IZenzo 16

16 ¹UPawulu waqhubeka waya eDerbe naseListra. Kwakukhona lapho umfundi ogama lakhe linguThimothewu, indodana yowesifazane ongumJuda okholwayo, kodwa uyise wayengumGreki. ²Abazalwane baseListra nase-Ikoniyu babefakaza kahle ngaye. ³UPawulu wayefuna ukuba ahambe naye, ngakho wamthatha wamsoka, ngenxa yamaJuda ayekuleyo mimango, ngokuba bonke babazi ukuthi uyise wayengumGreki. ⁴Bedabula imizi, badlulisela izinqumo ezazenziwe abaphostoli namalunga eJerusalema, ukuba bazigcine. ⁵Ngakho amabandla aqiniswa ekukholweni, anda ngobuningi imihla ngemihla.

UBaba Ubabizela eMakedoniya

⁶Badabula izwe laseFrigiya nelaseGalathiya, ngokuba uMoya oNgcwele wayebavimbele ukuba bakhulume izwi e-Asiya. ⁷Befika eMisiya, bazama ukungena eBithiniya, kodwa uMoya kaJesu akabavumelanga. ⁸Ngakho bedlula eMisiya, behlela eTrowasi. ⁹UPawulu wabona umbono ebusuku: indoda yaseMakedoniya yayimi imncenga, ithi: “Welela eMakedoniya usisize.” ¹⁰Esewubonile umbono, sazama ngaso leso sikhathi ukusuka siye eMakedoniya, siphetha ngokuthi uBaba wethu wayesibizile ukuba sibatshele izindaba ezinhle.

ULidiya Uvula Inhliziyo Yakhe eFilipi

¹¹Ngakho sasuka ngomkhumbi eTrowasi, saqonda ngqo eSamotrake, kwathi ngakusasa saya eNeyapholisi, ¹²kusuka lapho saya eFilipi, umuzi oqavile waleso sifunda saseMakedoniya, ikoloni yamaRoma. Sahlala khona izinsuku eziningana.

¹³NgeSabatha saphuma ngaphandle kwesango saya emfuleni, sicabanga ukuthi kwakukhona indawo yomthandazo. Sahlala phansi sakhuluma nabesifazane ababebuthene lapho. ¹⁴Owesifazane ogama lakhe linguLidiya, waseThiyathira, owayethengisa indwangu eyibubende, okhonza uBaba wethu, wayelalele. INkosi yavula inhliziyo yakhe ukuba anake amazwi kaPawulu. ¹⁵Kwathi esebhapathiziwe yena nabendlu yakhe, wasikhuthaza wathi: “Uma ningahlulela ukuthi ngithembekile eNkosini, wozani endlini yami nihlale.” Wasikholisa-ke.

Baboshwa Ngenxa Yevangeli

¹⁶Kwathi lapho siya endaweni yomthandazo, sahlangana nentombazane eyisigqila eyayinomoya wokubhula; yayizuzisa abaniniyo inzuzo enkulu ngokubhula. ¹⁷Yayilandela uPawulu nathi, imemeza ithi: “Lababantu yizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, ezinimemezela indlela yensindiso.” ¹⁸Yakwenza lokhu izinsuku eziningi. UPawulu, ecasuke kakhulu, waphenduka wathi kuloyo moya: “Ngiyakuyala egameni likaJesu Khristu ukuba uphume kuye.” Waphuma ngaso leso sikhathi.

¹⁹Kwathi abaniniyo bebona ukuthi ithemba labo lenzuzo seliphelile, bababamba uPawulu noSilasi, babahudulela enkundleni phambi kwababusi. ²⁰Bebayisa kubomantshi, bathi: “Lababantu bangamaJuda, bayawuhlukumeza umuzi wethu. ²¹Bafundisa amasiko angavumelekile ngokomthetho kithi esingamaRoma ukuba siwamukele noma siwenze.”

²²Isixuku saphela sabahlasela, abomantshi badabula izingubo zikaPawulu noSilasi, bayala ukuba bashaywe ngezinduku. ²³Sebebashaye kabuhlungu, babaphonsa etilongweni, bayala umgcini-tilongo ukuba abaqaphe ngokuqinileyo. ²⁴Esewutholile lowo myalo, wabavalela ekamelweni elingaphakathi, wabopha izinyawo zabo ezigodweni.

²⁵Cishe phakathi kwamabili uPawulu noSilasi bakhuleka, bahlabelela amaculo kuBaba wethu, iziboshwa zibalalele. ²⁶Kwathi kungazelelwe kwaba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu okwanyakazisa izisekelo zetilongo; ngaso leso sikhathi iminyango yonke yavuleka, namaketanga abo bonke athukululeka. ²⁷Umgcini-tilongo waphaphama, wabona iminyango yetilongo ivuliwe, wahosha inkemba yakhe ezimisele ukuzibulala, ecabanga ukuthi iziboshwa zazibalekile. ²⁸Kodwa uPawulu wamemeza wathi: “Ungazilimazi, ngokuba sisekhona sonke!”

²⁹Umgcini-tilongo wacela izibani, wangena ngokushesha, wawa phansi ethuthumela phambi kukaPawulu noSilasi. ³⁰Wayesebakhiphela ngaphandle, wathi: “Makhosi, ngenzeni ukuze ngisindiswe?”

³¹Bathi: “Kholwa eNkosini uJesu, uzakusindiswa, wena nabendlu yakho.” ³²Bakhuluma izwi leNkosi kuye nakubo bonke ababesendlini yakhe. ³³Ngalona lelo hora lobusuku, wabathatha wageza amanxeba abo; wabe esebhapathizwa masinyane yena nabendlu yakhe yonke. ³⁴Wabakhuphulela endlini yakhe, wababekela ukudla, wajabula kakhulu kanye nabendlu yakhe yonke ngokukholwa kuBaba wethu.

³⁵Kodwa kwathi sekusa, abomantshi bathumela amaphoyisa, bathi: “Khululani labobantu.”

³⁶Umgcini-tilongo watshela uPawulu wathi: “Abomantshi bathumele umyalo wokuba nikhululwe. Phumani-ke manje nihambe ngokuthula.”

³⁷Kodwa uPawulu wathi kubo: “Basishaye obala, singaquliswanga cala, thina esiyizakhamuzi zaseRoma, basiphonsa etilongweni. Manje sebefuna ukusimukisa ngasese na? Cha! Mabeze bona ngokwabo basikhiphe.”

³⁸Amaphoyisa abikela abomantshi lawomazwi, besaba lapho bezwa ukuthi babeyizakhamuzi zaseRoma. ³⁹Beza, baxolisa, babakhipha, babacela ukuba baphume kulowo muzi. ⁴⁰Ngakho baphuma etilongweni baya endlini kaLidiya. Lapho babona abazalwane, babakhuthaza, bahamba.