IzEnzo 16:1-40
16 UPowula wafika eDerbe neListra. Lapho bekunomfundi othileko ekuthiwa nguThimothi, indodana yomfazi okholwako omJuda kodwana uyise bekamGirigi,
2 begodu abafowethu beListra nebe-Ikhoniyo bebamkhuluma kuhle.
3 UPowula wafisa ukukhamba noThimothi, yeke wamthatha wayomsoka ngebanga lamaJuda weendawenezo, ngombana woke bekazi ukuthi uyise mGirigi.
4 Njengombana bakhamba emadorobheni, bebatjela abantu abalapho ngeenqunto ezithethwe bapostoli nabadala abaseJerusalema bona bazilalele.
5 Nje-ke amabandla aragela phambili aqiniswa ekukholweni begodu anda ngesibalo qobe langa.
6 Badlula eFrigiya neGalatiya, ngombana ummoya ocwengileko wabalela bona bakhulume ilizwi esifundeni se-Asiya.
7 Godu nabafika eMisiya, balinga ukuya eBhithiniya kodwana ummoya kaJesu khenge ubavumele.
8 Ngalokho badlula eMisiya behlela eTrowasi.
9 Phakathi nobusuku uPowula waba nombono—wabona indoda yeMasedoniya ijamile imncenga ithi: “Yamelani ngeMasedoniya nisisize.”
10 Msinyana ngemva kobana abone umbono, salinga ukuya eMasedoniya, sifikelela isiphetho sokobana uZimu usithuma bona siyokumemezela iindaba ezimnandi kibo.
11 Nje-ke sasuka eTrowasi ngesikepe, sathaya ngaphandle kokujama besafika eSamothirake, kodwana ngelanga elilandelako saya eNeyapoli;
12 sasuka lapho saya eFilipi, ikholoni yeRoma, okulidorobho eliqakathekileko lesifunda seMasedoniya. Sahlala edorobheneli amalangana.
13 Ngelanga leSabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwesango saya eqadi komlambo, lapho besicabanga ukuthi kunendawo yokuthandaza, sahlala phasi sathoma ukukhuluma nabafazi egade babuthene lapho.
14 Umfazi othileko ibizo lakhe linguLidiya, umthengisi wamatjhila asipiridzana* ovela eThiyathira, olotjha uZimu, bekalalele, uJehova wavula ihliziywakhe bona alalelisise izinto uPowula ebekazitjho.
15 Nje-ke kuthe bona yena nomndenakhe babhajadiswe, wasincenga wathi: “Nangabe ningiqala njengomuntu othembekileko kuJehova, yizani nizokuhlala emzinami.” Wasirabhela bona siye kwakhe.
16 Ngelinye ilanga sisaya endaweni yokuthandaza, sahlangabezwa sisebenzi somntazana esinommoya omumbi, idimoni lokuthukula. Besenzela abaphathi baso inzuzo enengi ngokubikezela ngekusasa.
17 Umntazana lo bekasolo alandela uPowula nathi, arhuwelela athi: “Amadoda la aziinceku zakaZimu oPhezukoke begodu amemezela kini indlela yokusindiswa.”
18 Wasolo enza lokhu amalanga amanengi. Ekugcineni uPowula wasilingeka waphendukela kuye wathi emoyeni loyo: “Ngebizo lakaJesu Krestu ngikuyala bona uphume kuye.” Waphuma khonokho.
19 Abaphathi bakhe nababona ukuthi ithemba labo lokufumana inzuzo liphelile, babamba uPowula noSilasi babarhudulela etatawini lokuthengisela babasa ebabusini.
20 Babasa kibomarhastrada, bathi: “Amadoda la abanga umguruguru khulu edorobheni lethu. MaJuda,
21 begodu amemezela amasiko angasisemthethweni bona siwamukele namkha siwenze, ngombana thina simaRoma.”
22 Isiqubuthu sabavukela bona sibasahlele, abomarhastrada badabula izambatho zabo, ngemva kwalokho bakhupha umyalo wokobana babetjhwe ngeentonga.
23 Ngemva kokubabetha kabuhlungu, babafaka ngejele, bayala unogada wejele ukuthi ababeke ilihlo elibukhali.
24 Ngombana afumene umyalo loyo, wabavalela ngejele elingaphakathi wababopha neenyawo ngestoksini.*
25 Kodwana phakathi nobusuku, uPowula noSilasi bebathandaza begodu badumisa uZimu ngengoma, iimbotjhwa zibalalele.
26 Khonokho kwaba nokusikinyeka kwephasi, kangangobana neensekelo zejele zasikinyeka. Iminyango yoke yavuleka, koke egade babotjhwe ngakho kwatjhaphuluka.
27 Unogada wejele nakavukako abona ukuthi iminyango yejele ivulekile, wakhupha isabulakhe afuna ukuzibulala, azitjela bona iimbotjhwa zibalekile.
28 Kodwana uPowula warhuwelela wathi: “Ungazilimazi, ngombana soke sikhona!”
29 Yeke wabawa iimbani wagijimela ngaphakathi, ahlengezela, waguqa phambi kwakaPowula noSilasi.
30 Waphumela nabo ngaphandle wathi: “Banumzana, kufuze ngenzeni bona ngisindiswe?”
31 Bathi kuye: “Kholwa eKosini uJesu, uzokusindiswa, wena nomndenakho.”
32 Nje-ke bakhuluma ilizwi lakaJehova kuye nakibo boke abasemzinakhe.
33 Ngobusukobo wabathatha wayobahlambisa amanceba. Ngemva kwalokho yena nomndenakhe woke babhajadiswa ngaphandle kokuriyada.
34 Wabasa emzinakhe begodu wabalungiselela ukudla, wathaba khulu nomndenakhe ngombana besekakholwa kuZimu.
35 Nakusako, abomarhastrada bathumela abonogada bona bathi: “Tjhaphulula amadoda lawo.”
36 Unogada wejele wabikela uPowula amezwabo wathi: “Abomarhastrada bathumele amadoda bona nobabili nitjhatjhululwe. Nje-ke phumani, nikhambe ngokuthula.”
37 Kodwana uPowula wathi kiwo: “Basibethe phambi kwabantu singakafunyanwa simlandu, nanyana simaRoma, basidlhunya ngejele. Alo nje bafuna ukusikhupha ngemsitheleni? Awa! Akuze bona bazosikhupha.”
38 Abonogada babikela abomarhastrada amezwi la. Bathukwa khulu nabezwa ukuthi amadoda la maRoma.
39 Yeke beza begodu babancenga, ngemva kokubakhupha, bababawa ukuthi bakhambe edorobhenelo.
40 Kodwana baphuma ejele baya emzini kaLidiya; nababona abafowethu, babakhuthaza bese bakhamba.
