IZenzo 27

₁Kwathi sekunqunyiwe ukuba siye e-Ithaliya ngomkhumbi, banikela uPawula nezinye iziboshwa ezithile esandleni senduna yekhulu, igama layo nguJuliyase, eyebutho likaKhesari. ₂Sangena emkhunjini wase-Adramathiyu owawusazosuka ugudle ugu e-Asiya, u-Aristarkhu umMakhedoniya waseThesalonikha wayekanye nathi.

₃Ngakusasa safika echwebeni eSidoni, uJuliyase wamphatha kahle uPawula, wamvumela ukuba aye kubangani bakhe, anakekelwe kahle. ₄Sasuka lapho, sagudla ngezansi kweKhuphro, ngokuba umoya wawuphikisana nathi. ₅Sesidabule olwandle olungaseKhilikhiya nePhamfiliya, safika eMira laseLikhiya. ₆Lapho-ke induna yathola umkhumbi wase-Aleksandriya oqonde e-Ithaliya, yasigibelisa kuwo. ₇Sahamba kancane ngenxa yomoya, kwasithatha isinsuku eziningi saze safika kanzima ngaseKhinidu, kwazise umoya wawusivimbile, sagudla iKhrethe maqondana neSalimone, ₈saligudla kunzima, saze safika endaweni ethile okuthiwa iMatheku Mahle, eduze nayo kukhona umuzi iLaseya.

₉Kwathi sekwedlule isikhathi eside, sekuyingozi ukuhamba ngomkhumbi, kwazise isikhathi sokuzila sase sedlule; uPawula wabeluleka, ₁₀wathi kubo: “Madoda, ngiyabona ukuthi lolu hambo luzokuba nobunzima nokulahlekelwa okukhulu, hhayi impahla nje nomkhumbi kuphela, kodwa nempilo yethu.”

₁₁Induna yekhulu yethemba umshayeli womkhumbi nomniniwo kakhulu kunalokho okwakhulunywa nguPawula. ₁₂Kepha itheku lakhona lalingakulungele ukuba kuhlalwe kulo ebusika, iningi labo laphakamisa ukuba kusukwe lapho, hleze kwenzeke bafike eFenikisi, itheku eKhrethe elibheke entshonalanga yaseningizimu, nasentshonalanga ngasenyakatho bahlale khona kuze kwedlule ubusika.

₁₃Kuthe lapho iningizimu isiheleza kahle, bacabanga ukuthi inhloso yabo isifezekile, base bekhuphula ihange, bagudla iKhrethe. ₁₄Kungakabi yisikhathi esingakanani, kwasuka isivunguvungu okuthiwa i-Ewurakhiloni, ₁₅sazithola sesiphakathi kwaso, kwathi ngenxa yokuthi umkhumbi wawungasalawuleki ngoba ubhekene nomoya, sawudedela wadudulwa ngumoya. ₁₆Kwathi sisagudla ngezansi kwesiqhingana okuthiwa iKhawuda, sakwazi ukubamba isikebhe somkhumbi kunzima. ₁₇Sebesikhuphulile bafaka okokuweseka ngaphansi, kwathi ngoba babesaba ukuthi umkhumbi ungase ushayeke esihlabathini esisogwini eSirti, kwehliswa iseyili, umkhumbi wadudulwa ngumoya. ₁₈Sasilokhu sishukunyiswa kanzima yisivunguvungu saze ngosuku olulandelayo saphonsa ngaphandle umthwalo; ₁₉kwathi ngolwesithathu balahla izimpahla zomkhumbi ngezandla zabo. ₂₀Kwaphela izinsuku eziningi ilanga nezinkanyezi kungasabonakali.

₂₁Kwase kuyisikhathi eside bengadli lutho, uPawula wasukuma phakathi kwabo, wathi: “Madoda, ngabe nalalela mina, anasuka eKhrethe, naphepha kule ngozi nakulokhu kulahlekelwa. ₂₂Manje ngiyaneluleka ukuba nime isibindi, ngokuba akuzukufa namunye phakathi kwenu, kodwa umkhumbi kuphela. ₂₃Ngokuba ngalobu busuku bekumi ngakimi ingelosi kaNkulunkulu engingowakhe nengimkhonzayo, ₂₄yathi: ‘Ungesabi, Pawula, kumele ukuba ume phambi kukaKhesari. UNkulunkulu ukuphile bonke abahamba nawe kulo mkhumbi.’

₂₅“Ngakho-ke yimani isibindi, madoda, ngiyakholwa nguNkulunkulu ukuthi kuzakuba njengokuba ekhulumile kimi. ₂₆Kepha kufanele ukuba siphumele esiqhingini esithile.”

₂₇Kwathi ebusuku, phakathi kwamabili, ngolwe-14 silokhu sintanta olwandle e-Adriya, ababesemkhunjini bacabanga ukuthi sebesondela ezweni thizeni, ₂₈base bephonsa intambo yokukala, bathola ukuthi ngamafathome angama-20. Baphinda baqhubeka kancane, bayiphonsa futhi, base bethola ukuthi sekungamafathome ali-15. ₂₉Besaba ukuthi hleze singase sishayeke ezindaweni ezinamadwala, base bephonsa amahange amane ngemuva, bafisa sengathi ngabe sekusile. ₃₀Ababegibele emkhunjini base befuna ukubaleka kuwo, behlisela isikebhe olwandle, kwaba sengathi bazakuphonsa amahange enhlokweni yomkhumbi, ₃₁uPawula wathi enduneni yekhulu nasemabuthweni: “Uma laba bengahlali emkhunjini, anisoze nasinda nina.”

₃₂Amabutho anquma amagoda esikebheni, asidedela sawa.

₃₃Kwathi sekuzokusa, uPawula wabancenga bonke ukuba badle. Wathi: “Namuhla wusuku lwe-14 nilindile, nilokhu nizilile, ningadli lutho. ₃₄Ngiyanincenga ukuba nidle, ngokuba lokhu kuzakuba ngukusinda kwenu, akuyukulahleka nwele ekhanda nakoyedwa phakathi kwenu.”

₃₅Esekushilo lokho wathatha isinkwa, wabonga uNkulunkulu phambi kwabo bonke, wasihlephula, waqala ukudla. ₃₆Bonke base bema isibindi, nabo badla. ₃₇Sesisonke emkhunjini sasingama-276. ₃₈Kwathi lapho sebesuthi, bawulahla olwandle ukolo ukuze umkhumbi ungasindwa.

₃₉Kuthe sekusile, abaze balazi izwe, kepha babona itheku elithile elinesihlabathi, abanquma ukuba baqhubele kulo umkhumbi, uma kungenzeka. ₄₀Banquma amahange, bawashiya olwandle; bathukulula izintambo zamaphini okuqondisa umkhumbi; indwangu engaphambili bayiphakamisela emoyeni, base beqonda ogwini. ₄₁Kepha bafika endaweni enolwandle nxazombili, umkhumbi waphahlazeka. Inhloko yawo yagxumekeka, yema, ayaze yanyakaza, kodwa ingemuva lephulwa ngamandla amaza.

₄₂Amabutho ayehlose ukuzibulala iziboshwa, ukuze kungabi bikho nasinye esihlambayo siphunyuke, ₄₃kodwa induna yekhulu ithanda ukusindisa uPawula yawavimba enhlosweni yawo. Yayaleza ukuba labo abakwaziyo ukuhlamba baziphonse kuqala emanzini, baze bafike emhlabathini. ₄₄Ababesele balandele, abanye ngamapulangwe, abanye ngezinye izinto zomkhumbi. Kwenzeka kanjalo-ke ukuthi bonke baphumele emhlabathini bephephile.