IzEnzo 17:1-34
17 Nje-ke badlula e-Amfipolisi ne-Apoloniya bafika eThesalonika, lapho bekunesinagogo lamaJuda khona.
2 Yeke uPowula wangena ngakilo njengombana bekusisiga sakhe, wademba imiTlolo nabo amasabatha amathathu,
3 ahlathulula begodu afakazela ngeenkhombo ukuthi bekutlhogeka bona uKrestu atlhage, avuke nakwabafileko, athi: “Lo nguye uKrestu, uJesu engimmemezela kini.”
4 Ngebanga lalokho, abanye babo baba makholwa, bazihlanganisa noPowula noSilasi, nesiqubuthu esikhulu samaGirigi esilotjha uZimu naso senza njalo, kunye nabafazi abanengi abadumileko.
5 Kodwana amaJuda aba nomona, enza isitlamu ngokubuthelela amadoda akhohlakeleko athileko amavila azulazula etatawini lokuthengisela, athoma ukuvusa umguruguru edorobhenelo. Asahlela indlu kaJasoni, afuna ukuthi uPowula noSilasi bakhutjhelwe ngaphandle esiqubuthwini.
6 Azange abafumane, yeke adosela uJasoni nabanye abafowethu ebabusini bedorobho, arhuwelela athi: “Amadoda aphekghule* iphasi loke la sewakhona nalapha,
7 begodu uJasoni uwamukele bona abe ziimvakatjhi zakhe. Woke amadoda la aphikisana nemiyalo kaKhesari, athi kunenye ikosi, uJesu.”
8 Nabezwa lokho, isiqubuthu nababusi bedorobho barareka;
9 bahlawulisa uJasoni nabanye, ngemva kwalokho babalisa bakhamba.
10 Msinyana bona kurhwaqele, abafowethu bathumela uPowula noSilasi eBheriya. Nabafikako, bangena esinagogeni lamaJuda.
11 Kodwana abantu beBheriya bebanomkhumbulo omuhle kunebeThesalonika, ngombana bamukela ilizwi ngetjisakalo ekulu, bahlolisisa imiTlolo qobe langa ukubona ukuthi zinjalo na izintwezi.
12 Nje-ke, abanengi babo baba makholwa, kunye nabafazi abamaGirigi abanengi abadumileko namanye amadoda.
13 Lokha amaJuda weThesalonika nawezwa bona uPowula umemezela ilizwi lakaZimu neBheriya, eza azokutjhitjhizela begodu aphehla isiqubuthu.
14 Msinyana abafowethu bakhambisa uPowula waya ngelwandle, kodwana uSilasi noThimothi basala lapho.
15 Labo ebebakhamba noPowula bamphekelela bebayomfikisa e-Athene, babuyela emva nasebafumene iinqophiso zokuthi uSilasi noThimothi kufuze beze kuPowula msinyana.
16 Njengombana uPowula bekasabalindile e-Athene, wasilingeka emmoyenakhe nakabona ukuthi idorobheli lizele iinthombe.
17 Wathoma ukukhulumisana namaJuda nabanye abantu abalotjha uZimu esinagogeni, qobe langa bekakhuluma nalabo ebekwenzeka babe setatawini lokuthengisela.
18 Kodwana ezinye izazi zefilosofi zama-Ephikuru namaSitoyika zathoma ukuphikisana naye, abanye bona bebathi: “Sithini isiqedamlozesi?” Abanye bathi: “Ngathi simemezela abozimu bakezinye iinarha.” Batjho lokho ngombana bekamemezela iindaba ezimnandi ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileko.
19 Nje-ke bamthatha bamusa e-Areyophagusi, bathi: “Akhusitjele ukuthi yini ifundiso etja le okhuluma ngayo?
20 Ngombana ezinye zezinto ozikhulumako azihlali kuhle eendlebeni zethu, sifuna ukwazi ukuthi zitjho ukuthini.”
21 Kuhlekuhle, woke ama-Athene nabanye abavela kwezinye iindawo abahlala lapho bebasebenzisa isikhathi sabo sokuzigedla bangenzi litho ngaphandle kokukhuluma namkha ukulalela okuthileko okutjha.
22 Nje-ke uPowula wajama phakathi kwe-Areyophagusi wathi:
“Madoda we-Athene, ngiyabona ukuthi kizo zoke izinto, nibonakala nisaba abozimu* ukudlula boke abanye abantu.
23 Ngokwesibonelo, lokha nangidlulako begodu ngiqalisisa izinto enizilotjhako, ngafumana ne-aldara ebekutlolwe kilo ukuthi, ‘KuZimu Ongaziwako.’ Lokho enikulotjhako nanyana ningakwazi, ngilokho engikumemezela kini.
24 UZimu owenza iphasi nakho koke okukilo, loyo oyiKosi yezulu nephasi, akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla;
25 namkha alindele bona abantu bamsize njengokungathi utlhoga okuthileko, ngombana yena unikela boke abantu ukuphila nokuphefumula nazo zoke izinto.
26 Ngomuntu munye wenza iintjhaba ezinengi zabantu bona zihlale ephasini loke, begodu wabeka isikhathi sezinto ezinengi, waziquntela nemikhawulo lapha zizakuhlala khona,
27 bona zifune uZimu, zimphumbuthe bezimfumane, ngitjho nanyana angasikude komunye nomunye wethu.
28 Ngombana ngaye siyaphila, siyasikinyeka begodu sikhona, ngitjho njengombana nezinye iimbongi zenu zithe, ‘Ngombana nathi sibantwana bakhe.’
29 “Nje-ke, njengombana soke sibantwana bakaZimu, akukafuzi sicabange ukuthi uZimu unjengegolide namkha isiliva namkha ilitje, nofana okuthileko okwenziwe ngobukghwari begodu kwatlanywa babantu.
30 Kuliqiniso, uZimu uzeqisele amehlo iinkhathi zokungazezi; kodwana nje utjela abantu kuphi nakuphi ukuthi kufuze batjhuguluke.
31 Ngombana ubeke ilanga lapho anqophe ukwahlulela loke iphasi ngokulunga ngomuntu amkhethileko, wanikela nesiqinisekiso kibo boke abantu ngokumvusa kwabafileko.”
32 Nje-ke kuthe nabezwa ngokuvuswa kwabafileko, abanye bathoma ukumnyefula, abanye bona bathi: “Sizokuzwa okungeziweko kuwe malungana nendaba le ngesinye isikhathi.”
33 Ngalokho uPowula wasuka kibo,
34 kodwana amadoda athileko azihlanganisa naye begodu aba makholwa. Hlangana nawo bekunoDiyonisiyosi, obekangumahluleli wekhotho ye-Areyophagusi, nomfazi ibizo lakhe linguDamarisi, nabanye ngaphandle kwabo.
