Act 12 | NdeIBE | STEP | Kungathi kwakuyisonalesi isikhathi lapho iNkosi uHerodi yabopha abanye ababe ngabebandla eqonde ukubahlukumeza.

Acts 12

Ummangaliso Wokuphuma KukaPhethro Entolongweni

1 Kungathi kwakuyisonalesi isikhathi lapho iNkosi uHerodi yabopha abanye ababe ngabebandla eqonde ukubahlukumeza.

2 Wabulalisa uJakhobe umfowabo kaJohane ngenkemba. 3 Wathi ngokubona ukuthi lokho kwakuthabisa abaJuda wabopha njalo loPhethro. Lokho kwenzakala ngezinsuku zoMkhosi weSinkwa Esingelamvubelo.

4 Esembophile wamphosela entolongweni, wamnikela ukuba alindwe ngamaqula amane amabutho ngalinye lilamabutho amane. UHerodi wayefuna ukuthi ngemuva kwePhasika amkhuphele obala athonisiswe phambi kwabantu.

5 Ngakho uPhethro wagcinwa entolongweni, kodwa ibandla laphitsheka limkhulekela kuNkulunkulu.

6 Ngobusuku obandulela ukuthonisiswa kukaPhethro nguHerodi, uPhethro wayelele ephahlwe ngamabutho amabili, ebotshiwe ngamaketane amabili, kumi abalindi entubeni.

7 Masinyane ingilosi yeNkosi yavela, kwabakhona ukukhanya kulelokamela lentolongo. Yaphumputha uPhethro ohlangothini yamvusa, yathi, “Phangisa, vuka!” Amaketane akhithika ezingalweni zikaPhethro.

8 Ingilosi yasisithi kuye, “Gqoka, ufake lamanyathelo akho.” UPhethro wenzenjalo. Ingilosi yamtshela yathi, “Yembatha ijazi lakho ungilandele. 9 UPhethro wayilandela ngaphandle kwentolongo, kodwa wayedidekile engakwazi ukuthi lokho ingilosi eyayikwenza kwakusenzakala ngempela; wayekhumbula ukuthi ubona umbono. 10 Bedlula kubalindi, owokuqala lowesibili bafika esangweni lensimbi elaliphumela edolobheni. Lazivulekela baphuma. Kwathi sebehambe baphutsha umgwaqo wedolobho, ingilosi yaphanga yamtshiya.

11 Kwayikhona uPhethro eqaqabuka, wathi, “Khathesi sengisazi kungelakuthandabuza ukuthi iNkosi ithume ingilosi yayo yangihlenga ezibotshweni zikaHerodi lakukho konke obekufiswa ngabaJuda.”

12 Sekumkhanyela kuhle lokhu, waqonda endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane, owayethiwa njalo nguMakho, lapho abantu abanengi babebuthene khona bekhuleka. 13 UPhethro waqoqoda entubeni yangaphandle, kwathi inceku eyintombazana eyayithiwa nguRoda yayabuza ukuthi ngubani owayesemnyango.

14 Isilizwile ilizwi likaPhethro yathaba yafa, yagijimela phakathi ingasawuvulanga, yabika yathi, “UPhethro usemnyango!”

15 Bathi, “Uyahlanya wena.” Kwathi ngoba wala elokhu ephikelela ukuthi liqiniso, bathi, “Kutsho ukuthi yingilosi yakhe.”

16 Kodwa uPhethro wala elokhu eqoqoda, bathi bevula umnyango bambona, bamangala kakhulu. 17 UPhethro wabatshengisa ngesandla ukuthi bathule, wasebalandisela ukuthi iNkosi yamkhupha kanjani entolongweni. Wathi, “Libotshela uJakhobe labazalwane ngalokhu. Wasesuka waya kwenye indawo.

18 Ekuseni kwaba lokunyakazela okukhulu phakathi kwabebutho. Babuza bathi, “Kambe ngabe uPhethro wenzenjani?” 19 Kwathi uHerodi esemthungathe waze wabeka phansi, wasethonisisa abalindi wasesithi kababulawe.

Ukufa KukaHerodi

UHerodi wasuka eJudiya waya eKhesariya wayahlala khona okwesikhathi esithile. 20 Wayekade exabana labantu beThire labeSidoni; basebehlangana ndawonye bacela ukukhuluma laye. Sebezuze ukusekelwa nguBhlastu inceku ethembekileyo enkosini, bacela ukuthula ngokuba ukudla kwabo babekuthola elizweni lenkosi.

21 Mhla wosuku olumisiweyo uHerodi wagqoka ezobukhosi wahlala esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi wasekhuluma ebantwini. 22 Bamemeza bathi, “Leli yilizwi likankulunkulu, hatshi elomuntu.” 23 Masinyane nje, ngenxa yokuthi uHerodi wayengamkhonzi uNkulunkulu, ingilosi yeNkosi yamtshaya yamlahla phansi wadliwa zimpethu wafa.

24 Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka likhula njalo lisanda.

25 Kwathi uBhanaba loSawuli sebewuqedile umlandu wabo, babuyela besuka eJerusalema, bahamba loJohane, owayethiwa njalo nguMakho.