IZenzo 8

8 ¹USawulu wayekuvumela ukubulawa kukaStefanu. Ngalolo suku kwaqubuka ukushushiswa okukhulu okwaba melene nebandla laseJerusalema, bahlakazeka bonke ngaphandle kwabaphostoli, besabalala emazweni aseJudiya naseSamariya. ²Amadoda amesabayo uNkulunkulu ammbela uStefanu, amlilela kakhulu. ³Kodwa uSawulu wayelibhubhisa ibandla, engena indlu ngendlu, ehudula amadoda nabesifazane, ebaphonsa etilongweni.

UFiliphu ushumayela eSamariya

⁴Ngakho labo ababehlakaziwe bahamba yonke indawo, beshumayela izindaba ezinhle zezwi. ⁵UFiliphu wehlela emzini waseSamariya, wamemezela uKhristu kubo. ⁶Izixuku zanaka ndawonye amazwi kaFiliphu, zizwa zibona izibonakaliso azenzayo. ⁷Omoya abangcolile baphuma kwabaningi ababephethwe yibo, bememeza ngezwi elikhulu, kwathi abaningi abafe uhlangothi nabaqhugayo baphulukiswa. ⁸Ngakho kwaba khona intokozo enkulu kulowo muzi.

⁹Kwakukhona indoda egama layo linguSimoni eyayivele isenza umlingo kulowo muzi, imangalisa abantu baseSamariya, izisho ukuthi ingumuntu omkhulu. ¹⁰Bonke, kusukela komncane kuze kube komkhulu, bamlalela, bethi: “Lo muntu ungamandla kaNkulunkulu abizwa ngokuthi Omkhulu.” ¹¹Babemnaka ngoba isikhathi eside wayebamangalisa ngomlingo wakhe. ¹²Kodwa kwathi lapho bekholwa izindaba ezinhle zikaFiliphu mayelana nombuso kaBaba wethu negama likaJesu Khristu, kwabhapathizwa amadoda nabesifazane. ¹³USimoni ngokwakhe wakholwa, wabhapathizwa, wahlala eduze noFiliphu, emangaliswa yizibonakaliso nezimangaliso ezinkulu azibonayo.

¹⁴Kwathi abaphostoli baseJerusalema sebezwile ukuthi iSamariya yayilamukele izwi likaBaba wethu, bathuma uPhethro noJohane kubo. ¹⁵Bathi sebefikile, babakhulekela ukuba bamukele uMoya oNgcwele, ¹⁶ngokuba uMoya oNgcwele wawungakehleli phezu kwamunye wabo; babebhapathizwe kuphela egameni leNkosi uJesu. ¹⁷Base bebeka izandla zabo phezu kwabo, bamukela uMoya oNgcwele. ¹⁸Kwathi uSimoni ebona ukuthi uMoya wawunikezwa ngokubekwa kwezandla zabaphostoli, wabanika imali, ¹⁹ethi: “Nginikeni nami la mandla, ukuze noma ngubani engimbeka izandla amukele uMoya oNgcwele.” ²⁰UPhethro wathi kuye: “Isiliva sakho asibhubhe kanye nawe, njengoba ucabanga ukuthi ungasithenga ngemali isipho sikaBaba wethu! ²¹Awunasabelo nangxenye kule ndaba, ngokuba inhliziyo yakho ayilungile phambi kukaBaba wethu. ²²Ngakho phenduka kulobu bubi, ukhuleke kuBaba wethu ukuba, uma kungenzeka, uthethelelwe lokho inhliziyo yakho ekuhlosile. ²³Ngiyabona ukuthi usenyongweni ebabayo nasekuboshweni kobubi.”

²⁴USimoni waphendula wathi: “Ngikhulekeleni kuNkulunkulu, ukuze kungangeheli lutho kwenikukhulumile.”

²⁵Ngakho, sebefakazile bakhuluma izwi leNkosi yethu uJesu, babuyela eJerusalema, beshumayela izindaba ezinhle emizaneni eminingi yaseSamariya.

UFiliphu nowaseTopiya

²⁶Khona-ke ingelosi kaBaba wethu yathi kuFiliphu: “Sukuma uye ngaseningizimu endleleni eyehla isuka eJerusalema iya eGaza”—indlela eyihlane. ²⁷Wasukuma wahamba. Bheka, kwakukhona umthenwa waseTopiya, isikhulu sasebukhosini bukaKhandake, indlovukazi yabaseTopiya, owayephethe yonke ingcebo yayo, owayezile eJerusalema ukuzokhonza, ^a a v27 UKhandake wayengelona igama lomuntu siqu, kodwa kwakuyisihloko sobukhosi sendlovukazi engunina wenkosi embusweni waseKushi, eningizimu neGibhithe. ²⁸wayesebuya, ehlezi enqoleni yakhe, efunda umprofethi u-Isaya.

²⁹UMoya oNgcwele wathi kuFiliphu: “Sondela ufinyelele kuleyo nqola.”

³⁰UFiliphu wagijima waya kuyo, wamuzwa efunda umprofethi u-Isaya, wabuza: “Uyakuqonda yini lokhu okufundayo na?”

³¹Wathi: “Ngingakwazi kanjani, ngaphandle kokuba umuntu angiqondise na?” Wamema uFiliphu ukuba akhuphuke ahlale naye. ³²Manje indima yombhalo eyayiyifunda yayiyile: “Njengemvu eyaholelwa ekuhlatshweni, nanjengewundlu elithule phambi komgundi walo, kanjalo akawuvulanga umlomo wakhe. ³³Ekuthotshisweni kwakhe wancishwa ukwahlulelwa ngokulunga. Ngubani ongalandisa ngesizukulwane sakhe? Ngokuba ukuphila kwakhe kususwa emhlabeni.”

³⁴Umthenwa wathi kuFiliphu: “Ngitshele, umprofethi usho ngobani lokhu—ngaye ngokwakhe, noma ngomunye umuntu na?”

³⁵UFiliphu wavula umlomo wakhe, eqala kulo mbhalo, wamtshela izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana noJesu. ³⁶Behamba endleleni, bafika emanzini, umthenwa wathi: “Bheka, nangu amanzi! Yini engivimbela ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?” ^b b v36 Imibhalo yesandla yakuqala kayinalo ivesi 37 lapha; amakhophi akamuva anezela: “UFiliphu wathi, ‘Uma ukholwa ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, ungenza njalo.’ Waphendula wathi, ‘Ngiyakholwa ukuthi uJesu Khristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.’” ³⁸Wayala ukuba inqola ime; behlela emanzini bobabili, uFiliphu nomthenwa, uFiliphu wambhapathiza.

³⁹Kwathi sebekhuphukile emanzini, uMoya kaBaba wethu wamhlwitha uFiliphu; umthenwa akabange esambona futhi, kodwa wahamba indlela yakhe ethokoza. ⁴⁰UFiliphu wazithola ese-Azotu. Wadabula, ememezela izindaba ezinhle kuyo yonke imizi waze wafika eKhesariya.