Act 17 | NdeIBE | STEP | Bathi sebedlule e-Amfipholi le-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika lapho okwakulesinagogi yabaJuda khona.

Acts 17

EThesalonika

1 Bathi sebedlule e-Amfipholi le-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika lapho okwakulesinagogi yabaJuda khona.

2 Njengenjayelo yakhe uPhawuli waya esinagogeni, kwathi ngezinsuku zamaSabatha amathathu wabonisana labo ngezeMibhalo,

3 echaza njalo eveza obala ukuthi uKhristu wayemele ahlupheke njalo avuke kwabafileyo. Wathi, “UJesu lo engitshumayela ngaye kini unguye uKhristu. 4 Abanye abaJuda bakukholwa lokho basebengena kuboPhawuli loSila, njengalokho okwenziwa linani elikhulu lamaGiriki abesaba uNkulunkulu, kugoqela abanengi abesifazana abaqakathekileyo.

5 Kodwa abaJuda baba lomona; yikho base behuga izixhwali endaweni yokuthengisa, baba lixuku elithile basebevusa umsindo edolobheni. Baphuthumela endlini kaJasoni bedinga uPhawuli loSila befuna ukubaletha phambi kukazulu. 6 Kodwa kwathi sebebaswele basebedonsela uJasoni labanye abazalwane abathile kubaphathi bedolobho bememeza besithi: “Amadoda la abekade edala uhlupho emhlabeni wonke manje aseze lapha, 7 uJasoni yena wawemukela endlini yakhe. Bonke bahlinikeza imithetho kaKhesari besithi kulenye inkosi ethiwa nguJesu.” 8 Bathi bekuzwa lokhu abantu labaphathi bedolobho badla ubhedu. 9 Kwasekuthiwa uJasoni labanye bakhe kabakhuphe isibambiso ngemali ethile, kwayikhona bekhululwa ukuthi bahambe.

EBheriya

10 Konela ukuthi kuhlwe abazalwane babasusa oPhawuli loSila babasa eBheriya. Ekufikeni kwabo khona baya esinagogeni yamaJuda. 11 AmaBheriya wona ayelesimilo esingcono kulaleso esamaThesalonika, ngoba balemukela ilizwi ngokuthakazelela bayihlola iMibhalo nsuku zonke ukuze babone ukuthi lokho uPhawuli ayekutsho kwakuliqiniso na.

12 AbaJuda abanengi bakholwa, kanye labanengi besifazana bamaGiriki abaqakathekileyo lamadoda amanengi amaGiriki.

13 Kwathi abaJuda ababeseThesalonika sebezwile ukuthi uPhawuli wayesetshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu eBheriya, baya khona futhi, bathela abantu umoya omubi babadunga.

14 Abazalwane bahle bathumela uPhawuli ngasogwini lolwandle, kodwa uSila loThimothi basala eBheriya. 15 Amadoda lawo ayephelekezela uPhawuli amletha e-Athene asebuyela, lomlayezo wokuthi oSila loThimothi baboze bamlandele masinyane.

E-Athene

16 UPhawuli esabamelele e-Athene, wakhathazeka kakhulu ngokubona ukuthi idolobho lelo laligcwele izithombe. 17 Ngakho wabonisana labaJuda kanye lamaGiriki ababesesaba uNkulunkulu esinagogeni lasendaweni yokuthengisa zonke izinsuku lalabo ababekhonapho. 18 Ixuku lezinjulangqondo zama-Ephikhuri lamaStoyikhi baphikisana laye. Abanye babo babuza bathi, “Uwumani lolu luzama ukuthini kanti?” Abanye bathi, “Kungathi utshutshisa ngabonkulunkulu bezizweni.” Bakutsho lokhu ngokuba uPhawuli wayetshumayela izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu langokuvuka kwabafileyo. 19 Basebehamba laye enkundleni ye-Ariyophagu, bafika bathi kuye, “Ake usitshele ukuthi imfundiso le entsha oyethulayo iyini. 20 Uletha ezindlebeni zethu imibono engajayelekanga, yikho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi itshoni.” 21 (Wonke ama-Athene labezizwe ababehlala khona babechitha isikhathi sabo bengenzi lutho ngaphandle kokukhuluma lokulalela imibono emitsha.)

22 UPhawuli wasukuma enkundleni ye-Ariyophagu wathi, “Madoda ase-Athene! Ngiyabona ukuthi kukho konke lingabantu abakhonzayo. 23 Ngoba ngithe ngihambahamba, ngabona izithombe zenu, ngaze ngafumana ialithare elilombhalo othi: KUNKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Manje-ke lokho elikukhonza njengolutho olungaziwayo yikho engizakutshumayela kini.

24 “UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo uyiNkosi yezulu lomhlaba, njalo kahlali emathempelini akhiwe ngezandla.

25 Njalo kancediswa yizandla zabantu, ingathi kukhona akuswelayo, ngokuba yena ngokwakhe upha bonke abantu impilo lomphefumulo lokunye konke. 26 Ngomuntu oyedwa wenza zonke izizwe zabantu, ukuthi zakhe emhlabeni wonke; njalo wamisa izikhathi abazilungiselweyo lazo kanye izindawo abamele bahlale kuzo. 27 UNkulunkulu wakwenza lokhu ukuze abantu bamdinge lokuthi mhlawumbe bamfinyelele bamfumane, loba nje uvele engakhatshana komunye lomunye wethu. 28 ‘Ngokuba siphila kuye, sihambe silalame.’ Njengokutsho kwezinye izimbongi zakini ukuthi, ‘Singabantwabakhe.’

29 “Yikho-ke njengoba singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, masingacabangi ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bunjengegolide, loba isiliva kumbe ilitshe – isifanekiso esibunjwe ngobungcitshi bomuntu. 30 Ekadeni uNkulunkulu kakunakanga lokhu ukungazi, kodwa khathesi uselaya bonke abantu ezindaweni zonke ukuba baphenduke. 31 Ngoba uselumisile usuku lapho azakwehlulela khona umhlaba ngokulunga ngomuntu ammisileyo. Usevezile ubufakazi balokhu kubo bonke abantu ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”

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