Acts 27

UPhawuli Uya ERoma

1Sekumisiwe ukuthi sizakuya e-Ithali, uPhawuli kanye lezinye izibotshwa banikelwa ezandleni zomphathi wekhulu owayethiwa nguJuliyasi owaye ngoweButho leSikhosini. 2Sagada umkhumbi e-Adramithiya owawusulungele ukuya emathekwini asemakhunjini esifunda sase-Ezhiya, sahle salungena ulwandle. Sasilo-Aristakhasi, owayesuka eThesalonika.

3Kusisa sakhuphukela eSidoni; uJuliyasi watshengisa umusa kuPhawuli, wamvumela ukuthi aye kubangane bakhe bamenzele lokho ayengabe ekuswela. 4Sesisuka lapho saluqonda ulwandle njalo sagudla ethunzini laseSiphrasi ngoba ukuvunguza komoya kwakuphambana lathi. 5Sathi sesiwele sadabula ulwandle olubanzi malungana lasokhunjini lweSilisiya lePhamfiliya, sakhuphukela eMira eseLikhiya. 6Khonapho umphathi wekhulu wafumana umkhumbi wase-Alekizandriya uwelela e-Ithali, wasingenisa kuwo. 7Sahamba sitotoba okwensuku ezinengi, sathwala nzima ukuyafika eKhinidu. Kwathi ngoba umoya usivalela ukuthi sihambe ngendlela yethu, sawela sayagudla ethunzini laseKhrethe, malungana leSalimoni. 8Sahamba siceza okhunjini kanzima, safika endaweni ethiwa kuseMathekumahle, eduze ledolobho laseLaseya.

9Sasesilahlekelwe yisikhathi esinengi kakhulu, lokuhamba olwandle kwasekuyingozi kabi ngoba ngalesisikhathi kwasekungemva kwesikhathi sokuzila. Yikho uPhawuli wabaxwayisa wathi, 10“Madoda, ngibona ukuthi uhambo lolu luzakuba lengozi lomonakalo omkhulu, kubhidlike umkhumbi lempahla, lempilo zethu lathi.” 11Kodwa umphathi wekhulu, esikhundleni sokulalela lokho okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli, walandela iseluleko somtshayeli womkhumbi kanye lomnikazi wawo. 12Njengoba itheku lalingelihle ukuthi simise khona ebusika, abanengi bakhetha ukuthi siqhubeke ngohambo, bethemba ukuthi sizafika eFenikhe simise khona ebusika lobo. Leli kwakulitheku eliseKhrethe, elalikhangele eningizimu yentshonalanga njalo lenyakatho yentshonalanga.

Isiphepho

13Kwathi ngokuphephetha komoya opholileyo waseningizimu, banakana ukuthi basebekutholile ababekudinga; ngakho bawukhulula umkhumbi wawela ugudle iKhrethe. 14Masinyazana nje, umoya olamandla esivunguvungu owawuthiwa “yiNhlampumalanga” wavunguza usuka esihlengeni. 15Umkhumbi watshaywa yilesosiphepho wehluleka ukuqondana lomoya; ngakho wasehlula sasesindenda nje siwulandela. 16Sathi lapho sidlula ekusithekeni kwesihlenge esincane esithiwa yiKhawuda, kwasekusala lokuthi simise kuhle isikepe sokuphephela siqonde. 17Kwathi amadoda esesidonsele phezulu emkhunjini, basebethandela izintambo bebopha umkhumbi ngokwawo ukuze uqine wonke. Bathi ngoba besesaba ukuthi bazatshayeka emhlabathini wetshebetshebe laseSithisi, behlisa iseyili bayekela umkhumbi wazindendela nje. 18Isiphepho sasizunguza kabuhlungu kwaze kwathi ngosuku olulandelayo saqalisa ukujikela umthwalo olwandle. 19Ngosuku lwesithathu baphosela phandle ngezabo izandla izintambo lezinye impahla zokuhambisa umkhumbi. 20Kwathi sekuyizinsuku ezinengi singaliboni ilanga loba izinkanyezi, kodwa isiphepho silokhu sisidla ubhedu, saphelelwa lithemba lokuthi sizaphepha.

21Amadoda ayesehlale isikhathi eside engadlanga, uPhawuli wasesima phambi kwabo, wathi, “Madoda, ngabe lingilalele sangasuki eKhrethe; ngabe kalizifakanga phakathi kwale inhlekenhleke lokulahlekelwa lokhu. 22Kodwa manje ngiyalikhuthaza ukuthi lime isibindi, ngoba kakukho lamunye wenu ozakufa; ngumkhumbi kuphela ozabhidlika. 23Izolo ebusuku ingilosi kaNkulunkulu engingowakhe mina njalo lengimkhonzayo ime phambi kwami 24yathi, ‘Ungesabi, Phawuli. Kumele uyethonisiswa nguKhesari; njalo uNkulunkulu usebe lomusa wokukunika impilo zabo bonke owela labo.’ 25Ngakho manini isibindi, madoda, ngoba ngiyamethemba uNkulunkulu ukuthi kuzakwenzakala njengokungitshela kwakhe. 26Kodwa phela sisezake sitshayeke phansi sikhaphazelwe esihlengeni esithile.”

Ukubhidlika Komkhumbi

27Ngobusuku betshumi lane sasilokhu siyaluziswa oLwandle lwe-Adriyathi, lapho okwathi phakathi kobusuku abaqhubi bomkhumbi bezwa kungathi basebesondela emhlabathini. 28Baphosa izintambo zokulinganisa bafumana ukuthi amanzi ayezike okwezingalo ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili. Ngemva kwesikhatshana baphinda baziphosa njalo bafumana izingalo ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye ukuzika. 29Bathi ngoba besesaba ukuthi sasizasakazeka ematsheni basebesehlisa insika zokumisa umkhumbi ngemuva bekhalela ukuthi kuse. 30Abaqhubi bomkhumbi bazama ukunyenya babaleke emkhunjini ngokwehlisela isikepe sokusinda olwandle bezenza abafuna ukuyakwehlisa ezinye insika ngaphambili komkhumbi. 31UPhawuli wasesithi kumphathi wekhulu lasemabuthweni, “Nxa amadoda la engahlali emkhunjini, ngeke lisinde.” 32Ngakho amabutho asequma izintambo ezazibambe isikepe sokusinda asiyekela sayagxumukela emanzini.

33Sekubanga emathathakusa, uPhawuli wabakhuthaza bonke ukuthi badle. Wathi, “Okwensuku ezilitshumi lane ezidluleyo belihlezi libambe amaphaphu enu; lisehluleka lokudla; kalizange lidle lutho. 34Okwamanje ngilicela ukuthi lidle. Kumele lidle ukuze liphile. Kakho loyedwa wenu ozalahlekelwa lalunwele ekhanda lakhe.” 35Esekutshilo lokhu, wathatha isinkwa wabonga kuNkulunkulu phambi kwabo bonke. Wasesihlephuna wadla. 36Bonke baqunga isibindi basebesidla labo. 37Sisonke sasingabantu abangamakhulu amabili lamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesithupha (276) emkhunjini. 38Bathi sebedlile basutha, baphungula ukusindwa komkhumbi ngokuchithela amabele olwandle.

39Kwathi sokusile kabawunanzelelanga umhlabathi, kodwa babona itheku elaligcwele itshebetshebe, basebezimisela ukuthi umkhumbi bayewumisa khona nxa kuvuma. 40Baquma insika bazitshiya zicwila olwandle, baphinda banyomula lezintambo ezazibambe okokugwedlisa. Basebephakamisa iseyili yaphambili beyiqondisa emoyeni, basebeqonda ekhunjini. 41Kodwa umkhumbi watshayelela esidulini setshebetshebe olwandle wahle wabhajwa. Isihloko sawo sathi ngxi phansi asabe sisanyikinyeka, ingemuva yona yahlakazeka itshaywa ngamagagasi.

42Amabutho asesithi kungcono abulale izibotshwa ukuze kungabikhona esizantsheza sibaleke. 43Kodwa umphathi wekhulu wayefuna ukuvikela impilo kaPhawuli, yikho wabalela ukuthi bakwenze lokho abasebekumisile. Walaya labo ababelamandla okuntsheza ukuba bazithele olwandle bona kuqala baqonde emhlabathini. 44Inengi lalizandenda ngamapulanka liye khona loba ngasiqa bani somkhumbi. Ngale indlela wonke umuntu wafika emhlabathini ephephile.