ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
19 U-Apholo+ wathi eseKhorinte, uPhawuli wahamba ngomgwaqo okhatshana lolwandle waze wayafika e-Efesu.+ Ekufikeni kwakhe kuleyondawo wathola abanye abafundi 2 wathi kubo: “Lawuthola yini umoya ongcwele ngesikhathi lisiba ngamakholwa?”+ Bamphendula bathi: “Asikaze sizwe ukuthi kulomoya ongcwele.” 3 Wasesithi: “Manje labhabhathizwa ngaluphi ubhabhathizo?” Bathi: “Ngobhabhathizo lukaJohane.”+ 4 Yikho wasesithi: “UJohane wabhabhathiza abantu ngobhabhathizo olutshengisa ukuthi umuntu usephendukile,+ ebatshela ukuthi bakholwe kulowo owayezakuza ngemva kwakhe,+ uJesu.” 5 Sebezwe lokho babhabhathizwa ebizweni leNkosi uJesu. 6 UPhawuli wathi esebabeke izandla, umoya ongcwele wehlela phezu kwabo+ baqalisa ukuphrofetha lokukhuluma ngezindimi zakwamanye amazwe.+ 7 Amadoda la ayengaba ngu-12.
8 Okwezinyanga ezintathu wayengena esinagogeni+ atshumayele ngesibindi. Wayefundisa abantu futhi ebonisana labo ngendlela esuthisayo, ebatshela ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.+ 9 Kodwa abanye baba yiziqholo, bala ukukholwa njalo bakhuluma kubi ngaleyoNdlela+ phambi kwabantu. Ngakho wathatha abafundi wasuka kubo,+ wayafundisa nsuku zonke ewolu yesikolo sikaThiranu. 10 Lokhu wakwenza okweminyaka emibili, wonke amaJuda lamaGrikhi ayehlala esabelweni se-Asiya aze alizwa ilizwi leNkosi.
11 UNkulunkulu waqhubeka esenza izimangaliso ezinkulu esebenzisa uPhawuli.+ 12 Ngitsho lamalembu ayewathandela kanye lalawo ayethinta umzimba wakhe ayehanjiswa kwabagulayo,+ basile emikhuhlaneni lamadimoni aphume.+ 13 Kodwa amanye amaJuda ayehamba ekhipha amadimoni azama ukukhipha amadimoni esebenzisa ibizo leNkosi uJesu, esithi: “NgoJesu lowo uPhawuli atshumayela ngaye ngithi phuma.”+ 14 Amadodana ayisikhombisa omphristi okhokhelayo ongumJuda okuthiwa nguSkeva lawo ayekwenza lokho. 15 Kodwa ngelinye ilanga athi ezama ukwenza lokhu idimoni lathi kuwo: “UJesu ngiyamazi+ loPhawuli ngimjayele,+ pho lina lingobani?” 16 Indoda eyayiledimoni yaweqela yalwa lawo yawehlula wonke, aphuma endlini ebaleka enqunu futhi elimele. 17 AmaJuda lamaGrikhi wonke ayehlala e-Efesu ezwa ngalokhu esaba. Ibizo leNkosi uJesu laqhubeka likhazinyuliswa. 18 Abanengi abasebengamakholwa babebuya bavume futhi bakhulume phambi kwabantu lokho ababekwenza. 19 Labanye abanengi ababesenza amasalamusi babuthelela amabhuku abo bawatshisa phambi kwabantu bonke.+ Bathi bebala intengo yawo bathola ukuthi kwakuzinhlamvu zemali yesiliva ezingu-50 000. 20 Ngakho ilizwi likaJehova* laqhubeka ligcwala indawo yonke futhi liphumelela ngendlela emangalisayo.+
21 Ngemva kwalokho uPhawuli wazimisela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi nxa esevela eMakhedoniya+ le-Akhaya wayezakuya eJerusalema.+ Wathi: “Ngingafika khona kumele ngiye laseRoma.”+ 22 Yikho wathuma abancedisi bakhe ababili, uThimothi+ lo-Erastu+ ukuthi baye eMakhedoniya. Kodwa yena wasala okwesikhathi esithile esabelweni se-Asiya.
23 Ngalesosikhathi kwaba lokuxokozela+ ngenxa yaleyoNdlela+ 24 ngoba kwakulendoda okuthiwa nguDimetriyu eyayingumkhandi wesiliva, isenza amathempeli amancane ka-Athemisi. Yayiwenza ngesiliva njalo yayilethela abakhandi besiliva imali enengi.+ 25 Yababuthanisa labanye ababesenza izinto ezinjengalezo yathi: “Madoda, likwazi kuhle ukuthi inotho yethu siyithola ebhizimusini yonale. 26 Khathesi liyazibonela futhi liyezwa ukuthi phose kuso sonke isabelo se-Asiya, hatshi nje lapha e-Efesu kuphela,+ uPhawuli lo wenze abantu abanengi kakhulu bakholwa, ebadukisa esithi onkulunkulu abenziwe ngezandla kayisibo onkulunkulu beqiniso.+ 27 Kanti njalo kulengozi yokuthi abantu bazacina sebekhuluma kubi ngebhizimusi yethu, lethempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu u-Athemisi libe yinto engatsho lutho, aphelelwe yibukhazikhazi bakhe, yena okhonzwa esabelweni sonke se-Asiya lasemhlabeni wonke.” 28 Amadoda la athi esizwa lokho azonda abila, aqalisa ukumemeza esithi: “Mkhulu u-Athemisi wabase-Efesu!”
29 Ngakho kwaba lokuxokozela edolobheni lonke, bonke batheleka enkundleni yemidlalo bedonsa uGayu lo-Aristakhu,+ amadoda eMakhedoniya ayehamba loPhawuli. 30 UPhawuli wayezimisele ukuyangena lapho abantu ababekhona kodwa abafundi bamalisa. 31 Ngitsho labanye abaphathi bemikhosi lemidlalo ababengabangane bakhe bathumela ilizwi kuye bemncenga ukuthi angaqali ukungena enkundleni yemidlalo. 32 Abantu basebephithene amakhanda, abanye bememeza lokhu abanye lokhuya njalo abanengi babengakwazi lokuthi babuthaneleni. 33 Yikho bakhipha u-Alekizanda phakathi kwabantu, amaJuda emfuqela phambili. U-Alekizanda waphakamisa isandla ethulisa abantu, efuna ukukhuluma labo ukuze azivikele. 34 Kodwa bathi benanzelela ukuthi wayengumJuda, bonke baqalisa ukumemeza kanyekanye okwamahora angaba mabili besithi: “Mkhulu u-Athemisi wabase-Efesu!”
35 Umphathi wedolobho wacina ebathulisile abantu wasesithi: “Bantu be-Efesu, kambe ukhona sibili umuntu ongakwaziyo ukuthi idolobho le-Efesu lingumlondolozi wethempeli lika-Athemisi omkhulu lesithombe esawa sivela ezulwini? 36 Njengoba kungelamuntu ongakuphika lokhu, bekani amaphaphu phansi, lingawalazeli. 37 Lapha lilethe abantu abangagqekezi amathempeli njalo abangamthukiyo unkulunkulukazi wethu. 38 Ngakho nxa uDimetriyu+ labanye akhanda labo isiliva belomuntu abamethesa icala, akhona amalanga okuthetha amacala futhi lababusi bezabelo* bakhona. Abamangalelane kubo. 39 Kodwa nxa lifuna okunye okwedlula lokhu, isinqumo kufanele senziwe emhlanganweni wezakhamizi obizwa yiziphathamandla 40 ngoba sisengozini yokwetheswa icala lokuvukela umbuso ngenxa yalokhu okwenzakale lamuhla, njengoba singelasizatho esingasitsho sokuthi kungani abantu bexokozela.” 41 Esetsho njalo wabatshela ukuthi bachitheke.