ImiSebenzi 8:1-40
8 USawuli yena wayevumelana lokubulawa kukaStefane.
Ngalelolanga ibandla elaliseJerusalema laqalisa ukuhlukuluzwa kakhulu. Bonke basabalala kuzo zonke izabelo zeJudiya leSamariya, kwasala abaphostoli kuphela.
2 Kodwa amadoda ayesesaba uNkulunkulu athwala uStefane ayamngcwaba njalo amlilela kakhulu.
3 USawuli waseqalisa ukulihlukuluza kabuhlungu ibandla. Wayehlasela indlu ngendlu, ehudulela phandle amadoda labesifazana ebahambisa ejele.
4 Lanxa kunjalo, ababesabalele bona bahamba ezindaweni zakulowomango betshumayela izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana lelizwi.
5 UFiliphu yena waya edolobheni* leSamariya, waqalisa ukutshumayeza abantu ngoKhristu.
6 Wonke amaxuku ayethiya indlebe alalele lokho uFiliphu ayekukhuluma, ngapha ebona izibonakaliso ayezenza.
7 Phela abanengi babelamadimoni njalo ayememeza ngelizwi elikhulu abesephuma. Kwelatshwa labanengi abome umhlubulo kanye labagogekileyo.
8 Lokhu kwenza ukuthi abantu bedolobho lelo bathokoze kakhulu.
9 Kulelodolobho kwakulendoda okwakuthiwa nguSimoni eyayisenza amasalamusi futhi imangalisa isizwe samaSamariya, izenza umuntu oqakathekileyo.
10 Bonke nje kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu babethiya indlebe bayilalele, bathi: “Indoda le ingaMandla kaNkulunkulu athiwa ngaMandla Amakhulu.”
11 Ngakho babeyilandela ngoba yayisilesikhathi ibamangalisa ngamasalamusi ayo.
12 Kodwa bonke ababemkholwa uFiliphu nxa esebatshumayeze ngezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu langebizo likaJesu Khristu babebhabhathizwa, abesilisa kanye labesifazana.
13 USimoni laye waba likholwa futhi wathi esebhabhathiziwe waqhubeka eloFiliphu. Wayemangala ebona izibonakaliso lezimangaliso ezinkulu ezazisenzakala.
14 Abaphostoli eJerusalema bathi besizwa ukuthi amaSamariya amukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, bathuma uPhetro loJohane ukuthi bayekhona.
15 Basebehamba bafika bawathandazela ukuthi athole umoya ongcwele,
16 ngoba kakho loyedwa wawo owayesewutholile. Ayebhabhathizwe ebizweni leNkosi uJesu kuphela.
17 Ngakho bawabeka izandla, asesamukela umoya ongcwele.
18 USimoni yena wathi ebona ukuthi abantu babesithi bangabekwa izandla ngabaphostoli bathole umoya, wathembisa ukunika abaphostoli imali,
19 wathi: “Lami ngiphani amandla elilawo ukuze loba ngubani engimbeka izandla amukele umoya ongcwele.”
20 Kodwa uPhetro wathi kuye: “Isiliva sakho kasitshabalale lawe ngoba ubucabanga ukuthi ungathola isipho sikaNkulunkulu samahala ngemali.
21 Kawulangxenye loba isabelo endabeni le ngoba inhliziyo yakho kayiqotho phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
22 Ngakho phenduka kulobububi bakho uncenge uJehova ukuthi nxa kungenzeka, inhloso embi esenhliziyweni yakho ithethelelwe,
23 ngoba ngiyabona ukuthi uyitshefu ebabayo* lesigqili sezinto ezingalunganga.”
24 USimoni wasebaphendula wathi: “Ngicela lingincengele kuJehova ukuze ngingehlelwa langokukodwa elikukhulumileyo.”
25 Bathi sebefakaze ngokugcweleyo njalo sebekhulume ilizwi likaJehova, babuyela eJerusalema behamba betshumayela izindaba ezinhle ezigabeni ezinengi zamaSamariya.
26 Kodwa ingilosi kaJehova yakhuluma loFiliphu yathi: “Hamba eningizimu emgwaqweni osuka eJerusalema usiya eGaza.” (Umgwaqo lo usenkangala.)
27 Esekuzwile lokho wasuka wahamba. Wathi esithi mehlo suka wabona umthenwa* ongumTopiya, indoda eyayiyisiphathamandla esingaphansi kukaKhandasi indlovukazi yamaTopiya futhi eyayiphethe yonke inotho yendlovukazi. Yayihambe yayakhonza eJerusalema,
28 njalo yayisibuyela kibo. Yayihlezi enqoleni yayo ibalela phezulu umbhalo womphrofethi u-Isaya.
29 Umoya wasutshela uFiliphu wathi: “Hamba uyefika enqoleni leya.”
30 UFiliphu wagijima eceleni kwayo wezwa umthenwa ebalela phezulu umbhalo womphrofethi u-Isaya, wasesithi: “Uyakuzwisisa* sibili okubalayo?”
31 Yena wathi: “Kambe ngingakuzwisisa njani kungelamuntu ongifundisayo?” Wasecela uFiliphu ukuthi agade enqoleni ahlale laye.
32 Nansi indima yoMbhalo ayeyibala: “Walethwa ukuthi azohlatshwa njengemvu, njalo kawuvuli umlomo wakhe njengemvana ethuleyo phambi kwalowo oyigelayo.
33 Ngesikhathi ephathwa kubi, kabazange bamahlulele kuhle. Ngubani ozakhuluma izinto ezimayelana lesizukulwane sakhe njengoba ukuphila kwakhe kuzasuswa emhlabeni?”
34 Umthenwa wasesithi kuFiliphu: “Ngicela ungitshele ukuthi umphrofethi ukhuluma ngobani lapha? Ngaye kumbe ngomunye umuntu?”
35 UFiliphu waseqalisa ukukhuluma, emtshumayeza eqalisela embhalweni lo, wamtshela izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu.
36 Besahamba emgwaqweni bafika endaweni eyayilamanzi. Umthenwa wasesithi: “Khangela! Nanka amanzi. Kuyini okungivimbela ukuthi ngibhabhathizwe?”
37 *——
38 Umthenwa wathi inqola kayimiswe. UFiliphu wasesehla laye bayangena emanzini, wambhabhathiza.
39 Bathi bephuma emanzini, umoya kaJehova wahle wakhokhela uFiliphu wamsusa lapho. Ngakho umthenwa kasaphindanga wambona, kodwa waqhubeka ngohambo lwakhe ethokoza.
40 UFiliphu yena waya e-Ashidodi njalo wadabula kuleyondawo, waqhubeka etshumayela izindaba ezinhle emadolobheni wonke waze wayafika eKhesariya.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kungahunyutshwa langokuthi, “edolobheni elithile.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “uyinyongo ebabayo.”
^ Kumbe, “isiphathamandla sesigodlweni.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “Uyakwazi.”
^ Ivesi le kayitholakali kweminye imibhalo yasendulo njalo ubufakazi obukhona butshengisa ukuthi yayingekho eMibhalweni ephefumulelweyo.
