IzEnzo ZabaPhostoli 19:1-41
19 Phakathi nalezo zenzakalo, ngesikhathi u-Apholo + eseKorinte, uPawulu wadabula izifunda ezimaphakathi nezwe wehlela e-Efesu. + Wathola abafundi abathile lapho,
2 wathi kubo: “Nawuthola yini umoya ongcwele lapho niba amakholwa?” + Bamphendula bathi: “Asikaze sizwe nakuzwa ukuthi kukhona umoya ongcwele.”
3 Wathi: “Pho kanti nabhapathizwa ngani?” Bathi: “Ngobhapathizo lukaJohane.” +
4 UPawulu wathi: “UJohane wabhapathiza ngobhapathizo olubonisa ukuphenduka, + etshela abantu ukuthi abakholwe yilowo owayeza emva kwakhe, + okuwukuthi, uJesu.”
5 Lapho bezwa lokhu, babhapathizwa egameni leNkosi uJesu.
6 Lapho uPawulu ebabeka izandla, umoya ongcwele wehlela phezu kwabo, + baqala ukukhuluma izilimi okungezona ezabo nokuprofetha. +
7 Sebebonke, babengamadoda angaba ngu-12.
8 Engena esinagogeni, + wakhuluma ngesibindi izinyanga ezintathu, enikeza izinkulumo futhi ebonisana nabantu ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngendlela ekholisayo. +
9 Kodwa lapho abanye beba nenkani* bengafuni ukukholwa, bekhuluma kabi ngeNdlela *+ phambi kwesixuku, wasuka kubo + futhi wahlukanisa abafundi nabo, enikeza izinkulumo nsuku zonke ehholo lesikole likaThiranu.
10 Lokhu kwenzeka iminyaka emibili, kangangokuthi bonke ababehlala esifundazweni sase-Asiya balizwa izwi leNkosi, amaJuda namaGreki.
11 UNkulunkulu waqhubeka enza izimangaliso ezinkulu ngezandla zikaPawulu, +
12 kangangokuthi ngisho nezindwangu namaphinifa okwakuthinte umzimba wakhe kwakuthathwa kuyiswe kubantu abagulayo, + izifo zibayeke, nemimoya emibi iphume. +
13 Kodwa abanye kumaJuda ayehamba ezulazula ekhipha amademoni, nabo bazama ukusebenzisa igama leNkosi uJesu kulabo ababenemimoya emibi; babethi: “Ngiyakuyala ngoJesu uPawulu ashumayela ngaye.” +
14 Kwakukhona amadodana ayisikhombisa ompristi omkhulu ongumJuda ogama lakhe linguSkeva 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 wonke, wawanqoba, aze abaleka kuleyo ndlu enqunu futhi elimele.
17 Lokhu kwaziwa yibo bonke, amaJuda namaGreki ayehlala e-Efesu; bonke bafikelwa ukwesaba, igama leNkosi uJesu laqhubeka lidunyiswa.
18 Abaningi kulabo ababeye baba amakholwa babefika bavume imikhuba* yabo obala.
19 Ngempela abaningana kulabo ababenza ubuciko bemilingo baqoqela izincwadi zabo ndawonye bazishisa phambi kwawo wonke umuntu. + Babala ukuthi zingathengiswa ngamalini, bathola ukuthi inani lazo lilingana nezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-50 000.
20 Ngakho izwi likaJehova* laqhubeka likhula futhi linqoba ngendlela enamandla. +
21 Lapho lezi zinto sezenzekile, uPawulu wanquma* ukuthi ngemva kokudabula iMakedoniya + ne-Akhaya, uzoya eJerusalema. + Wathi: “Ngemva kokuya lapho, kumelwe ngibone neRoma.” +
22 Ngakho wathumela eMakedoniya ababili kulabo ababemkhonza, uThimothewu + no-Erastu, + kodwa yena wahlala isikhathi esithile esifundazweni sase-Asiya.
23 Ngaleso sikhathi kwavela ukuphazamiseka okukhulu + ngokuqondene neNdlela. +
24 Ngoba umuntu ogama lakhe linguDemetriyu, umkhandi wesiliva, owayenza izindawo zokukhonza zesiliva zika-Arthemisi, wayenikeza izingcweti inzuzo enkulu. +
25 Waziqoqela ndawonye kanye nabanye ababenza izinto ezinjalo, wathi: “Madoda, nazi kahle ukuthi sichunyiswa yilo msebenzi.
26 Manje seniyabona futhi niyezwa ukuthi lo Pawulu usithonye kanjani isixuku esikhulu sakholelwa yilokho akushilo, ukuthi onkulunkulu abenziwe ngezandla ababona onkulunkulu bangempela, + lokhu akakwenzanga e-Efesu + kuphela kodwa cishe kuso sonke isifundazwe sase-Asiya.
27 Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhona ingozi hhayi nje kuphela eyokuthi leli bhizinisi lethu lizoba nedumela elibi, kodwa neyokuthi ithempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu u-Arthemisi lizobhekwa njengelingelutho, yena lo okhonzwa yiso sonke isifundazwe sase-Asiya nangumhlaba owakhiwe uzophelelwa ubukhazikhazi bakhe.”
28 La madoda athi angezwa lokhu athukuthela kakhulu, ayesememeza athi: “Mkhulu u-Arthemisi wabase-Efesu!”
29 Ngakho idolobha lagcwala isiyaluyalu, bonke batheleka enkundleni yemidlalo, badonsa uGayu no-Aristarku + bahamba nabo, abangabaseMakedoniya, ababehamba noPawulu.
30 UPawulu wafuna ukungena ngaphakathi kubantu, kodwa abafundi abamvumelanga.
31 Ngisho nabanye kubaphathi bemikhosi nemidlalo, ababenobungane kuye, bathumela umyalezo kuye, bemncenga ukuba angazifaki engozini ngokungena enkundleni yemidlalo.
32 Eqinisweni abanye babememeza besho okunye nabanye besho okunye; ngoba umhlangano wawunesiyaluyalu, iningi labo lalingasazi isizathu sokuhlangana kwabo.
33 Ngakho bakhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, amaJuda emphushela phambili, u-Aleksandru wathulisa abantu ngesandla efuna ukuziphendulela kubo.
34 Kodwa lapho beqaphela ukuthi ungumJuda, bonke bamemeza kanyekanye cishe amahora amabili bethi: “Mkhulu u-Arthemisi wabase-Efesu!”
35 Lapho ekugcineni umgcini-mibhalo wedoloboha esesithulisile isixuku, wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, ubani ngempela kubantu ongazi ukuthi idolobha labase-Efesu lingumgcini wethempeli lika-Arthemisi omkhulu nowomfanekiso owawa ezulwini?
36 Njengoba lezi zinto zingenakuphikwa, kufanele nizole ningenzi ngamawala.
37 Ngoba niwalethe lapha la madoda angebona abaphangi bamathempeli noma abahlambalazi bakankulunkulukazi wethu.
38 Ngakho uma uDemetriyu + nezingcweti ezikanye naye benodaba ngothile, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala futhi bakhona abaphathi-zifundazwe;* mabamangalelane.
39 Kodwa uma nifuna okungale kwalokho, kumelwe kunqunywe emhlanganweni ovamile.
40 Ngoba ngempela sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngokuvukela umbuso ngendaba yanamuhla, njengoba zingekho izizathu esingaziveza zokuba kube nalesi sixuku esixokozelayo.”
41 Ngemva kokusho lezi zinto, wasihlakaza isixuku.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Okuwukuthi, indlela yobuKristu.
^ Noma, “lukhuni.”
^ Noma, “izono.”
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
^ NgesiGreki, “wanquma emoyeni wakhe.”
^ Umphathi-sifundazwe wayengumbusi wesifundazwe ongumRoma. Bheka uHlu Lwezincazelo Zamagama.
