Umbono haKorneliyu
1Kwakukhona eKesariya indoda ethile egama layo linguKorneliyu, eyinduna yekhulu yebutho elithiwa elase-Italiya; 2wayengumuntu okholwayo nowesaba uNkulunkulu kanye nendlu yakhe yonke, abela abantu abampofu izipho eziningi, ekhuleka kuNkulunkulu njalonjalo. 3Wabona ngokusobala embonweni ingelosi kaNkulunkulu ingena kuye kungathi ngehora lesishiyagalolunye lemini, ithi: “Korneliyu!”
4Wayigqolozela enokwesaba, wathi: “Kwenze njani, Nkosi?”
Yathi kuye: “Imikhuleko yakho nokwabela kwakho abampofu izipho kwenyukile kwaba yisikhumbuzo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu. 5Thuma-ke amadoda eJopha, ubize uSimoni othile othiwa uPetru; 6yena ungenisile kwaSimoni othile, umshuki, ondlu yakhe ingaselwandle.”
7Isimukile ingelosi ebikhuluma naye, wabiza ababili bendlu yakhe nebutho elikholwayo kulawo ayehlala naye njalo, 8wabalandisa konke, wabathumela eJopha.
UPetru wehlelwa yisiyezi
9Ngangomuso besahamba labo, sebesondela emzini, uPetru wenyukela phezu kwendlu ukuyokhuleka ngehora lesithupha. 10Khona walamba kakhulu, wafuna ukudla; kepha besamlungisela wehlelwa yisiyezi, 11wabona izulu livulekile nesitsha esithile sehla sinjengendwangu enkulu, sehliselwa emhlabeni ngamachopho amane. 12Kusona kwakukhona zonke izilwane ezinezinyawo ezine, nezinwabuzelayo zomhlaba, nezinyoni zezulu. 13Kwavela izwi, lathi kuye: “Vuka, Petru; hlaba, udle.”
14Kepha uPetru wathi: “Qha, Nkosi, ngokuba angizange ngikudle okuyichilo nokungcolileyo.”
15Izwi laphinda lasho kuye ngokwesibili, lathi: “Lokho akuhlambululile uNkulunkulu, ungasho wena ukuthi kubi.”
16Lokho kwaphindwa kathathu; isitsha senyuselwa masinyane ezulwini.
17UPetru esasambathekile ngokuthi ngakube uyini lowo mbono awubonileyo, bheka, amadoda ayethunyiwe nguKorneliyu, esebuzile indlu kaSimoni, ema ngasesangweni, 18amemeza ebuza ukuthi uSimoni othiwa uPetru ungenisile yini lapho.
19UPetru esazindla ngombono, uMoya wathi kuye: “Bheka, amadoda amabili ayakufuna; 20sukuma-ke, wehle, uhambe nabo, ungangabazi ngalutho, ngokuba yimina engibathumileyo.”
Ukufika kukaPetru endlini kaKorneliyu
21UPetru wayesehlela kuwo amadoda, wathi: “Bhekani, yimina enimfunayo; kuyindabani enize ngayo na?”
22Bathi: “UKorneliyu induna yekhulu, indoda elungileyo nemesabayo uNkulunkulu, efakazelwa kahle esizweni sonke sabaJuda, uyaliwe yingelosi engcwele ukuba akubizele endlini yakhe, ezwe amazwi kuwe.” 23Wayesebabiza, wabangenisa. Ngangomuso wasuka wahamba nabo, abathile babazalwane baseJopha bamphelekezela. 24Ngangomuso bangena eKesariya. UKorneliyu wayebalindele esebizile izihlobo nabangane bakhe abakhulu. 25Kwathi ukuba angene uPetru, uKorneliyu wamhlangabeza, wawa phansi ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wakhuleka. 26Kepha uPetru wamvusa wathi: “Sukuma, nami ngingumuntu nje.”
27Esakhuluma naye wangena, wafumana abaningi ababebuthene. 28Wayesethi: “Niyazi ukuthi akuvunyelwe ukuba umuntu ongumJuda ahlangane, ahambelane nowesinye isizwe; kepha uNkulunkulu ungitshengisile ukuba ngingasho nangoyedwa ukuthi unechilo nokuthi ungcolile. 29Ngakho lokhu ngibiziwe, ngizile ngingalanga. Ngakho-ke sengiyabuza ukuthi ningibizeleni na?”
30UKorneliyu wathi: “Ngezinsuku ezine ezidlule ngaleli hora bengenza umkhuleko wehora lesishiyagalolunye endlini yami; bheka, indoda eyembethe ingubo ekhazimulayo yema phambi kwami, 31yathi: ‘Korneliyu, kuzwakele ukukhuleka kwakho, nokwabela kwakho abampofu izipho kukhunjuliwe phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 32Ngakho thumela eJopha, ubize uSimoni othiwa uPetru; yena ungenisile endlini kaSimoni umshuki ngaselwandle.’ 33Ngase ngithumela kuwe ngaso leso sikhathi; wenze kahle ufike. Manje sesikhona sonke phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuba sizwe konke okuyalelwe yiNkosi.”
Intshumayelo kaPetru
34Khona uPetru wavula umlomo, wathi: “Nembala ngiyabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu akabheki ubuso bamuntu, 35kodwa ezizweni zonke omesabayo nowenza ukulunga uyamukeleka kuye. 36Walithumela izwi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, eshumayela ivangeli lokuthula ngaye uJesu Kristu; yena uyiNkosi yabo bonke. 37Niyalazi izwi elamenyezelwa eJudiya lonke, liqalile eGalile, emva kokubhapathiza akushumayelayo uJohane 38lokuthi: UNkulunkulu wamgcoba uJesu waseNazaretha ngoMoya oNgcwele nangamandla, owahamba enza umusa, ephulukisa bonke ababesemandleni kaSathane, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayenaye.
39“Nathi singofakazi bezinto zonke azenzayo ezweni labaJuda naseJerusalema yena abambulalayo bemphanyeka emthini. 40Lowo uNkulunkulu wamvusa ngosuku lwesithathu, wamnika ukuba abonakale, 41kungekubantu bonke kodwa kithina esingofakazi ababekhethwe nguNkulunkulu ngaphambili, esasidla siphuza naye emva kokuvuka kwakhe kwabafileyo. 42Wasiyala ukuba sishumayele kubantu, sifakaze ukuthi: Nguye omiswe nguNkulunkulu ukuba abe nguMahluleli wabaphilayo nabafileyo. 43Ngaye bonke abaprofethi bafakaza ukuthi ngegama lakhe bonke abakholwa nguye bayakwamukela ukuthethelelwa kwezono.”
Ukubhapathizwa kukaKorneliyu nabendlu yakhe
44Kwathi uPetru esakhuluma lawo mazwi, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo bonke ababelizwa izwi. 45Abokusoka abakholwayo ababefikile noPetru bamangala kakhulu, ngokuba isipho sikaMoya oNgcwele sitheliwe naphezu kwabezizwe. 46Ngokuba babezwa bekhuluma ngezilimi, betusa uNkulunkulu. Khona uPetru waphendula wathi: 47“Ukhona yini ongala namanzi ukuba bangabhapathizwa laba abamukela uMoya oNgcwele njengathi na?” 48Wayeseyala ukuba babhapathizwe egameni leNkosi. Base bemncenga ukuba ahlale izinsuku ezithile.
