IZenzo 19:1-41
19 Ke kaloku kwathi, ngoxa uApolo+ wayeseKorinte, uPawulos wazityhutyha iinxalenye eziphakathi elizweni waza wehlela e-Efese,+ yaye wafumana abafundi abathile;
2 wathi kubo: “Nawamkela na umoya oyingcwele+ ekukholweni kwenu?” Bathi kuye: “Kaloku, asizange sive enoba kukho umoya oyingcwele kusini na.”+
3 Waza wathi: “Ngoko, nabhaptizelwa enini na?” Bathi: “Kubhaptizo lukaYohane.”+
4 UPawulos wathi: “UYohane wabhaptiza ngobhaptizo olufuzisela inguquko,+ exelela abantu ukuba bakholwe kulowo uzayo emva kwakhe,+ oko kukuthi, kuYesu.”
5 Bakukuva oku, babhaptizwa egameni leNkosi uYesu.+
6 Yaye xa uPawulos wababeka izandla,+ kwafika umoya oyingcwele phezu kwabo, baza baqalisa ukuthetha ngeelwimi nokuprofeta.+
7 Xa bebonke, babengamaadoda amalunga neshumi elinesibini.
8 Engena kwindlu yesikhungu,+ wathetha ngenkalipho kangangeenyanga ezintathu, enikela iintetho, ebeyisela kubukumkani+ bukaThixo.
9 Kodwa xa abathile baqhubeka bezenza lukhuni yaye bengakholwa,+ bethetha kakubi ngayo iNdlela+ phambi kwenkitha, wemka kubo+ waza wabahlula abafundi kubo,+ mihla le enikela iintetho kwiholo yesikolo sikaTirano.
10 Oku kwenzeka kangangeminyaka emibini,+ kangangokuba bonke abo babengabemi besithili saseAsiya+ baliva ilizwi leNkosi, kokubini amaYuda namaGrike.
11 Yaye uThixo wenza imisebenzi yamandla engaqhelekanga ngezandla zikaPawulos,+
12 kangangokuba kwanamalaphu neefaskoti ezisuka emzimbeni wakhe zazisiwa kubantu abagulayo,+ baze baphiliswe kwizifo zabo, baphume noomoya abangendawo.+
13 Kodwa amaYuda athile awayeyabula yaye ekhupha iidemon+ alinga nokubiza igama leNkosi uYesu+ kwabo babenoomoya abangendawo, esithi: “Ndikuyala+ ngokunzulu ngoYesu lowo uPawulos amshumayelayo.”
14 Ke kaloku kwakukho oonyana abasixhenxe bakaSkeva othile, umbingeleli oyintloko wamaYuda, besenza oku.
15 Kodwa ekuphenduleni umoya ongendawo wathi kubo: “Ndiyamazi uYesu+ yaye ndiqhelene noPawulos;+ kodwa nina ningoobani na?”
16 Ngako oko umntu owawukuye umoya ongendawo wabaxhumela,+ wabongamela omnye emva komnye, waza waboyisa, kangangokuba basaba kuloo ndlu bezé yaye bengxwelerhekile.
17 Oku kwaziwa ngabo bonke, ngamaYuda nangamaGrike awayehlala e-Efese; yaye bangenwa luloyiko+ bonke, laza igama leNkosi uYesu laqhubeka lisenziwa likhulu.+
18 Yaye abaninzi kwabo baba ngamakholwa babesiza baze baluvume+ kwaye baluxele ekuhleni uqheliselo lwabo.
19 Eneneni, abaliqela noko kwabo babeqhelisela ubugcisa bomlingo+ bazizisa ndawonye iincwadi zabo baza bazitshisa phambi kwakhe wonk’ ubani. Yaye bawabala ndawonye amaxabiso azo, bazifumana zixabisa amaqhosha esilivere angamashumi amahlanu amawaka.
20 Ngaloo ndlela ilizwi likaYehova lahlala likhula yaye lisoyisa ngendlela enamandla.+
21 Ke kaloku zakugqitywa ezi zinto, uPawulos waba nenjongo kuwo umoya wakhe yokuba, emva kokutyhutyha elaseMakedoni+ nelaseAkhaya, wayeya kuhamba aye eYerusalem,+ esithi: “Emva kokuba ndifike apho ndimele ndibone kwaneRoma.”+
22 Ngoko wathumela eMakedoni ababini kwabo babemlungiselela, uTimoti+ noErasto,+ kodwa yena walibala kangangexesha elithile kwisithili saseAsiya.
23 Ngalo lona elo xesha kwavela ukuphazamiseka+ okukhulu ngokuphathelele iNdlela.+
24 Kuba umntu othile ogama linguDemetriyo, umkhandi wesilivere, ngokwenza iitempilana zesilivere zika-Artemis wayezinika inzuzo enkulu iingcibi;+
25 yaye wazihlanganisa zona nabo babesebenza ezintweni ezinjalo+ waza wathi: “Madoda, nazi kakuhle ukuba ukuphumelela kwethu kukweli shishini.+
26 Kanjalo, niyabona yaye niyeva ukuba akukho se-Efese+ kuphela kodwa phantse kuzo zonke izithili zaseAsiya, lo Pawulos weyisela isihlwele esikhulu waza wasiphethulela kolunye uluvo, esithi abo benziwe ngezandla+ asingabo oothixo.
27 Ngaphezu koko, kukho ingozi kungekuphela nje yokuba lo msebenzi wethu uya kuba negama elibi kodwa kwaneyokuba itempile yothixokazi omkhulu uArtemis+ iya kubalelwa ekuthini yinto engento yaye kwanobungangamela bakhe obo bunqulwa sisithili siphela saseAsiya nomhlaba omiweyo sele buza kutshitshiswa.”
28 Bakukuva oku abantu, bazala ngumsindo baza badanduluka, besithi: “Mkhulu uArtemis wamaEfese!”
29 Ngoko isixeko sazaliswa sisiphithiphithi, yaye ngamxhelo mnye bagxalathelana ukungena kwindawo yokubonela, ngokunyanzela bethabatha kunye nabo uGayo noAristarko,+ abangabaseMakedoni, abalingane abahambahambayo bakaPawulos.
30 UPawulos wayekuthanda ukungena ngaphakathi ebantwini, kodwa abafundi babengamvumeli.
31 Kwanabathile kubaphathiswa bemithendeleko nemidlalo, ababenobuhlobo kuye, bathumela kuye baza bambongoza ukuba angazibeki esichengeni kwindawo yokubonela.
32 Bambi babedanduluka bethetha le, abanye bethetha leya;+ kuba kwakusisiphithiphithi nje endibanweni, yaye uninzi lwabo lwalungasazi isizathu sokubuthelana kwabo.
33 Ngoko bebonke bazisa uAleksandire bemkhupha esihlweleni, amaYuda emtyhalela phambili; yaye uAleksandire wawangawangisa ngesandla sakhe, efuna ukuzithethelela ebantwini.
34 Kodwa xa baqondayo ukuba wayengumYuda, kwavela udanduluko olunye kubo bonke njengoko babekhwaza kangangeeyure ezimalunga nezimbini besithi: “Mkhulu+ uArtemis wamaEfese!”
35 Ekugqibeleni, akuba unongxelo wesixeko esizolisile+ isihlwele, wathi: “Madoda ase-Efese, ngubani na ngokwenene okhoyo eluntwini ongaziyo ukuba isixeko samaEfese ngumgcini-tempile ka-Artemis omkhulu nowomfanekiso owawa uvela ezulwini?
36 Ngoko ke ekubeni ezi zinto zingenakuphikwa, kufanelekile ngani ukuba nihlale nizolile nize ningenzi ngobutyhuthu-tyhuthu.+
37 Kuba nizise la madoda angengabo nabaphangi betempile nabanyelisi bothixokazi wethu.
38 Ngoko ke ukuba uDemetriyo+ neengcibi ezikunye naye banesimangalo ngakuthile, zikho iimini zamatyala+ yaye akho namabamba;+ mabamangalelane.
39 Ukuba, ngoko, nifuna nantoni na engaphaya koko, imele igqitywe kwindibano yesiqhelo.
40 Kuba ngokwenene sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngesiphendu sanamhlanje, ekubeni kungekho nasinye isizathu sokuba kubekho eli hlokondiba lingalungelelananga.”
41 Yaye akuba ezitshilo ezi zinto,+ wayindulula indibano.+
