UPowula eMalta
1Emva kobana sisindile, sezwa bona isihlengelo besibizwa bona yiMalta. 2Abantu balapho basibonisa isisa esingakavami. Njengombana besele lizokuna begodu kumakhaza, baphemba umlilo basihlalisa khona. 3UPowula wabuthelela iinkuni, kwathi lokha nakazibeka phezu komlilo, kwaphuma inyoka ngebanga lokutjhisa, yanamathela esandleni sakhe. 4Kwathi lokha abantu balapho nababona inyoka ilembelele esandleni sakaPowula bathi omunye komunye: “Umuntu lo ufuze ukuba mbulali, kuthi nanyana asinde elwandle, uDike akakamvumeli bona aphile.” 5Kodwana yena wathintithela inyoka leyo ngemlilweni angakalimali ndawo. 6Bebalindele bona uzavuvuka namkha aduleke phasi afe; kodwana ngemva kokulindela isikhathi eside angenzeki ilitho, batjhugulula imikhumbulwabo, bathi unguzimu.
7Mlenzana nalapho bekukhona indawo yendoda emrholi wesihlengeleneso ekuthiwa nguPhubhliyusi. Yena wasamukela ngommoya omuhle, sahlala amalanga amathathu sibathekeli bakhe. 8Uyise lakaPhubhliyusi gade alele agula aphethwe mgomani nendeni. UPowula waya kuye wathandaza, wambeka izandla wampholisa. 9Kuthe bona kwenzeke lokho, boke abantu abagulako besihlengeleni beza bapholiswa. 10Basihlonipha ngeendlela ezinengi bekwathi nasele sikhamba balayitjha koke ebegade sikuhlonga ekhambeni lethu.
UPowula eRoma
11Emva kweenyanga ezintathu sathaya ngomkhumbi owaqeda ubusika boke ngesihlengeleni; bewungowe-Alekzandriya, uneenthombe zabosingazimu uKastori noPoluksi epumulwenawo. 12Safika eSirakusa, sahlala lapho amalanga amathathu. 13Sesizombelezile isihlengele safika eRegiyoni, kwathi emva kwelanga linye silapho, kwaphephetha isewula, ngelanga lesibili safika ePhothiyoli. 14Safumana abanye abazalwana lapho, basibawa bona sihlale nabo amalanga alikhomba. Yeke saya eRoma.
15Abazalwana beRoma sele bezwile ngathi, beza bazosihlangabeza. Abanye beza ngendlela ekuthiwa yi-Apiyusi ukufikela eForumi Apiyi kwathi abanye bafika ekumbeni yeenkhambi ebekuthiwa yiTiresi Taverinoni Kuthe bona uPowula ababone, wathokoza uZimu bewaqina idolo.
16Kuthe bona sifike eRoma, uPowula wavunyelwa bona ahlale yedwa nejoni elimqalileko.
UPowula utjhumayela eRoma
17Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu uPowula wabiza abarholi bamaJuda wendawo bona bahlangane. Kwathi bona bahlangane, wathi kibo: “Bafowethu! Nanyana ngingakenzi ilitho elimbi ebantwini bekhethu nemasikweni esawafumana kibobamkhulu, ngabotjhwa ngeJerusalema, nganikelwa emaRomeni. 18Wona sele angihlolile, afuna ukungithukulula ngombana belingekho ibanga lokobana ngingabeze ngibulawe. 19Kodwana kuthe bona amaJuda akuphikise lokhu, ngakateleleka bona ngidlulisele indaba kumbusi omkhulu, nanyana bekungekho umlandu engingawuthwesa abantu bekhethu. 20Kungebangeli ngibawe ukubonana nani, ngikhulumisane nani. Mbala, ngebanga lethemba laka-Israyeli ngibotjhwe ngeenketanezi.”
21Bona bathi kuye: “Azange sifumane incwadi evela eJudiya ekhuluma ngawe namkha kufike omunye wabafowethu nombiko nanyana kukhulunywe okuthileko okumbi ngawe. 22Kodwana sifuna ukuzwa amazizo wakho ngombana siyazi bona koke nje, isiqhemesi sikhulunywa kumbi.”
23Kwathi sebabekelene naye ilanga, bafika lapha ahlala khona babanengi kwamambala. Kusukela ekuseni bekwaba sebusuku, wabahlathululela bewabafakazela ngombuso kaZimu, alinga ukubabonisa ngoJesu ngokudzubhula emthethweni wakaMosi nemitlolweni yabaphorofidi. 24Abanye babo bathatheka ngamezwakhe, abanye akhange bafune ukukholwa. 25Nje-ke baphikisana babodwa, kodwana bathoma ukukhamba ngemva kobana uPowula athe: “UMoya oCwengileko bekaqinisile nakakhuluma kibokhokho benu ngomphorofidi u-Isaya asithi, 26‘Khamba uye esizwenesi ufese uthi:
“ ‘Nizokuzwa kodwana ningazwisisi;
nizokubona kodwana ningatjheji.
27Iye, iinhliziyo zabantwaba zibuthuntu
neendlebe zabo azizwa,
bavale namehlwabo.
Nakungasinjalo bazakubona ngamehlwabo,
bezwe ngeendlebe zabo,
balemuke ngeenhliziyo zabo
bebaphenduke bese ngiyabaphilisa.’
28“Nje-ke akwazeke kini bonyana isindiso kaZimu le ithunyelwe kabatjhili; bona bazakuzwa.” 29Ngemva kobana uPowula atjho lokhu, amaJuda akhamba aphikisana wodwa kabuhlungu.
30Iminyaka emibili yoke swana, wahlala endlini ayiqatjhileko, amukela boke abazombona; 31amemezela umbuso kaZimu, afundisa ngeKosi uJesu Krestu begodu akhuluma ngesibindi kungekho okumthiyako.
