UPawulos esiqithini saseMalta
1Ekubeni sisindile safika apho esiqithini, safumana ukuba igama laso yiMalta. 2Abantu balapho basenzela ububele. Yana imvula, kwaza kwabanda kakhulu. Ke kaloku abantu balapho basibasela umlilo, bebonisa ukusamkela kwabo. 3UPawulos waqokelela ibathwana leenkuni, kwathi xa abasayo kwaphuma inyoka apho emlilweni, isiva ubushushu, yaza yamluma esandleni. 4Abantu balapho bathi bakuyibona inyoka ijinga esandleni sikaPawulos bathi omnye komnye: “Lo mntu kucaca ukuba usisigebenga; nakuba esindile nje elwandle, akanakusinda kwimpindezelo kaThixo.” 5Wasuka yena uPawulos wayivuthulula yawa emlilweni apho inyoka leyo, yena akenzakala konke. 6Bona babelindele ukuba adumbe, okanye asuke afe. Kodwa emva kokulinda ithuba elide bengaboni nto ingaqhelekanga kuye, baziguqula iingcinga zabo, bathi unguthixo.
7Mganyana nje ukusuka apho kwakukho amasimi kaPubliyo inkosi yeso siqithi. Wasamkela ngobubele, saza saziindwendwe zakhe iintsuku ezintathu. 8Uyise kaPubliyo wayelele enomkhuhlane nesisu segazi. Waza uPawulos waya kuye, wamthandazela, wambeka izandla, waphila. 9Akuba emphilisile, kwatsho kweziswa bonke abantu abagulayo beso siqithi, baphiliswa nabo. 10Basinika izipho ezininzi, baza xa sihambayo basiphathisa izinto ezaziyimfuneko eluhambeni.
Ukusuka eMalta ukuya eRoma
11Emva kweenyanga ezintathu sanduluka apho ngenqanawa eyayichithe ubusika esiqithini apho, isuka eAlesandriya. Igama layo kwakusithiwa yiDiyoskuri. 12Saya kufika edolophini yaseSirakuse, saza sahlala khona iintsuku ezintathu. 13Ukusuka apho sahamba saya kufika edolophini yaseRegiyo. Ngengomso kwabhudla umoya wangasezantsi, saza emva kweentsuku ezimbini saya kufika kwidolophu yasePutoli. 14Apho ke safumana amakholwa, aza asicela ukuba sichithe iveki apho kuwo. Emva koko ke saya kufika eRoma. 15Amakholwa aseRoma eva ukuba siyeza, aza amanye asihlangabeza eApiyaforo, amanye ke adibana nathi eTritabherne. Akuwabona uPawulos, wambulela uThixo, waza wakhuthazeka.
UPawulos eRoma
16Sakufika eRoma, wavunyelwa ukuba azihlalele endlwini yakhe uPawulos, kubekho ijoni elimgadileyo.
17Emva kweentsuku ezintathu, uPawulos wawabizela entlanganisweni amaJuda aziintloko alapho. Akuba ehlanganisene, wathi: “Mawethu, nakuba ndingabonanga nganto nje abantu bakowethu, ndingawatyeshelanga namasiko ookhokho, ndabanjwa kambe eJerusalem, ndaza ndanikelwa kumaRoma. 18Andincina, aza afuna ukundikhulula, akungafumani tyala ndingabulawa ngenxa yalo. 19Kodwa amaJuda aluchasa olu luvo, ndaza ke ndanyanzeleka ukuba ndibhenele *kuKhesare, nangona ndandingenasimangalo ndingasenzayo ngakubantu bakowethu. 20Yiyo le nto ndinibizele ukukhe ndinibone, ndithethe nani. Eneneni ndibanjiwe nje, kungenxa yalowo ulithemba lamaSirayeli.”
21Athe ke ukumphendula amaJuda: “Asikhange sifumane zileta ngawe zivela kwaJuda; akukhange kubekho namaJuda eza neendaba ngawe; kungakhange kubekho nanto imbi ithethwe ngawe. 22Kodwa ke singathanda ukuziva izimvo zakho, kuba siyazi ukuba kuyo yonke indawo liyachaswa eli qela uhambisana nalo.”
23Bavumelana ngosuku noPawulos, kwaza ngaloo mini bafika bebaninzi apho wayehlala khona uPawulos. Waqala kwakusasa kwada kwahlwa ecacisa, ebachazela ngokuthwasa kolawulo lukaThixo. Wazama ukuboyisela kuYesu ngokucaphula *kumthetho kaMosis nakwiincwadi *zabashumayeli bamandulo. 24Abanye babo boyisakala ngamazwi akhe, abanye àbakholwa noko. 25Bemka ke bephikisana bodwa, akuba uPawulos ethe kubo: “Wathetha kakuhle kambe uMoya oyiNgcwele ngomshumayeli uIsaya kooyihlo-mkhulu, 26xa wathi:
“ ‘Yiya uthi kwaba bantu:
Nàkuphulaphula niphulaphule, ningaqondi noko;
nàkujonga nijonge, ningaboni nto.
27Kuba ingqiqo yaba bantu ibuthuntu,
bazivingcile iindlebe zabo,
bawavala namehlo abo.
Kungenjalo bebeya kubona,
beve ngeendlebe zabo,
baqonde ngeengqondo zabo,
baze babuyele kum,
ndize ndibaphilise;’
utsho uThixo.”
28UPawulos wenjenje ukuyiphetha intetho yakhe: “Ngoko ke yazini ukuba udaba lukaThixo olungosindiso lusiwa ezintlangeni. Ziya kuluva zona.” [ 29Emva kokuba uPawulos etshilo, emka amaJuda, ehamba exambulisana odwa.]
30Yaba mibini iminyaka uPawulos ehlala endlwini ayiqeshileyo, ezamkela ngobubele zonke iindwendwe zakhe.
31Wayeshumayela ngokuthwasa kolawulo lukaThixo, efundisa iindaba ezingeNkosi uYesu Krestu, ethetha ngesibindi, engathintelwa nto.
