Ukuphenduka Nokubhabhadiswa KukaSawula
1USawula esabhodla umlilo, esongela ukubulala abafundi beNkosi, waya kumphristi omkhulu, 2wacela kuye izincwadi zokuya eDamaseku emasinagogeni, ukuze kuthi uma efumana abantu baleyo Ndlela, abesilisa nabesifazane, abayise eJerusalema beboshiwe. 3Kepha esaqhubeka nohambo lwakhe, esesondela eDamaseku, kwabanika ngokuphazima kweso nxazonke ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini. 4Wawela phansi emhlabathini, wezwa izwi lithi kuye: “Sawula, Sawula, ungihluphelani na?”
5Kepha wathi: “Ungubani, Nkosi?”
Wayesethi: “NginguJesu omhluphayo. 6Kepha vuka ungene emzini, uzakutshelwa lokho okumele ukwenze.”
7Amadoda ayehamba naye ayemi ekhungathekile, ngokuba alizwa izwi, kodwa awabonanga muntu. 8USawula wayesevuka phansi, kepha kuthe evula amehlo akaze abona lutho. Base bembamba ngesandla, bamyisa eDamaseku. 9Izinsuku zaba ntathu engaboni, engadli, futhi engaphuzi.
10Kwakukhona eDamaseku umfundi othile, igama lakhe kungu-Ananiya. INkosi yakhuluma kuye ngombono, yathi: “Ananiya!”
Yena wathi: “Ngilapha, Nkosi.”
11INkosi yayisithi kuye: “Suka uye emgwaqweni okuthiwa uQondile, ufune endlini kaJuda umuntu, igama lakhe nguSawula waseTharsu, ngokuba uyakhuleka; 12ubonile embonweni indoda, egama layo ngu-Ananiya, ingena, ibeka izandla phezu kwakhe ukuba abone.”
13Kepha u-Ananiya waphendula wathi: “Nkosi, ngizwile ngabaningi ngaleyo ndoda konke okubi ekwenzile kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalema; 14nalapha unegunya alithole kubaphristi abakhulu lokuzobopha bonke abakhuleka egameni lakho.”
15Kepha iNkosi yathi kuye: “Hamba, ngokuba lo uyisitsha sami esikhethiweyo sokuphatha igama lami phambi kwabezizwe, emakhosini, nakubantu bakwa-Israyeli. 16Ngokuba ngizakumbonisa ukuthi kumele ahlupheke kangakanani ngenxa yegama lami.”
17U-Ananiya wahamba, wangena endlini, wabeka izandla phezu kukaSawula, wathi: “Sawula, mzalwane, iNkosi uJesu ebonakale kuwe endleleni obuza ngayo, ingithumile ukuba ubuye ubone, ugcwaliswe ngoMoya oNgcwele.”
18Kwavuthuluka masinyane emehlweni akhe okungathi yinkwethu, wayesebona; esesukumile, wabhabhadiswa. 19Kuthe esedlile, abuya amandla.
USawula Ushumayela EDamaseku
Wahlala nabafundi baseDamaseku izinsuku ezithile. 20Kwathi kungakapholi maseko, wayeseshumayela ngoJesu emasinagogeni, ukuthi Yena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. 21Bonke ababemlalele bamangala, bathi: “Lo akusiye yini owabhubhisa abakhuleka kuleli gama eJerusalema? Nalapha akezile yini ngenhloso yokuba abaqhube beboshiwe abayise kubaphristi abakhulu na?”
22Kepha uSawula wadlondlobala ngamandla; bashaqeka abaJuda ababehlala eDamaseku, eqinisa ukuthi lowo unguKhristu.
23Kuthe sekudlule izinsuku eziningi, abaJuda benza icebo lokuba bambulale. 24Kepha icebo labo laziwa nguSawula. Babemlindela ngisho nasemasangweni, imini nobusuku, ukuze bambulale. 25Kepha abafundi bamshushumbisa ebusuku, bamehlisa ogangeni bemfake eqomeni.
USawula Ushumayela EJerusalema
26Kuthe esefikile eJerusalema, wazama ukuzihlanganisa nabafundi, kodwa bonke babemesaba, bengakholwa ukuthi ungumfundi. 27Kepha uBharnabha wamthatha, wamyisa kubaphostoli, wabalandisa ukuthi uyibonile iNkosi endleleni, nokuthi ikhulumile kuye, nokuthi wayeshumayele kanjani ngesibindi ngegama likaJesu eDamaseku. 28Wayenabo eJerusalema, engena ephuma, ekhuluma ngesibindi ngegama leNkosi, 29wayekhuluma futhi ephikisana nabaJuda abakhuluma isiGriki, kepha bazama ukumbulala. 30Kwathi ukuba abazalwane bakuzwe lokho bamehlisela eKhesariya, base bemthumela eTharsu.
31Ngakho-ke ibandla laba nokuthula kulo lonke iJudiya, eGalile, naseSamariya, lakheka, lihamba ngokuyesaba iNkosi, nangenduduzo kaMoya oNgcwele, likhula kakhulu.
UPhethro Uphilisa U-Eneya
32UPhethro ehambela izindawo zonke, wehlela nakwabangcwele ababakhe eLida. 33Wafumana lapho umuntu othile ogama lakhe kungu-Eneya, owayeselale ecansini iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili, efe uhlangothi. 34UPhethro wathi kuye: “Eneya, uJesu uKhristu uyakuphilisa; vuka, wendlule icansi lakho.” Wayesevuka ngokushesha. 35Bonke labo abakhe eLida naseSarona bambona, baphendukela eNkosini.
UPhethro Uvusa UThabitha Kwabafileyo
36EJopha kwakukhona owesifazane othile okholwayo, ogama lakhe linguThabitha, okungukuthi uma lihunyushwa uDokhasi; wayenemisebenzi eminingi emihle, futhi abela abampofu izipho. 37Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku wagula, wafa. Bamgeza base bembeka ekamelweni eliphezulu. 38Nokho-ke iLida lalakhelene neJopha, ngakho-ke abafundi sebezwile ukuthi uPhethro ukhona lapho, bathumela kuye amadoda amabili, bamcela bathi: “Yiza kithi ngokushesha, ungalibali.” 39Wayesesuka uPhethro, wahamba nabo. Esefikile, bamyisa ekamelweni eliphezulu; bonke abafelokazi bema eduze kwakhe bekhala, bembonisa izembatho nezingubo ezazenziwe nguDokhasi esaphila. 40Kepha uPhethro esebakhiphele ngaphandle bonke, waguqa ngamadolo, wakhuleka, wayesephendukela esidunjini, wathi: “Thabitha, vuka!” Wavula amehlo akhe, wabona uPhethro, wayesehlala. 41UPhethro wambamba ngesandla, wamsukumisa, wayesebiza abangcwele nabafelokazi, wambeka phambi kwabo ephile saka. 42Lokho kwezwakala kulo lonke iJopha; abaningi bakholwa yiNkosi. 43Wayesehlala izinsuku eziningi eJopha kwaSimoni, umshuki wezikhumba.
