IZenzo 28

28 ¹Sathi sesiphephile safika ngaphesheya, sezwa ukuthi lesi siqhingi sasibizwa ngokuthi iMelitha. ²Abantu bendawo basibonisa umusa ongavamile: baphemba umlilo basamukela sonke, ngokuba imvula yase iqalile futhi kwakubanda. ³Kwathi uPawulu esebuthe inyanda yezinkuni wayibeka emlilweni, kwaphuma inyoka enesihlungu ngenxa yokushisa, yanamathela esandleni sakhe. ⁴Bathi abantu bendawo bebona lesi silwane silenga esandleni sakhe, bakhulumisana bathi: “Lo muntu nakanjani ungumbulali—noma ephunyukile olwandle, uBulungisa ngeke bumvumele ukuba aphile.” ⁵Kodwa yena wasivuthulula isilwane sawela emlilweni, akalimalanga nakancane. ⁶Babelindele ukuba avuvukale noma awe phansi efa ngokuphazima. Kodwa sebembukile isikhathi eside bengaboni lutho olubi lwenzeka kuye, baguqula imiqondo yabo, bathi ungunkulunkulu.

⁷Eduze naleyo ndawo kwakunezindawo ezaziingezenduna enkulu yalesi siqhingi, egama linguPubliyu, owasamukela wasiphatha ngomusa izinsuku ezintathu. ⁸Uyise kaPubliyu wayelele phansi egula, enomkhuhlane nesifo sohudo. UPawulu wangena wakhuleka, wabeka izandla phezu kwakhe, wamphulukisa. ⁹Emva kwalokho, nabanye bonke abagulayo kulesi siqhingi beza baphulukiswa. ¹⁰Basihlonipha ngezindlela eziningi, kwathi lapho sesihamba ngomkhumbi, basethwesa konke esasikudinga.

UPawulu ufika eRoma

¹¹Emva kwezinyanga ezintathu sahamba ngomkhumbi wase-Aleksandriya owawuchithe ubusika kulesi siqhingi, owawunophawu lwaMawele. ¹²Safika eSirakusi sahlala khona izinsuku ezintathu. ¹³Sisuka lapho sazungeza ngomkhumbi safika eRegiyu. Ngemva kosuku kwavuka umoya oqhamuka eningizimu, kwathi ngosuku lwesibili safika ePhuteyoli. ¹⁴Khona lapho safumana abazalwane, sacelwa ukuba sihlale nabo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; kanjalo safika eRoma. ¹⁵Abazalwane bakhona bezwa ngathi, beza ukuzosihlangabeza baze bafika eNkundleni ka-Apiyu naseMathaveni amaThathu. Ethi uPawulu ebabona, wabonga uBaba wethu, waqunga isibindi.

UPawulu umemezela umbuso

¹⁶Sathi singena eRoma, uPawulu wavunyelwa ukuba ahlale yedwa, kanye nebutho elalimlindile.

¹⁷Ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu wabuthela ndawonye abaholi bamaJuda. Kwathi sebebuthene, wathi kubo: “Bazalwane, nakuba ngingenzanga lutho olumelene nabantu bakithi noma namasiko okhokho bethu, nganikelwa njengesiboshwa ngisuka eJerusalema ngifakwa ezandleni zamaRoma. ¹⁸Bathi sebengihlolile, bafuna ukungikhulula, ngokuba kwakungekho cala kimi elifanele ukufa. ¹⁹Kepha lapho amaJuda ephikisa, ngaphoqeleka ukuba ngidlulisele icala kuKhesari—noma ngingenalo icala engingalibeka ngesizwe sakithi. ²⁰Yingakho ngicele ukunibona nokukhuluma nani—ngiboshwe ngalo leli ketanga ngenxa yethemba lika-Israyeli.”

²¹Bathi kuye: “Asitholanga zincwadi ezivela eJudiya ngawe, futhi akukho mzalwane ofikileyo obike noma washo okubi ngawe. ²²Singathanda ukuzwa ukuthi ucabangani, ngokuba siyazi ukuthi leli hlelo liphikiswa yonke indawo.”

²³Bammisela usuku, beza endlini ayehlala kuyo bebaningi kakhulu. Kusukela ekuseni kuze kube kusihlwa wabachazela, efakaza ngombuso kaBaba wethu, ezama ukubakholisa ngoJesu esebenzisa uMthetho kaMose nabaProfethi. ²⁴Abanye bakholiswa yilokho akushoyo, kodwa abanye abavumanga ukukholwa. ²⁵Bengavumelani bodwa, bahamba emva kokuba uPawulu esenezele izwi lokugcina: “UMoya oNgcwele wakhuluma kahle kokhokho benu ngo-Isaya umprofethi, ethi:

²⁶“‘Hamba uye kulesi sizwe uthi: Nizozwa ngempela kodwa ningaqondi nakanye, nizobona ngempela kodwa ningaboni nakanye.

²⁷Ngokuba inhliziyo yalesi sizwe isindile, nezindlebe zabo ziyezwa kanzima, baye bawacimeza amehlo abo—funa babone ngamehlo abo, bezwe ngezindlebe zabo, baqonde ngenhliziyo yabo, baphenduke, ngibaphulukise.’

²⁸Ngakho yazini: insindiso kaBaba wethu ithunyelwe ezizweni—zona ziyokulalela.” ^a a v28 Imibhalo yakudala kunazo zonke ayinalo ivesi lama-29 lapha; amakhophi akamuva anezela: “Esekushilo lokhu, amaJuda ahamba, ephikisana kakhulu wodwa.”

³⁰Wahlala iminyaka emibili ephelele endaweni yakhe ayeyiqashile, wabamukela bonke ababeza kuye, ³¹ememezela umbuso kaBaba wethu, efundisa ngeNkosi uJesu Khristu, ngesibindi engavinjelwa.