ImiSebenzi 9:1-43
9 Kodwa uSawuli wayelokhu ebasongela abafundi beNkosi futhi efuna ngabomvu ukubabulala. Ngakho waya kumphristi omkhulu
2 wafika wacela izincwadi ayezahamba lazo emasinagogeni aseDamaseko ukuze ayethatha abaleyoNdlela, abuye labo eJerusalema ebabophile, amadoda labesifazana.
3 Wathi esesendleleni esezafika eDamaseko, nanko ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini kuphazima lapho ayekhona.
4 Wawela phansi, wasesizwa ilizwi lisithi kuye: “Sawuli, Sawuli, kanti ungihlukuluzelani?”
5 Yena wabuza wathi: “Ungubani Nkosi?” Ilizwi lathi: “NginguJesu, lowo omhlukuluzayo.
6 Lanxa kunjalo sukuma ungene edolobheni, uzatshelwa okumele ukwenze.”
7 Amadoda ayehamba laye wona aphelelwa athula zwi, elizwa sibili ilizwi kodwa engaboni muntu.
8 USawuli yena wavuka phansi, engaboni lutho lanxa amehlo akhe ayevuliwe. Yikho bamqhuba bembambe isandla, bayangena laye eDamaseko.
9 Wayengaboni lutho okwamalanga amathathu, engadli futhi enganathi lutho.
10 EDamaseko kwakulomfundi okwakuthiwa ngu-Ananiya. INkosi yakhuluma laye embonweni yathi: “Ananiya!” Yena wathi: “Ngilapha Nkosi.”
11 INkosi yasisithi kuye: “Suka uye emgwaqweni obizwa ngokuthi nguMgwaqo Oqondileyo. Ungafika endlini kaJudasi udinge indoda ethiwa nguSawuli edabuka eThasu. Sikhuluma nje iyathandaza,
12 njalo embonweni ibone umuntu okuthiwa ngu-Ananiya engena futhi ebeka izandla zakhe phezu kwayo ukuze iphinde ibone.”
13 Kodwa u-Ananiya waphendula wathi: “Nkosi, sengizwe abanengi bekhuluma ngendoda le, bekhuluma ngaso sonke isihluku eyasenza abangcwele bakho eJerusalema.
14 Ilapha nje ilamandla ewaphiwe ngabaphristi abakhokhelayo okuthi ibophe bonke ababiza ibizo lakho.”
15 Lanxa kunjalo iNkosi yathi kuye: “Hamba! Indoda le iyisitsha sami esikhethwe ukuthi sifakaze ngebizo lami ezizweni lasemakhosini kanye lasemadodaneni ako-Israyeli,
16 njalo ngizayivezela egcekeni zonke inhlupho ezizayehlela ngenxa yebizo lami.”
17 Lakanye u-Ananiya wahamba wafika wangena kuleyondlu, wabeka izandla zakhe phezu kukaSawuli, wathi: “Sawuli mfowethu, iNkosi uJesu ebonakale kuwe emgwaqweni obuhamba ngawo ingithumile ukuze uphinde ubone njalo ugcwale umoya ongcwele.”
18 Khonokho nje emehlweni akhe kwakhithika okwakungathi ngamaxolo enhlanzi, waqalisa ukubona futhi. Wasesukuma wabhabhathizwa
19 njalo wadla wathola amandla.
Wahlala labafundi eDamaseko okwamalanga athile,
20 wahle waqalisa ukutshumayela emasinagogeni, etshela abantu ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
21 Kodwa bonke ababemuzwa babemangala kakhulu, bathi: “Indoda le kayisiyo yini eyayihlukuluza abaseJerusalema ababiza ibizo leli? Kanti kayibuyanga lapha ilande ukuzobabopha ukuze ibase kubaphristi abakhokhelayo?”
22 Loba kunjalo uSawuli waqhubeka esiba lamandla kakhulu futhi wayetshengisa ngendlela ecacileyo ukuthi lo nguye uKhristu, amaJuda aseDamaseko aze asala engelankani.
23 Kwathi sekwedlule insuku ezinengi amaJuda ahlanganisa amakhanda, abumba icebo lokumbulala,
24 kodwa icebo lawo lafika endlebeni zikaSawuli. Ayesehlala elinde amagedi edolobho emini lebusuku ukuze ambulale.
25 Ngakho abafundi bamthatha bamehlisa ebusuku ngesikhala esasisemdulini, bemfake ebhasikitini enkulu.
26 Uthe efika eJerusalema wazama ukuzihlanganisa labafundi kodwa bonke babemesaba ngoba babengakholwa ukuthi wayengumfundi.
27 Yikho-ke uBhanabha wamnceda wahamba laye kubaphostoli, wabalandisela konke okumayelana lokuthi wayeyibone njani iNkosi emgwaqweni lokuthi yayikhulume laye. Wabatshela lokuthi eDamaseko wayekhulume ngebizo likaJesu ngesibindi.
28 Ngakho wahlala labo njalo wayezihambela eJerusalema ekhululekile, ekhuluma ngebizo leNkosi ngesibindi.
29 Wayekhuluma futhi ephikisana lamaJuda akhuluma isiGrikhi, wona asezama ukumbulala.
30 Abazalwane bathi bekuzwa lokho bamusa eKhesariya, basebemthumela eThasu.
31 Ngemva kwalokho wonke amabandla ayeseJudiya leGalile kanye leSamariya aba sesikhathini sokuthula futhi ayelokhu esakhiwa. Aqhubeka esanda njengoba ayephila impilo yokumesaba uJehova njalo evuma ukududuzwa ngumoya ongcwele.
32 UPhetro wahamba kuso sonke isabelo, wasefika lakwabangcwele ababehlala eLida.
33 Endaweni le wathola indoda eyayithiwa ngu-Eniya eyayome umhlubulo njalo eyayisileminyaka eyisitshiyagalombili ilele embhedeni, ingavuki.
34 UPhetro wathi kuyo: “Eniya, uJesu Khristu uyakusilisa. Sukuma wendlule umbheda wakho.” Wahle wathi lothu.
35 Bonke ababehlala eLida kanye laseGcekeni leSharoni bathi bembona baphendukela eNkosini.
36 Manje eJopha kwakulomfundi okuthiwa nguThabitha, okutsho ukuthi “Dokhasi.”* Wayesenza izinto ezinengi ezinhle futhi wayesipha abayanga izipho ayezenza.
37 Kodwa ngalezonsuku wagula wafa, basebemgezisa bambeka endlini ephezulu.
38 Njengoba iLida yayiseduze leJopha, abafundi bathi besizwa ukuthi uPhetro wayekulelodolobho, bathuma amadoda amabili ukuthi ayekuthi kuye: “Sicela ufike kithi masinyane.”
39 UPhetro wasesukuma wahamba labo. Wathi efika bamusa endlini ephezulu, bonke abafelokazi beza kuye bekhala njalo bamtshengisa izigqoko ezinengi lamajazi* okwakuthungwe nguDokhasi esaphila.
40 UPhetro wasekhiphela wonke umuntu phandle, waguqa wathandaza. Wasetshibilika wakhangela isidumbu wathi: “Thabitha, vuka!” Uthe evula amehlo wabona uPhetro, wasevuka wahlala.
41 Waqhuba isandla sakhe kuye wamsukumisa, wasebiza abangcwele labafelokazi wabatshengisa ukuthi uThabitha wayesephila.
42 Lokhu kwaba yindaba esegudwini kulo lonke elaseJopha njalo abanengi bakholwa eNkosini.
43 UPhetro waqhubeka eseJopha okwamalanga amanengi, ehlala lomtshuki wezikhumba okuthiwa nguSimoni.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ibizo lesiGrikhi elithi Dokhasi lelesi-Aramayikhi elithi Thabitha womabili atsho ukuthi “iMpala.”
^ Kumbe, “lezembatho zangaphandle.”
