ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli 20:1-38
20 Ukuxokozela kwathi sekuphelile uPhawuli wabiza abafundi wabakhuthaza, wasebavalelisa waya eMakhedoniya.
2 Wangena idolobho ngedolobho ebakhuthaza kakhulu ababelapho, waze wayafika eGrisi.
3 Wahlala khona okwezinyanga ezintathu kodwa wathi esezakuya eSiriya ngomkhumbi, amaJuda abumba icebo lokumbulala.+ Yikho wacabanga ukubuyela ngendlela edlula eMakhedoniya.
4 Wayephelekezelwa nguSophatha indodana kaPhirusi weBheriya, lo-Aristakhu,+ loSekhundu weThesalonika, loGayu weDebhe, loThimothi+ kanye loThikhikhu+ loTrofimu+ ababevela esabelweni se-Asiya.
5 Amadoda la asiqalela ukuhamba ayasimelela eTrowa.
6 Ngemva kwensuku zoMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingelamvubelo,+ sasuka eFiliphi ngesikepe sayafika eTrowa ngemva kwamalanga amahlanu, sahlala khona okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
7 Ngelanga lokuqala leviki sabuthana ukuze sidle ndawonye. UPhawuli waqalisa ukukhuluma labo njengoba wayezasuka ngelanga elilandelayo. Wakhuluma okwesikhathi eside kwaze kwaba phakathi kobusuku.
8 Endlini ephezulu esasibuthene kuyo kwakulezibane ezinengi.
9 Ewindini kwakuhlezi elinye ijaha okuthiwa nguYuthikhu laselijunywa yibuthongo uPhawuli elokhu ekhuluma, lalala nya. Lawa lisuka esitezi sesithathu balidobha selifile.
10 UPhawuli wehla waya phansi, wafika waziphosela phezu kwalo waligona+ wasesithi: “Yekelani ukuxokozela, uyaphila.”+
11 Waseqansa waya phezulu wafika wahlephuna isinkwa wadla. Waqhubeka ekhuluma okwesikhathi eside kwaze kwasa wasesuka.
12 Ngakho bamthatha umfana bahamba laye esephila, baduduzeka kakhulu.
13 Thina sasuka kuqala sayagada umkhumbi saqonda e-Asosi kodwa uPhawuli yena wahamba ngenyawo. Sasizahlangana laye khona simthathe ngomkhumbi njengoba wayesitshele ukuthi senze njalo.
14 Ngakho wathi esithola e-Asosi, samthatha sahamba laye eMithilene ngomkhumbi.
15 Sasuka lapho ngelanga elilandelayo sayakuma eduze leKhiyosi. Ngelanga elilandela lelo safika eSamosi sama kancane, kwasekusithi ngosuku olulandelayo safika eMilethu.
16 UPhawuli wayekhethe ukuyiceza i-Efesu+ ukuze angahlali esabelweni se-Asiya ngoba wayejahe ukuyafika eJerusalema+ ngosuku loMkhosi wePhentekhosti.
17 Lanxa kunjalo, wathi eseMilethu wathumela ilizwi e-Efesu ebiza abadala bebandla.
18 Bathi sebefikile wathi kubo: “Likwazi mhlophe ukuthi ngangiphila njani phakathi kwenu kusukela ngelanga lokuqala ngibeka olwami esabelweni se-Asiya.+
19 Ngayisebenzela nzima iNkosi ngokuthobeka*+ konke langezinyembezi lobunzima obangehlelayo ngenxa yamacebo ayebunjwa ngamaJuda.
20 Angizange ngiyekele ukulitshela loba yini eyayingalinceda, lokulifundisa obala+ lasendlini ngendlu.+
21 Kodwa ngafakaza ngokugcweleyo kumaJuda lakumaGrikhi ukuthi kumele baphendukele+ kuNkulunkulu njalo babe lokholo eNkosini yethu uJesu.+
22 Khathesi ngiya eJerusalema ngiqhutshwa ngumoya ongcwele lanxa ngingakwazi okuzangehlela khonale,
23 ngaphandle kokuthi umoya ongcwele uqhubeka ufakaza kimi idolobho ngedolobho, usithi ngizabotshwa futhi ngehlelwe zinhlupho.+
24 Loba kunjalo eyami impilo angiyiboni iligugu kimi.* Okuqakathekileyo yikuthi ngiqede umsebenzi+ lenkonzo engayamukela eNkosini uJesu, eyokufakaza ngokugcweleyo izindaba ezinhle zomusa omkhulu kaNkulunkulu.
25 “Khathesi ngiyazi ukuthi kini engalitshumayeza ngoMbuso, kakho ozaphinda abone ubuso bami.
26 Lamuhla ngifuna libe ngofakazi bokuthi ngimsulwa egazini labantu bonke+
27 ngoba angizange ngiyekele ukulitshela yonke intando* kaNkulunkulu.+
28 Zilindeni+ lina lawo wonke umhlambi umoya ongcwele olibeke ukuthi libe ngababonisi phezu kwawo,+ ukuze leluse ibandla likaNkulunkulu+ alithenga ngegazi leNdodana yakhe.+
29 Ngiyazi ukuthi nxa sengihambile amaganyana alesihluku azangena phakathi kwenu+ njalo awasoze awuphathe ngozwelo umhlambi.
30 Laphakathi kwenu kuzavela amadoda azakhuluma izinto ezingaqondanga efuna ukudukisa abafundi ukuze bawalandele.+
31 “Ngakho hlalani lilindile, likhumbule ukuthi okweminyaka emithathu+ angizange ngiyekele ukucebisa ngamunye wenu ngezinyembezi ubusuku lemini.
32 Khathesi ngilinikela kuNkulunkulu laselizwini lomusa wakhe omkhulu, lona elenelisa ukulakha lokulipha ilifa phakathi kwabo bonke abangcwelisiweyo.+
33 Angizange ngihawukele isiliva kumbe igolide loba izigqoko zomuntu.+
34 Lina ngokwenu liyakwazi ukuthi izandla zami lezi yizo ezenze ngathola ebengikuswela+ lokwalabo ebengilabo.
35 Ngilitshengisile kukho konke ukuthi ngokusebenza nzima ngalindlela,+ kumele lincedise ababuthakathaka njalo lihlale likhumbula amazwi akhulunywa yiNkosi uJesu ngokwayo, athi: ‘Ukupha kuyathokozisa kakhulu+ ukwedlula ukwamukela.’”
36 Esekukhulumile konke lokhu waguqa phansi labo bonke wathandaza.
37 Bonke bakhala ezimathonsi, bamgona uPhawuli bamqabuza
38 ngoba kwakubazwisa ubuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi wayethe babengasoze baphinde bambone.+ Basebemphelekezela esesiya emkhunjini.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ngokuzehlisa.”
^ Kumbe, “ngiyibona ingasilutho ngitsho.”
^ Kumbe, “injongo.”
