Acts 17

EThesalonika

1Bathi sebedlule e-Amfipholi le-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika lapho okwakulesinagogu yamaJuda khona. 2Njengenjayelo yakhe uPhawuli waya esinagogweni, kwathi ngamaSabatha amathathu wabonisana labo ngeMibhalo, 3echaza njalo eveza obala ukuthi uKhristu wayemele ahlupheke njalo avuke kwabafileyo. Wathi, “UJesu lo engitshumayela ngaye kini unguye uKhristu.” 4Amanye amaJuda akukholwa lokho asehlanganyelana loPhawuli loSayilasi, njengalokho okwenziwa linani elikhulu lamaGrikhi abesaba uNkulunkulu, kugoqela lehlekanyana labesifazane abahloniphekayo.

5Kodwa amaJuda aba lomona; ngakho asehuga izixhwali endaweni yokuthengisa, abalixuku elithile asevusa umsindo edolobheni. Aphuthumela endlini kaJasoni edinga uPhawuli loSayilasi efuna ukubaletha phambi kukazulu. 6Kodwa kwathi sebebaswele basebedonsela uJasoni labanye abazalwane abathile kubaphathi bedolobho bememeza besithi: “Amadoda la abekade edala uhlupho emhlabeni wonke manje aseze lapha, 7uJasoni yena wawemukela endlini yakhe. Bonke bahlinikeza imithetho kaKhesari besithi kulenye inkosi ethiwa nguJesu.” 8Bathi bekuzwa lokhu abantu labaphathi bedolobho bazonda kakhulu. 9Kwasekuthiwa uJasoni labanye bakhe kabakhuphe isibambiso ngemali ethile, kwayikhona bekhululwa ukuthi bahambe.

EBheriya

10Konela ukuthi kuhlwe abazalwane babasusa uPhawuli loSayilasi babasa eBheriya. Ekufikeni kwabo khona baya esinagogweni yamaJuda. 11AmaJuda eBheriya wona ayelesimilo esingcono kulaleso esamaThesalonika, ngoba alemukela ilizwi ngomfutho omkhulu njalo ayihlola iMibhalo insuku zonke ukuze abone ukuthi lokho uPhawuli ayekutsho kwakuliqiniso na. 12AmaJuda amanengi akholwa, kanye labesifazane abanengi bamaGrikhi abahloniphekayo lamadoda amanengi amaGrikhi.

13Kwathi amaJuda aseThesalonika esezwile ukuthi uPhawuli wayesetshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu eBheriya, aya khona futhi, athela abantu umoya omubi abadunga. 14Abazalwane bahle bathumela uPhawuli ngasokhunjini lolwandle, kodwa uSayilasi loThimothi basala eBheriya. 15Amadoda ayephelekezela uPhawuli amtshiya e-Athene asebuyela lomlayezo wokuthi uSayilasi loThimothi bamlandele ngokuphangisa.

E-Athene

16UPhawuli esabamelele e-Athene, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngokubona ukuthi idolobho lelo laligcwele izithombe. 17Ngakho wabonisana lamaJuda kanye lamaGrikhi ayemesaba uNkulunkulu esinagogweni lasendaweni yokuthengisa zonke insuku lalabo ababekhonapho. 18Ixuku lezazi zama-Ephikhuri lamaStoyikhi laphikisana laye. Abanye babo babuza bathi, “Uwumani lolu luzama ukuthini kanti?” Abanye bathi, “Kungathi utshumayela ngonkulunkulu bezizweni.” Bakutsho lokhu ngoba uPhawuli wayetshumayela izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu langokuvuka kwabafileyo. 19Basebehamba laye enkundleni ye-Ariyophagasi, bafika bathi kuye, “Ake usitshele ukuthi imfundiso le entsha oyethulayo iyini. 20Uletha ezindlebeni zethu imibono engajayelekanga, ngakho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi itshoni.” 21(Wonke ama-Atheni labezizwe ababehlala khona babechitha isikhathi sabo bengenzi lutho ngaphandle kokukhuluma lokulalela imibono emitsha.)

22UPhawuli wasukuma enkundleni ye-Ariyophagasi wathi, “Madoda ase-Atheni! Ngiyabona ukuthi kukho konke lingabantu abakhonzayo. 23Ngoba ngithe ngihambahamba, ngabona izithombe zenu, ngaze ngafumana i-alithari elilombhalo othi:

Kunkulunkulu Ongaziwayo. Manje-ke lokho elikukhonza njengolutho olungaziwayo yikho engizakutshumayela kini.

24UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo uyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, njalo kahlali emathempelini akhiwe ngezandla. 25Njalo kancediswa yizandla zabantu ingathi kukhona akuswelayo, ngoba yena ngokwakhe upha bonke abantu impilo, umphefumulo lokunye konke. 26Ngomuntu oyedwa wenza zonke izizwe zabantu, ukuthi zakhe emhlabeni wonke; njalo wamisa izikhathi abazilungiselweyo lazo kanye izindawo abamele bahlale kuzo. 27UNkulunkulu wakwenza lokhu ukuze abantu bamdinge lokuthi mhlawumbe bamfinyelele bamfumane, loba nje uvele engakhatshana komunye lomunye wethu. 28‘Ngoba siphila kuye, sihambe ngaye njalo sipheleliswe nguye.’ Njengokutsho kwezinye izimbongi zakini ukuthi, ‘Singabantwabakhe.’

29Ngakho-ke njengoba singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kasingacabangini ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide, loba isiliva kumbe ilitshe; umfanekiso obunjwe ngobungcitshi bomuntu. 30Endulo uNkulunkulu kakunakanga ukungazi lokhu, kodwa khathesi uselaya bonke abantu ezindaweni zonke ukuba baphenduke. 31Ngoba uselumisile usuku lapho azakwahlulela khona umhlaba ngokulunga ngaye umuntu amkhethileyo. Usebuvezile ubufakazi balokhu kubo bonke abantu ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”

32Bathi besizwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye babo bamklolodela, kodwa abanye bathi, “Sifuna ukuphinda sikuzwe ukhuluma ngale indaba njalo.” 33Ngalokho-ke, uPhawuli wasesuka enkundleni. 34Abantu abathile baba ngabalandeli bakaPhawuli, bakholwa. Phakathi kwabo kwakuloDiyonisiyu owayelilunga le-Ariyophagasi, njalo lowesifazane okwakuthiwa nguDamari kanye labanye abalinani elithile.