ImiSebenzi 7:1-60
7 Kodwa umphristi omkhulu wathi: “Kuliqiniso yini lokhu?”
2 UStefane wasephendula wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, lani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abrahama eMesophothamiya, engakayihlala eHarani,
3 wathi kuye: ‘Phuma elizweni lakho lasezihlotsheni zakho, uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.’
4 Wasephuma elizweni lamaKhaledi wayahlala eHarani. Esuka lapho, ngemva kokufa kukayise, uNkulunkulu wenza ukuthi athuthele elizweni leli elihlala kulo khathesi.
5 Kodwa kazange amnike ilifa endaweni le. Kazange amuphe ngitsho lendawo encane nje. Loba kunjalo wamthembisa ukuthi uzamnika yona lokuthi ngemva kwakhe uzayipha inzalo* yakhe, lanxa ngalesosikhathi wayengakabi lomntwana.
6 UNkulunkulu waphinda wamtshela ukuthi inzalo* yakhe yayizakuba ngabantu bezizweni elizweni elingasilayo, lokuthi babezayenza izigqili bayihlukuluze* okweminyaka engu-400.
7 UNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Ngizasahlulela isizwe leso abazakuba yizigqili zaso. Kanti njalo ngemva kwezinto lezi bazaphuma kuso futhi bazangenzela inkonzo engcwele endaweni le.’
8 “Wamnika lesivumelwano sokusoka, waba nguyise ka-Isaka njalo wamsoka ngelanga lesitshiyagalombili. U-Isaka waba nguyise kaJakhobe, uJakhobe yena waba nguyise wenhloko zemuli ezilitshumi lambili.
9 Inhloko zemuli lezi zaba lomhawu ngoJosefa, zamthengisela eGibhithe. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wayelaye,
10 futhi wamkhulula kuzo zonke inhlupho zakhe, wamnika lokuhlakanipha njalo wenza lokuthi uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe ibe lomusa kuye. UFaro wambeka ukuthi abuse iGibhithe lendlu yakhe yonke.
11 Kodwa lonke elaseGibhithe lelaseKhenani lahlaselwa yindlala, kwaba lokuhlupheka okukhulu okhokho bethu baswela khona okokufaka emlonyeni.
12 Lanxa kunjalo uJakhobe wezwa ukuthi kwakulokudla* eGibhithe, wasethuma okhokho bethu okokuqala.
13 Ngohambo lwabo lwesibili, uJosefa watshela abafowabo ukuthi ungubani, futhi uFaro wayazi imuli yakoJosefa.
14 Yikho uJosefa wathumela ilizwi wabiza uyise uJakhobe lezihlobo zakhe zonke ezazikuleyondawo. Abantu* laba babengu-75.
15 UJakhobe wasesiya eGibhithe njalo wafela khona, kwaba yiso leso lakubokhokho bethu.
16 Bathwalelwa eShekemu babekwa ethuneni u-Abrahama ayelithenge ngemali yesiliva emadodaneni kaHamori eShekemu.
17 “Sathi sesisiyafika isikhathi sokuthi kugcwaliseke lokho uNkulunkulu ayekuthembise u-Abrahama, abantu bakithi banda baba banengi kakhulu eGibhithe,
18 kwaze kwaqalisa ukubusa enye inkosi eGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa.
19 Inkosi le yadlelezela isizwe sakithi njalo yahlukuluza obaba, ibabamba ngenkani ukuthi bayekele ukondla izinsane zabo ukuze zingaqhubeki ziphila.
20 Ngalesosikhathi kwazalwa uMosi njalo wayemuhle kakhulu ngitsho lakuNkulunkulu. Wondliwa* emzini kayise okwenyanga ezintathu.
21 Kodwa wathi esetshiyiwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamthatha yamkhulisa angathi yindodana yayo.
22 Ngakho uMosi wafundiswa konke ukuhlakanipha kwabaseGibhithe futhi amazwi akhe lezenzo zakhe kwakulamandla.
23 “Eseleminyaka engu-40 kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe* ukuthi ake ayevakatshela* abafowabo, abantu bako-Israyeli.
24 Uthe ebona omunye wabo ehlukuluzwa, wamvikela njalo wamphindiselela ngokubulala umGibhithe.
25 Wayecabanga ukuthi abafowabo bazananzelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayebasindisa ngesandla sakhe, kodwa bona kabazange bakunanzelele.
26 Ngelanga elilandelayo wabafica besilwa, wasezama ukubalamula ngokuthula, esithi: ‘Madoda, lingumuntu lomfowabo. Kungani liphathana kubi?’
27 Kodwa lowo owayetshaya umakhelwane wakhe wamfuqela khatshana uMosi, wathi: ‘Kanti ngubani okubeke ukuthi ube ngumbusi lomahluleli wethu?
28 Usufuna ukungibulala njengomGibhithe lowaya ombulele izolo?’
29 UMosi wathi ekuzwa lokho wabaleka wayahlala elizweni lakoMidiyani engumuntu wezizweni, lapho afika khona waba nguyise wamadodana amabili.
30 “Kuthe sekwedlule iminyaka engu-40, ingilosi yabonakala kuye enkangala yeNtaba iSinayi, elangabini lesihlahla sameva esasibhebha.
31 UMosi wamangala ekubona lokho. Kodwa wathi esesondela esiyakhangelisisa, kwezwakala ilizwi likaJehova lisithi:
32 ‘NginguNkulunkulu wabokhokho bakho, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama lo-Isaka kanye loJakhobe.’ UMosi waqalisa ukuqhuqha, waswela lesibindi sokuqhubeka ehlolisisa.
33 UJehova wathi kuye: ‘Khipha amanyathela enyaweni zakho ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingcwele.
34 Sengikubonile sibili ukuhlukuluzwa kwabantu bami abaseGibhithe. Sengikuzwile ukukhala kwabo njalo sengehlile ukuze ngibakhulule. Woza-ke ngikuthume eGibhithe.’
35 UMosi lo ababemalile besithi: ‘Kanti ngubani okubeke ukuthi ube ngumbusi lomahluleli?’ nguye kanye owathunywa nguNkulunkulu ukuthi abe ngumbusi lomkhululi, esebenzisa ingilosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni sameva.
36 Indoda le yabakhokhela yabakhipha eGibhithe, isenza izimanga lezibonakaliso kulelolizwe, laseLwandle Olubomvu kanye lasenkangala okweminyaka engu-40.
37 “Nguye uMosi lo owathi emadodaneni ako-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uzalivusela phakathi kwabafowenu umphrofethi onjengami.’
38 Wayekhona ebandleni elalisenkangala, elengilosi eyakhuluma laye labokhokho bethu eNtabeni iSinayi, njalo wamukela amazwi angcwele futhi aphilayo ukuze asiphe wona.
39 Okhokho bethu bala ukumlalela, bamninela khatshana. Ezinhliziyweni zabo babuyela eGibhithe,
40 bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu ukuze basikhokhele ngoba kasikwazi ukuthi sekwenzakaleni kuMosi lo owasikhokhelayo siphuma elizweni laseGibhithe.’
41 Basebesenza isithombe sethole ngalezonsuku, baletha imihlatshelo kuso futhi baqalisa ukuzikholisela umsebenzi ababewenze ngezandla zabo.
42 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wabafulathela wabayekela besenzela ibutho lasezulwini inkonzo engcwele, njengoba nje kubhaliwe egwalweni lwabaPhrofethi ukuthi: ‘Iminikelo yenu lemihlatshelo elayenza enkangala okweminyaka engu-40 kaliyenzelanga mina, angithi kunjalo lina ndlu ka-Israyeli?
43 Kodwa laphakamisa itende likaMoloki lenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRefani, izithombe elazenzayo ukuze lizikhonze. Yikho ngizakwenza ukuthi lithunjwe lihanjiswe ngale kweBhabhiloni.’
44 “Okhokho bethu babeletende lobufakazi enkangala, njengoba uNkulunkulu wayenike uMosi imilayo yokuthi alenze lifanane lalokho ayekubonile.
45 Okhokho bethu balamukela laba ngelabo, babuya lalo beloJoshuwa beliletha elizweni lezizwe uNkulunkulu azixotsha phambi kwabokhokho bethu. Itende leli laba lapho kwaze kwaba sezinsukwini zikaDavida.
46 Yena wenzelwa umusa nguNkulunkulu futhi wacela isibusiso sokwakhela uNkulunkulu kaJakhobe indawo yokuhlala.
47 Loba kunjalo, nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.
48 Kodwa oPhezukonke kahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla, njengoba nje umphrofethi esithi:
49 ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi, lomhlaba uyisenabelo* senyawo zami. Manje yindlu enjani lina elingangakhela yona? Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguJehova. Ingaphi indawo yami yokuphumula?
50 Isandla sami kayisiso yini esenze konke lokhu?’
51 “Madoda ayiziqholo futhi angasokanga ezinhliziyweni lasendlebeni, lihlala liphikisana lomoya ongcwele. Lenza okwakusenziwa ngokhokho benu.
52 Ukhona yini umphrofethi okhokho benu abangazange bamhlukuluze? Bababulala sibili labo abamemezela ukuza kolungileyo engakafiki, lowo eselimthengisile lambulala,
53 lina elawamukelayo uMthetho owadluliselwa yizingilosi, kodwa elingawugcinanga.”
54 Bathi besizwa izinto lezi bazonda baphuphuma ezinhliziyweni zabo, baqalisa ukumgedlela amazinyo.
55 Kodwa yena wakhangela ezulwini egcwele umoya ongcwele, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu lekaJesu emi esandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu,
56 wasesithi: “Khangelani! Ngibona amazulu evulekile leNdodana yomuntu imi esandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu.”
57 Bekuzwa lokho baklabalala ngelizwi eliphezulu bavala indlebe zabo ngezandla, bamhahabela bonke.
58 Sebemphosele phandle kwedolobho, baqalisa ukumkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi ababemmangalela babeka izembatho zabo zangaphandle enyaweni zejaha okwakuthiwa nguSawuli.
59 Bathe belokhu besamkhanda ngamatshe, uStefane wancenga wathi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.”
60 Waseguqa wamemeza ngelizwi elilamandla wathi: “Jehova, ungabethesi isono lesi.” Esekutshilo lokhu wafa.*
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “inhlanyelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “inhlanyelo.”
^ Kumbe, “bayiphathe kubi.”
^ Kumbe, “kwakulamabele.”
^ Kumbe, “Imiphefumulo.”
^ Kumbe, “Wakhuliswa.”
^ Kumbe, “wakhetha.”
^ Kumbe, “ayehlola.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo ibhentshi elincane umuntu abeka kulo inyawo nxa ehlezi esitulweni.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “walala.”
