Imisebenzi 21 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UPawuli useKesariya

¹ Kwathi sesahlukene labo, sasuka ngomkolo, sahamba ngendlela eqondileyo saya eKosi, kusasa saya eRodesi; sasuka lapho saya ePathara.

² Sesifumene lapho umkolo oya eFenekiya, sangena kuwo, sahamba.

³ Kwathi sesiqhamuka eKuprosi, sayitshiyela ngakwesokhohlo, saqonda eSiriya, sehlikela eTire, ngoba umkolo wawuzakwethulela khona impahla zawo.

⁴ Sesibadingile abafundi, sahlala khona insuku eziyisikhombisa; bona bamtshela uPawuli ngoMoya ukuba angayi eJerusalema.

⁵ Kwathi seziphelile insuku zethu lapho, sasuka sahamba; bonke basiphelekezela kanye labomkabo labantwana, baze basifikisa ngaphandle komuzi. Saguqa ngasokhunjini, sakhuleka,

⁶ savalelisana, sangena emkolweni, kodwa bona babuyela ekhaya.

⁷ Sesiqedile ukuhamba ngomkolo sisuka eTire, safika ePetolemayi, sabingelela abazalwane, sahlala labo usuku lwaba lunye.

⁸ Kusasa sasuka sahamba safika eKesariya, sangena endlini kaFiliphu umvangeli, owayengomunye wabayisikhombisa, sahlala laye.

⁹ Yenake wayelamadodakazi amane ayengendanga, intombi ezaziselayo.

¹⁰ Kwathi sesihlezi khona insuku ezithile, kwafika umprofethi othiwa nguAgabusi, evela eJudiya;

¹¹ yena efika kithi, wathatha uzwezwe lukaPawuli, wazibopha inyawo lezandla esithi: Utsho njalo uMoya oNgcwele, uthi: Umuntu olungolwakhe loluzwezwe abaJuda baseJerusalema bazakumbopha kanje bamnikele ezandleni zabezizwe.

¹² Sesikuzwile lokhu samncenga thina kanye labantu ababelapho ukuba angayi eJerusalema.

¹³ UPawuli wasephendula esithi: Lenzani likhala lidabula inhliziyo yami na? Ngoba sengilungele, kungesikho ukubotshwa kuphela, kodwa lokufa eJerusalema ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uJesu.

¹⁴ Sesahlulekile ukumvumisa ukuba angayi, sathula sathi: Ayenziwe intando yeNkosi.

UPawuli useJerusalema

¹⁵ Emva kwalezinsuku sabopha impahla zethu, sakhuphukela eJerusalema.

¹⁶ Abathile kubafundi baseKesariya bahamba lathi, basisa endlini kaMnasoni waseKuprosi, umfundi omdala, ebesizangenisa kuye.

¹⁷ Sesifikile eJerusalema, abazalwane basamukela ngokuthokoza.

¹⁸ Kusasa uPawuli waya lathi kuJakobe; labadala bonke babekhona.

¹⁹ Esebabingelele, wabalandisela ngakunye ngazo zonke izinto uNkulunkulu abezenzile phakathi kwabezizwe ngomsebenzi wakhe.

²⁰ Sebekuzwile lokhu bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi kuye: Uyabona, mzalwane, ukuthi zinengi kangakanani izigidi zabakholwayo phakathi kwabaJuda, futhi bonke batshisekela umlayo;

²¹ sebetsheliwe ngawe ukuba ufundisa bonke abaJuda abaphakathi kwabezizwe ukuba badele uMose, ubatshela ukuba bangasoki abantwana babo lokuba bangahambi ngamasiko.

²² Phoke, sizakwenza njani na? Bazakuzwa impela ukuthi usufikile.

²³ Ngakhoke yenza lokhu esikutsho kuwe. Kukhona amadoda amane lapha kithi azibophe ngesifungo;

²⁴ athathe lawomadoda, uzihlambulule kanye lawo, uhlawule indleko zawo, ukuze aphuce amakhanda awo; kung’khona bazakwazi bonke ukuthi kakukho ulutho kulokho abakutshelwe ngawe, kodwa ukuthi lawe uhamba ngokulondoloza umlayo.

²⁵ Kodwa mayelana labezizwe abakholwayo sesilobile saquma ukuthi kabazile okuhlatshelwe izithombe, legazi, lokukhanyiweyo, lokufeba.

²⁶ UPawuli wasewathatha lawomadoda, kusasa wazihlambulula kanye lawo, waya ethempelini ukubika ukuphela kwensuku zokuhlanjululwa, ukuze kulethwe umnikelo wabo bonke.

AbaJuda bavusa umsindo; uPawuli uyabotshwa

²⁷ Kwathi sezizakuphela lezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, abaJuda abavela eAsiya ababembonile uPawuli ethempelini, bavusa lonke ixuku, bambamba,

²⁸ bamemeza bathi: Madoda akoIsrayeli, sizani! Nguye lumuntu ofundisa bonke endaweni zonke okuphambene lesizwe sakoIsrayeli, lomlayo, lalindawo; futhi ungenisile amaGriki ethempelini, wayingcolisa lindawo engcwele.

²⁹ Ngoba babebonile ngaphambili uTrofimu waseEfesu elaye emzini, bakhumbula ukuthi uPawuli umngenisile ethempelini.

³⁰ Umuzi wonke wanyakazela, abantu bagijimela ndawonye, bamdumela uPawuli, bamhudulela ngaphandle kwethempeli; iminyango yavalwa masinyane.

³¹ Kuthe besafuna ukumbulala, ilizwi lafika enduneni enkulu yesigaba ukuba lonke iJerusalema liyaphithizela;

³² yahle yathatha amabutho lezinduna zekhulu, yagijimela kubo; sebebona induna enkulu lamabutho bayekela ukumtshaya uPawuli.

³³ Kwathi induna enkulu yasondela, yambopha uPawuli, yalaya ukuba abotshwe ngamaketane amabili, yabuza ukuba ungubani lokuba wenzeni.

³⁴ Kodwa abanye exukwini bamemeza okunye, labanye okunye; yathi ukuba ingelakulazi iqiniso ngenxa yomsindo, yalaya ukuba asiwe endlini yamabutho.

³⁵ Esefikile esikhwelweni, wathwalwa ngamabutho ngenxa yokufutheka kwexuku;

³⁶ ngoba ixuku labantu lalandela limemeza lisithi: Kabulawe!

³⁷ UPawuli esezakungeniswa endlini yamabutho wathi enduneni enkulu: Ngingake ngikhulume lawe na? Yona yathi: Uyasazi isiGriki na?

³⁸ Kanti kawusuye yini lowomGibithe osand’ukuvukela umbuso, waholela enkangala amadoda azinkulungwane ezine angababulali na?

³⁹ UPawuli waphendula wathi: Mina ngingumJuda waseTarsusi elaseKilikhiya, ngingumuntu womuzi odumileyo; ngiyakuncenga ake ungivumele ngikhulume ebantwini.

⁴⁰ Esemvumele, uPawuli wema esikhwelweni, waqhweba abantu ngesandla; sekuthe cwaka, wakhuluma labo ngolimi lwamaHeberu, wathi: