Imisebenzi 13

1 Kwakukhona eAntiyoki ebandleni lapho abaprofethi labafundisi abathile, uBarnabasi kanye loSimeyoni othiwa nguNigeri, loLukiyu umKurene, loManayeni owayondliwe kanye loHerodi umtetrarki, loSawuli.

2 Kwathi bekhonza iNkosi bezila ukudla, uMoya oyiNgcwele wathi: Ngehlukaniselani oBarnabasi kanye loSawuli emsebenzini engibabizele wona.

3 Sebezile ukudla bakhuleka babeka izandla phezu kwabo, babathuma.

4 Bona-ke sebethunyiwe nguMoya oyiNgcwele, behlela eSelukiya, basuka lapho baya eKuprosi ngomkhumbi.

5 Kwathi sebefikile eSalamisi, batshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogeni amaJuda; njalo babeloJohane umsizi.

6 Kwathi sebedabule isihlenge bafika ePhafosi, bafica isanuse esithile, umprofethi wamanga, umJuda, obizo lakhe nguBarjesu,

7 owayelombusi uSergiyu Pawuli, indoda ehlakaniphileyo. Lo wabizela kuye uBarnabasi loSawuli edinga ukuzwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.

8 Kodwa isanuse, uElimasi, ngoba liphendulelwa njalo ibizo lakhe, waphikisana labo, edinga ukuphambula umbusi ekholweni.

9 Kodwa uSawuli, onguPawuli futhi, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, njalo emjolozela

10 wathi: O wena ogcwele inkohliso yonke lobuqili bonke, ndodana kadiyabhola, sitha sakho konke ukulunga, kawuyekeli ukuphambula indlela eziqondileyo zeNkosi yini?

11 Njalo khathesi khangela, isandla seNkosi siphezu kwakho, njalo uzakuba yisiphofu, ungaliboni ilanga okwesikhathi. Kwahle kwamehlela ukufiphala lobumnyama, wahamba ebhoda edinga abazamdonsa ngesandla.

12 Ngalesosikhathi umbusi wabona okwenziweyo wakholwa, edidwa yimfundiso yeNkosi.

13 UPawuli lababelaye basebesuka ngomkhumbi ePhafosi bafika ePerga esePamfiliya. Kodwa uJohane wehlukana labo wabuyela eJerusalema.

14 Kodwa bona bedabula besuka ePerga, bafika eAntiyoki esePisidiya; ngosuku lwesabatha basebengena esinagogeni, bahlala phansi.

15 Kwathi sekufundwe umlayo labaprofethi, abaphathi besinagoge bathumela kubo, besithi: Madoda bazalwane, uba kulelizwi phakathi kwenu lenkuthazo ebantwini, khulumani.

16 Kwathi uPawuli esukuma, njalo eqhweba ngesandla, wathi: Madoda maIsrayeli, lani elesaba uNkulunkulu, lalelani.

17 UNkulunkulu walesisizwe sakoIsrayeli wakhetha obaba bethu, wabaphakamisa abantu bengabemzini elizweni leGibhithe, wabakhupha kulo ngengalo ephakemeyo.

18 Wasebekezelela isimilo sabo okungaba yisikhathi seminyaka engamatshumi amane enkangala.

19 Njalo esechithile izizwe eziyisikhombisa elizweni leKhanani, wabehlukanisela ilizwe labo ngenkatho.

20 Lemva kwalezizinto, okungaba ngokweminyaka engamakhulu amane lamatshumi amahlanu, wabanika abahluleli kwaze kwaba nguSamuweli umprofethi.

21 Njalo kusukela lapho bacela inkosi; uNkulunkulu wasebanika uSawuli indodana kaKishi, indoda yesizwe sakoBhenjamini, okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.

22 Njalo esemkhuphile, wabavusela uDavida waba yinkosi, afakaza langaye ngokuthi: Ngimtholile uDavida kaJese, indoda ngokwenhliziyo yami, ezakwenza intando yami yonke.

23 Enzalweni yalumuntu njengesithembiso, uNkulunkulu uvusele uIsrayeli uMsindisi uJesu;

24 engakafiki yena uJohane wayesetshumayele kuqala ubhabhathizo lokuphenduka kubo bonke abantu bakoIsrayeli.

25 UJohane esegcwalise uhambo lwakhe, wathi: Licabanga ukuthi ngingubani? Kangisuye mina; kodwa khangelani, emva kwami uyeza, engingafanelanga ukukhulula amanyathela enyawo zakhe.

26 Madoda bazalwane, bantwana bohlanga lukaAbrahama, lalabo phakathi kwenu abesaba uNkulunkulu, lithunyelwe kini ilizwi lalolusindiso.

27 Ngoba labo abahlala eJerusalema lababusi babo kabamazanga lo, bawagcwalisa lamazwi abaprofethi afundwayo isabatha ngesabatha, ngokumlahla;

28 njalo bengatholi lacala lokufa, bacela kuPilatu ukuthi abulawe.

29 Kwathi sebeqedile konke okulotshiweyo ngaye, bamethula esihlahleni, bamlalisa engcwabeni.

30 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo;

31 owabonwa insuku ezinengi yilabo ababenyukele laye ukuya eJerusalema besuka eGalili, abangabafakazi bakhe ebantwini.

32 Lathi sitshumayela indaba ezinhle kini zesithembiso esenziwa kubobaba,

33 ukuthi uNkulunkulu usigcwalisile sona kithi, abantwana babo, emvusile uJesu, njengoba kulotshiwe futhi kusihlabelelo sesibili ukuthi: Wena uyiNdodana yami, lamuhla mina ngikuzele.

34 Njalo ngokuthi wamvusa kwabafileyo, engasayikubuyela ekuboleni, wakhuluma kanje wathi: Ngizalinika izibusiso ezingcwele lezithembekileyo zikaDavida.

35 Ngakho njalo kwenye indawo uthi: Kawuyikunikela oNgcwele wakho abone ukubola.

36 Ngoba uDavida, esekhonze esakhe isizukulwana ngecebo likaNkulunkulu walala, njalo walaliswa laboyise, wabona ukubola;

37 kodwa lowo uNkulunkulu amvusayo, kakubonanga ukubola.

38 Ngakho kakwaziwe yini, madoda bazalwane, ukuthi ngalowo kutshunyayelwa kini uthethelelo lwezono;

39 njalo kulo wonke okholwayo uyalungisiswa kukho konke ebelingelungisiswe kukho ngomlayo kaMozisi.

40 Ngakho qaphelani ukuthi kalehlelwa yilokhu okwakhulunywa kubaprofethi, okokuthi:

41 Khangelani, zideleli, njalo limangale, litshabalale; ngoba mina ngenza umsebenzi ensukwini zenu, umsebenzi elingasoze lawukholwa, nxa umuntu elilandisela.

42 Kwathi ekuphumeni kwamaJuda esinagogeni, abezizwe bacela ukuthi lamazwi akhulunywe kubo ngesabatha elilandelayo.

43 Kwathi abesinagoge sebephumile, abanengi kumaJuda labakhonzayo abaphendukela kumaJuda balandela uPawuli loBarnabasi; abakhuluma labo, bebancenga ukuthi bahlale emuseni kaNkulunkulu.

44 Kwathi ngesabatha elilandelayo babuthana kwaphose kwaba ngumuzi wonke ukuzwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.

45 Kodwa amaJuda ebona amaxuku agcwaliswa ngomona, aphikisa izinto ezakhulunywa nguPawuli, ephikisa njalo ehlambaza.

46 Kodwa uPawuli loBarnabasi bekhuluma ngesibindi bathi: Kwakudingeka ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu likhulunywe kini kuqala; kodwa njengoba lilinina, njalo lizigweba ukuthi alifanelanga impilo elaphakade, khangelani, siphendukela kwabezizwe. (aiōnios g166)

47 Ngoba iNkosi isilayile ngokunjalo yathi: Ngikumisile ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe, ube ngowosindiso kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.

48 Kwathi abezizwe bekuzwa bathokoza, basebelidumisa ilizwi leNkosi, basebekholwa bonke ababemiselwe impilo elaphakade; (aiōnios g166)

49 lelizwi leNkosi lasatshalaliswa elizweni lonke.

50 Kodwa amaJuda avusa abesifazana abakhonzayo abadumileyo lezikhulu zomuzi, avusela uPawuli loBarnabasi ukuzingelwa, abaxotsha emikhawulweni yawo.

51 Kodwa babathintithela uthuli lwenyawo zabo, bafika eIkoniyuma.

52 Njalo abafundi bagcwaliswa ngentokozo loMoya oNgcwele.