Acts 13

Ukuthunywa KukaBhanaba LoSawuli

1Ebandleni elalise-Antiyokhi kwakulabaphrofethi labafundisi: uBhanaba, loSimeyoni owayethiwa nguNigeri, loLusiya waseKhurene, loManayeni (owayekhuliswe loHerodi umbusi) kanye loSawuli. 2Kwathi beyikhonza iNkosi njalo bezilile uMoya oNgcwele wathi, “Ngahlukaniselani uBhanaba loSawuli baye emsebenzini engibabizele wona.”

3Yikho bathi sebezilile njalo sebekhulekile, bababeka izandla babakhupha.

Kuyiwa EKhuphro

4Bonke bobabili baholwa nguMoya oNgcwele behlela eSelusiya lapho abawela khona ngomkhumbi baya eKhuphro. 5Bathi sebefikile eSalami, balitshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogeni abaJuda. UJohane wayelabo engumsizi wabo.

6Basibhoda sonke isihlenge baze bafika ePhafo. Khonapho bafumana umJuda oyisanuse, njalo ongumphrofethi wamanga owayethiwa nguBha-Jesu, 7owayeyinceku kasibalukhulu, uSegiwu Phawuli. Usibalukhulu lowo, indoda ekhaliphileyo, yathumela ukuthi kubizwe oBhanaba loSawuli ngokuba wayefuna ukuzwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. 8Kodwa u-Elima isanuse (phela yikho ibizo lakhe elikutshoyo) waphikisana labo wazama ukuphambukisa usibalukhulu ekukholweni. 9Kwasekusithi uSawuli, owayethiwa njalo nguPhawuli, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wamjolozela u-Elima wathi,

10“Wena ungumntwana kaSathane lesitha sakho konke okulungileyo! Ugcwele zonke izinhlobo zokudlelezela. Kawuyikufa wakhawula yini ukuhlinikeza izindlela eziqondileyo?

11Khathesi-ke isandla seNkosi sizakutshaya. Uzakuba yimpumputhe, awuzukubona ukukhanya kwelanga okwesikhathi esithile.” Masinyane wehlelwa yinkungu lomnyama, waphumputha, waswela umuntu wokumhola ngesandla. 12Kwathi usibalukhulu esekubonile lokho okwakwenzakele wakholwa, ngoba wamangaliswa yimfundiso ngeNkosi.

E-Antiyokhi YasePhisidiya

13Besuka ePhafo uPhawuli labaphelekezeli bakhe bawela ngomkhumbi baya ePhega esePhamfiliya lapho uJohane abatshiya khona esebuyela eJerusalema. 14Besuka ePhega baya e-Antiyokhi yasePhisidiya. NgeSabatha bangena esinagogeni bahlala phansi. 15Sekubaliwe eMthethweni labaPhrofethi, ababusi besinagogi bedlulisela ilizwi kubo lisithi, “Bazalwane, uma lilelizwi lokukhuthaza abantu, khulumani.”

16UPhawuli wasukuma watshengisa ngesandla wathi: “Madoda ako-Israyeli kanye lani abeZizwe abakhonza uNkulunkulu, ngilalelani! 17UNkulunkulu wabantu bako-Israyeli wakhetha okhokho bethu wenza abantu baphumelela ngesikhathi behlezi eGibhithe. Ngamandla amakhulu wabakhupha kulelolizwe

18wababekezelela ekuhambeni kwabo okweminyaka engamatshumi amane besenkangala.

19Wachitha izizwe eziyisikhombisa eKhenani wanika ilizwe lazo abantu bakhe laba yilifa labo.

20Konke lokho kwathatha iminyaka engama 450. “Ngemuva kwalokhu uNkulunkulu wababekela abehluleli kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sikaSamuyeli umphrofethi.

21Abantu basebecela inkosi, wabanika uSawuli indodana kaKhishi, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini, wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amane. 22Ngemuva kokuba esemsusile uSawuli, wabeka uDavida waba yinkosi. Wafakaza ngaye wathi: ‘Sengifumane uDavida indodana kaJese, indoda ethandwa yinhliziyo yami; uzakwenza konke engifuna ukuba akwenze.’ 23Esizukulwaneni sale indoda uNkulunkulu uselethe ko-Israyeli uMsindisi uJesu njengokuthembisa kwakhe. 24Mandulo kokufika kukaJesu, uJohane watshumayela ukuphenduka lokubhaphathizwa kubo bonke abantu bako-Israyeli. 25UJohane esewuphetha umsebenzi wakhe wathi, ‘Licabanga ukuthi ngingubani na? Kangisuye lowo. Hatshi, kodwa uyeza ngemva kwami, omanyathelo akhe akungilingananga ukuthi ngiwathukulule.’

26“Bazalwane, bantwana baka-Abhrahama lani beZizwe elimesabayo uNkulunkulu, lelilizwi lensindiso selithunyelwe kithi. 27Abantu baseJerusalema kanye lababusi babo kabamamukelanga uJesu, ikanti kwathi ngokumlahla bagcwalisa amazwi abaphrofethi afundwayo ngamaSabatha wonke. 28Lokuba bengazange bafumane ubufakazi obuqondileyo ukuthi agwetshelwe ukubulawa, bacela uPhilathu ukuthi abulawe. 29Bathi sebekwenzile konke lokho okwakulotshwe ngaye, bamethula emthini bamlalisa ethuneni. 30Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo,

31Wabonwa okwezinsuku ezinengi yilabo abahamba laye besuka eGalile besiya eJerusalema. Manje yibo asebe ngofakazi kubantu bakithi.

32“Silitshela izindaba ezinhle ukuthi: Lokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisa okhokho bethu

33usesigcwalisele khona, thina abantwababo, ngokumvusa uJesu kwabafileyo. Njengalokhu kubhaliwe eHubeni lesibili ukuthi: “ ‘UyiNdodana yami; lamuhla senginguYihlo.’

34Lokho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo, engasoze abole lanini, kucacisiwe kula amazwi: “ ‘Ngizakunika izibusiso ezingcwele eziqinisekileyo ezathenjiswa uDavida.’

35Kanjalo kulotshiwe kwenye indawo ukuthi: “ ‘Kawusoze uyeke oNgcwele wakho ezwe ukubola.’

36“Ngoba kwathi uDavida eseyifezile injongo kaNkulunkulu ngalesosikhathi aphila kuso walala; wambelwa labokhokho bakhe, umzimba wakhe wabola. 37Kodwa lowo uNkulunkulu amvusayo kwabafileyo kazange akuzwe ukubola.

38“Ngakho-ke, bazalwane bami, ngithanda ukuba lazi ukuthi ngoJesu ukuthethelelwa kwezono kuyatshunyayelwa kini. 39Ngaye bonke abakholwayo sebehlanjululwe kukho konke abebe ngeke bahlanjululwe kukho ngomthetho kaMosi. 40Qaphelani ukuthi lokho okwakhulunywa ngabaphrofethi kungenzakali kini, ukuthi:

41“ ‘Khangelani, lina bachothozi, mangalani libhubhe, ngokuba ngizakwenza ulutho ngezinsuku zenu lokho elalingeke likukholwe loba likutshelwa ngubani.’

42Kwathi uPhawuli loBhanaba sebesuka esinagogeni abantu babanxusa ukuthi babuye bazokhuluma njalo ngalezizinto ngeSabatha elilandelayo. 43Abantu sebechithekile abaJuda abanengi lamakholwa ayephendukele enkonzweni yesiJuda balandela uPhawuli loBhanaba, bona bakhuluma labo bebakhuthaza ukuthi baqhubeke bebambelele emuseni kaNkulunkulu.

44NgeSabatha elilandelayo phose lonke idolobho labuthana ukuzakuzwa ilizwi leNkosi.

45Kwathi abaJuda bebona amaxuku abantu, baba lomona bakhuluma behlinikeza lokho okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli.

46Yikho uPhawuli loBhanaba basebebaphendula ngesibindi bathi: “Besimele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu silikhulume kini kuqala. Kodwa njengoba lililahla ngoba lizibona lina lingakufanelanga ukuphila okungapheliyo, khathesi sesiphendukela kwabeZizwe. 47Phela nanku iNkosi esisiyale khona yathi: “ ‘Sengilenze isibane sabeZizwe, ukuthi lilethe insindiso emikhawulweni yomhlaba.’ ”

48Kwathi abeZizwe bekuzwa lokhu bathaba, balidumisa ilizwi leNkosi; kwathi bonke ababemiselwe ukuphila okungapheliyo bakholwa.

49Ilizwi leNkosi landa ummango wonke.

50Kodwa abaJuda bathela umoya omubi kwabesifazana abahlonitshwayo ababekholwa lamadoda ayengabakhokheli bedolobho. Bakhwezela ukuhlukuluzwa kwaboPhawuli loBhanaba, babaxotsha emmangweni wakibo.

51Yikho bathintitha uthuli ezinyaweni zabo bebakhalala baqonda e-Ikhoniyami. 52Abafundi bacicima ngentokozo langoMoya oNgcwele.