IzEnzo 8:1-40
8 USawulu, wayekwamukela ukubulawa kwakhe.+
Ngalolo suku kwavela ukushushiswa+ okukhulu kwebandla elaliseJerusalema; bonke ngaphandle kwabaphostoli bahlakazekela+ kuzo zonke izifunda zaseJudiya naseSamariya.
2 Kodwa amadoda anenhlonipho amthwala uStefanu ayomngcwaba,+ futhi amlilela kakhulu.+
3 Nokho, uSawulu waqala ukuphatha ibandla ngendlovula. Ehlasela indlu ngemva kwenye, futhi ehudulela ngaphandle kokubili amadoda nabesifazane, ebanikela etilongweni.+
4 Nokho, labo ababehlakazekile badabula izwe bememezela izindaba ezinhle zezwi.+
5 Ngokwesibonelo, uFiliphu wehlela emzini waseSamariya+ washumayela ngoKristu kuwo.
6 Izixuku zazinaka nganhliziyonye izinto ezazishiwo uFiliphu zilalela futhi zibheka izibonakaliso ayezenza.
7 Baningi ababenemimoya engcolileyo,+ futhi yayikhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu iphume. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abaningi ababefe uhlangothi+ nabayizinyonga belashwa.
8 Ngakho kwaba nenjabulo enkulu kulowo muzi.+
9 Manje kulowo muzi kwakukhona indoda ethile egama layo linguSimoni, leyo, ngaphambi kwalokhu, eyayisebenzisa ubuciko bemilingo+ futhi imangaza isizwe saseSamariya, ithi yona ingumuntu omkhulu.+
10 Bonke, kusukela komncane kunabo bonke kuya komdala kunabo bonke, babeyinaka futhi bethi: “Lo muntu ungaMandla kaNkulunkulu angase abizwe ngokuthi amaKhulu.”
11 Ngakho babeyinaka ngenxa yokuthi yayibamangaze isikhathi eside impela ngobuciko bayo bemilingo.
12 Kodwa lapho bekholwa nguFiliphu, owayememezela izindaba ezinhle zombuso kaNkulunkulu+ nezegama likaJesu Kristu, babhapathizwa, kokubili amadoda nabesifazane.+
13 USimoni ngokwakhe naye waba yikholwa, futhi, ngemva kokubhapathizwa, wayenoFiliphu njalo;+ wamangala lapho ebona kwenzeka izibonakaliso nemisebenzi emikhulu yamandla.
14 Lapho abaphostoli eJerusalema bezwa ukuthi iSamariya lamukele izwi likaNkulunkulu,+ bathumela kubo uPetru noJohane;
15 laba behla babathandazela ukuba bathole umoya ongcwele.+
16 Ngoba wawungakehleli kumuntu kubo, kodwa babebhapathizwe egameni leNkosi uJesu+ kuphela.
17 Khona-ke bababeka izandla,+ bamukela umoya ongcwele.
18 Lapho uSimoni ebona ukuthi umoya unikezwa ngokubekwa izandla ngabaphostoli, wathembisa ukubanika imali,+
19 wathi: “Nami nginikeni leli gunya, ukuze kuthi noma ubani engimbeka izandla amukele umoya ongcwele.”
20 Kodwa uPetru wathi kuye: “Kwangathi isiliva lakho lingashabalala kanye nawe, ngoba ucabange ukusithola ngemali isipho sesihle sikaNkulunkulu.+
21 Awunangxenye nasabelo kule ndaba, ngoba inhliziyo yakho ayiqondile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.+
22 Ngakho-ke, phenduka kulobu bubi bakho, unxuse uJehova+ ukuba, uma kungenzeka, uthethelelwe leli cebo lenhliziyo yakho;
23 ngoba ngiyabona ukuthi uyinyongo enobuthi+ nesibopho sokungalungi.”+
24 USimoni ephendula wathi: “Nginxuseleni+ nina kuJehova ukuba ngingehlelwa nangeyodwa kulezi zinto enizishilo.”
25 Ngakho-ke, lapho sebebunikeze ngokuphelele ubufakazi futhi bakhuluma izwi likaJehova, babuyela emuva eJerusalema, bamemezela izindaba ezinhle emizaneni eminingi yamaSamariya.+
26 Nokho, ingelosi kaJehova+ yakhuluma noFiliphu, yathi: “Sukuma uye eningizimu endleleni eyehlayo isuka eJerusalema iya eGaza.” (Le ndlela isogwadule.)
27 Ngemva kwalokho wasukuma wahamba, futhi, bheka! umthenwa+ ongumTopiya,+ indoda esesikhundleni sokuphatha ngaphansi kukaKhandakhe indlovukazi yamaTopiya, futhi eyayiphezu kwayo yonke ingcebo yale ndlovukazi. Wayeye eJerusalema eyokhulekela,+
28 kodwa wayesebuya futhi ehlezi enqoleni yakhe efunda ngokuzwakalayo umprofethi u-Isaya.+
29 Ngakho umoya wathi+ kuFiliphu: “Sondela uzihlanganise nale nqola.”
30 UFiliphu wagijima eceleni futhi wamuzwa efunda ngokuzwakalayo u-Isaya umprofethi, wathi: “Empeleni, ingabe uyakwazi lokho okufundayo?”
31 Wathi: “Ngingakwazi kanjani nje nempela, ngaphandle kokuba othile angiqondise?” Wabe esencenga uFiliphu ukuba agibele ahlale naye.
32 Manje indima yemiBhalo ayeyifunda ngokuzwakalayo kwakuyile: “Njengemvu walethwa ekuhlatshweni, nanjengewundlu elingenazwi phambi komgundi walo, kanjalo akawuvuli umlomo wakhe.+
33 Phakathi nokuthotshiswa kwakhe, isahlulelo sasuswa kuye.+ Ngubani oyolandisa imininingwane yesizukulwane sakhe? Ngoba ukuphila kwakhe kuyasuswa emhlabeni.”+
34 Umthenwa wathi kuFiliphu: “Ngiyakuncenga, Lo mprofethi ukusho mayelana nobani lokhu? Ngaye ngokwakhe noma ngomunye umuntu othile?”
35 UFiliphu wavula umlomo wakhe,+ futhi eqala ngalo mBhalo,+ wamemezela kuye izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu.
36 Manje njengoba behamba ngendlela, bafika emanzini, umthenwa wathi: “Bheka! Amanzi amaningi; yini engivimbela ukuba ngibhapathizwe?”+
37 ——
38 Ngemva kwalokho wayala ukuba inqola ime, bobabili behlela emanzini, bobabili uFiliphu nomthenwa; wambhapathiza.
39 Lapho sebekhuphukile emanzini, umoya kaJehova wammukisa masinyane uFiliphu,+ umthenwa akaphindange wambona futhi, ngoba waqhubeka nendlela yakhe ejabula.
40 Kodwa uFiliphu watholakala ese-Ashidodi, futhi wahamba kuleyo ndawo waqhubeka ememezela+ izindaba ezinhle kuyo yonke imizi waze wafika eKhesariya.+
