UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 9

₁Ngalo lonke eli thuba uSawule yena wayefutha izisongelo zokwenzakalisa abalandeli beNkosi. Waya kumbingeleli omkhulu, wacela ukuba amnike iincwadi zeziqinisekiso, ₂ukuze aye *ezindlwini zesikhungo zamaJuda eDamasko, abe nako ukuthi xa ebafumana abalandeli bale Ndlela yeNkosi, abakhonkxe, amadoda kunye nabafazi, eze nabo eJerusalem.

₃Endleleni yakhe eya eDamasko, xa asondelayo apho edolophini, ngequbuliso wabona ukukhanya esibhakabhakeni, okwasuka kwambanekela ngeenxa zonke. ₄Watsho wawa phantsi, waza weva ilizwi limbiza lisithi kuye: “Sawule, Sawule, unditshutshiselani na?”

₅Yena wabuza wathi: “Wena ungubani, Nkosi?”

Ilizwi elo laphendula lathi: “Mna ndinguYesu, lowo umtshutshisayo wena. ₆Phakama, uhambe ungene apha edolophini; uya kuyixelelwa khona into omawuyenze.”

₇Ngeli xesha amadoda awayehamba noSawule ayemile, ethe cwaka, eliva lona ilizwi elo lalithetha, kodwa engaboni mntu. ₈USawule waphakama, wakhangela ngamehlo, kodwa akabi nako ukubona nento le. Ngoko ke abo babehamba naye bamrhola ngesandla, bangena naye eDamasko. ₉Waba ntsuku-ntathu eyimfama, engatyi, engaseli.

₁₀EDamasko apho kwakukho umlandeli kaYesu ogama linguHananiya. INkosi yathetha naye embonweni, yambiza yathi: “Hananiya!”

Yena wasabela wathi: “Ndilapha, Nkosi.”

₁₁Yathi iNkosi kuye: “Khawuleza, uye esitalatweni ekuthiwa sesithe ngqo, uze ufune indlu kaJuda, apho kuyo ukhangele indoda yaseTarso egama linguSawule. Iyathandaza khona, ₁₂futhi embonweni wayo ibone indoda egama linguHananiya, ingena ibeka izandla phezu kwayo, ukuze iphinde ibe nokubona.”

₁₃Waphendula wathi uHananiya: “Nkosi, baninzi abantu abandixeleleyo ngale ndoda, nangezinto ezilumezayo ezenzileyo ebantwini bakho eJerusalem. ₁₄Nangoku ilapha eDamasko nje, inamagunya ewathathe kubabingeleli abaziintloko, ukuze ikhonkxe bonke abakunqulayo.”

₁₅Yaza yathi iNkosi kuye: “Hamba uye kuyo, kuba mna ndiyikhethile ukuba indisebenzele, yazise igama lam kwiintlanga nakookumkani nakulo usapho lukaSirayeli. ₁₆Ndaye mna ngokwam ndiya kuyibonisa ubunzima efanele ukubuva ngenxa yam.”

₁₇Wahamba ke uHananiya, wangena endlwini leyo ebeyixelelwe, wambeka izandla uSawule, esithi: “Sawule, mfondini, iNkosi indithumile, uYesu ngokwakhe, lo umbonileyo endleleni, xa ubusiza apha. Indithumele ukuze wena uphinde ufumane ukubona, uzaliswe nanguMoya oyiNgcwele.” ₁₈Ngoko nangoko kwaba ngathi amehlo kaSawule ongulwe, waza waphinda wanako ukubona. Wathi akuvuka wabhaptizwa. ₁₉Emveni kokuba etyile, wabuya wangumqabaqaba.

USawule wahlala iintsukwana nabalandeli bakaYesu eDamasko. ₂₀Zisukanje waya *ezindlwini zesikhungo zamaJuda, wafika washumayela ngoYesu, esithi unguNyana kaThixo. ₂₁Bonke ababemva, babemangaliswa, bebuza besithi: “Ngaba le ndoda asiyiyo na leya yayibatshutshisa eJerusalem bonke abathetha ngeli gama? Kanene, andithi nangoku ilapha nje, izele ukuze ibambe abantu, ibase kubabingeleli abaziintloko?”

₂₂Kodwa intshumayelo kaSawule yaya ikhula emandleni, neengxoxo zakhe ezibonisa ukuba uYesu *unguKrestu, zabetha asikwa imilomo amaJuda aseDamasko.

₂₃Kwakuba kudlule iintsuku ezininzi amaJuda ahlanganisana, afutha amacebo okumbulala uSawule; ₂₄kodwa eli yelenqe waliva uSawule. Imini nobusuku babemlinda emasangweni edolophu, khon' ukuze bambulale. ₂₅Ngabusuku buthile abalandeli bakaYesu bamthatha uSawule, bamthoba ngengobozi eludongeni.

₂₆USawule waya eJerusalem, wazama ukuzibandakanya nabalandeli bakaYesu. Kodwa bonke babemoyika, bengakholwa ukuba naye ungumlandeli kaYesu. ₂₇Wada wancedwa nguBharnabha owamthathayo, wamsa *kubathunywa, wabachazela indlela awabonana ngayo neNkosi, nento eyathethwayo yiNkosi kuye. Wababalisela nangokulishumayela kukaSawule ngesibindi igama likaYesu eDamasko. ₂₈Waza ke uSawule wahlala apho eJerusalem, ejikeleza elishumayela ngesibindi igama leNkosi. ₂₉Ngokunjalo wathetha, waxoxa nawo namaJuda athetha isiGrike, kodwa asuka afuna ukumbulala. ₃₀Athi amakholwa akuyiqonda le nto, amthatha uSawule, amsa eKhesariya, aza amthumela eTarso.

₃₁Ke kaloku ibandla kulo lonke elakwaJuda naseGalili naseSamariya lazola, kungekho ntshutshiso. Laba nenkqubela, lakhula nangamanani, limhlonela uThixo, likhuthazwa nguMoya oyiNgcwele.

₃₂Njengoko uPetros wayeyihamba yonke loo ngingqi, ngathuba lithile watyelela abantu bakaThixo eLida. ₃₃Apho wahlangana nendoda egama linguEneya. Yayife icala, futhi ineminyaka esibhozo yalalayo. ₃₄Wathi uPetros kuyo: “Eneya, uYesu Krestu uyakuphilisa. Phakama, wendlule umandlalo wakho.” Ngakonje ukuba atsho, wavuka uEneya. ₃₅Bathi bakumbona, bonke abantu ababehlala eLida nakwintili yaseSharon bazinikela eNkosini.

₃₆EJopa kwakukho umlandeli kaYesu ogama linguTabhita, oko kukuthi uBhadikazi. Lonke ixesha lakhe wayelichithela ekwenzeni okulungileyo, enezinwe, ebanceda abahlelelekileyo. ₃₇Ngeli xesha wagula, wasweleka. Bawuhlamba umzimba wakhe, bawubeka egumbini elikumgangatho ophezulu. ₃₈Njengoko iJopa yayingekude eLida, beva abalandeli bakaYesu ukuba uPetros useLida, baza bathumela amadoda amabini nomyalezo wokuba uPetros makancede afike ngokukhawuleza. ₃₉Akalibazisanga uPetros; wahamba nawo kwangoko. Akufika khona, wasiwa egumbini elo liphezulu, waphahlwa libubu labahlolokazi ababelila, bembonisa iingubo kwaneempahla awayezenza uBhadikazi esaphilile.

₄₀UPetros wabakhuphela phandle bonke, waza waguqa wathandaza. Wathi kamva waguqukela kuso isidumbu, wathi: “Tabhita, vuka!” Wajonga, waza akubona uPetros, wavuka. ₄₁Wasondela kuye uPetros, wamncedisa, waphakama. Wawabiza ke uPetros amakholwa kunye nabahlolokazi abo, wamnikela kubo ephilile. ₄₂Ezi ndaba zafikelela kuyo yonke iJopa, baza abantu abaninzi bazinikela eNkosini. ₄₃UPetros waba neentsuku ezininzi ehleli apho eJopa kunye nendoda egama linguSimon, umsuki weemfele.