Uhambo lwesithathu lukaPawulu: use-Efesu
1Kwathi u-Apholo eseKorinte, uPawulu wafika e-Efesu esedabulile amazwe angasenhla, wafumana abafundi abathile, 2wathi: “Namamukela yini uMoya oNgcwele mhla nikholwayo na?”
Bathi kuye: “Qhabo, asizwanga nokuzwa ukuba kukhona uMoya oNgcwele.”
3Wathi: “Pho, nabhapathizelwa kukuphi na?”
Base bethi: “Kukho ukubhapathiza kukaJohane.”
4UPawulu wayesethi: “UJohane wabhapathiza umbhapathizo wokuphenduka, ethi kubantu mabakholwe nguyena obezakuza emva kwakhe, kungukuthi uJesu.” 5Bathi ukuzwa lokho, babhapathizwa egameni leNkosi uJesu. 6Kwathi uPawulu esebekile izandla phezu kwabo, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo; base bekhuluma ngezilimi, baprofetha. 7Babe ngamadoda angathi ishumi nambili bebonke.
8Wayesengena esinagogeni,* wakhuluma ngesibindi izinyanga zaba ntathu, eshumayela ebafundisa ngombuso kaNkulunkulu. 9Kepha lapho abathile bezenza lukhuni bengalaleli, bekhuluma kabi ngaleyo Ndlela phambi kwabantu, wasuka kubo, waqembula abafundi, washumayela imihla ngemihla esikoleni sikaTiranu. 10Lokho kwenzeka iminyaka emibili, baze balizwa izwi leNkosi bonke abakhileyo e-Asiya, abaJuda namaGreki.
11UNkulunkulu wenza imisebenzi yamandla engavamile ngezandla zikaPawulu, 12baze bathatha amaduku nezindwangu emzimbeni wakhe, bazibeka phezu kwabagulayo; zase zisuka kubo izifo, nomoya ababi baphuma.
13Kepha nabathile abayizanusi kubaJuda, abayizinzulane, balokotha ukuphatha igama leNkosi uJesu phezu kwabakhwelwe ngomoya ababi, bathi: “Ngiyanifungisa uJesu amshumayelayo uPawulu.” 14USkeva othile, umJuda, umpristi omkhulu, wayenamadodana ayisikhombisa ayekwenza lokho. 15Kepha umoya omubi waphendula, wathi kuwo: “UJesu ngiyamazi, noPawulu ngiyamqonda; kepha nina ningobani na?” 16Lowo muntu onomoya omubi wabadumela, wahlula ababili, wabanqoba, baze baphunyuka kuleyo ndlu behambaze, belimele.
17Lokho kwezwakala kubo bonke abakhileyo e-Efesu, abaJuda namaGreki, ukwesaba kwabehlela bonke; ladunyiswa igama leNkosi uJesu; 18nabaningi kwabakholwayo beza bazivuma, bazibika izenzo zabo. 19Kepha abaningi kubo ababenza imilingo babuthela ndawonye izincwadi zabo, bazishisa phambi kwabo bonke; bahlanganisa amanani azo, bafumana ukuthi ayizinhlamvu zesiliva eziyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisihlanu. 20Kanjalo izwi landa ngamandla eNkosi, lanqoba.
21Kwathi ukuba sezenzekile lezo zinto, uPawulu wazimisela emoyeni ukuya eJerusalema esedabulile iMakedoniya ne-Akhaya, wathi: “Emva kokufika kwami khona ngimelwe ukubona neRoma.” 22Wayesethumela eMakedoniya ababili kwabamkhonzayo oThimothewu no-Erastu; yena uqobo wasala isikhathi e-Asiya.
Isiphithiphithi sikaDemetriyu
23Kepha ngaleso sikhathi kwavela isiphithiphithi esingesincane maqondana naleyo Ndlela. 24Ngokuba umuntu othile ogama lakhe linguDemetriyu, umkhandi wesiliva owenza amathempelana esiliva kaDiyana, wazuzisa abakhandi besiliva inzuzo engencane, 25waqoqa bona kanye nezisebenzi ezinjalo, wathi: “Madoda, niyazi ukuthi kulo msebenzi kuvela ingcebo yethu, 26kepha seniyabona, niyezwa futhi ukuthi akukuphela e-Efesu kodwa cishe kulo lonke i-Asiya uPawulu lona udukisile abantu abaningi ngokubancenga, ethi akusibo onkulunkulu labo abenziwe ngezandla. 27Ngakho akusikho lokhu kuphela ukuba umsebenzi wethu usengozini yokudelelwa, kodwa nethempeli lonkulunkulukazi omkhulu uDiyana liyakuthiwa aliyinto yalutho, nobukhulukazi bakhe sebuzakuphela, yena elimkhonzayo lonke i-Asiya nezwe lonke.”
28Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bagcwala ulaka, bamemeza bathi: “Mkhulu uDiyana wabase-Efesu.” 29Umuzi wonke wagcwala isiphithiphithi, batheleka nganhliziyonye esigcawini sokubukela, babamba oGayu no-Aristarku, abaseMakedoniya, ababehamba noPawulu. 30Kepha uPawulu esefuna ukungena phakathi kwabantu, abafundi abamvumelanga. 31Nabanye bababusi base-Asiya, bengabahlobo bakhe, bathumela kuye, bamncenga ukuba angaze angena esigcawini sokubukela.
32Khona-ke abanye bamemeza okunye nabanye okunye; ngokuba ibandla layaluza nje, nabaningi babengazi ukuthi babuthanele indabani. 33Base bekhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, abaJuda bamqhubela phambili; kepha u-Aleksandru waqhweba ngesandla, efuna ukuziphendulela kubantu. 34Kwathi ukuba bezwe ukuthi ungumJuda, bamemeza bonke ngazwi linye kwangathi amahora amabili, bathi: “Mkhulu uDiyana wabase-Efesu.”
35Kepha umbhali esebathulisile abantu wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, kukhona yini phakathi kwabantu ongaziyo ukuthi umuzi wase-Efesu ungumlondi wethempeli likaDiyana omkhulu nowesithombe esawa ezulwini na? 36Ngakho lokhu lezo zinto zingephikwe, kufanele nithule, ningenzi lutho ngamawala. 37Ngokuba nilethile lawa madoda angesibo abaphangi bamathempeli nokuba abahlambalaza uNkulunkulu wethu. 38Ngakho uma uDemetriyu kanye nezingcweti zabakhandi besiliva benendaba nomuntu, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala, bakhona nababusi; mabamangalelane. 39Kepha uma nifuna utho ngaphezu kwalokho, kuyalungiswa ebandleni elimisiweyo. 40Ngokuba-ke sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngomsindo wanamuhla, lokhu kungekho sizathu esingazilandulela ngaso ngalesi siwiliwili.” 41Eseshilo lokho walimukisa ibandla.
