Bible Reading Plan – Day 303

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

₁Kepha abaphostoli nabazalwane abaseJudiya bezwa ukuthi nabezizwe balamukele izwi likaNkulunkulu. ₂Kwathi ukuba uPetru enyukele eJerusalema, abokusoka baphikisana naye, ₃bathi: “Ungene kubantu abangasokile, wadla nabo.”

₄Kepha uPetru wabathathela konke ngokulandelana, wathi: ₅“Mina bengisemzini waseJopha ngikhuleka; ngehlelwa yisiyezi, ngabona umbono, kwehla isitsha esithile sinjengendwangu enkulu, yehliswa ezulwini ngamachopho amane, yaze yafika kimi. ₆Kwathi ukuba ngiyigqolozele, ngabhekisisa, ngabona izilwane zomhlaba ezinezinyawo ezine, nezilo zasendle, nezinwabuzelayo, nezinyoni zezulu. ₇Ngezwa izwi lithi kimi: ‘Sukuma, Petru; hlaba, udle.’

₈“Kepha ngathi: ‘Qha, Nkosi, ngokuba okuyichilo nokungcolileyo akuzange kungene emlonyeni wami.’

₉“Khona izwi elivela ezulwini laphendula ngokwesibili, lathi: ‘Lokho akuhlambululileyo uNkulunkulu, ungasho wena ukuthi kuyichilo.’ ₁₀Lokho-ke kwenzeka kathathu, konke kwabuye kwenyuselwa ezulwini.

₁₁“Bhekani, ngaso leso sikhathi kwase kumi amadoda amathathu phambi kwendlu esasikuyo; ayethunyelwe kimi, evela eKesariya. ₁₂UMoya wayesethi kimi angihambe nabo ngingangabazi ngalutho. Bangiphelekezela labo bazalwane abayisithupha, saya sangena endlini yaleyo ndoda. ₁₃Yasibikela-ke ukuthi yayibonile ingelosi imi endlini yayo, ithi: ‘Thumela eJopha, ulande uSimoni othiwa uPetru ₁₄ozakukhuluma kuwe amazwi ozakusindiswa ngawo, wena nendlu yakho yonke.’

₁₅“Ngathi ngisaqala ukukhuluma, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo njengakithi ekuqaleni. ₁₆Ngalikhumbula-ke izwi leNkosi, njengalokho yathi: ‘UJohane wabhapathiza ngamanzi, kodwa nina nizakubhapathizwa ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ ₁₇Ngakho uma uNkulunkulu ebanikile bona isipho njengathi esakholwa yiNkosi uJesu Kristu, ngingubani mina ukuba ngivimbele uNkulunkulu na?”

₁₈Bathi ukuzwa lokho, bathula, badumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi: “Kanti uNkulunkulu unike nabezizwe ukuphendukela ekuphileni.”

₁₉Kepha labo ababehlakazekile ngokuhlupheka okwaqala ngoStefanu bahamba, baze bafika eFenike, naseKhupro, nase-Antiyokiya, bengalikhulumi izwi koyedwa, kubaJuda kuphela. ₂₀Kodwa kwakukhona abanye kubo, amadoda aseKhupro naseKhurene, abathi befika e-Antiyokiya, bakhuluma nakumaGreki, beshumayela ivangeli ngeNkosi uJesu. ₂₁Isandla seNkosi sasinabo; kwakholwa abaningi kakhulu, baphendukela eNkosini.

₂₂Kepha kwezwakala izwi ngabo ezindlebeni zebandla laseJerusalema; lase lithuma uBarnaba ukuba ahambe afike e-Antiyokiya; ₂₃wathi ukuba afike, abone umusa kaNkulunkulu, wathokoza, wabayala bonke ukuba banamathele eNkosini ngokuzimisela inhliziyo. ₂₄Ngokuba wayeyindoda enhle, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele nokukholwa; kwenezelwa eNkosini abantu abaningi.

₂₅UBarnaba wayeseya eTarsu ukuba afune uSawulu; ₂₆kwathi esemfumene, wamyisa e-Antiyokiya. Kwase kwenzeka ukuba umnyaka wonke bahlangane ebandleni, befundisa abantu abaningi. Kwaqala e-Antiyokiya ukuba abafundi bathiwe amaKristu.

₂₇Ngalezo zinsuku kwehlela e-Antiyokiya abaprofethi bevela eJerusalema. ₂₈Kwasukuma omunye kubo ogama lakhe lingu-Agabu, wakhomba ngoMoya ukuthi kuzakuba khona indlala enzima ezweni lonke; yaba khona emihleni kaKlawudiyu. ₂₉Abafundi base bezimisela ukuba yilowo nalowo kubo athumele njengamandla akhe okokusiza abazalwane abakhe eJudiya. ₃₀Bakwenza-ke, bakuthumela emalungeni ngesandla sikaBarnaba noSawulu.