye, basebentshintsha ingqondo bathi ungunkulunkulu.
7 Endaweni le kwakulamasimu endoda okwakuthiwa nguPhabhiliyu eyayingumbusi walesosihlenge. Yasemukela ngazo zombili, sahlala layo okwamalanga amathathu isiphethe kuhle.
8 Uyise kaPhabhiliyu wayelele embhedeni ephethwe yisihudo lomzimba utshisa. UPhawuli waya kuye wafika wathandaza, wasembeka izandla wamsilisa.
9 Kwathi sekwenzakele lokhu, labanye ababegula kulesosihlenge baqalisa ukubuya kuye njalo wabelapha.
10 Basibonga ngezipho ezinengi, njalo sathi sesilungiselela ukuhamba ngomkhumbi basinika konke esasikufuna.
11 Sesihlale okwenyanga ezintathu kuleyondawo sasuka ngomkhumbi owawulezithombe zamadodana kaZewusi. Umkhumbi lo wawuvela e-Alekizandriya futhi wawuhlale esihlengeni leso ngesikhathi sebusika.
12 Safika sama ethekwini leSirakhusi sahlala khona okwensuku ezintathu,
13 sasesisuka lapho sayafika eRegiyumi. Ngelanga elilandelayo kwaqubuka umoya owawuvela eningizimu sahamba sayafika ePhuthewoli ngelanga lesibili.
14 EPhuthewoli sathola abazalwane, basincenga ukuthi sihlale labo okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, ngemva kwalokho saqonda eRoma.
15 Abazalwane baseRoma bathi sebezwile ngathi babuya bezosihlangabeza, baze bafika eMakethe Yase-Aphiya lasendaweni ebizwa ngokuthi yiZindlu Ezintathu. UPhawuli uthe ebabona nje, wabonga uNkulunkulu futhi waba lesibindi.
16 Sathi sesifikile eRoma uPhawuli wavunyelwa ukuthi ahlale yedwa elindwe lisotsha.
17 Kodwa ngemva kwensuku ezintathu wabiza amadoda aqakathekileyo esizweni samaJuda. Athe esebuthene wathi kuwo: “Madoda, bafowethu, lanxa ngangingonelanga muntu futhi ngingaphikisananga lamasiko abokhokho bethu, ngabotshwa eJerusalema nganikelwa ezandleni zamaRoma.
18 Ngemva kokungibuzisisa ayesefuna ukungikhulula ngoba kwakungelasizatho sokuthi ngibulawe.
19 AmaJuda athi eseyalile ukuthi ngikhululwe, kwakungasela ngenye indlela ngaphandle kokuthi ngidlulisele icala kuKhesari, kodwa kayisikho ukuthi ngangisethesa isizwe sakithi icala.
20 Lokhu yikho okwenze ngacela ukulibona ngikhulume lani. Ngileketane le ngenxa yethemba lako-Israyeli.”
21 Bathi kuye: “Kasitholanga zincwadi ezivela eJudiya ezikhuluma ngawe njalo kakho umfowethu ovela khonale oseke wabuya ezobika kumbe ezokhuluma okubi ngawe.
22 Kodwa sibona kungcono ukuthi wena usitshele ukuthi ucabangani, ngoba siyakwazi sibili ukuthi iqembu leli elabhazukayo lisolwa ngabantu kuyo yonke indawo.”
23 Basebebeka ilanga ababezahlangana ngalo, babuya lapho ayehlala khona sebebanengi kakhulu kulakuqala. Kusukela ekuseni kusiya ntambama, wabachasisela indaba le efakaza ngokugcweleyo ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ukuze abancede bakholwe kuJesu esebenzisa uMthetho kaMosi labaPhrofethi.
24 Abanye bakukholwa ayekukhuluma kodwa abanye kabakukholwanga.
25 Baqalisa ukusuka lapho ngenxa yokuthi babengavumelani, uPhawuli wasesithi:
“Umoya ongcwele wawuqinisile sibili lapho ukhuluma labokhokho benu usebenzisa umphrofethi u-Isaya,
26 usithi, ‘Hamba uyetshela abantu laba uthi: “Lizakuzwa sibili kodwa kalisoze lafa lazwisisa, futhi lizakhangela sibili kodwa kalisoze labona loba sekutheni.
27 Phela izinhliziyo zabantu laba sezibe lukhuni, njalo sebezwile ngendlebe zabo kodwa kabenzanga lutho. Bawavalile amehlo abo ukuze angaboni loba sekutheni, lendlebe zabo ukuze zingezwa futhi bangazwisisi ngezinhliziyo zabo, okwenza ukuthi bangaphenduki ngibasilise.”’
28 Ngakho kumele likwazi ukuthi izindaba zensindiso le evela kuNkulunkulu sezithunyelwe ebantwini bezizweni futhi bazazilalela.”
29 *——
30 Waseqhubeka ekuleyondawo okweminyaka emibili, ehlala endlini ayeyibhadalela njalo wayebemukela kuhle bonke ababemvakatshela.
31 Wayebatshumayeza ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, futhi ebafundisa ngeNkosi uJesu Khristu elenkululeko enkulu yokukhuluma,* kungela lutho olumvimbayo.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “laba ababengakhulumi isiGrikhi.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, Diʹke. Ibala leli lingabe lisitsho unkulunkulukazi ophindisela ngokwahlulela kuhle, kumbe ukwahlulela kuhle khona ngokwakho.
^ Ivesi le kayitholakali kweminye imibhalo yasendulo njalo ubufakazi obukhona butshengisa ukuthi yayingekho eMibhalweni ephefumulelweyo.
^ Kumbe, “engesabi lutho ngitsho.”
