IZenzo 19

₁Kwathi u-Apholo eseseKhorinte, kwafika uPawula e-Efesu, esenqamule ezifundeni ezingenhla; wafica abafundi abathile, ₂wathi kubo: “Namamukela yini uMoya oNgcwele mhla nikholwa na?”

Kepha bathi kuye: “Qha, asikaze sizwe nakuzwa ukuthi kukhona uMoya oNgcwele.”

₃Wayesethi: “Kanti nabhabhadiswa kukuphi?”

Bathi: “Ngombhabhadiso kaJohane.”

₄UPawula wayesethi: “UJohane wabhabhadisa ngombhabhadiso wokuphenduka, ethi kubantu mabakholwe nguYena ozakufika emuva kwakhe; lowo nguJesu.”

₅Sebekuzwile lokho, babhabhadiswa egameni leNkosi uJesu. ₆UPawula esebekile izandla phezu kwabo, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo, base bekhuluma ngezilimi, futhi baphrofetha. ₇Babengamadoda abalelwa eshumini nambili sebebonke.

₈Wayesengena esinagogeni, wakhuluma ngesibindi izinyanga ezintathu, ephikisana nabo futhi ebanxenxa ngombuso kaNkulunkulu. ₉Kepha lapho abanye sebeqinise amakhanda, bengalaleli futhi bejivaza leyo Ndlela phambi kwesixuku, wasuka kubo, wathatha abafundi, waba nezinkulumompikiswano imihla ngemihla esikoleni sikaTharanu. ₁₀Lokho kwenzeka iminyaka emibili, kwaze kwathi bonke abakhile e-Asiya balizwa izwi leNkosi, abaJuda namaGriki.

₁₁UNkulunkulu wenza imisebenzi yamandla engavamile ngezandla zikaPawula, ₁₂ngangokuthi baze bathatha amaduku nezindwangu emzimbeni wakhe, bakubeka phezu kwabagulayo; zase zisuswa kubo izifo zabo, baphuma nomoya ababi.

₁₃Kepha abathile abayizanusi kubaJuda, ababehla benyuka, nabo bazama ukubiza igama leNkosi uJesu phezu kwabanomoya ababi, bethi: “Ngiyaniyala ngoJesu amshumayelayo uPawula.”

₁₄Kwakukhona uSkeva othile, umJuda, ongumphristi omkhulu, owayenamadodana ayisikhombisa ayekwenza lokho. ₁₅Kepha umoya omubi waphendula, wathi kuwo: “UJesu ngiyamazi, noPawula ngimejwayele, pho nina ningobani?”

₁₆Lowo muntu onomoya omubi wabadumela, esebahlulile bonke, wabanqoba; baze baphunyuka kuleyo ndlu babaleka behambaze, futhi belimele.

₁₇Lokho kwaziwa yibo bonke abaJuda namaGriki akhileyo e-Efesu, bonke behlelwa ngukwesaba; ladunyiswa igama leNkosi uJesu. ₁₈Abaningi kulabo abakholwayo beza bavuma futhi badalula izenzo zabo. ₁₉Kepha abanye balabo ababenza imilingo baqoqa izincwadi zabo, bazishisa phambi kwabo bonke. Lapho sekubalwa inani lazo, kwatholakala ukuthi liyizinhlamvu zesiliva eziyizi-50 000. ₂₀Kanjalo izwi landa ngamandla eNkosi, lasabalala, laba namandla.

₂₁Kwathi sekwenzekile lokho, uPawula wanquma emoyeni wakhe ukuya eJerusalema, esenqamulile eMakhedoniya nase-Akhaya, wathi: “Uma sengifinyelele lapho kufanele ukuba ngiyobona neRoma.”

₂₂Wayesethumela eMakhedoniya ababili abamsizayo, uThimothewu no-Erastu; yena uqobo wahlala isikhathi e-Asiya.

₂₃Kepha ngaleso sikhathi kwasuka isiphithiphithi esikhulu maqondana neNdlela. ₂₄Ngokuba umuntu othile ogama lakhe linguDemethriyu, umkhandi wesiliva owayenza amathempelana esiliva ka-Artemisi, wabalethela inzuzo enkulu abakhandi besiliva. ₂₅Wabaqoqa laba kanye nezisebenzi ezenza lowo msebenzi, wayesethi: “Madoda, niyazi ukuthi umcebo wethu uvela kulo msebenzi. ₂₆Kepha, niyabona futhi niyezwa ukuthi akusikho kuphela e-Efesu, kodwa cishe kulo lonke i-Asiya, uPawula lona usenxenxe waphendula abantu abaningi, ethi akusibo onkulunkulu laba abenziwe ngezandla. ₂₇Ngakho akusikho nje lokhu kuphela ukuthi umsebenzi wethu usengozini yokwedelelwa, kodwa nethempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu, u-Artemisi, kuyakuthiwa aliyinto yalutho, nobukhulukazi bakhe buphele nya, yena elimkhonzayo lonke i-Asiya nezwe lonke.”

₂₈Sebekuzwile lokho, bathukuthela bathelwa ngamanzi, bamemeza bethi: “Mkhulu u-Artemisi wabase-Efesu.”

₂₉Umuzi wonke wagcwala isiphithiphithi, baphuthuma kanyekanye enkundleni okubukelwa kuyo, bamdumela uGayu no-Aristarku baseMakhedoniya, ababehamba noPawula. ₃₀UPawula wayesefuna ukungena phakathi kwabantu, kodwa abafundi abamvumelanga. ₃₁Abanye futhi bababusi base-Asiya, abangabahlobo bakhe, bathumela kuye, bamncenga ukuba angalokothi angene esigcawini.

₃₂Abanye babememeza besho lokhu, abanye besho lokhuya, ngokuba isixuku sasiyaluza nje, futhi abaningi bengazi nokuthi kungani bebuthene. ₃₃Base bekhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, abaJuda bamqhuba phambili, kodwa u-Aleksandru waphakamisa isandla, efuna ukuziphendulela kubantu. ₃₄Kwathi ukuba bazi ukuthi ungumJuda, base bememeza bonke ngazwi linye, cishe amahora amabili, bethi: “Mkhulu u-Artemisi wabase-Efesu.”

₃₅Kepha unobhala womuzi wabathulisa abantu, wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, ngubani lapha phakathi kwabantu ongazi ukuthi lo muzi wase-Efesu ungumuzi okugcinwe kuwo ithempeli lika-Artemisi omkhulu nesithombe esawa ezulwini na? ₃₆Ngakho-ke njengoba lezo zinto zingephikwe, kufanele ukuba nizibambe, ningenzi lutho ngamawala. ₃₇Ngokuba nilethe la madoda angesibo abaphangi bamathempeli noma ahlambalaza uNkulunkulu wethu. ₃₈Ngakho-ke uma uDemethriyu nezingcweti zabakhandi besiliva benodaba nomuntu, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala, futhi bakhona nababusi; mabamangalelane. ₃₉Kepha uma nifuna okungaphezu kwalokho, kuyakudingidwa ebandla ngokusemthethweni. ₄₀Impela sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngenxa yesiphithiphithi sanamuhla, ngokuba akukho sizathu esingazilandulela ngaso ngalesi siyaluyalu.”

₄₁Kuthe esekukhulumile lokho wawuhlakaza umbuthano.