IZenzo 10

10 ¹Kwakukhona eKhesariya indoda egama layo linguKorneliyu, induna yekhulu yebutho elalibizwa ngokuthi iButho laseThaliyane. ²Wayekhonza ngokuzinikela, emesaba uBaba wethu kanye nabo bonke abendlu yakhe, enika abantu izipho eziningi, futhi ethandaza kuBaba wethu njalo. ³Cishe ngehora lesithathu ntambama wabona ngokusobala embonweni ingelosi kaBaba wethu iza kuye ithi: “Korneliyu.” ^a a v3 Ihora lesishiyagalolunye lalicishe libe yihora lesithathu ntambama — esinye sezikhathi ezimisiwe zomthandazo wamaJuda.

⁴Eyigqolozele, esaba kakhulu, wathi: “Kuyini, nkosi?” Ingelosi yaphendula yathi: “Imithandazo yakho nezipho zakho kubampofu kwenyukele phezulu kwaba yisikhumbuzo phambi kukaBaba wethu.”

⁵Manje thuma amadoda eJopha alande indoda egama layo linguSimoni, obizwa ngokuthi uPhethro. ⁶Ungenise kuSimoni umshuki wezikhumba, ondlu yakhe iseduze nolwandle.

⁷Kwathi ingelosi eyayikhuluma naye isihambile, uKorneliyu wabiza izinceku ezimbili zendlu yakhe nesosha elikhonzayo kwababelokhu bemsebenzela, ⁸futhi esebachazele konke, wabathuma eJopha.

uBaba Uvula Inhliziyo kaPhethro

⁹Ngakusasa, besahamba sebesondela emzini, uPhethro wakhuphukela ophahleni ukuyothandaza, cishe emini enkulu. ¹⁰Walamba wafuna ukudla, kodwa besalungisa ukudla, wehlelwa yisiyezi, ¹¹wabona izulu livulekile, nento efana nendwangu enkulu yehla, yehliselwa phansi emhlabeni ngamagumbi ayo amane. ¹²Yayinezinhlobo zonke zezilwane ezinezinyawo ezine nezilwane ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni nezinyoni zezulu.

¹³Kwafika izwi kuye: “Vuka, Phethro; hlaba udle.” ^b b v13 Izwi nguJesu ovukile — evesini 15 lelo zwi likhuluma ngalokho “uBaba wethu” akuhlanzile, libiza uBaba njengohlukile kuye.

¹⁴Kodwa uPhethro wathi: “Lutho neze, Nkosi; ngokuba angikaze ngidle lutho olungcolileyo noma olungahlanzekile.”

¹⁵Izwi labuya futhi kuye, okwesibili: “Lokho mina engikuhlanzile, ungakubizi ngokuthi kungcolile.”

¹⁶Lokhu kwenzeka kathathu, masinyane indwangu yathathelwa ezulwini.

¹⁷Kwathi uPhethro esadidekile ngalokho umbono owawukusho, masinyane amadoda ayethunywe nguKorneliyu, esebuzile indlela eya endlini kaSimoni, ema esangweni, ¹⁸amemeza abuza ukuthi uSimoni obizwa ngokuthi uPhethro wayengenise lapho yini.

¹⁹Kwathi uPhethro esacabanga ngombono, uMoya oNgcwele wathi kuye: “Amadoda amathathu ayakufuna. ²⁰Vuka, wehle, uhambe nawo ungangabazi, ngokuba yimi engiwathumile.”

²¹UPhethro wehlela kula madoda wathi: “Yimi enimfunayo. Nizeleni?”

²²Athi: “UKorneliyu, induna yekhulu, umuntu olungileyo, owesaba uBaba wethu, nohlonishwa yisizwe sonke samaJuda, utsheliwe yingelosi engcwele ukuba akubizele endlini yakhe azwe lokho okushoyo.” ²³Ngakho wawangenisa wawaphatha njengezihambi. Ngakusasa wasuka nawo, ehambisana nabanye abazalwane baseJopha.

²⁴Ngakusasa wangena eKhesariya. UKorneliyu, owayebalindele, wayebuthanise izihlobo zakhe nabangani abaseduze. ²⁵Kwathi uPhethro engena, uKorneliyu wamhlangabeza wawa ngasezinyaweni zakhe wamkhonza. ²⁶Kodwa uPhethro wamvusa, wathi: “Sukuma! Nami ngingumuntu nje.” ²⁷Esakhuluma noKorneliyu, uPhethro wangena wafica abantu abaningi bebuthene. ²⁸Wathi kubo: “Nina ngokwenu niyazi ukuthi akuvumelekile ngokomthetho ukuba umJuda ahlangane noma avakashele umuntu wesinye isizwe. Kodwa uBaba wethu ungibonisile ukuthi angingasho muntu ukuthi ungcolile noma akahlanzekile. ²⁹Ngakho, ngithunyelwe, ngize ngingaphikisi. Manje, ningibizeleni?”

³⁰UKorneliyu wathi: “Ezinsukwini ezine ezedlule ngalesi sikhathi, ihora lesithathu ntambama, bengithandaza endlini yami, masinyane kwema phambi kwami indoda enezingubo ezikhazimulayo, ³¹yathi: ‘Korneliyu, umthandazo wakho uzwakele nezipho zakho kubampofu zikhunjuliwe phambi kukaBaba wethu. ³²Ngakho thuma eJopha ubize uSimoni, owaziwa ngokuthi uPhethro. Ungenise endlini kaSimoni umshuki wezikhumba, eseduze nolwandle.’ ³³Ngakho ngakubizela masinyane, wenze kahle ngokuza. Manje sonke silapha phambi kukaNkulunkulu, ukuze sizwe konke iNkosi ekuyale khona.”

³⁴UPhethro wavula umlomo wathi: “Ngempela ngiyabona ukuthi uBaba wethu akabandlululi, ³⁵kodwa kuzo zonke izizwe noma ngubani omesabayo enze okulungileyo uyamukeleka kuye. ³⁶Walithumela izwi lakhe kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ememezela izindaba ezinhle zokuthula ngoJesu Khristu—onguyena iNkosi yabo bonke. ^c c v36 UPhethro ubiza uJesu ngokuthi “iNkosi yabo bonke” — iNdodana evukile ibusa zonke izizwe, yingakho ivangeli manje selifinyelela nakwabezizwe. ³⁷Nina ngokwenu niyakwazi okwenzeka kulo lonke elaseJudiya, kusukela eGalile emva kombhapathizo uJohane awushumayelayo: ³⁸ukuthi uBaba wethu wamgcoba kanjani uJesu waseNazaretha ngoMoya oNgcwele nangamandla, ukuthi wahamba kanjani enza okuhle ephulukisa bonke ababecindezelwe nguSathane, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayenaye. ^d d v38 Lapha oMuntu abathathu bavela ndawonye: uBaba wethu ugcoba uJesu iNdodana ngoMoya oNgcwele nangamandla. ³⁹Thina singofakazi bakho konke akwenzayo ezweni lamaJuda naseJerusalema—bambulala, bemphanyeka esihlahleni, ⁴⁰kodwa uBaba wethu wamvusa ngosuku lwesithathu wamenza wabonakala, ⁴¹hhayi kubo bonke abantu kodwa kithina, ofakazi uBaba wethu ababakhetha ngaphambili, abadla baphuza naye emva kokuba evukile kwabafileyo. ⁴²Wasiyala ukuba sishumayele ebantwini futhi sifakaze: uBaba wethu wammisa waba ngumahluleli wabaphilayo nabafileyo. ⁴³Bonke abaprofethi bafakaza ngaye ukuthi wonke umuntu okholwa nguye uthola intethelelo yezono ngegama lakhe.”

⁴⁴UPhethro esasasho lezi zinto, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo bonke abalizwayo izwi. ⁴⁵Amakholwa asokileyo afika noPhethro amangala ukuthi isipho sikaMoya oNgcwele sathululelwa naphezu kwabezizwe. ⁴⁶Ngokuba abezwa bekhuluma ngezilimi bedumisa uBaba wethu. Khona-ke uPhethro wamemezela wathi,

⁴⁷“Kukhona yini ongenqabela amanzi okubhapathiza laba bantu, abamukele uMoya oNgcwele njengathi na?” ⁴⁸Wayala ukuba babhapathizwe egameni likaJesu Khristu. Base bemcela ukuba ahlale izinsuku ezithile.