UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 20

₁Lwakuba ludambile udushe olo, uPawulos wawahlanganisa amakholwa, wawanika amazwi enkuthazo nawokwahlukana. Waza wasuka apho wasinga kwelaseMakedoni. ₂Watyhutyha loo mimandla, ehamba ethetha amazwi enkuthazo ebantwini. Wafika nakwelamaGrike, ₃apho wahlala iinyanga ezintathu. Wathi xa alungiselela ukuya eSiriya, wabhaqa ukuba amaJuda amenzela iyelenqe, waza wabona ukuba makaphindele emva, acande kwelaseMakedoni. ₄Nâba abâmkhapháyo: uSopatro unyana kaPiro waseBheriya, uAristarko noSekundo baseTesalonika, uGayo waseDerbhe noTimoti, kwanoTikiko noTrofimo baseAsiya. ₅Basandulela baya kusilinda eTrowa. ₆Emva kweSidlo seZonka ezingenaGwele sanduluka eFilipi ngesikhephe, saza emva kweentsuku ezintlanu sadibana nabo eTrowa, apho sachitha iveki khona.

₇Ngokuhlwa koMgqibelo sahlanganisana kwisidlo sobudlelwana. UPawulos wathetha nabo abantu, wolula kwada kwaphakathi kobusuku, kuba kaloku wayeza kuhamba ngomhla olandelayo. ₈Intlanganiso leyo yayisegumbini eliphezulu apho kwakukho izibane ezininzi. ₉Umfana ogama linguYutiko wayehleli efestileni, wada wozela walala, kuba uPawulos engayeki ukuthetha. Wothuleka apho kumngangatho wesithathu, waya kuwa emhlabeni, bamchola apho efile. ₁₀UPawulos wehla waya kuye, wafika waziphosa phezu kwakhe, wamgona, wathi: “Sanukothuka, kuba akafanga, uhleli!” ₁₁Waza ke uPawulos wenyuka waya egumbini eliphezulu, wafika wathatha isonka watya. UPawulos wathetha nabo kwada kwaphuma ilanga, waza ke wemka. ₁₂Umfana lowo bagoduka naye ephilile, nabo bethuthuzelekile.

₁₃Thina sahlabela mgama, sihamba ngenqanawa, saya kutsho eAso, apho sasiza kuthatha uPawulos khona, kuba lo yayingumyalelo wakhe, njengoko yena wayehamba emhlabeni. ₁₄Wathi akudibana nathi eAso, sahamba naye saya kufika eMitilene. ₁₅Sasuka apho, saya kudlula malunga neKiyo ngosuku olulandelayo. Kwakhona ngemini elandelayo safika eSamo, saza ngengomso saya kufika eMileto. ₁₆UPawulos wayegqibe ukuba angagqithi e-Efese, ukuze angachithi xesha kwiphondo laseAsiya. Wayengxamele ukuba usuku *lwePentekoste lumfikele eseJerusalem xa kunokwenzeka.

₁₇Sathi xa siseMileto, uPawulos wathumela e-Efese, ukuba abadala bebandla baye kuye. ₁₈Bakufika wathi kubo: “Nina ngokwenu niyayazi kakuhle indlela endahlala nani ngayo, ukusuka kwimini yokuqala endathi ndafika ngayo kweli phondo laseAsiya. ₁₉Njengesicaka seNkosi, umsebenzi wam ndawenza ngentobeko ndisezinyembezini, nakumaxesha anzima ândifikeláyo ngenxa yamayelenqe amaJuda. ₂₀Niyazi ukuba andinifihlelanga nto ebinokuba luncedo kuni, xa bendishumayela ndinifundisa esidlangalaleni nasemakhayeni enu. ₂₁KumaJuda nasezintlangeni ndazingisa ukubalumkisa abantu ukuba baguqukele kuThixo beyivuma iNkosi yethu uYesu. ₂₂Ngoku ke ngokuthundezwa nguMoya oyiNgcwele ndiya eJerusalem, ndingayazi into eya kundihlela khona. ₂₃Ndazi nto-nye, le yokuba kuzo zonke iidolophu uMoya oyiNgcwele undilumkisile ukuba ndilindelwe yintolongo neenkxwaleko. ₂₄Kodwa kum ukuphila akubalulekanga ngaphezu kokuba ndilufeze ubizo lwam, ndiwugqibe umsebenzi endawunikwa yiNkosi wokuvakalisa iindaba ezimnandi zesisa sikaThixo.

₂₅“Ndijikelezile phakathi kwenu, ndivakalisa ngolawulo lukaThixo kuni. Ibe ngoku ndazi kakuhle ukuba akukho bani kuni uya kuphinda andibone. ₂₆Ngokunjalo ndingqina ndiqinisekile ngayo le mini ukuba xa kuthe kwakho umntu olahlekayo apha kuni, ndimsulwa mna, ₂₇kuba andizange ndifihle nto – ndalivakalisa njengoko linjalo icebo likaThixo kuni. ₂₈Zilumkeleni nina ngokwenu, niwulumkele nawo umhlambi athe uMoya oyiNgcwele wanibeka phezu kwawo. Yibani ngabelúsi bebandla likaThixo, athe walizuza ngegazi lowakhe uNyana. ₂₉Kuba ndiyazi ukuba ndakumka, kuya kuvela kwalapha kuni iingcuka eziqwengayo, ezingayi kuba nanceba ngomhlambi lo. ₃₀Kwalapha kuni kuya kubakho amadoda agqwetha inyaniso, enenjongo yokuwalahlekisa amakholwa. ₃₁Lumkani ngoko, nikhumbule ukuba imini nobusuku ndaniluleka nonke ngabanye, ndisezinyembezini, ithuba leminyaka emithathu.

₃₂“Ngoko ke ndiyambongoza uThixo ukuba makanikhusele. Uya kunakha ngodaba lwesisa sakhe, olunamandla okunenza nilixhamle ilifa kunye nabo bonke abantu bakhe. ₃₃Andizange ndinqwenele mali nampahla yamntu. ₃₄Kaloku nazi mhlophe ukuba ndasebenza ngezi zandla zam, ndizixhasa kuzo zonke iintswelo zam kwanezamahlakani am. ₃₅Ndinibonisile ngeendlela zonke ukuba sifanele ukusebenza nzima, ukuze sincede nabo bahluphekileyo, siwakhumbula amazwi eNkosi athi: ‘Kuluyolo ukupha ngaphezu kokuphiwa.’ ”

₃₆Akuwagqiba la mazwi uPawulos, waguqa nabo bonke, wathandaza. ₃₇Bathi besithi ndlela-ntle kuye, baye bengenakuzibamba bengqukruleka. Babemgona ngokwesiko labo. ₃₈Babehlatyaniselwe ngokukodwa ngamazwi awawathetháyo esithi abayi kuphinda bambone. Baza ke bamkhapha, baya naye enqanaweni.