Luhambo lwekugcina: Pawula uyantjweza uya eRoma
1Kwatsi sekuncunyiwe kutsi sewelele eTaliyane, base baniketela Pawula naletinye tiboshwa kuJuliyusi, indvuna yembutfo lebekutsiwa ngeweMbusi, Agustusi. 2Sakhwela emkhunjini lowawusuka e-Adramithiyamu lowase utawusuka uye etikhumulweni temikhumbi elugwini lwase-Asiya, nembala salucala luhambo lwetfu siphekeletelwa ngu-Aristakhusi labewaseMasedoniya esuka eThesalonika. 3Ngakusasa sangenisa eSidoni, naJuliyusi wamphatsa kahle Pawula, wamvumela nekutsi ayewubonana nebangani bakhe asho nekusho kutsi abonakekelwa kahle. 4Sesuka lapho sachubeka ngemkhumbi; kodvwa njengobe umoya bewuphambene natsi, sahamba sagudla sichingi saseSiphrosi. 5Sancamula lwandle ngaseSilisiya nePhamfiliya, saze sangena eMira yaseLisiya, 6lapho indvuna yatfola umkhumbi lowawuchamuka e-Alekzandriya nawo lowawucondze eTaliyane, ngako yase isigibelisa kuwo.
7Sahamba sesihamba kancane emalanga lamanyenti, nangebulukhuni lobukhulu, kodvwa ekugcineni saze sefika ngasedolobheni laseKhinidusi. Umoya wasivimbela kutsi sichubeke ngaleyo ndlela, ngako sase siyajika sigudla sichingi saseKhrethe sehla saze sendlula eKapa laseSalmone. 8Sehla singafuni kukhweshela lusentse lwesihlenge, noko sihamba kalukhuni kabi saze sefika endzaweni leyayibitwa ngekutsi Sikhumulo Sekuphepha, sesisedvutane nelidolobha laseLaseya.
9Njengobe sikhatsi lesidze sase sendlulile sikuleyo ndzawo neluhambo lwetfu seluyingoti kakhulu ngobe ngaleso sikhatsi lilanga lekuzila lase lendlulile, ngako Pawula wabeluleka watsi: 10“Madvodza, ngiyabona kutsi kusukela lapha luhambo lwetfu lutawugcwala tingoti; kutaba khona umonakalo lomkhulu kabi, hhayi etimphahleni letisemkhunjini nasemkhunjini kuphela, kodvwa nasemphilweni yetfu.” 11Kodvwa indvuna yabo yayinakekele kakhulu loko beyikutjelwa litilosi lemkhumbi kanye nemphatsi wemkhumbi yangete yakunaka loko lokwakushiwo nguPawula. 12Ngobe-ke kwakuyingoti nekuhlala kuleso sikhumulo ebusika labanyenti bebancokombele kona kutsi akuchutjekwe kwetanywe kuyawufika eFeniksi, nakwenteka. Leso bekusikhumulo saseKhrethe lesasibheke eNshonalanga yeNingizimu neNshonalanga yeNyakatfo, lapho bebangahle bacitse khona lobo busika.
Siphepho selwandle
13Umoyana waseningizimu wacala kuhhusha, nabo bacabanga kutsi sebatawuphumelela, ngako base bakhuphula sisimiso semkhumbi bantjweza bagudla lusentse lwaseKhrethe. 14Kodvwa masinyane nje kwachamuka umoya lomkhulu lobewubitwa ngekutsi yiNyakatfo-Mphumalanga, lowahhusha uchamuka esichingini. 15Umkhumbi wawubhekene nawo, ngako wehluleka kuchubeka sase siyawuvumela kutsi usiphephule. 16Saze satfola kukhosela nasigudla sichingana lesitsiwa iKhawuda. Lapho-ke nome kwakulukhuni, kodvwa sakhona kusibamba sikebhe semkhumbi. 17Basikhweta base bankinkela umkhumbi ngetindophi esiswini sawo, ngobe bebesaba kutsi bangahle baphahlateke esihlabatsini lesingaselugwini lweLibhiya; ngako kwehliswa liseyili, kwayekelwa umkhumbi kutsi wemuke nemoya. 18Sachubeka sihhushuhhushu semoya sawuphephula umkhumbi, kwatsi ngelilanga lelilandzelako bacala kuphungula umtfwalo ngekulahla letinye tintfo letatisindza. 19Kwatsi ngelilanga lesitsatfu bachubeka banyomula letinye tigcobo temkhumbi letatisindza batilahla bona ngetandla tabo. 20Kwaba ngemalanga lamanyenti singaliboni lilanga netinkhanyeti, nesiphepho sachubeka nekucinisa kuhhusha, saze saphelelwa nalitsemba lekutsi singaphindze siphile.
21Emvakwemalanga singasafaki lutfo etfunjini, Pawula wasukuma wema emkhatsini wabo watsi: “Madvodza, kube nangilalela nangete nesuka eKhrethe, ngabe asikangeni kulenhlupheko lengaka. 22Namanje ngiyanincenga, manini sibindzi. Kute namunye lotawufa, kodvwa umkhumbi wona utakufa uphele nya. 23Ngobe kulobusuku balamuhla ingilosi yaNkulunkulu, lengiwakhe nalengimkhontako, ime eceleni kwami 24yatsi: ‘Ungesabi, Pawula, ufanele ume embikwaKhesari; Nkulunkulu ukunikile bonkhe laba lohamba nabo.’ 25Ngako-ke, madvodza, manini sibindzi, ngobe ngiyametsemba Nkulunkulu kutsi kutawuba njengaloku angitjelile. 26Kodvwa kufanele silahlelwe esichingini lesitsite.”
Kuphihlika kwemkhumbi
27Kwase kulilanga leli-14 sintanta elwandle lwase-Adriya, sekungusekhatsi nebusuku bashayeli bemkhumbi basola shangatsi besebasondzele eveni lelitsite. 28Ngako base behlisa insimbi yekukala kutsi sekushona kangakanani, batfola kutsi lamanti angemamitha langema-40 kushona kwawo; bachubeka sikhashana baphindza bakala futsi, base batfola kutsi asangemamitha langema-30 kushona kwawo. 29Babesaba kutsi umkhumbi wetfu ungahle uphahlateke ematjeni, ngako base behlisa tisimiso temkhumbi letine ngemuva kwemkhumbi, bafisa kutsi kuse, 30ngako bashayeli bemkhumbi betama kubaleka ngekwehlisela umkhumbi emantini bashaya sengatsi behlisela letinye vtisimiso ngembili kwemkhumbi. 31Kodvwa Pawula watjela lendvuna yembutfo watsi: “Nangabe labashayeli balomkhumbi babaleka, kute lotawuphila lapha emkhunjini.” 32Ngako emasotja atijuba letintsambo letatisimise sikebhe, asiyekela sahamba.
33Lilanga lase litawuphuma, ngako Pawula wabancenga bonkhe kutsi badle kudla watsi: “Senicedze emalanga lali-14 solomane ningadli lutfo! 34Ngako-ke ngiyanicela kutsi nidle, nidzinga kudla khona nitewuba nemandla. Ngeke kulahleke ngisho nalunye lunwele lwetinhloko tenu.” 35Watsi kube asho loko Pawula watsatsa sinkhwa wabonga kuNkulunkulu embikwabo bambuka bonkhe, wasihlephula wacala wadla. 36Ngako-ke nabo bema sibindzi bacala badla. 37Sesisonkhe la emkhunjini sasingema-276. 38Kwatsi nase sidle sonkhe sesutsa, kwase kuphungulwa umkhumbi ngekulahla kolo emantini.
39Kwatsi sekusa, bashayeli bemkhumbi solo bangaluboni lusentse, babona sikhumbi sinesihlabatsi, base bancoma kutsi bayewufika kuso nakwenteka, ngobe bebafuna kuwumisa khona lapho umkhumbi. 40Ngako base bajuba tintsambo letatibambe tisimiso, batiyekela tacwila elwandle, ngaso leso sikhatsi bakhumula imiphini yekucondzisa umkhumbi, baphakamisa liseyili lelingembili, kuze kutsi umoya ufucele umkhumbi esihlabatsini lesasingembili. 41Kodvwa umkhumbi washayisa ngenhloko esibundvumeni wabhajwa. Inhloko yemkhumbi yembeleka yangabe isakwati kufuceka, kwabe kungulapho lingemuva lemkhumbi lifohloteka, laze laba tincetu lephulwa sihhushuhhushu semagagasi.
42Emasotja enta lisu lekubulala tonkhe tiboshwa, kubete nasinye lesitawuhlamba sidzimate siphunyule. 43Kodvwa indvuna yelibutfo ifuna kusindzisa Pawula, yawalela kuloko, esikhundleni salokho yatsi: “Bonkhe labakwatiko kuhlamba abadvumele emantini kucala bahlambe baye elusentseni. 44Laba labanye batawulandzela ngemuva bahlambe ngekugibela emapulangweni nome etincentwini temkhumbi, baze befike elusentseni.” Sasindza kanjalo-ke sonkhe, sahlamba saze sefika elusentseni, sewela.
