Imisebenzi 8
1 Njalo uSawuli wayevumelana lokubulawa kwakhe. Ngalolosuku kwasekusuka ukuzingelwa okukhulu kwebandla elaliseJerusalema; bonke basebehlakazeka emazweni eJudiya leSamariya, ngaphandle kwabaphostoli.
Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria.
2 Amadoda akholwayo asembutha uStefane, amenzela isililo esikhulu.
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
3 Kodwa uSawuli walichitha ibandla, engena izindlu ngezindlu, ehudula amadoda labafazi ebafaka entolongweni.
But Saul began to devastate the church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 Ngakho abahlakazekileyo badabula ilizwe, betshumayela ilizwi.
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the good news.
5 UFiliphu wasesehlela emzini weSamariya, watshumayela kubo uKristu.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
6 Amaxuku aselalela nganhliziyonye okwakhulunywa nguFiliphu, esizwa njalo ebona izibonakaliso azenzayo.
The people, one and all, listened attentively to what Philip told them, when they heard of, and saw, the miracles which he was working.
7 Ngoba kwabanengi ababelabomoya abangcolileyo, bememeza ngelizwi elikhulu baphuma; labanengi ababome umhlubulo lababeyiziqhuli basiliswa.
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them; and many who were paralysed or lame were cured,
8 Kwaba khona intokozo enkulu kulowomuzi.
so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
9 Njalo indoda ethile, uSimoni ngebizo, eyayikade isenza imilingo emzini isanganisa isizwe saseSamariya, isithi ingumuntu omkhulu;
There was staying in the city a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic there and mystifying the Samaritan people, giving himself out to be some great being.
10 abayilalelayo bonke kusukela kwabancinyane kuze kube kwabakhulu, besithi: Lo ungamandla amakhulu kaNkulunkulu.
Everyone, high and low, paid attention to him. “This man,” they used to say, “must be that power of God which people call ‘The Great Power.’”
11 Basebemlalela, ngoba wabasanganisa isikhathi eside ngemilingo.
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
12 Kodwa kwathi sebekholwe uFiliphu etshumayela indaba ezinhle zezinto ngombuso kaNkulunkulu langebizo likaJesu Kristu, babhabhathizwa bonke amadoda labafazi.
However, when they came to believe Philip, as he told them the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 LoSimoni laye wakholwa, njalo esebhabhathiziwe wanamathela kuFiliphu; wasanganiseka, ebona imisebenzi yamandla lezibonakaliso ezazisenziwa.
Even Simon believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip, and was in his turn mystified at seeing signs and great miracles constantly occurring.
14 Kwathi abaphostoli abaseJerusalema bezwe ukuthi iSamariya ilemukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, bathuma kubo uPetro loJohane;
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them;
15 abathi sebehlile babakhulekela, ukuze bamemukele uMoya oNgcwele;
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 ngoba wayengakehleli lakoyedwa wabo, kodwa babebhabhathizwe ebizweni leNkosi uJesu kuphela.
(As yet the Spirit had not descended on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
17 Basebebeka izandla phezu kwabo, basebesemukela uMoya oNgcwele.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Njalo uSimoni esebonile ukuthi ngokubekwa kwezandla zabaphostoli uyaphiwa uMoya oyiNgcwele, waletha imali kubo,
When Simon saw that it was through the placing of the apostles’ hands on them that the Spirit was given, he brought them a sum of money and said,
19 esithi: Ngiphani lami lawomandla, ukuze kuthi loba ngubani engibeka izandla zami phezu kwakhe, emukele uMoya oNgcwele.
‘Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands on anyone, he may receive the Holy Spirit.’
20 Kodwa uPetro wathi kuye: Isiliva sakho kanye lawe kakube sekubhubheni, ngoba ucabanga ukuthi isipho sikaNkulunkulu singazuzwa ngemali.
‘A curse on you and on your silver,’ Peter exclaimed, ‘for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with money!
21 Kawulasabelo lelifa kuloludaba. Ngoba inhliziyo yakho kayiqondanga phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
You have no share or part in our message, for your heart is not right with God.
22 Ngakho phenduka kulobububi bakho, njalo ucele iNkosi, ukuthi uba kungenzeka uthethelelwe umnakano wenhliziyo yakho.
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 Ngoba ngibona ukuthi usenyongweni ebabayo njalo usekubotshweni yisono.
for I see that you have fallen into the bitterness of envy and the fetters of sin.’
24 USimoni wasephendula esithi: Ngikhulekelani lina eNkosini, ukuze ngingehlelwa ngolunye lwalezizinto elizikhulumileyo.
‘Pray to the Lord for me, all of you,’ Simon answered, ‘so that none of the things you have spoken of may happen to me.’
25 Ngakho kuthe sebefakazile bekhulumile ilizwi leNkosi, babuyela eJerusalema, njalo betshumayela ivangeli emizaneni eminengi yamaSamariya.
Peter and John, having borne their testimony and delivered the Lord’s message, returned to Jerusalem, telling the good news, as they went, in many Samaritan villages.
26 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasikhuluma loFiliphu, yathi: Sukuma uye eningizimu endleleni eyehla isuka eJerusalema isiya eGaza; yona iyinkangala.
Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip, ‘Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (It is now deserted).
27 Wasesukuma ehamba; njalo khangela umuntu weEthiyophiya umthenwa induna enkulu kaKandake indlovukazi yamaEthiyophiya, eyayiphezu kwempahla yakhe eligugu yonke, eyayifikile eJerusalema ukukhonza,
So Philip set out on a journey; and on his way he came on an official of high rank, in the service of Candace, Queen of the Abyssinians. He was her treasurer, and had been to Jerusalem to worship,
28 yayisibuyela ihlezi enqoleni yayo, ibala kumprofethi uIsaya.
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 UMoya wasesithi kuFiliphu: Sondela uhambe lalinqola.
The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up to the carriage over there and keep close to it.’
30 UFiliphu wasegijimela kuyo wayizwa ibala umprofethi uIsaya, wathi: Kambe uyaqedisisa yini lezizinto ozifundayo?
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the prophet Isaiah. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ he asked.
31 Yasisithi: Kambe ngingakwenelisa njani, ngaphandle kokuthi omunye angiqondise? Yasimcela uFiliphu ukuthi akhwele ahlale layo.
‘How can I,’ the other answered, ‘unless someone will explain it to me?’ and he invited Philip to get up and sit by his side.
32 Lesehlukwana sombhalo eyayisifunda yilesi: Walethwa ekuhlatshweni njengemvu; lanjengewundlu lithule phambi komgundi walo, ngokunjalo kawuvuli umlomo wakhe.
The passage of scripture which he was reading was this – “Like a sheep, he was led away to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in the hands of its shearer, so he refrains from opening his lips.
33 Ekuthotshisweni kwakhe ukwahlulelwa kwakhe kwasuswa, njalo ngubani ongalandisa ngesizukulwana sakhe? Ngoba impilo yakhe iyasuswa emhlabeni.
He was humiliated and justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from earth.”
34 Umthenwa wasephendula uFiliphu wathi: Ngiyakubuza, umprofethi ukhuluma lokhu ngobani? Ngaye ngokwakhe, kumbe ngomunye yini?
‘Now,’ said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, ‘tell me, of whom is the prophet speaking? Of himself, or of someone else?’
35 UFiliphu wasevula umlomo wakhe, eseqala kulowombhalo, watshumayela uJesu kuye.
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the good news about Jesus.
36 Kwathi besahamba endleleni, bafika emanzini athile; lomthenwa wathi: Khangela, nanka amanzi; kuyini okungivimbela ukuthi ngibhabhathizwe?
Presently, as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the Treasurer exclaimed, ‘Look! Here is water; what is to prevent my being baptized?’
37 UFiliphu wasesithi: Uba ukholwa ngenhliziyo yonke, kuvunyelwe. Wasephendula wathi: Ngiyakholwa ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
38 Waselaya ukuthi inqola ime; basebesehlela emanzini bobabili, uFiliphu lomthenwa; wasembhabhathiza.
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water – both Philip and the Treasurer – and Philip baptized him.
39 Kwathi sebekhuphukile emanzini, uMoya weNkosi wamhluthuna uFiliphu; njalo umthenwa kazabe esambona; wahamba-ke ngendlela yakhe ethokoza.
But, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the Treasurer saw no more of him; for he continued his journey with a joyful heart.
40 Kodwa uFiliphu waficwa eAzotu; njalo edabula watshumayela ivangeli kuyo yonke imizi, waze wafika eKesariya.
But Philip was found at Ashdod, and, as he went on his way, he told the good news in all the towns through which he passed, until he came to Caesarea.
