IZenzo 5

₁Indoda ethile, egama layo kungu-Ananiya, kanye nomkayo uSafira, bathengisa ngendawo. ₂Kepha yagodla enye ingxenye yemali, nomkayo azi, yaletha ingxenye ethile, yayibeka ngasezinyaweni zabaphostoli.

₃UPhethro wayesethi: “Ananiya, kungani ukuba uSathane agcwalise inhliziyo yakho, uqambe amanga kuMoya oNgcwele, ugodle ingxenye yemali yezwe na? ₄Le ndawo ingakathengiswa bekungesiyo yini eyakho na? Lapho seyithengisiwe ibingekho yini emandleni akho na? Pho yini unqume ukwenza lobu bubi enhliziyweni yakho na? Awuqambanga nje amanga kubantu kodwa kuNkulunkulu.”

₅Kuthe u-Ananiya ezwa lawo mazwi, waqumbeka phansi, wafa. Bonke abezwa ngalokho behlelwa wukwesaba okukhulu. ₆Izinsizwa zasuka, zamsonga, zamkhiphela phandle, zamngcwaba.

₇Kwathi emuva kwesikhathi esingaba ngamahora amathathu, kwangena nomkakhe, wayengazi okwenzekileyo. ₈UPhethro wayesethi kuye: “Ngitshele ukuthi indawo niyithengise ngenani elingaka na?”

Wathi: “Yebo, ngelingako.”

₉Kepha uPhethro wathi kuye: “Kungani nivumelene ngokulinga uMoya weNkosi na? Uyabona-ke, izinyawo zabangcwabe umyeni wakho zisemnyango, nawe-ke bazakukukhiphela phandle.”

₁₀Wawa ngokuphazima kweso ngasezinyaweni zikaPhethro, wafa. Izinsizwa zangena, zamfumana efile, zamkhiphela phandle, zamngcwaba nomyeni wakhe. ₁₁Ukwesaba okukhulu kwalehlela lonke ibandla nabo bonke abezwa ngalokho.

₁₂Kwenziwa izimangaliso nezibonakaliso eziningi kubantu, ngezandla zabaphostoli. Bonke babenhliziyonye besemphemeni kaSolomoni. ₁₃Kepha kwabanye abantu akukho namunye owaba nesibindi sokuzihlanganisa nabo, kodwa abantu babebazisa kakhulu. ₁₄Kwanezelwa abaningi abakholwa eNkosini, izinkumbi zabesilisa nabesifazane, ₁₅kangangokuthi baze bakhiphela phandle emigwaqweni abagulayo, bababeka emacansini nasezinhlakeni, ukuze kuthi lapho uPhethro edlula, isithunzi sakhe sibeleke abanye babo. ₁₆Kwabuthana nezindimbane zivela emizini ezungeze iJerusalema, zithwele abagulayo nabahlukunyezwa ngomoya abangcolileyo. Baphulukiswa bonke.

₁₇Kwase kusuka umphristi omkhulu, nabo bonke ababenaye beqembu labaSadusi, begcwele umona. ₁₈Babamba abaphostoli, babafaka ejele lombuso. ₁₉Kepha ingelosi yeNkosi yavula iminyango yejele ebusuku; isibakhiphile, yathi: ₂₀“Hambani, niye ethempelini, nikhulume kubantu bonke amazwi alokhu kuPhila.”

₂₁Sebezwile, bangena ethempelini entathakusa, bafundisa. Kepha kwafika umphristi omkhulu nayehamba nabo, babizela ndawonye umkhandlu namalunga wonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli, base bethumela ejele ukuba balethwe kubo. ₂₂Kepha izikhonzi zafika azabafumana ejele; zase zibuyela emuva, zabika, ₂₃zathi: “Ijele silithole livaliwe, nabaqaphi bemi eminyango, kepha sesivulile asitholanga muntu ngaphakathi.”

₂₄Kuthe lapho iwezwa lawa mazwi induna yethempeli nabaphristi abakhulu, bamangala ukuthi ngabe kwenzekeni.

₂₅Kepha kwafika omunye, wababikela wathi: “Amadoda ebeniwafake ejele asethempelini, afundisa abantu.”

₂₆Yaphuma-ke induna kanye nezikhonzi, zabaletha, hhayi ngempoqo, ngokuba babesaba abantu, funa bakhandwe ngamatshe.

₂₇Kuthe sebefikile, babamisa emkhandlwini; umphristi omkhulu wababuza, ₂₈wathi: “Asinidonsanga yini ngendlebe ukuba ningafundisi ngaleli gama, kodwa senigcwalise iJerusalema ngemfundiso yenu, futhi nizimisele ukwehlisela igazi lalo muntu phezu kwethu.”

₂₉Kodwa uPhethro nabaphostoli baphendula bathi: “Simelwe ukulalela uNkulunkulu kunabantu. ₃₀UNkulunkulu wokhokho bethu wamvusa uJesu enambulala nina ngokumphanyeka emthini. ₃₁Lowo, uNkulunkulu wamphakamisa ngakwesokunene sakhe ukuba abe yiNkosi noMsindisi, anike u-Israyeli ukuphenduka nokuthethelelwa kwezono. ₃₂Thina singofakazi balezo zinto kanye noMoya oNgcwele uNkulunkulu amnikile labo abamlalelayo.”

₃₃Kuthe sebekuzwile lokho bathukuthela, bafuna ukubabulala.

₃₄Kwase kusukuma omunye emkhandlwini, umFarisi ogama lakhe nguGamaliyeli, isazimthetho esihlonishwayo esizweni sonke, wayala ukuba laba abantu bakhishelwe phandle isikhashana; ₃₅wayesethi kubo: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, cabangisisani ngalokho enizakukwenza kulaba bantu. ₃₆Ngokuba kulezi zinsuku ezedlule, kwasuka uThewuda wazenza umuntu omkhulu; waba nabalandeli, amadoda angaba ngama-400. Wabulawa, kwathi bonke abamlalelayo, bahlakazeka baphela nya. ₃₇Emva kwalowo, kwavela uJuda waseGalile ezinsukwini zokubalwa kwabantu; wadukisa abantu ukuba bamlandele; naye wabulawa, kwathi bonke abamlalelayo bahlakazeka. ₃₈Manje ngithi kini: hlukanani nalaba bantu, bayekeni phansi, ngokuba uma lokhu kungumsebenzi ovela kubantu, kuyakushabalala, ₃₉kodwa uma kuvela kuNkulunkulu, aniyukuba namandla okubachitha, funa mhlawumbe nifunyanwe ningabaphikisana noNkulunkulu.”

Bamvumela-ke.

₄₀Sebebabizile abaphostoli, babashaya, babaxwayisa ngokuthi bangakhulumi ngegama likaJesu, base bebakhulula.

₄₁Ngakho-ke basuka phambi komkhandlu bethokoza, ngokuba betholakale bekufanele ukuthelwa ngehlazo ngenxa yalelo gama. ₄₂Abayekanga ukufundisa nokushumayela ivangeli ngoKhristu uJesu imihla ngemihla, ethempelini nasemakhaya.