UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 16

₁UPawulos waya eDerbhe naseListra. Apho kwakukho ikholwa eligama linguTimoti, onina wayekwalikholwa, engumJudakazi, uyise yena engumGrike. ₂Onke amakholwa aseListra naseIkoniyo ayemazi ngesimilo esihle uTimoti. ₃UPawulos wafuna ukuhamba noTimoti, ngoko ke wamolùsa kuqala, kuba onke amaJuda aloo mmandla ayesazi ukuba uyise wayengolukanga. ₄Ekuzityhutyheni kwabo ezo dolophu, amakholwa bawazisa ngesigqibo *sabathunywa nabadala eJerusalem. ₅Aza ke amabandla omelezeka elukholweni, anda nangamanani imihla ngemihla.

₆Xa babekwingingqi yaseFrigi naseGalati, uMoya oyiNgcwele wabalela ukuba balishumayele ilizwi eAsiya. ₇Bakufika emdeni waseMisi, bazama ukungena eBhitini, kodwa nakhona uMoya kaYesu akabavumelanga. ₈Ngoko ke bacanda eMisi, behla baya eTrowa. ₉Xa babelapho ke, ebusuku uPawulos wabona umbono. Indoda yaseMakedoni yayimile imcenga isithi: “Yiza apha eMakedoni, uzokusinceda.” ₁₀Ngokukhawuleza emva kwalo mbono kaPawulos, salungiselela ukuya eMakedoni, kuba saqonda ukuba uThixo usibizela ukuba siye kuzishumayela iindaba ezimnandi kubantu balapho.

₁₁Semka ngesikhephe eTrowa, sahamba ngqo sacanda sijonge eSamotraki, saza ngengomso sangena eNapoli. ₁₂Sakusuka apho, saya kutsho eFilipi, idolophu yokuqala kwisithili saseMakedoni, eyayilithânga laseRoma. Sakhe sahlala iintsukwana apho kuloo dolophu. ₁₃*NgoMhla wokuPhumla saphuma edolophini, saya ngasemlanjeni, apho sasiba koba kukho indawo athandazela kuyo amaJuda. Sahlala phantsi, sancokola namakhosikazi awayebuthe apho. ₁₄Enye yawo eyayisiphulaphule nguLidiya waseTiyatire, owayengumthengisi weempahla ezimsobo zexabiso. Wayeyintokazi eyayimhlonela uThixo, yaza ke iNkosi yayibaza ingqondo ukuba izigqale izinto ezazithethwa nguPawulos. ₁₅Yabhaptizwa kunye nosapho lwayo. Yaza ke yasimema isithi: “Ukuba nithi ndilikholwa ngenene eNkosini, khanizokuhlala kwam.” Yasithundeza ke ukuba siye.

₁₆Ngamhla uthile xa sasisiya kwindawo yokuthandaza, sahlangana nentombi eyayilikhoboka. Yayinamafufunyana. Yayibenzela imali eninzi ke abanikaziyo ngokuchazela abantu izinto eziza kubehlela. ₁₇Yasilandela sinoPawulos, ikhwaza isithi: “La madoda angabakhonzi bakaThixo uPhezukonke. Anishumayeza indlela eningásindiswa ngayo.” ₁₈Yaqhuba iintsuku ezininzi iyenza le nto, yada yamthukuthezela uPawulos, wajika wathi kuloo moya: “Ngengunya legama likaYesu Krestu ndithi: ‘Phuma kule ntombi.’ ” Aphuma kwangoko amafufunyana.

₁₉Bakuphawula abanikaziyo ukuba ayisekho indlela yokwenza imali ngale ntombi, babagxavula ooPawulos noSilas, babarhuqela kwinkundla yamatyala eyayisebaleni lembutho. ₂₀Babamangalela kwabasemagunyeni, besithi: “La madoda angamaJuda, yaye adala isidubedube apha edolophini yethu. ₂₁Afundisa imikhwa enxamnye nomthetho wethu. Thina singamaRoma, asinakuyamkela loo mikhwa.” ₂₂Nesihlwele sangenelela ekubahlaseleni.

Zaza iziphathamandla zathi mazikrazulwe izambatho zikaPawulos noSilas, babethwe nokubethwa. ₂₃Bakuba bebethwe kanobom, bavalelwa entolongweni. Wayalelwa nojela ukuba abatshixele abagcine ngokunqabileyo. ₂₄Ewufumene umyalelo lowo, ujela wabatshixela kwelingaphakathi igumbi, wabakhonkxa iinyawo ngezikhuni.

₂₅Phakathi kobusuku uPawulos noSilas bathandaza bacula bedumisa uThixo, namanye amabanjwa ebeva. ₂₆Ngesaquphe kwabakho inyikima eyashukumisa izisekelo zentolongo. Zatsho zavuleka zonke iingcango, namatyathanga akhululeka kumabanjwa. ₂₇Evukile ujela, wabona iingcango zentolongo zivulekile, wacinga ukuba abalekile amabanjwa onke; waza warhola ikrele lakhe, eza kuzibulala. ₂₈Kuthe kusenjalo wamemeza uPawulos esithi: “Mus' ukuzenzakalisa, kuba sisaphelele!”

₂₉Ujela lowo wathi makuziwe nesibane, waza engcangcazela enjalo wangena wawa ezinyaweni zikaPawulos noSilas. ₃₀Wabakhuphela phandle, wabuza wathi: “Bahlekazi, ndingenza ntoni ukuze ndisinde?”

Bona baphendula bathi: ₃₁“Zinikele eNkosini uYesu; uya kusindiswa wena nosapho lwakho.” ₃₂Bamchazela ke yena nabo bonke ababesendlwini yakhe ngodaba lweNkosi. ₃₃Ngaloo yure kanye yobusuku ujela wabathatha, wahlamba amanxeba abo; waza wabhaptizwa kunye nosapho lwakhe kwangoko. ₃₄Waya nabo endlwini yakhe ooPawulos noSilas, wabapha ukutya. Yena nosapho lwakhe bazaliswa luvuyo ngenxa yokuba bezinikele kuThixo.

₃₅Ngentsasa elandelayo abasemagunyeni bathumela amagosa abo, besithi: “Wakhululeni loo madoda.” ₃₆Ujela ke wamxelela uPawulos ukuba iziphathamandla zithumele umyalelo wokuba yena noSilas bangákhululwa. Ngoko ke bakhululekile bangáhamba ngoxolo.

₃₇Kodwa waphendula uPawulos wathi kumagosa lawo: “Hayi kaloku, sikatswe esidlangalaleni, nakuba singakhange sibekwe tyala, ibe futhi singabemi abangamaRoma! Ngaphezu koko sivalelwe entolongweni. Bangathini ke ngoku ukusikhulula bucala? Hayi bo! Ayinakwenzeka loo nto! Abasemagunyeni mabeze kusikhulula ngokwabo.”

₃₈Amagosa lawo aya kuwaxela la mazwi kwiziphathamandla, ezathi zakuva ukuba uPawulos noSilas ngabemi abangamaRoma, zoyika kakhulu. ₃₉Ngoko ke zaya kubo, zacela uxolo, zabacenga ukuba bahambe, zabakhupha ke bemka. ₄₀UPawulos noSilas bayishiya ke intolongo leyo, baya kwaLidiya. Apho ke bahlangana namakholwa, baza bathi, bakuba bewakhuthazile, bemka.