Imisebenzi 20

1 Kwathi sesiphelile isiyaluyalu, uPawuli wabizela kuye abafundi, esebagonile, waphuma ukuthi aye eMakedoniya.

2 Kwathi esedabule lezongxenye, esebakhuthazile ngamazwi amanengi, wafika eGirisi,

3 kwathi esehlale khona inyanga ezintathu, selenziwe iqhinga ngaye ngamaJuda esezasuka ngomkhumbi ukuya eSiriya, wazimisela ukubuyela adabule eMakedoniya.

4 Wasemphelekezela kwaze kwaba seAsiya uSopatheri weBeriya; lowamaThesalonika, uAristako loSekhundu, loGayusi weDerbe, loTimothi; lamaAsiya, uTikiko loTrofimu.

5 Laba sebehambe phambili basilindela eTrowasi.

6 Kodwa thina sasuka ngomkhumbi eFiliphi emva kwensuku zesinkwa esingelamvubelo, safika kubo eTrowasi ngensuku ezinhlanu, lapho esahlala khona insuku eziyisikhombisa.

7 Kwathi ngosuku lokuqala lweviki, abafundi bebuthene ukuhlephula isinkwa, uPawuli watshumayela kubo, elungele ukusuka kusisa, waseselula ilizwi kwaze kwaba phakathi kobusuku.

8 Njalo kwakukhona izibane ezinengi endlini ephezulu ababebuthene kiyo.

9 Kwakuhlezi ewindini ijaha elithile ngebizo linguYutikusi, elajunywa yibuthongo obukhulu, uPawuli esetshumayele isikhathi eside, selehlulwe yibuthongo lawela phansi lisuka esitezi sesithathu, laselidojwa lifile.

10 Kodwa uPawuli wehla waziphosela phezu kwalo, elisingatha wathi: Lingakhathazeki; ngoba umphefumulo walo ukhona kilo.

11 Esenyukile njalo esehlephule isinkwa wadla, wakhuluma labo isikhathi eside kwaze kwasa, ngokunjalo wahamba.

12 Basebemletha umfana ephila, basebeduduzwa hatshi lakancane.

13 Kodwa thina, sesihambe phambili ukuya emkhunjini, sasuka ngomkhumbi saya eAsosi, lapho siqonde ukumkhweza uPawuli; ngoba wayemisile ngokunjalo, yena ebezahamba ngenyawo.

14 Njalo esehlangene lathi eAsosi, samkhweza safika eMithilene,

15 sasuka lapho ngomkhumbi, kusisa safika maqondana leKiyosi; langomhlomunye sasondela eSamosi; sasesihlala eTrogiliumu, ngolulandelayo safika eMilethu.

16 Ngoba uPawuli wayezimisele ukuyiceza iEfesu ngomkhumbi, ukuze angalibali eAsiya; ngoba wayephanga, nxa kwakungenzeka kuye, ukuba seJerusalema ngosuku lwePentekoste.

17 Kwathi eseMilethu wathumela eEfesu wabizela kuye abadala bebandla.

18 Kwathi sebefikile kuye, wathi kubo: Liyazi lina, ukuthi kusukela osukwini lokuqala lokufika kwami eAsiya, ngangihlezi njani isikhathi sonke phakathi kwenu,

19 ngakhonza iNkosi ngokuthobeka konke langezinyembezi ezinengi langezilingo ezangehlela ngamaqhinga amaJuda;

20 ukuthi angigodlanga lutho ngayo olusizayo, ukungatshumayeli kini lokungalifundisi obala, lakuzindlu ngezindlu,

21 ngifakaza kumaJuda kanye lakumaGriki ukuphendukela kuNkulunkulu, lokholo ngakuyo iNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.

22 Lakhathesi khangelani, mina ngiya eJerusalema ngibotshwe nguMoya, ngingakwazi okuzangehlela phakathi kwayo,

23 ngaphandle kokuthi uMoya oyiNgcwele uyafakaza emizini yonke esithi izibopho lezinhlupheko zingilindele.

24 Kodwa angikhathaleli lutho lwalezizinto, lempilo yami angiyenzi into eligugu kimi, ukuze ngiphelelise uhambo lwami ngentokozo, lenkonzo engayemukela eNkosini uJesu, eyokufakaza ivangeli elomusa kaNkulunkulu.

25 Njalo khathesi khangelani, mina ngiyazi ukuthi kalisayikubona ubuso bami lina lonke, engihamba phakathi kwenu ngitshumayela umbuso kaNkulunkulu.

26 Ngakho ngiyafakaza kini ngalolusuku lwalamuhla, ukuthi mina ngimsulwa egazini labo bonke;

27 ngoba kangigodlanga ukuthi ngilitshumayeze lonke icebo likaNkulunkulu.

28 Ziqapheleni-ke lina lomhlambi wonke, alibeke phakathi kwawo uMoya oyiNgcwele ukuthi libe ngababonisi, bokwelusa ibandla likaNkulunkulu, azithengele lona ngegazi lakhe uqobo.

29 Ngoba mina ngiyazi lokhu, ukuthi emva kokuhamba kwami kuzangena impisi eziphangayo phakathi kwenu, zingawuyekeli umhlambi;

30 laphakathi kwenu ngokwenu kuzavela amadoda ekhuluma izinto eziduhisayo, ukuhugela abafundi ngemva kwawo.

31 Ngakho lindani, likhumbule ukuthi okweminyaka emithathu ebusuku lemini kangimanga ukuleluleka omunye lomunye ngenyembezi.

32 Lakhathesi, bazalwane, ngilinikela kuNkulunkulu laselizwini lomusa wakhe, elilamandla okulakha, lokulipha ilifa phakathi kwabo bonke abangcwelisiweyo.

33 Kangihawukelanga isiliva kumbe igolide loba isembatho somuntu.

34 Lina-ke uqobo lwenu liyazi ukuthi lezizandla zasebenzela inswelo zami lezalabo ababelami.

35 Kukho konke ngilitshengisile, ukuthi kumele ukuthi sisize ababuthakathaka sisebenza ngokunjalo, sikhumbule amazwi eNkosi uJesu, ukuthi yena wathi: Kubusisekile kakhulu ukupha kulokwemukela.

36 Njalo esetshilo lezizinto, waguqa ngamadolo akhe, wakhuleka labo bonke.

37 Kwaba khona ukukhala inyembezi kakhulu kwabo bonke; basebewela entanyeni kaPawuli bamanga,

38 belosizi kakhulu ngelizwi alitshoyo, elokuthi kabasayikubona ubuso bakhe. Basebemphelekezela baya laye emkhunjini.