Imisebenzi 15

1 Kwasekusehla abathile bevela eJudiya, bafundisa abazalwane ukuthi: Nxa lingasokwanga ngokwesiko likaMozisi, lingesindiswe.

2 Ngakho kwathi sekulokuphambana lokuphikisana okungekuncinyane ngoPawuli loBarnabasi bemelane labo, bamisa ukuthi uPawuli loBarnabasi labanye abathile kubo benyukele kubaphostoli labadala eJerusalema, ngaloludaba.

3 Ngakho, kwathi sebephelekezelwe libandla, badabula iFenekiya leSamariya, balandisa ngokuphenduka kwabezizwe; benzela bonke abazalwane intokozo enkulu.

4 Kwathi sebefikile eJerusalema, bemukelwa libandla labaphostoli labadala, njalo balandisa ukuthi zingakanani izinto uNkulunkulu ayezenze labo.

5 Kodwa kwasukuma abanye abakholwayo abangabehlelo labaFarisi, besithi: Kufanele ukubasoka, lokubalaya bagcine umlayo kaMozisi.

6 Kwasekubuthana abaphostoli labadala ndawonye ukuze baluhlole loludaba.

7 Kwathi sebephikisene kakhulu, uPetro wasukuma wathi kubo: Madoda bazalwane, lina liyazi ukuthi ensukwini zakuqala uNkulunkulu wakhetha phakathi kwethu, ukuthi ngomlomo wami abezizwe balizwe ilizwi levangeli, bakholwe.

8 Njalo uNkulunkulu umazi wenhliziyo wabafakazela, ebanika uMoya oyiNgcwele, lanjengathi;

9 futhi kehlukanisanga phakathi kwethu labo, ehlambulula inhliziyo zabo ngokholo.

10 Pho-ke limlingelani uNkulunkulu, ngokubeka ijogwe entanyeni yabafundi, obaba bethu kanye lathi esingabanga lamandla okulithwala?

11 Kodwa sikholwa ukuthi sisindiswa ngomusa weNkosi uJesu Kristu, ngandlelanye labo.

12 Ixuku lonke laselithula; laselisizwa uBarnabasi loPawuli belandisa ukuthi zingakanani izibonakaliso lezimangaliso uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngabo phakathi kwabezizwe.

13 Kwathi bona sebeqedile ukukhuluma, uJakobe waphendula wathi: Madoda bazalwane, ngilalelani:

14 USimeyoni uselandisile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wahambela njani abezizwe ekuqaleni ukuze azuzele ibizo lakhe abantu kubo.

15 Njalo amazwi abaprofethi ayavumelana lalokhu, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:

16 Emva kwalezizinto ngizabuya, ngilakhe futhi ithabhanekele likaDavida eliwileyo; njalo ngizakwakha okudilikileyo kwalo, njalo ngilimise;

17 ukuze abaseleyo babantu bayidinge iNkosi, labezizwe bonke ibizo lami elibizwa phezu kwabo, itsho iNkosi eyenza lezizinto zonke.

18 Kwaziwa kuNkulunkulu imisebenzi yonke yakhe kusukela ephakadeni. (aiōn g165)

19 Ngakho mina ngiquma ukuthi singabakhathazi labo kwabezizwe abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu;

20 kodwa sibabhalele ukuthi bazile amanyala ezithombe, lokufeba, lokukhanyiweyo, legazi.

21 Ngoba uMozisi ulabo kusukela ezizukulwaneni zendulo abamtshumayelayo umuzi ngomuzi, efundwa emasinagogeni isabatha ngesabatha.

22 Kwasekubonakala kukuhle kubaphostoli lakubadala kanye lebandla lonke, ukuthuma amadoda akhethiweyo phakathi kwabo eAntiyoki loPawuli loBarnabasi; babe ngoJudasi othiwa futhi nguBarsaba, loSilasi, amadoda angabakhokheli phakathi kwabazalwane,

23 basebebhala lokhu ngesandla sabo ukuthi: Abaphostoli labadala labazalwane kubazalwane abangabezizwe eAntiyoki leSiriya leKilikhiya, bayabingelela;

24 njengoba sizwile ukuthi abathile abaphume kithi balikhathazile ngamazwi, bedunga imiphefumulo yenu, besithi lisokwe lilonde umthetho, bona esingabalayanga;

25 kwabonakala kukuhle kithi singqondonye, ukuthi siwakhethe amadoda siwathume kini, kanye labathandekayo bethu uBarnabasi loPawuli,

26 abantu abanikele impilo yabo ngenxa yebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.

27 Ngakho sithumile uJudasi loSilasi, abazakuthi labo ngelizwi lomlomo balitshele izinto ezifananayo.

28 Ngoba kwabonakala kukuhle kuMoya oNgcwele, lakithi, ukuthi singalethesi umthwalo omkhulu, ngaphandle kwalezizinto ezifunekayo:

29 Ukuthi lizile okuhlatshelwe izithombe, legazi, lokukhanyiweyo, lokufeba; lezizinto nxa lizazizila, lizabe lenze kuhle. Salani kuhle.

30 Ngakho sebebakhululile beza eAntiyoki; futhi sebelihlanganisile ixuku, balinika incwadi.

31 Kwathi sebefundile, bathokoza ngenduduzo.

32 UJudasi kanye loSilasi, njengoba labo babengabaprofethi, balaya abazalwane ngamazwi amanengi, babaqinisa.

33 Sebehlale isikhathi, bayekelwa basuka ngokuthula kubazalwane baya kubaphostoli,

34 kodwa kwabonakala kukuhle kuSilasi ukuthi asale khona.

35 UPawuli loBarnabasi basebesala eAntiyoki, befundisa betshumayela indaba ezinhle zelizwi leNkosi, kanye labanye abanengi.

36 Emva kwensuku ezithile uPawuli wasesithi kuBarnabasi: Ake sibuye sihambele abazalwane bethu emizini yonke, lapho esatshumayela khona ilizwi leNkosi, sibone ukuthi bahlezi njani.

37 UBarnabasi wasehlosa ukuthatha uJohane, othiwa nguMarko, ahambe labo.

38 Kodwa uPawuli wacabanga ukuthi kufanele ukuthi bangamthathi ahambe labo lowo owabatshiya ePamfiliya, kaze aya labo emsebenzini.

39 Kwasekuvela ukuphikisana okukhulu, baze behlukana phakathi; uBarnabasi wasethatha uMarko wahamba laye ngomkhumbi, baya eKuprosi.

40 Kodwa uPawuli wakhetha uSilasi wasuka wahamba, esenikelwe emuseni kaNkulunkulu ngabazalwane.

41 Wasedabula iSiriya leKilikhiya, eqinisa amabandla.