UPawula Ushumayela EThesalonikha
1Kwathi sebedabulile e-Amfipholi nase-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonikha, lapho kwakukhona isinagoge labaJuda. 2UPawula, njengokwejwayelekile, wangena khona kwaze kwaba ngamasabatha amathathu, ephendulana nabo ngokusemibhalweni, 3ebachazela futhi ekhombisa ukuthi uKhristu kwakumele ukuba ahlupheke, avuke kwabafileyo, nokuthi: “UJesu lo engimshumayela kini unguKhristu.”
4Abanye kubo bakuvuma lokho, bazihlanganisa noPawula noSila, nesixuku esikhulu samaGriki akholwayo, nabesifazane abaningi abadumileyo.
5Kepha abaJuda benomhawu, baqoqa abantu ababi, baba yisixuku, base bedala isiyaluyalu emzini. Bahlasela indlu kaJasoni befuna ukubakhiphela ngaphandle kubantu. 6Kepha kuthe lapho bengabatholi base behudula uJasoni nabazalwane abathile, babayisa kumphathimuzi, bememeza bethi: “Laba abanyakazisa izwe lonke sebefikile nalapha, 7uJasoni ubemukele, bonke laba abenza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKhesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi enguJesu.”
8Kepha basivukuza isixuku nabaphathimuzi abezwa lokho, 9bathatha isibambiso kuJasoni nakwabanye, base bebakhulula.
UPawula Ushumayela EBhiriya
10Ngokushesha ngalobo busuku, abazalwane babaphelezela oPawula noSila ukuba baye eBhiriya. Kuthe sebefikile khona, bangena esinagogeni labaJuda. 11Laba babengcono kunabaseThesalonika, ngokuba balemukela izwi ngenhliziyo yonke, behlolisisa imibhalo imihla ngemihla ukuba zinjalo yini lezo zinto. 12Ngakho-ke iningi labo lakholwa, nabesifazane abaqavile bamaGriki namadoda amaningana.
13Kepha lapho abaJuda baseThesalonikha bezwa ukuthi uPawula ulishumayele izwi likaNkulunkulu naseBhiriya, banikela khona, bafike bazinyakazisa, bazivukuza izixuku. 14Masinyane, abazalwane bamhambisa uPawula waze wayofika olwandle, kepha uSila noThimothewu basala lapho. 15Labo abaphelezela uPawula, baze bamshiya e-Athene. Kwathi uSila noThimothewu sebethole umyalezo wokuthi mabaphuthume beze kuye, base bemuka.
UPawula Ushumayela E-Athene
16Kuthe uPawula esabalindile e-Athene, umoya wakhe wathinteka kakhulu lapho ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe. 17Ngakho-ke wayexoxa esinagogeni nabaJuda nakuwo amakholwa nasesigcawini, nsuku zonke kulaba ababelapho. 18Kepha abathile kubo, osonjulalwazi bama-Ephikhuru nabamaStoyikhu, baphikisana naye, abanye bathi: “Leli phoshophosho lithini na?”
Abanye bathi: “Sengathi lishumayela ngonkulunkulu abangaziwa,” ngenxa yokuba wayeshumayela ivangeli ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo. 19Base bemthatha, bamyisa e-Areyophagu, bethi: “Ungasazisa ukuthi iyini le mfundiso entsha okhuluma ngayo na? 20Ngokuba usitshela ngezinto ezimangalisayo, ngakho siyafuna ukwazi ukuthi lokhu kusho ukuthini?”
21Ngokuba bonke abase-Athene nabafokazi ababakhe khona babengazilibazisi ngokunye, kuphela ngokukhuluma nokuzwa izindaba ezintsha.
22UPawula wema phakathi ne-Areyophagu, wathi: “Madoda ase-Athene, ngibona kahle ngakho konke enikwenzayo ukuthi ningabantu abakholwayo. 23Ngokuba ngithe ngihamba ngibuka izinto enizikhonzayo, ngafumana ngisho ne-althare okulotshwe kulo ukuthi: ELIKANKULUNKULU ONGAZIWA. Lokho-ke enikukhonza ningakwazi, yikho kanye lokhu engishumayela ngakho kini.
24“UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, Yena uyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla, 25futhi akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu, kube sengathi udinga utho oluthile. NguYena obapha ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke. 26Wazenza izizwe zonke ngagazi linye ukuba zakhe ebusweni bomhlaba, wamisa izinkathi ezinqunyiweyo nemingcele yokuhlala kwazo, 27ukuze zimfune uNkulunkulu, mhlawumbe zingase zimphumputhe, zimfumane; ingani akakude kulowo nalowo wethu. 28‘Ngokuba siphila, sihamba, sikhona kuye,’ njengalokhu izimbongi ezithile zakini zishilo zathi:
“ ‘Ngokuba futhi sibozalo lwakhe.’
29“Ngakho-ke njengalokhu singabozalo lukaNkulunkulu, akufanele ukuba sithi ubuNkulunkulu bufana negolide noma isiliva noma itshe, izinto eziqoshwe ngekhono nangesu lomuntu. 30Ngalokho uNkulunkulu wazithalalisa izikhathi zokungazi, kodwa manje usememezela kubantu ukuba bonke ezindaweni zonke baphenduke, 31ngokuba umisile usuku azakwehlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga, ngomuntu ammisele khona, lapho enika bonke ithemba ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”
32Kwathi lapho bezwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu, kodwa abanye bathi: “Siyophinde sikulalele ngalolu daba.”
33UPawula wayesesuka phakathi kwabo. 34Kepha amadoda athile anamathela kuPawula, akholwa. Phakathi kwawo kwakunoDiyonisiyu wase-Areyophagu, nowesifazane okuthiwa nguDamari igama lakhe, nabanye ababe nabo.
