ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
12 Ngalezonsuku iNkosi uHerodi yaqalisa ukuhlukuluza amanye amalunga ebandla.+ 2 Yabulala uJakhobe umfowabo kaJohane+ ngenkemba+ 3 njalo yathi ibona ukuthi lokhu kwakuwathokozisa amaJuda yabopha loPhetro. (Kwakuzinsuku zoMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingelamvubelo.)+ 4 Yambamba yamfaka ejele+ yathi alindwe ngamaqembu amane amasotsha etshintshana futhi iqembu ngalinye lalilamasotsha amane. Yayihlose ukumkhipha imuse* phambi kwabantu ngemva kwePhasika. 5 Ngakho uPhetro wayevalelwe ejele kodwa ibandla laqhubeka limthandazela kuNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo yonke.+
6 Ngobusuku uHerodi ezavuka emkhipha ukuze ahlulelwe, uPhetro wayelele ebotshwe ngamaketane amabili njalo ephahlwe ngamasotsha amabili. Phambi komnyango wejele kwakulabalindi ababelindile. 7 Kodwa kwafika ingilosi kaJehova*+ kwaba lokukhanya esitokisini. Yanyikinya uPhetro yamvusa yathi: “Vuka masinyane!” Amaketane akhithika ezandleni zakhe.+ 8 Ingilosi yathi kuye: “Gqoka, ufake lamanyathela akho.” Lakanye wenza njalo. Yasisithi kuye: “Gqoka isembatho sakho sangaphandle ungilandele.” 9 Wasephuma waqhubeka eyilandela kodwa wayecabanga ukuthi ubona umbono. Wayengakwazi ukuthi okwakusenziwa yingilosi kwakusenzakala sibili. 10 Badlula amasotsha okuqala ayelindile badlula lawesibili basebefika egedini lensimbi elalikhangele edolobheni, lazivulekela lodwa. Sebephumile behla ngomgwaqo, ingilosi yasisuka yamtshiya. 11 UPhetro wathi enanzelela okwakusenzakala wathi: “Khathesi sengikwazi sibili ukuthi uJehova* uthume ingilosi yakhe, wangikhulula esandleni sikaHerodi lakukho konke amaJuda abekhangelele ukuthi kuzakwenzakala.”+
12 Ngakho waya endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane owayebizwa ngokuthi nguMakho.+ Endlini le kwakuleqembu labafundi ababebuthene bethandaza. 13 Wafika waqoqoda egedini, kwabuya intombazana eyincekukazi okwakuthiwa nguRoda izokhangela ukuthi ngubani. 14 Ithe isizwa ilizwi likaPhetro ayisavulanga igedi ngenxa yokuthaba, kodwa yagijima yabuyela phakathi yabatshela ukuthi uPhetro usegedini. 15 Bathi kuyo: “Uphambene yini?” Yona yaphikelela isithi usegedini. Basebesithi: “Yingilosi yakhe.” 16 UPhetro yena wayelokhu eqoqoda. Bathi bevula igedi bambona bamangala kakhulu. 17 Kodwa wabatshengisa ngesandla sakhe ukuthi bathule, wabachasisela ukuthi uJehova* wayemkhiphe njani ejele. Wasesithi: “Hambani liyetshela uJakhobe+ labafowethu okwenzakeleyo.” Esetsho njalo wasuka waya kwenye indawo.
18 Kusisa kwaba lokuxokozela emasotsheni ezibuza ukuthi kwenzakaleni kuPhetro. 19 UHerodi wamdinga yonke indawo kodwa kamtholanga. Yikho wabuzisisa abalindi, wasesithi bayejeziswa.+ Ngemva kwalokho wasuka eJudiya wayahlala eKhesariya okwesikhatshana.
20 UHerodi wayezondele abantu* beThire labeSidoni. Ngakho babambana beza kuye, bancenga uBlastu indoda eyayikhangela indlu yenkosi, bacela ukuthula ngoba babethola ukudla elizweni leNkosi uHerodi. 21 Kwathi sekulilanga elibekiweyo, uHerodi wagqoka izigqoko zesikhosini wasehlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, waqalisa ukukhuluma labantu. 22 Abantu ababebuthene basebememeza besithi: “Leli lilizwi likankulunkulu hatshi elomuntu!” 23 Ingilosi kaJehova* yahle yamtshaya ngoba kazange anike uNkulunkulu inkazimulo njalo wadliwa zimpethu wafa.
24 Kodwa ilizwi likaJehova* laqhubeka lisabalala futhi abanengi baba ngamakholwa.+
25 UBhanabha+ loSawuli bathi sebewuqedile wonke umsebenzi wokunceda abazalwane ababeseJerusalema+ babuyela. Bahamba loJohane+ owayebizwa langokuthi nguMakho.