Acts 11

UPhethro Uchaza Ukwenza Kwakhe

1Abapostoli labazalwane kulolonke elaseJudiya bezwa ukuthi abeZizwe labo basebelamukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. 2Yikho kwathi uPhethro esebuyele eJerusalema, amaJuda, amakholwa asokileyo, amsola 3athi, “Wangena endlini yabantu abangasokanga wadla labo.”

4UPhethro wabalondela konke kusukela ekuqaleni, wakuchasisa njengokwenzakala kwakho, wathi, 5“Ngangisedolobheni laseJopha ngikhuleka, ngehlelwa yisiyeziphupho ngaba lombono. Ngabona ulutho olwalunjengelembu elikhulu lisehliselwa phansi ngamagumbi alo womane livela ezulwini, lehlela phansi lapho engangikhona. 6Ngakhangela phakathi kwalo ngabona izinyamazana zomhlaba zezinyawo ezine, izilo zeganga, izinanakazana ezihuquzelayo lezinyoni zemoyeni. 7Ngasengisizwa ilizwi lingitshela lisithi, ‘Vuka Phethro. Hlaba udle.’

8Ngaphendula ngathi, ‘Hatshi bo, Nkosi! Kowami umlomo kakukaze kungene ulutho olungahlanzekanga loba olungcolileyo.’

9Ilizwi lakhuluma okwesibili livela ezulwini lathi, ‘Ungabokuthi ulutho oseluhlanjululwe nguNkulunkulu kaluhlanzekanga.’ 10Lokhu kwenzakala kathathu, konke kwase kubuyiselwa njalo ezulwini.

11Ngalesosikhathi amadoda amathathu ayethunywe kimi evela eKhesariya afika endlini engangihlala kuyo. 12UMoya wangitshela ukuthi ngingathandabuzi ukuhamba lawo. Laba abazalwane abayisithupha labo bahamba lami sayangena endlini yendoda leyo. 13Yasitshela ukuthi yabona ingilosi endlini yayo isithi, ‘Thumela eJopha ubize uSimoni owaziwa ngokuthi nguPhethro. 14Uzakulethela ilizwi eliyilo elizakusindisa wena kanye lendlu yakho.’

15Kwathi ngiqalisa nje ukukhuluma, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo njengoba wehlela kithi ekuqaleni. 16Ngakho ngasengikhumbula okwatshiwo yiNkosi isithi, ‘UJohane wabhaphathiza ngamanzi, kodwa lina lizabhaphathizwa ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ 17Ngakho-ke, nxa uNkulunkulu wabanika sona lesosipho asinika sona thina esakholwa eNkosini uJesu Khristu, ngangingubani mina engangingakhumbula ukuthi ngingamelana loNkulunkulu na?”

18Bathi sebekuzwile lokhu, kababe besaba lansolo, badumisa uNkulunkulu besithi, “Ngakho-ke, uNkulunkulu usebanikile labo abeZizwe ukuphendukela ekuphileni.”

Ibandla E-Antiyokhi

19Kwathi labo ababehlakazekile ngenxa yokuhlukunyezwa okwaqala ngokufa kukaStefane bahamba baze bayafika eFenikhiya, leSiphrasi le-Antiyokhi betshumayela ilizwi kumaJuda kuphela. 20Kodwa abanye babo, amadoda ayevela eSiphrasi laseKhureni, aya e-Antiyokhi atshumayela lakumaGrikhi, ebatshela ngezindaba ezinhle ngeNkosi uJesu. 21INkosi yaba labo, ngakho abantu abanengi bakholwa baphendukela eNkosini.

22Ibandla eliseJerusalema lakuzwa lokhu laselithumela uBhanabhasi e-Antiyokhi. 23Ekufikeni kwakhe wazibona izithelo zomusa kaNkulunkulu, wathokoza njalo wabakhuthaza bonke ukuthi baqhubeke ngobuqotho eNkosini ngezinhliziyo zabo zonke. 24Wayeyindoda elungileyo, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele lokukholwa. Abantu abanengi kakhulu balethwa eNkosini.

25UBhanabhasi wasesiya eThasasi ukuyadinga uSawuli. 26Esemfumene wahamba laye e-Antiyokhi. Ngakho okomnyaka wonke uBhanabhasi loSawuli babehlangana lebandla befundisa abantu abanengi kakhulu. Abafundi baqalisa ukubizwa ngokuthi ngamaKhristu e-Antiyokhi.

27Ngalesosikhathi abanye abaphrofethi bafika e-Antiyokhi bevela eJerusalema. 28Omunye wabo owayethiwa ngu-Agabhasi wasukuma eholwa nguMoya wabonisa ukuthi kwakuzakuba lendlala embi eyayizakubakhona kulolonke ilizwe lombuso wamaRoma. (Lokhu kwenzakala ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaKlawudiyasi.) 29Abafundi bazimisela ukunika usizo kubazalwane ababehlala eJudiya, ngulowo enika ngokwenelisa kwakhe. 30Bakwenza lokhu, bathumeza izipho zabo ebadaleni ngoBhanabhasi loSawuli.