Imisebenzi 10
1 Kwakukhona eKesariya indoda ethile ngebizo nguKorneliyu, induna yekhulu yebutho elithiwa ngeleIthaliya,
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in the regiment known as the “Italian Regiment,”
2 eqotho lemesabayo uNkulunkulu kanye lendlu yayo yonke, eyenza imisebenzi yomusa eminengi ebantwini, ikhuleka njalonjalo kuNkulunkulu;
A religious man and one who reverenced God, with all his household. He was liberal in his charities to the people, and prayed to God constantly.
3 yabona embonweni ngokucacileyo, ngokungaba lihola lesificamunwemunye losuku, ingilosi kaNkulunkulu ingena kuyo, yasisithi kuyo: Korneliyu!
One afternoon, about three o’clock, he distinctly saw in a vision an angel from God come to him, and call him by name.
4 Waseyijolozela efikelwa yikwesaba wathi: Kuyini, Nkosi? Yasisithi kuye: Imikhuleko yakho lezipho zakho kubayanga kwenyuke kwaba yisikhumbuzo phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Cornelius fixed his eyes on him and, in great alarm, said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ ‘Your prayers and your charities,’ the angel answered, ‘have been an acceptable offering to God.
5 Khathesi-ke thuma amadoda eJopha, ubize uSimoni othiwa futhi nguPetro;
And now, send messengers to Joppa and fetch a man called Simon, who is also known as Peter.
6 yena ungenisile kuSimoni othile umtshuki wezikhumba, ondlu yakhe iselwandle; yena uzakutshela ofanele ukwenze.
He is lodging with a tanner named Simon, who has a house near the sea.’
7 Kwathi ingilosi ebikhuluma loKorneliyu isihambile, wabiza ababili kwabendlu yakhe, lowebutho oqotho kulabo ababemlinda,
When the angel, who had spoken to him, had gone, Cornelius called two servants and a religious soldier, who was one of his constant attendants,
8 njalo eselandisile konke kubo, wabathuma eJopha.
and, after telling them the whole story, sent them to Joppa.
9 Njalo kusisa bona besahamba sebesondela emzini, uPetro wenyukela phezu kophahla lwendlu ukuyakhuleka, okungaba lihola lesithupha;
On the next day, while these men were on their way, just as they were nearing the town, Peter went up on the housetop about midday to pray.
10 waselamba kakhulu, wafuna ukudla; kwathi bona besamlungisela, ukuhlehliswa kwengqondo kwamehlela,
He became hungry and wanted something to eat; but while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance,
11 wasebona izulu livulekile, lesitsha esithile sehlela kuye, njengelembu elikhulu, libotshwe ngamasondo amane, lisehliselwa emhlabeni;
and saw that the heavens were open, and that something like a great sail was descending, let down by its four corners towards the earth.
12 okwakukhona kulo izidalwa zonke ezilenyawo ezine zomhlaba lezeganga lezihuquzelayo lenyoni zezulu.
In it were all kinds of quadrupeds, reptiles, and birds.
13 Kwasekufika ilizwi kuye lathi: Sukuma, Petro, hlaba udle.
Then he was aware of a voice which said – ‘Stand up, Peter, kill something, and eat.’
14 Kodwa uPetro wathi: Hatshi bo, Nkosi; ngoba kangizake ngidle loba yini engahlambulukanga kumbe engcolileyo.
‘No, Lord, I cannot,’ answered Peter, ‘for I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.’
15 Ilizwi laphinda ngokwesibili kuye: Izinto uNkulunkulu azihlambululileyo, wena ungatsho ukuthi kazihlambulukanga.
Again he was aware of a voice which said – ‘What God has pronounced clean, do not regard as defiled.’
16 Njalo lokhu kwenzeka kwaze kwaba kathathu; lesitsha sabuya saphakanyiselwa ezulwini.
This happened three times, and then suddenly it was all taken up into the heavens.
17 Kwathi uPetro esadidekile ngaphakathi kwakhe ukuthi ngabe uyini umbono awubonileyo, njalo khangela, amadoda ayethunywe evela kuKorneliyu, esebuzile indlu kaSimoni, ema esangweni,
While Peter was still perplexed as to the meaning of the vision that he had seen, the men sent by Cornelius, having enquired the way to Simon’s house, came up to the gate,
18 esememezile abuza ukuthi uSimoni, othiwa futhi nguPetro, ungenisile lapha yini.
and called out and asked if the Simon, who was also known as Peter, was lodging there.
19 Kwathi uPetro esanakana ngombono, uMoya wathi kuye: Khangela, amadoda amathathu ayakudinga.
Peter was still pondering over the vision, when the Spirit said to him, ‘There are two men looking for you at this moment.
20 Ngakho sukuma wehle, uhambe lawo, ungathandabuzi; ngoba yimi engiwathumileyo.
Go down at once and do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’
21 UPetro wasesehlela emadodeni avela kuKorneliyu ayethunywe kuye, wathi: Khangelani, yimi elimdingayo; yisizatho bani elize ngaso?
Peter went down to the men and said, ‘I am the person you are looking for. What is your reason for coming?’
22 Basebesithi: UKorneliyu induna yekhulu, indoda elungileyo lemesabayo uNkulunkulu, efakazelwa yisizwe sonke samaJuda, walayelwa nguNkulunkulu ngengilosi engcwele ukuthi akubizele endlini yakhe, njalo ezwe amazwi kuwe.
The men replied, ‘Our centurion, Cornelius, a pious man who reverences God and is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, has been instructed by a holy angel to send for you to his house, and to listen to what you have to say.’
23 Ngakho esebabizele phakathi wabangenisa. Njalo kusisa uPetro waphuma wahamba labo, labanye babazalwane ababeseJopha bahamba laye.
So Peter invited them in and entertained them. The next day he lost no time in setting out with them, accompanied by some of the Lord’s followers from Joppa;
24 Ngosuku olulandelayo basebengena eKesariya. LoKorneliyu wayebalindele, esebizele ndawonye izihlobo zakhe labangane abazwana laye.
and the day following he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them, and had invited his relatives and intimate friends to meet them.
25 Kwathi sekwenzakele ukuthi uPetro angene, uKorneliyu wamhlangabeza, ewela enyaweni zakhe, wamkhonza.
So, when Peter entered the city, Cornelius met him, and, throwing himself at Peter’s feet, bowed to the ground.
26 Kodwa uPetro emphakamisa, wathi: Sukuma; lami ngokwami ngingumuntu.
Peter, however, lifted him up, saying as he did so, ‘Stand up, I am only human like yourself.’
27 Njalo esakhuluma layo wangena, wafica abanengi bebuthene,
Talking with him as he went, Peter entered the house, where he found a large gathering of people, to whom he said,
28 wasesithi kubo: Lina liyazi ukuthi kakuvunyelwa emuntwini ongumJuda ukuhlangana kumbe ukuya emuntwini wesinye isizwe; kodwa uNkulunkulu ungitshengisile ukuthi ngingabizi muntu ngokuthi kahlambulukanga kumbe ungcolile;
‘You are doubtless aware that it is forbidden for a Jew to be intimate with a foreigner, or even to enter his house; and yet God has shown me that I ought not to call anyone defiled or unclean.
29 ngakho-ke ngizile ngingaphikisanga nxa ngibizwa. Ngakho ngiyabuza, ukuthi ungibizele sizatho bani?
That was why I came, when I was sent for, without raising any objection. And now I ask your reason for sending for me.’
30 UKorneliyu wasesithi: Ngensuku ezine ezidlulileyo kuze kube yilelihola ngangizila ukudla, ngehola lesificamunwemunye ngangikhuleka endlini yami; njalo khangela, indoda yema phambi kwami yembethe isembatho esikhazimulayo,
‘Just three days ago this very hour,’ Cornelius said, ‘I was in my house, saying the Afternoon Prayers, when a man in dazzling clothing suddenly stood before me.
31 yasisithi: Korneliyu, umkhuleko wakho uzwakele, lemisebenzi yakho yomusa ikhunjulwe phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
“Cornelius,” he said, “your prayer has been heard, and your charities have been accepted, by God.
32 Ngakho thumela eJopha, ubusubiza uSimoni othiwa futhi nguPetro; yena ungenisile endlini kaSimoni umtshuki wezikhumba ngaselwandle; ozakuthi angabuya akutshele.
Therefore send to Joppa, and invite the Simon, who is also known as Peter, to come here. He is lodging in the house of Simon the tanner, near the sea.”
33 Ngakho ngahle ngathumela kuwe; njalo wena wenze kuhle ukuthi ufike. Ngakho khathesi sesikhona sonke phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuze sizwe konke okulayelwe nguNkulunkulu.
Accordingly I sent to you at once, and you have been so good as to come. And now we are all here in the presence of God, to listen to all that you have been instructed by the Lord to say.’
34 Kwathi uPetro evula umlomo, wathi: Ngeqiniso ngiyaqedisisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu kayisuye umkhangeli wobuso bomuntu;
Then Peter began. ‘I see, beyond all doubt,’ he said, ‘that God does not show partiality,
35 kodwa kuso sonke isizwe yena omesabayo lowenza ukulunga, uyemukeleka kuye.
but that in every nation he who reverences him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 Ilizwi alithumela kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngevangeli etshumayela ukuthula ngoJesu Kristu (yena uyiNkosi yabo bonke).
God has sent his message to the Israelites and told them, through Jesus Christ, the good news of peace – and Jesus is Lord of all!
37 Lina liyalazi ilizwi elamenyezelwa eJudiya yonke, kusukela eGalili, emva kobhabhathizo uJohane alutshumayelayo;
You yourselves know the story which spread through all Judea, how, beginning form Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed –
38 uJesu weNazaretha, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamgcoba njani ngoMoya oNgcwele langamandla, owabhoda esenza okulungileyo njalo esilisa bonke labo abacindezelwe ngudiyabhola, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayelaye.
the story, I mean, of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him his Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 Lathi singabafakazi bezinto zonke azenzayo elizweni lamaJuda leJerusalema; abambulala bamphanyeka esihlahleni.
We are ourselves, too, witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem; yet they put him to death by hanging him on a cross!
40 Yena uNkulunkulu wamvusa ngosuku lwesithathu, wasemnika ukuze abonakale,
This Jesus God raised on the third day, and enabled him to appear,
41 kungeyisikho kubo bonke abantu, kodwa kubafakazi ababekhethwe ngaphambili nguNkulunkulu, kithi, esadla sanatha kanye laye emva kokuvuka kwakhe kwabafileyo.
not indeed to everyone, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God – to us, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead.
42 Wasesilaya ukuthi sitshumayele ebantwini, sifakaze ukuthi nguye omiswe nguNkulunkulu ukuba nguMehluli wabaphilayo labafileyo.
Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God judge of the living and the dead.
43 Ngaye bonke abaprofethi bafakaza, ukuthi wonke okholwa kuye uzakwemukela uthethelelo lwezono ngebizo lakhe.
To him it is that all the prophets bear witness, when they say that everyone who believes in him receives through his name forgiveness of sins.’
44 Kwathi uPetro esakhuluma lawomazwi, uMoya oyiNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo bonke abalizwayo ilizwi.
Before Peter had finished saying these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message.
45 Labokusoka abakholwayo basanganiseka, bonke ababefike loPetro, ukuthi isipho sikaMoya oNgcwele sathululelwa laphezu kwabezizwe;
Those converts from Judaism, who had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed even on the Gentiles;
46 ngoba babezwa bekhuluma ngendimi, bekhulisa uNkulunkulu. Khona uPetro waphendula wathi:
for they heard them speaking in different languages and extolling God. At this Peter asked,
47 Ukhona yini ongala lamanzi, ukuthi laba bangabhabhathizwa, abemukele uMoya oyiNgcwele lanjengathi?
‘Can anyone refuse the water for the baptism of these people, now that they have received the Holy Spirit as we did ourselves?’
48 Waselaya ukuthi babhabhathizwe ebizweni leNkosi. Basebemcela ukuthi ahlale insuku ezithile.
And he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; after which they asked him to stay there a few days longer.
