UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 11

₁*Abathunywa namakholwa akulo lonke elakwaJuda, eva ukuba iintlanga nazo zilamkele ilizwi likaThixo. ₂Akubuyela eJerusalem uPetros, amaJuda angamakholwa amgxeka esithi: ₃“Wena ubulundwendwe lwabantu abangolukiyo ngokwesiko likaMosis, usitya nokutya nabo.”

₄Ke yena uPetros wabanika inkcazelo ezeleyo, esusela ekuqaleni kwento eyehlayo. Wathi: ₅“Ndathi ndiseJopa, ndithandaza ndabona umbono. Ndabona kusihla into engathi lilaphu elikhulu, lithotywa ngamasondo omane ezulwini, yaza kuthi ngxingxilili ngakum. ₆Ndaqwalasela ngaphakathi kuyo, ndabona izilo nezilwanyana, iinyoka neentaka zasendle. ₇Ndeva ilizwi lisithi kum: ‘Vuka, xhela utye, Petros.’ ₈Kodwa mna ndithe: ‘Nkosi, unotshe! Andizanga ndikufake kowam umlomo ukutya okungatyiwayo.’ ₉Kwakho lathi ilizwi elo: ‘Musa ukuthi ayityiwa nayiphi na into uThixo athi iyatyiwa.’ ₁₀Le nto yenzeka kwada kwakathathu, kwathi ekugqibeleni labuyiselwa kwasezulwini elo laphu. ₁₁Ngaloo mzuzu kanye, nako kufika kuloo mzi ndandihlala kuwo, amadoda amathathu awayethunywe kum, evela eKhesariya. ₁₂UMoya oyiNgcwele wathi mandihambe nawo loo madoda, ndingathingazi. Naloo makholwa mathandathu aseJopa aya kunye nam eKhesariya, safikela kwaKorneli sisonke. ₁₃UKorneli wasixelela ngombono wakhe, apho isithunywa sezulu safika sathi kuye makathumele umntu eJopa, aye kubiza umfo ogama linguSimon Petros, ₁₄sisithi nguye oya kubazisa indlela abaya kusindiswa ngayo yena nosapho lwakhe. ₁₅Ndithe ke ndakushumayela wehla kwangoko uMoya oyiNgcwele phezu kwabo, njengoko wehlayo nakuthi kuqala. ₁₆Ndatsho ndacinga ngamazwi âthethwa yiNkosi xa yayisithi: ‘UYohane wayebabhaptiza ngamanzi abantu; ke nina niza kubhaptizwa ngoMoya oyiNgcwele.’ ₁₇Kucace gcaa ukuba uThixo ezaa ntlanga uzinike kanye esiya sipho wasinika sona thina siyamkeleyo iNkosi uYesu Krestu. Bendingubani na ke mna ukuba ndingáde ndime phambi kwentando kaThixo?”

₁₈Yabanelisa le ngxelo, baza bamdumisa uThixo, ngokuba kuthe kanti neentlanga ezi uThixo uyazinika ithuba lokuguquka, ukuze zidle ubomi.

₁₉Abakholwayo basarhazwa yintshutshiso yethuba lokufa kukaStefano. Abanye baphaphatheka, baya kutsho eFenike, eSipro, naseAntiyokwe. Babeluvakalisa udaba lweNkosi kumaJuda kuphela. ₂₀Kodwa abanye bamakholwa, amadoda aphuma eSipro naseKirene, aya eAntiyokwe, aluvakalisa udaba nakwiintlanga ezintetho isisiGrike, ezishumayeza iindaba ezimnandi ezingeNkosi uYesu. ₂₁Amandla eNkosi ayewafukamele loo madoda, laza iqela elikhulu labantu lazinikela eNkosini.

₂₂Le nto yenzekileyo ngabo yaya kuvakala nakwibandla laseJerusalem, laza lathumela uBharnabha eAntiyokwe. ₂₃Akuba efikile khona, wabubona ububele bukaThixo ebantwini; waza wavuya wabalúleka bonke ukuba bathembeke, banyaniseke eNkosini ngeentliziyo zabo zonke. ₂₄UBharnabha wayeyindoda elungileyo, ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele nalukholo.

Abantu abaninzi bazinikela eNkosini, ₂₅waza ke ngoko uBharnabha waya kukhangela uSawule eTarso. ₂₆Akumfumana, waya naye eAntiyokwe. Yaba ngunyaka wonke aba babini behlala phakathi kwebandla elo, baza baqeqesha iqela elikhulu. Kwakulapha eAntiyokwe apho abalandeli bakaYesu baqala ukubizwa ngokuba ngamaKrestu.

₂₇Ngelo xesha kwesuka *abashumayeli abathile eJerusalem baya eAntiyokwe. ₂₈Omnye wabo ogama linguAgabho, ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele, wayixela kwangaphambili indlala eyayiza kubakho kuwo wonke umhlaba. Yona ke yafika ngexesha *likaKhesare Klawudiyo. ₂₉AmaKrestu agqiba ekubeni ulowo nalowo kuwo makaqwebele inkxaso yamakholwa akwelakwaJuda kangangoko anako. ₃₀Le nto ke bayenza, baza ke imali leyo bayithumela kubadala bebandla ngoBharnabha noSawule.