Isiphithi-phithi eTesalonika
1Bahamba ke, badlula eAmfipoli naseApoloniya, bada baya kufika eTesalonika, apho yayikho *indlu yesikhungo yamaJuda. 2Njengoko ebeqhele ukwenjenjalo, uPawulos waya endlwini yesikhungo leyo. Apho wayexoxa nabantu *ngeziBhalo imiGqibelo emithathu, 3ezichaza iziBhalo, ecacisa kwangazo ukuba ubemelwe kukuva ubunzima *uKrestu, abuye avuke ekufeni. “Lo Yesu ndimvakalisayo nguKrestu,” wayesitsho uPawulos. 4Abanye abantu boyisakala, bazimanya noPawulos noSilas. Enjenjalo namaGrike aliqela awayemhlonela uThixo, kwakunye namakhosikazi amaninzi aphambili entlalweni.
5Kodwa akhathazeka amaJuda, aqokelela amatshijolo ezitalatweni, yaligquba elenza intswahla nesiphithi-phithi edolophini. Lawuhlasela umzi kaJason, liba balapho ooPawulos noSilas, liza kubasa ematyaleni. 6Kodwa lakungabafumani, larhuqa uJason kunye namanye amakholwa, libasa kubaphathi-dolophu, likhwaza lisithi: “La madoda luqhushululu konke apho ahamba khona; ngoku eze nakule idolophu, 7yaye uJason uwagcine phaya endlwini yakhe. Ewonke angabaphuli-mthetho *kaKhesare, kuba athi kukho nkosi yimbi inguKrestu Yesu.” 8Ngaloo mazwi basitsho isihlwele nabaphathi-dolophu bakhathazeka. 9Abaphathi-dolophu babahlawulisa imali yesibambiso ooJason nabanye abo ngaphambi kokubakhulula bahambe.
UPawulos noSilas eBheriya
10Kuthe nje kusandul' ukuhlwa, amakholwa abathumela eBheriya ooPawulos noSilas. Bafika apho, baya *kwindlu yesikhungo yamaJuda. 11Abantu balapho bona babeneengqondo eziphangaleleyo kunabantu baseTesalonika. Baluphulaphula ngomdla bona udaba, bazifunda mihla le *neziBhalo, befuna ukuqonda ukuba uPawulos unyanisile na. 12Kwaguquka abantu abaninzi, amadoda kunye namakhosikazi amaGrike akumgangatho ophezulu entlalweni. 13Kodwa akuva amaJuda aseTesalonika ukuba uPawulos ulishumayela naseBheriya ilizwi likaThixo, aya apho, afika afaka umoya woqhushululu ebantwini. 14Amakholwa amsa ngaselwandle uPawulos kwangoko. Basala bona ooSilas noTimoti eBheriya. 15La madoda âhamba noPawulos, ada aya kutsho eAtene. Abuyela eBheriya nomyalelo kaPawulos wokuba ooSilas noTimoti mabakhawuleze baye kuye.
UPawulos eAtene
16Kwathi xa uPawulos wayesalinde uSilas noTimoti eAtene, wafumana umnqa kukubona indlela ezazizininzi ngayo izithixo kuloo dolophu. 17Waxoxa endlwini yesikhungo namaJuda kunye neentlanga ezazihlonela uThixo. Ngokukwanjalo wayexoxa nabantu ababegqitha-gqitha ebaleni lembutho. 18Nabathile abaziintanda-bulumko zeqela *lamaEpikure *namaStoyike babencokola naye. Bambi babesithi: “Ngaba lifuna ukuthini eli pholopholo?” abanye besithi: “Ngathi ngunozakuzaku *woothixo basemzini.” Babesitsho ke kuba uPawulos wayeshumayela ngoYesu nangovuko lwabafileyo.
19Baza ke bamthatha uPawulos, baya naye entlanganisweni, endaweni ekwakusithiwa yiAriyopago, bathi kuye: “Khawutsho! Sifuna ukuyazi le mfundiso intsha uthetha ngayo. 20Ezinye zezinto esikuva uthetha ngazo ziyasimangalisa, ngoko ke sifuna ukuyazi intsingiselo yazo.” 21Kaloku abantu baseAtene nabatyeleli bakhona kwakungekho nto babeyixabise ngaphezu kokuncokola okanye ukuphulaphula iingcamango ezintsha.
22UPawulos waphakama wema entlanganisweni apho eAriyopago, wathi: “Bantu baseAtene, ndiyaphawula ukuba ningabantu abaluthanda ngokuncamisayo unqulo. 23Kuthe xa bendihamba-hamba ndibuka iindawo zenu zonqulo, ndabona neqonga lamadini elibhaliweyo kwathiwa: ‘Kongaziwayo uThixo.’ Ngoko ke lowo nina nimnqula ningamazi, mna ndivakalisa yena kuni. 24UThixo lo udale ihlabathi nezinto ezikulo, uyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba. Ngoko ke akahlali zindlwini zenziwe ngabantu, 25engaswele nto ngokokude abantu bazidube ngokumenzela nto. Kuba kaloku nguye ngokwakhe onika ubomi nomphefumlo, nazo zonke iimfuneko zoluntu lonke. 26Zonke iintlanga zabantu wazidala zaphuma mlibeni mnye, wazenza ukuba ziwume wonke umhlaba. Yena ngokwakhe kwangaphambili wazimisela amaxesha obomi, kunye nemida yokuhlala kwazo. 27Oku wakwenza ukuze zihlale zimzingela, hleze zimphuthaphuthe de zimfumane; nangona yena uThixo engekude kuthi sonke, 28kuba kungaye sikho nje, sisuka-suka, siphilile. Kunjengoko zitshoyo ezinye zeembongi zenu ukuthi: ‘Nathi siyinzala yakhe.’ 29Singabantwana bakhe nje ke, masingacingi ukuba imo kaThixo ifana nento eqingqwe ngegolide, ngesiliva, okanye ngelitye, ngobugcisa bomntu. 30UThixo wayewayeke ngabom loo maxesha apho abantu babengazi. Kungokunje uyalela abantu bonke, ezindaweni zonke, ukuba baguquke ezindleleni zabo ezimbi. 31Kaloku uwumisele umhla apho aya kuligweba ihlabathi lonke liphela ngobulungisa, ngeNdoda ayimiseleyo. Le nto uyingqine kubantu bonke ngokuyivusa loo Ndoda ekufeni.”
32Bathi bakumva uPawulos ethetha ngovuko lwabafileyo, bahlekisa ngaye. Bambi bathi: “Sisafuna ukuyiva kwakhona le ntetho yakho.” 33Waza ke uPawulos wemka apho entlanganisweni. 34Kambe abanye bazinikela, baza bamlandela. Phakathi kwabo kwakukho uDiyonisi, ilungu leAriyopago, nomfazi ogama linguDamari, kunye nabanye.
