IZenzo 27

27 ¹Kwathi sekunqunyiwe ukuthi siyakuwela siye e-Italiya, banikela uPawulu nabanye iziboshwa endunani yekhulu eyayinguJuliyu, eyebutho lombusi. ²Sangena emkhunjini waseAdramithiyu owawuya emachwebeni asogwini lwase-Asiya, sahamba. UAristarku, umMakedoniya waseThesalonika, wayenathi. ³Ngakusasa safika eSidoni. UJuliyu wamphatha kahle uPawulu, wamvumela ukuba aye kubangane bakhe ukuze bamnakekele. ⁴Sisuka lapho, sahamba ngaseceleni leKhupro elivikelekile, ngokuba umoya wawuvela phambili kithi. ⁵Sesiwele ulwandle olusebukhweni beKhilikhiya nePhamfiliya, safika eMira elizweni laseLikhiya. ⁶Lapho induna yekhulu yafumana umkhumbi wase-Aleksandriya owawuya e-Italiya, yasingenisa kuwo. ⁷Sahamba kancane izinsuku eziningi, saze safika ngokunzima eKhinidu. Njengoba umoya wawusivimbela, sahamba ngaseceleni leKhrethe elivikelekile, maqondana neSalmone. ⁸Sedlula ngokunzima eceleni, safika endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi yiMachweba Amahle, eseduze nedolobha laseLaseya.

⁹Kwase kuphele isikhathi eside—ngisho noKuzila kwase kudlulile, kwase kuyingozi ukuhamba ngomkhumbi manje. Ngakho uPawulu wabaxwayisa, wathi: ^a a v9 “UKuzila” kwakuwuSuku Lokubuyisana, ekwindla—kwathi lapho sekudlulile, inkathi yokuhamba ngomkhumbi ngokuphepha yayisivaliwe. ¹⁰“Madoda, ngiyabona ukuthi loluhambo luyakuletha inhlekelele nokulahlekelwa okukhulu—hhayi emthwalweni nasemkhunjini kuphela, kodwa nasekuphileni kwethu.” ¹¹Kodwa induna yekhulu yathemba umshayeli womkhumbi nomnikazi womkhumbi kunamazwi kaPawulu. ¹²Njengoba leli chweba lalingafanele ukuchitha ubusika, iningi lanquma ukuqhubeka nohambo, lithemba ukuthi ngandlela-thile lingafinyelela eFenikisi, ichweba laseKhrethe elibheke eningizimu-ntshonalanga nasenyakatho-ntshonalanga, ukuze lichithe ubusika khona.

Isiphepho Olwandle

¹³Kwathi sekuvunguza umoya waseningizimu kancane, becabanga ukuthi sebekutholile ababekuhlosile, baphakamisa ihange, bahamba beseduze neKhrethe. ¹⁴Kodwa kungakapheli sikhathi, kwavunguza umoya onamandla esiphepho obizwa ngokuthi yiNyakatho-mpumalanga, wehla uvela esiqhingini. ¹⁵Umkhumbi wabanjwa, wehluleka ukubhekana nomoya, ngakho sawuyekela wandenda. ¹⁶Sagijima ngaphansi kwesiqhingana esincane esibizwa ngokuthi yiKhawuda, saze sakwazi ngokunzima ukusibopha isikebhe sokusindisa somkhumbi. ¹⁷Sesikhushuliwe sangeniswa emkhunjini, basebenzisa izintambo ukuqinisa isiqu somkhumbi. Besaba ukuthi bangabhajwa esihlabathini saseSirti, behlisa ihange lasolwandle, baqhutshwa. ^b b v17 ISirti yayiyindawo edumile ngesihlabathi esishintshashintshayo ogwini lwasenyakatho yeAfrika, eyayesatshwa ngamatilosi asendulo. ¹⁸Isiphepho sasishaya kabuhlungu kakhulu kangangokuba ngakusasa baqala ukulahla umthwalo olwandle. ¹⁹Ngosuku lwesithathu, ngezandla zabo balahla impahla yomkhumbi olwandle. ²⁰Izinsuku eziningi ilanga nezinkanyezi akuzange kubonakale, isiphepho esinamandla saqhubeka sivunguza, ekugcineni salahlekelwa yilo lonke ithemba lokusindiswa.

²¹Kwathi sebehlale isikhathi eside bengadlanga, uPawulu wasukuma phakathi kwabo, wathi: “Madoda, benifanele ningilalele ningahambi niphume eKhrethe; benizoziphephisa kuleyonhlekelele nakulokhu kulahlekelwa. ²²Manje ngiyanikhuthaza ukuba niqine idolo: akekho noyedwa kini oyakulahlekelwa ngukuphila kwakhe, umkhumbi kuphela oyakulahleka. ²³Ngobusuku obudlule ingelosi kaBaba wethu—lona engingowakhe nengimkhonzayo—yama eceleni kwami, ^c c v23 UPawulu akaqambi unkulunkulu okude kodwa uBaba yena angowakhe—ngisho nasemkhunjini oshonayo, uyindodana enakekelwa nguBaba wayo. ²⁴yathi: ‘Ungesabi, Pawulu. Umelwe ukuma phambi kukaKhesari, futhi bheka—uBaba wethu ukunikile ukuphila kwabo bonke abahamba nawe.’ ²⁵Ngakho qinani idolo, madoda—ngiyamethemba uBaba wethu: kuyakwenzeka njengoba nje ngitsheliwe. ²⁶Kodwa simelwe ukubhajwa esiqhingini esithile.”

Ukubhidlika Komkhumbi

²⁷Kwathi sekungubusuku beneshumi nane, siseqhutshwa kuwela uLwandle lwaseAdriya, amatilosi aqonda sekuphakathi kobusuku ukuthi umhlaba uyasondela. ²⁸Balinganisa ukujula bathola amafidi ayikhulu namashumi amabili; sebehambe ibangana elincane, baphinda balinganisa, bathola amafidi angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye. ^d d v28 IsiGreki silinganisa amafathomu angamashumi amabili bese kuba yishumi nanhlanu—ukujula okwehla ngokushesha kwaxwayisa amatilosi ukuthi umhlaba wawusondele ngokuyingozi. ²⁹Besaba ukuthi bangashayeka emadwaleni, baphonsa amahange amane ngemuva komkhumbi, bakhuleka ukuba kuse. ³⁰Amatilosi azama ukubaleka emkhunjini, ehlisela isikebhe sokusindisa olwandle, enza sengathi ayakwehlisa amahange ngaphambili komkhumbi. ³¹UPawulu wathi endunani yekhulu nasemabuthweni: “Uma lamadoda engahlali emkhunjini, ngeke nisindiswe.” ³²Ngakho amabutho anquma izintambo ezaziphethe isikebhe sokusindisa, asiyekela sandenda.

³³Kwathi sekuzosa, uPawulu wabakhuthaza bonke ukuba badle, ethi: “Namuhla kungusuku lweshumi nane nilindile ninovalo, ningadli, ningadlanga lutho. ³⁴Ngakho ngiyanikhuthaza ukuba nidle—lokhu kungokokusinda kwenu. Akukho nelilodwa unwele oluyakulahleka emakhanda enu.” ³⁵Esesho lokhu, wathatha isinkwa, wabonga uBaba wethu phambi kwabo bonke, wasihlephula, waqala ukudla. ³⁶Bonke bakhuthazeka, nabo badla ukudla. ³⁷Sesibonke sasingamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisikhombisa nesithupha emkhunjini. ³⁸Sebesuthi ukudla, benza umkhumbi ube lula ngokuphonsa okusanhlamvu olwandle. ³⁹Kwathi sekusile, abawazanga umhlaba, kodwa babona itheku elinogu olunesihlabathi, baceba ukuthi, uma kungenzeka, babhajise umkhumbi khona. ⁴⁰Banquma amahange, bawashiya olwandle, ngasikhathi sinye bathukulula izintambo zesiqondiso somkhumbi. Base bephakamisela iseyili eliphambili emoyeni, baqonda ogwini. ⁴¹Kodwa bashayeka esihlabathini lapho kuhlangana khona iminsinga emibili, umkhumbi wabhajwa—ingxenye ephambili yanamathela yangabe isanyakaza, kuyilapho amandla amagagasi aphihliza ingxenye engemuva.

⁴²Amabutho aceba ukubulala iziboshwa ukuze kungabikho noyedwa kuzo obhukudayo abaleke. ⁴³Kodwa induna yekhulu, ifuna ukusindisa uPawulu, yabavimba ecebeni labo, yayala labo abakwazi ukubhukuda ukuba beqele emanzini kuqala bafike ogwini, ⁴⁴abaseleyo—abanye ngamapulangwe, abanye ngezingcezu zomkhumbi. Kanjalo wonke umuntu wafika emhlabeni ephephile.