Ukubulawa kukaYakobi nokubanjwa kukaPetros
1Ngeli thuba naye ukumkani uHerode wabatshutshisa abathile balo ibandla. 2Wambulala ngekrele uYakobi umntakwabo-Yohane. 3Uthe akuqonda ukuba esi senzo siwakholisile amaJuda, waqhubela phambili ngokuvalela uPetros. Le nto yenzeka ngexesha leSidlo seZonka ezingenaGwele. 4Akuba ebanjiwe uPetros, wavalelwa entolongweni. Wanikelwa ukuba alindwe ngamajoni angamaqela amane angamane. UHerode wayezimisele ukumsa ematyaleni emva *kwePasika. 5Waza ke uPetros wagcinwa entolongweni apho, kodwa amaKrestu wona azingisa ukumthandazela kuThixo, lo gama avalelweyo.
Ukukhululwa kukaPetros
6Ke kaloku uPetros wayelele phakathi kwabalindi ababini, ebotshelelwe kubo ngamatyathanga, kukho nabagadi abalinde isango lentolongo, ngobusuku obuphambi komhla awayeza kusiwa ngawo ematyaleni nguHerode. 7Ngebhaqo kwabonakala isithunywa seNkosi simi bhuxe apho egumbini lentolongo, kwatsho kwasemini kukukhanya. Samshukumisa uPetros, samvusa sisithi: “Khawuleza, vuka!” Ukubanje sitsho, athi xibilili amatyathanga ezandleni. 8Saqhuba sathi: “Bhinqa, unxibe iimbadada zakho.” Wenjenjalo ke uPetros, saza saphinda isithunywa eso sathi: “Yambatha, undilandele.” 9Wasilandela ke uPetros, baphuma entolongweni. Wayengekaqondi ukuba iyinene le nto yenziwa sisithunywa seNkosi; wayeba uyaphupha. 10Babagqitha abalindi bokuqala nabesibini, baza ekugqibeleni bafika kwisango lentsimbi elivulela edolophini. Lavuleka ngokwalo isango, baphuma ke. Bathi besehla ngesitalato sesuka see shwaka isithunywa eso.
11Akuqabuka ebuthongweni uPetros wathi: “Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba ngenene le nto yinyaniso! INkosi isithumele isithunywa sayo, sandihlangula egunyeni likaHerode, nakuzo zonke izinto amaJuda ebenqwenela ukuzenza kum.”
12Akuyiqonda le nto yenzekileyo uPetros waya emzini kaMariya, unina kaYohane Marko. Kwakukho abantu abaninzi apho, bethandaza. 13Wankqonkqoza emnyango, kwaza kwaya intombazana egama linguRoda, 14eyathi yakuliva ilizwi likaPetros, yasuka yajika ngenxa yovuyo ingamvulelanga, yaya kuxela ukuba nguPetros lo unkqonkqozayo. 15“Unantoni na? Uyageza!” bamphikisa batsho abo babesendlwini. Kodwa yena wema ekubeni le nto iyinyaniso. Bathi ke bona: “Hayi ke, fan' ukuba sisithunywa sakhe.”
16UPetros yena waphikelela enkqonkqoza, bada ngelikade bamvulela, bamangaliswa kakhulu bakuqonda ukuba kuthe kanti nguPetros ngenkqu lo. 17Wawangawangisa ngesandla ukuba bathi cwaka, waza ke wabachazela indlela emkhuphe ngayo iNkosi entolongweni. Wabayaleza ukuba baye kuxela le nto kuYakobi nakwamanye amakholwa, waza yena wemka waya kwenye indawo.
18Ngengomso yaba sisiphithi-phithi kubalindi bentolongo besithi: “Yaz' ukuba uphi na uPetros?” 19UHerode wathi mabamfune, kodwa abazange bamfumane. Ngoko ke abalindi bancinwa, waza uHerode wagunyazisa ukuba babulawe.
Emva kwesi singaneko ke, uHerode wemka kwaJuda, waya kuhlala eKhesariya okwexeshana.
Ukufa kukaHerode
20UHerode wayengavisisani mpela nabantu baseTire nabaseSidon. Kwakuba njalo bavumelana ngokuthumela igqiza labameli. Lona laqala lavana noBlasto, induna yasebhotwe, laza langena ngaye ukudala imvisiswano. Babecela uxolo kuba ilizwe labo lalixhomekeke kummandla kaHerode ekufumaneni ukudla.
21Ngosuku olumisiweyo uHerode wavatha ezobukumkani, waza wahlala esihlalweni sakhe apho ebhotwe, wathetha nabantu. 22“Asimntu, nguThixo lowo uthethayo,” bamemeza batsho abantu. 23Ngakonje ukuba batsho abantu, isithunywa seNkosi sambetha ngesifo uHerode, ngokuba engamnikanga mbeko uThixo. Wadliwa ziimpethu, wada wafa.
24Laqhubela phambili ilizwi likaThixo ukunwenwa.
Ukuthunywa kukaBharnabha noSawule
25UBharnabha noSawule bawugqiba umsebenzi wabo, baza babuya eJerusalem, behamba noYohane Marko.
