UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 5

₁Ke kaloku kwakukho nendoda egama linguHananiya, umfazi wayo yena enguSafira. Bathengisa umhlaba wabo, ₂baza inxalenye yemali leyo bayifumeneyo bayigcina, eseleyo ke bayizisa *kubathunywa. ₃UPetros wabuza wathi: “Hananiya, kutheni ukuba umyeke uSathana alawule intliziyo yakho, akwenze uxokise uMoya oyiNgcwele ngokugcina inxalenye yemali oyifumeneyo ngomhlaba wakho? ₄Umhlaba wakho ubungowakho phambi kokuba uwuthengise, nemali yawo ibiyeyakho emveni kokuba uwuthengisile. Kungani ke ukuba ufike kwisigqibo sokwenza into enje? Awuxokisanga mntu, uxokise uThixo.” ₅Akuweva loo mazwi uHananiya wawa phantsi, wafa; baza bonke abayivayo loo nto bankwantya luloyiko. ₆Bafika abafana, bawuthatha bawuthandela umzimba wakhe, baya kumngcwaba.

₇Emva kweeyure ezintathu, yafika inkosikazi kaHananiya ingekayiva loo nto ihlileyo. ₈Wabhekisa kuyo uPetros esithi: “Khawutsho, ingaba le yimali epheleleyo eniyizuze ngokuthengisa umhlaba wenu nomyeni wakho?”

Yaphendula yathi: “Ewe, iphelele.”

₉Wayibuza wathi uPetros: “Kungani ukuba wena nendoda yakho nidibane ngokuvavanya uMoya weNkosi? Uyabona ke, abafana abavela kungcwaba indoda yakho nâbo emnyango, nawe lo baza kukuthatha bemke nawe.” ₁₀Ngoko nangoko uSafira wawa ezinyaweni zakhe, wafa. Bangena abafana, bambona ukuba ufile, bamthatha baya kumngcwaba ecaleni komyeni wakhe. ₁₁Xa lilonke ibandla nabo bonke abayivayo le nto bazaliswa kukunkwantya.

₁₂*Abathunywa benza imiqondiso nemimangaliso emininzi ebantwini. Bonke abakholwayo babehlangana eVarandeni kaSolomon. ₁₃Abangakholwayo babengazibandakanyi nabo, nakuba kwakuthethwa kakuhle ngabo. ₁₄Kuyo yonke loo nto kwabakho ihlokondiba lamadoda namakhosikazi azinikelayo eNkosini, laza longezeka inani labo. ₁₅Baza abagulayo basiwa ezitalatweni, balaliswa ezibhedini nasemakhukweni, ukuze kuthi xa agqithayo uPetros isithunzi sakhe siwe phezu kwabanye. ₁₆Izihlwele zabantu zazisiza, zivela kwiidolophu ezimelene neJerusalem, zizisa abagulayo nâbo babeneendimoni, baze baphile bonke.

₁₇Umbingeleli omkhulu nabalingane bakhe, abo beqela *labaSadusi, babamonela *abathunywa, ₁₈baza bababamba babafaka entolongweni. ₁₉Kwangobo busuku isithunywa seNkosi sawavula amasango entolongo, sabakhokelela phandle abathunywa, sathi kubo: ₂₀“Hambani niye *endlwini kaThixo, nibafundise yonke into abantu ngale ntlalo intsha.” ₂₁Bevile ke abathunywa, bathi kwasekuseni bangena endlwini kaThixo, bafundisa.

Umbingeleli omkhulu nabalingane bakhe nabo bonke abadala bamaJuda, babiza intlanganiso epheleleyo *yeBhunga, baza bathumela entolongweni ukuba abathunywa beziswe phambi kwabo. ₂₂Zifikile izigidimi azibafumananga abathunywa entolongweni; zabuya ke zeza kuxela entlanganisweni, zathi: ₂₃“Intolongo siyifumene ivalwe ngokuqinileyo, nabalindi bewagcinile amasango, kodwa sakuwavula amasango, asifumananga mntu ngaphakathi.” ₂₄Kwathi intloko yabalindi bendlu kaThixo nababingeleli abaziintloko bakuyiva le nto, baxakwa ukuba ngaba kuhle ntoni na kubathunywa. ₂₅Kwafika ndoda ithile eyathi kubo: “Khangelani, amadoda ebeniwafake entolongweni nangaya efundisa abantu endlwini kaThixo!” ₂₆Yasuka ke intloko yabalindi yahamba nabaphantsi kwayo, babaphuthuma abathunywa. Babaphatha kakuhle abathunywa, kuba besoyika hleze baxulutywe ngamatye ngabantu.

₂₇Babazisa phambi kweBhunga abathunywa, waza umbingeleli omkhulu wabamangalela esithi: ₂₈“Saninika imiyalelo engqongqo yokuba ningaphindi nifundise egameni lale ndoda; kodwa khanikhangele into eniyenzileyo! Imfundiso yenu niyisarhaze kule Jerusalem iphela; ngoku nifuna ukuxhoma ukufa kwayo phezu kwethu.”

₂₉OoPetros baphendula bathi: “Asinakwenza nto yimbi; sifanele ukuthobela uThixo endaweni yabantu! ₃₀UThixo woobawo bethu wamvusa uYesu ekufeni, ekubeni nina nambulalayo ngokumxhoma emnqamlezweni. ₃₁UThixo wammisela ewongeni, wayiNkokheli noMsindisi wokunika amaSirayeli ithuba lokuguquka, aze axolelwe izono zawo. ₃₂Thina noMoya oyiNgcwele osisipho sikaThixo kwabo bamthobelayo, singamangqina azo ezi zinto.”

₃₃Akuweva la mazwi amalungu eBhunga avutha ngumsindo kangangokuba afuna ukuba babulawe abathunywa. ₃₄Kodwa omnye wabo, *owayengumFarasi ogama linguGamaliyeli, owayengumchazi-mthetho ohloniphekileyo kubantu bonke, waphakama wayalela ukuba abathunywa khe bakhutshelwe phandle. ₃₅Wabhekisa eBhungeni esithi: “MaSirayeli, yilumkeleni into eniyenzayo kula madoda. ₃₆Ngaphambi koku kukhe kwavela uTuda ezenza uthile obalulekileyo, waza walandelwa ngamadoda akwisithuba samakhulu amane. Kodwa wafa, abalandeli bakhe bathi saa, waza naloo mbutho wakhe wafa. ₃₇Emva koko kwavela uJuda umGalili, ngexesha lobalo, naye walandelwa ngabantu abaninzi, kodwa naye wafa, nabalandeli bakhe basarhaka. ₃₈Ngokunjalo nakwesi isihlandlo musani ukuthatha manyathelo ngakula madoda. Wayekeni, kuba ukuba lo msebenzi wawo yinto nje yabantu uza kuphelela esithubeni; ₃₉ukanti ukuba yinto evela kuThixo, aninako ukuwutshabalalisa. Endaweni yaloo nto ningazibhaqa nisilwa noThixo.”

IBhunga lalandela icebo likaGamaliyeli. ₄₀Baza ke bababiza abathunywa, babayala ukuba bangaze baphinde bathethe ngegama likaYesu. Emva koko ke bakatswa abathunywa, baza bakhululwa. ₄₁Abathunywa balishiya iBhunga elo benemincili, kuba uThixo ebafumanise befanelekile ukuba bahlazeke ngenxa yegama likaYesu. ₄₂Bazingisa ke imihla yonke, endlwini kaThixo nasemakhayeni, ukufundisa nokushumayela iindaba ezimnandi ezingoYesu onguKrestu.