IzEnzo 19:1-41
19 Phakathi nalezo zenzakalo, ngesikhathi u-Apholo+ eseKorinte, uPawulu wadabula izingxenye ezimaphakathi nezwe wehlela e-Efesu,+ futhi wathola abafundi abathile;
2 wathi kubo: “Ingabe nawamukela umoya ongcwele+ lapho niba amakholwa?” Bathi kuye: “Phela, asikaze sizwe nakuzwa ukuthi kukhona umoya ongcwele.”+
3 Wathi: “Khona-ke, nabhapathizwa ngani?” Bathi: “Ngobhapathizo lukaJohane.”+
4 UPawulu wathi: “UJohane wabhapathiza ngobhapathizo olubonisa ukuphenduka,+ etshela abantu ukuba bakholwe yilowo owayeza emva kwakhe,+ okungukuthi, uJesu.”
5 Lapho bezwa lokhu, babhapathizwa egameni leNkosi uJesu.+
6 Lapho uPawulu ebabeka izandla,+ umoya ongcwele wehlela phezu kwabo, baqala ukukhuluma ngezilimi nokuprofetha.+
7 Sebebonke, babengamadoda acishe abe yishumi nambili.
8 Engena esinagogeni,+ wakhuluma ngesibindi izinyanga ezintathu, enikeza izinkulumo futhi esebenzisa ikhono lokukholisa mayelana nombuso+ kaNkulunkulu.
9 Kodwa lapho abanye bezenza lukhuni futhi bengakholwa,+ bekhuluma kabi ngeNdlela+ phambi koquqaba, wasuka kubo+ futhi wahlukanisa abafundi nabo,+ enikeza izinkulumo nsuku zonke ehholo lesikole sikaThiranu.
10 Lokhu kwenzeka iminyaka emibili,+ kangangokuthi bonke ababehlala esifundeni sase-Asiya+ balizwa izwi leNkosi, amaJuda namaGreki.
11 Futhi uNkulunkulu waqhubeka enza imisebenzi yamandla engaphezu kwevamile ngezandla zikaPawulu,+
12 kangangokuthi kwakuthathwa ngisho nezindwangu namaphinifa emzimbeni wakhe kuyiswe kubantu abagulayo,+ izifo zibayeke, nemimoya emibi iphume.+
13 Kodwa abathile kumaJuda ayimizulane ababekhipha amademoni+ nabo bazama ukubiza igama leNkosi uJesu+ kulabo ababenemimoya emibi, bethi: “Ngiyakuyala+ nokukuyala ngoJesu oshunyayelwa uPawulu.”
14 Kwakukhona amadodana ayisikhombisa kaSkeva othile, umpristi omkhulu ongumJuda, ayenza lokhu.
15 Kodwa umoya omubi wawaphendula wathi: “Ngiyamazi uJesu+ futhi ngijwayelene noPawulu;+ nina-ke ningobani?”
16 Ngemva kwalokho umuntu owayenomoya omubi wagxumela kuwo,+ wawehlula enye ngemva kwenye, wawanqoba, aze abaleka kuleyo ndlu ehamba-ze futhi elimele.
17 Lokhu kwaziwa yibo bonke, amaJuda namaGreki ahlala e-Efesu; ukwesaba+ kwabehlela bonke, futhi igama leNkosi uJesu laqhubeka lidunyiswa.+
18 Abaningi kulabo ababeye baba ngamakholwa babefika bavume+ futhi babike imikhuba yabo obala.
19 Ngempela, abaningana impela kulabo ababenza ubuciko bemilingo+ babuthela izincwadi zabo ndawonye bazishisa phambi kwawo wonke umuntu. Babala ndawonye intengo yazo bayithola ilingana nezinhlamvu zesiliva eziyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisihlanu.
20 Ngakho izwi likaJehova laqhubeka likhula futhi linqoba ngendlela enamandla.+
21 Manje lapho lezi zinto seziqediwe, injongo kaPawulu emoyeni wakhe kwakuwukuba, ngemva kokudabula iMakedoniya+ ne-Akhaya, aye eJerusalema,+ ethi: “Ngemva kokuba sengifikile lapho kumelwe ngibone neRoma.”+
22 Ngakho wathumela eMakedoniya ababili kulabo ababemkhonza, uThimothewu+ no-Erastu,+ kodwa yena walibala isikhathi esithile esifundeni sase-Asiya.
23 Ngaleso sikhathi kwavela ukuphazamiseka+ okukhulu ngaleyo Ndlela.+
24 Ngoba umuntu othile ogama lakhe linguDemetriyu, umkhandi wesiliva, wayenikeza izingcweti inzuzo enkulu ngokwenza izindawo zokukhulekela zesiliva zika-Arthemisi;+
25 futhi waziqoqa kanye nalabo abenza izinto ezinjalo+ wathi: “Madoda, nazi kahle ukuthi sichunyiswa+ yilo msebenzi.
26 Niyabona futhi niyezwa ukuthi lo Pawulu usithonye kanjani isixuku esikhulu wasiphendulela komunye umbono, ethi labo abenziwe ngezandla+ ababona onkulunkulu, kungekhona e-Efesu+ nje kuphela kodwa cishe kuso sonke isifunda sase-Asiya.
27 Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhona ingozi hhayi nje kuphela yokuthi lo msebenzi wethu uzoba nedumela elibi kodwa neyokuthi ithempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu u-Arthemisi+ lizobhekwa njengelingelutho futhi ngisho nobukhazikhazi bakhe obukhulekelwa yiso sonke isifunda sase-Asiya nangumhlaba owakhiwe sebuzokwenziwa ize.”
28 Ezwa lokhu futhi egcwala intukuthelo, la madoda aqala ukukhamuluka, ethi: “Mkhulu u-Arthemisi wabase-Efesu!”
29 Ngakho umuzi wagcwala isiphithiphithi, futhi watheleka nganhliziyonye enkundleni yemidlalo, wathatha uGayu ngempoqo bamuka naye no-Aristarku,+ abangabaseMakedoniya, abangane bakaPawulu.
30 UPawulu, wafuna ukungena ngaphakathi kubantu, kodwa abafundi abamvumelanga.
31 Ngisho nabanye kubaphathi bemikhosi nemidlalo, ababenobungane kuye, bathumela kuye futhi bamncenga ukuba angazifaki engozini enkundleni yemidlalo.
32 Eqinisweni abanye babememeza besho okunye nabanye besho okunye;+ ngoba umhlangano wawunesiphithiphithi, futhi iningi labo lalingasazi isizathu sokubuthana kwabo.
33 Ngakho bebonke bakhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, amaJuda emphushela phambili; u-Aleksandru waqhweba ngesandla efuna ukuziphendulela kubantu.
34 Kodwa lapho beqaphela ukuthi ungumJuda, bakhamuluka bonke kanyekanye bememeza cishe amahora amabili bethi: “Mkhulu+ u-Arthemisi wabase-Efesu!”
35 Lapho, ekugcineni, umgcini-mibhalo womuzi esesithulisile+ isixuku, wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, ngubani ngempela esintwini ongazi ukuthi umuzi wabase-Efesu ungumgcini wethempeli lika-Arthemisi omkhulu nowomfanekiso owawa ezulwini?
36 Ngakho-ke njengoba lezi zinto zingenakuphikwa, kufanelekile ukuba nizole ningenzi ngamawala.+
37 Ngoba nilethe la madoda angebona abaphangi bamathempeli noma abahlambalazi bakankulunkulukazi wethu.
38 Ngakho-ke uma uDemetriyu+ nezingcweti ezikanye naye benodaba ngothile, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala+ futhi bakhona abaphathi-zifundazwe;+ mabamangalelane.
39 Nokho, uma nifuna okungalé kwalokho, kumelwe kunqunywe emhlanganweni ovamile.
40 Ngoba ngempela sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngokuvukela umbuso ngendaba yanamuhla, njengoba singekho nesisodwa isizathu esingasibeka njengembangela yalesi sixuku esingahlelekile.”
41 Esezishilo lezi zinto,+ wawuhlakaza umhlangano.+
