IZenzo Zabapostile 7:1-60
7 Kodwa umbingeleli omkhulu wathi: “Ziyinyani na ezi zinto?”
2 UStefano waphendula wathi: “Madoda, bantakwethu nani botata mamelani. UThixo ozukileyo wabonakala kukhokho wethu uAbraham ngoxa wayesahlala eMesopotamiya, ngaphambi kokuba ahlale kwaHaran,+
3 wathi kuye, ‘Phuma elizweni lakowenu, uzishiye nezalamane zakho, uye kwilizwe endiza kukubonisa lona.’+
4 Emva koko wemka kwilizwe lamaKhaledi, wayokuhlala kwaHaran. Emva kokufa kukatata wakhe,+ wemka apho waza uThixo wathi makahlale kweli lizwe nihlala kulo ngoku.+
5 Kodwa akazange amnike mhlaba apho, engazange amnike nendawo le yokunyathela. Wamthembisa ukuba uza kumnika elo lizwe libe lilifa lakhe, aze alinike nenzala* yakhe+ nangona wayengekabi namntwana ngelo xesha.
6 UThixo wamchazela nokuba inzala* yakhe yayiza kuba ngabantu basemzini kwilizwe elingelolayo, nokuba abantu balapho babeza kuyenza amakhoboka baze bayicinezele* kangangeminyaka eyi-400.+
7 UThixo wathi, ‘Uhlanga oluza kuyenza amakhoboka le nzala ndiza kulugweba,+ yaye emva koko iza kuphuma ize indikhonze kule ndawo.’+
8 “Kwakhona uThixo wenza isivumelwano solwaluko naye,+ yena wazala uIsake+ waza wamolusa ngosuku lwesibhozo ezelwe,+ uIsake wazala uYakobi,* noYakobi waba ngutata weentloko-ntsapho* eziyi-12.
9 Yaye ezo ntloko-ntsapho zammonela uYosefu+ zaza zamthengisa eYiputa.+ Kodwa uThixo wamxhasa,+
10 wamsindisa kuzo zonke iintlungu awazifumanayo, wamenza wathandwa ngabantu yaye wasisilumko phambi koFaro ukumkani waseYiputa. UFaro wambeka ukuba alawule iYiputa nayo yonke indlu yakhe.+
11 Kodwa kwabakho indlala kuyo yonke iYiputa naseKanan, indlala eyabangela intlungu engathethekiyo, yaye ookhokho bethu babengenanto yakutya.+
12 Kodwa uYakobi weva ukuba kwakukhona ukutya eYiputa waza wathumela ookhokho bethu okokuqala.+
13 Xa babesiya okwesibini, uYosefu wazichaza kubantakwabo, yaye intsapho yakuloYosefu yaya kwaziswa kuFaro.+
14 Ngoko uYosefu wathumela umyalezo wokuba kubizwe utata wakhe uYakobi nazo zonke izalamane zakhe kuloo ndawo,+ abantu abayi-75 xa bebonke.+
15 Ngoko uYakobi waya eYiputa+ waza wafela apho,+ ibe nookhokho bethu bafela apho.+
16 Bathuthwa bayokungcwatywa kwaShekem, kwingcwaba uAbraham awayelithenge ngemali yesilivere koonyana bakaHamore kwaShekem.+
17 “Lathi xa lisondela ixesha lokuba uThixo ayenze into awayeyithembise uAbraham, inzala kaYakobi yanda yaza yaninzi eYiputa,
18 kwada kwalawula omnye ukumkani eYiputa, owayengamazi uYosefu.+
19 Yena wasenzela amaqhinga isizwe sethu, wanyanzela oobawo ukuba balahle iintsana zabo ukuze zife.+
20 Ngelo xesha kwazalwa uMoses, yaye wayemhle nasemehlweni kaThixo. Wancanciswa* iinyanga ezintathu endlini katata wakhe.+
21 Kodwa wathi akulahlwa,+ intombi kaFaro yamchola yaza yamkhulisa waba ngunyana wayo.+
22 UMoses wafumana eyona mfundo iphakamileyo yamaYiputa.* Enyanisweni, wayethetha yaye esenza izinto ezimangalisayo.+
23 “Xa wayeneminyaka eyi-40 wacinga ukundwendwela* abantakwabo, oonyana bakaSirayeli.+
24 Xa wabona omnye wabo ecinezelwa, wamlwela waza wamphindezelela ngokubulala loo mYiputa.
25 Wayecinga ukuba abantakwabo babeza kuqonda ukuba uThixo wayeza kubasindisa esebenzisa yena, kodwa abazange bayiqonde loo nto.
26 Ngemini elandelayo wadibana nabanye besilwa, wazama ukubenza baxolelane esithi: ‘Madoda, nizalwa kunye. Kutheni nisilwa nje?’
27 Kodwa lo wayebetha omnye wamtyhalela pha kude esithi: ‘Ukhethwe ngubani ukuba ube ngumlawuli nomgwebi wethu?
28 Ngaba nam ufuna ukundibulala ngala ndlela ombulele ngayo laa mYiputa izolo?’
29 Wathi akuva loo nto uMoses wabaleka, wayokuhlala njengomntu wasemzini kwilizwe lakwaMidiyan, apho wazala oonyana ababini.+
30 “Emva kweminyaka eyi-40 kwafika ingelosi kuye kwintlango yeNtaba YeSinayi, ikwityholo elinameva elivuthayo.+
31 Xa uMoses walibonayo elo tyholo, wamangaliswa. Kodwa wathi xa esondela efuna ukuliqwalasela, kwavakala ilizwi likaYehova,* lisithi:
32 ‘NdinguThixo wookhokho bakho, uThixo ka-Abraham, kaIsake nokaYakobi.’+ UMoses wangcangcazela woyika ukuqhubeka eliqwalasele.
33 UYehova* wathi kuye, ‘Khulula ezi mbadada uzinxibileyo, kuba le ndawo umi kuyo ingcwele.
34 Ndiyibonile indlela abacinezeleke ngayo abantu bam abaseYiputa, yaye ndibavile xa bencwina,+ ngoku ke ndehlile ukuze ndibasindise. Yiza ke ndikuthume eYiputa.’
35 Lo Moses bamkhanyelayo besithi: ‘Ukhethwe ngubani ukuba ube ngumlawuli nomgwebi?’+ ngulo Moses uThixo awamthumayo+ ukuba abe ngumlawuli nomsindisi, esebenzisa ingelosi eyabonakala kuye ikwityholo elinameva elivuthayo.
36 Le ndoda yabakhokela yabakhupha,+ isenza imimangaliso nemiqondiso eYiputa,+ kuLwandle Olubomvu+ nasentlango kangangeminyaka eyi-40.+
37 “Lo Moses ngulo wathi koonyana bakaSirayeli: ‘UThixo uza kukhetha phakathi kwenu umprofeti ofana nam.’+
38 Nguye owayekunye nebandla entlango. Nguye owayekunye nookhokho bethu, ikwanguye nalo yathetha naye+ ingelosi+ kwiNtaba YeSinayi. Wathunywa ukuba asigqithisele umyalezo osuka kuThixo.+
39 Ookhokho bethu bala ukumthobela, bamtyhalela ecaleni+ baza ezintliziyweni zabo babuyela eYiputa,+
40 besithi kuAron: ‘Senzele oothixo abaza kuhamba phambi kwethu. Kuba asazi ukuba kwenzeke ntoni kulo Moses owasikhupha kwilizwe laseYiputa.’+
41 Ngoko ngaloo mihla benza ithole baza babingelela kweso sithixo, benza itheko bebhiyozela loo nto babeyenzile.+
42 UThixo wabashiya waza wabayeka bakhonza umkhosi wezulu,+ njengokuba kubhaliwe encwadini yabaprofeti kwathiwa: ‘Andithi naningayenzeli mna iminikelo nemibingelelo enayenza entlango kangangeminyaka eyi-40 ndlu kaSirayeli?
43 Kodwa yintente kaMolokhi+ nenkwenkwezi kathixo uRefan enazithuthayo, imifanekiso enayenzayo ukuze niyinqule. Ngoko ke ndiza kunigxothela ngaphaya kwaseBhabhiloni.’+
44 “Ookhokho bethu babenentente yobungqina entlango, yenziwe ngendlela uThixo awayemyalele ukuba ayenze ngayo uMoses, ifana nomfanekiso awayewubonile.+
45 Le ntente yaba lilifa lookhokho bethu yaye bangena nayo, bekunye noYoshuwa kwilizwe elalihlala iintlanga,+ ezo uThixo wazigxothayo phambi kwabo.+ Yahlala apho de kwayimihla kaDavide.
46 UDavide wathandwa nguThixo waza wacela ukwakhela uThixo kaYakobi indawo yokuhlala.+
47 Kodwa nguSolomon owayakhayo loo ndlu.+
48 Kodwa ke Oyena Uphakamileyo akahlali kwizindlu ezenziwe ngezandla,+ kanye njengokuba umprofeti esithi:
49 UYehova* uthi, ‘Izulu yitrone yam,+ nomhlaba sisitulo seenyawo zam.+ Injani ke indlu onokundakhela yona? Okanye yindawo enjani le ndinokuphumla kuyo?
50 Ayisosandla sam na esazenzayo zonke ezi zinto?’+
51 “Bantundini abaneenkani, abaneentliziyo ezilukhuni nabangathobeliyo, nihlala nisilwa nomoya oyingcwele; nenza kanye njengokuba benzayo ookhokho benu.+
52 Nguwuphi umprofeti abangazange bamtshutshise ookhokho benu?+ Nangoku, bababulala abo bachaza kwangaphambili ukuba kuza lowo ulilungisa,+ lowo nina eniye namjikela naza nambulala,+
53 nina eniye namkela uMthetho odluliselwa ziingelosi+ kodwa anawuthobela.”
54 Bathi bakuva loo mazwi baba nomsindo,* bafuna ukumenzakalisa.
55 Kodwa yena wayenomoya oyingcwele, wajonga ezulwini wabona uzuko lukaThixo nolukaYesu emi ngasekunene kukaThixo,+
56 waza wathi: “Jongani! Ndibona amazulu evulekile noNyana womntu+ emi ngasekunene kukaThixo.”+
57 Wathi akutsho, bakhwaza kakhulu, bavingca iindlebe zabo ngezandla baza bamtsibela bonke.
58 Emva kokuba bemphosele ngaphandle kwesixeko bambetha ngamatye.+ La mangqina+ awayemtyholile abeka izambatho zawo zangaphezulu ezinyaweni zomfana ekwakusithiwa nguSawule.+
59 Njengoko babembetha ngamatye, uStefano wenza esi sicelo kuYesu: “Nkosi Yesu, ndibuyekela ezandleni zakho ubomi bam.”*
60 Eguqe ngamadolo, wakhala ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Yehova,* uze ungabohlwayi ngenxa yesi sono.”+ Emva kokuba etshilo, wafa.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “nembewu.”
^ Okanye “imbewu.”
^ Okanye “bayiphathe kakubi.”
^ Okanye “wookhokho.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “noIsake wenza loo nto kuYakobi.”
^ Okanye “wakhuliswa.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “wafundiswa bonke ubulumko baseYiputa.”
^ Okanye “wagqiba ukuba andwendwele.”
^ Funda Isihlomelo A5.
^ Funda Isihlomelo A5.
^ Funda Isihlomelo A5.
^ Okanye “baxheleka.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “wamkele umoya wam.”
^ Funda Isihlomelo A5.
