ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
13 Ebandleni elalise-Antiyokhi kwakulabaphrofethi labanye ababefundisa.+ KwakunguBhanabha, loSimiyoni owayebizwa ngokuthi nguNigeri, loLukhiyu weKhurene, loManayeni owafunda loHerodi umbusi wesabelo kanye loSawuli. 2 Bathi besakhonza uJehova* futhi bezile ukudla, umoya ongcwele wathi: “Ngikhethelani uBhanabha loSawuli+ ukuze benze umsebenzi engibabizele wona.”+ 3 Ngemva kokuzila lokuthandaza, bababeka izandla babayekela bahamba.
4 Amadoda la asuka ethunywe ngumoya ongcwele aya eSelusiya, asesuka lapho aya eKhuphro ngesikepe. 5 Athi efika eSalami aqalisa ukutshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogeni amaJuda. Ayehamba loJohane, engumsizi wawo.+
6 Athi esebhode sonke isihlenge aze ayafika ePhafo, ahlangana lomunye umJuda okwakuthiwa nguBha-Jesu owayeyinyanga futhi engumphrofethi wamanga. 7 Wayelombusi wesabelo* uSegiwu Phawuli, indoda eyayikhaliphile. Indoda le yabiza uBhanabha loSawuli izimisele ukuzwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. 8 Kodwa u-Elima inyanga waqalisa ukubaphikisa ezama ukudukisa umbusi lo ukuze angakholwa. (Ibizo elithi Elima lihunyutshwa ngokuthi inyanga.) 9 USawuli owayebizwa langokuthi nguPhawuli wagcwala umoya ongcwele, wamkhangela wamuthi nhlo 10 wathi: “Wena muntu ogcwele yonke imihlobo yobuqili labo bonke ububi, ndodana kaDeveli,+ sitha sakho konke okulungileyo kuzaze kube nini uphambanisa izindlela zikaJehova* ezilungileyo? 11 Lalela! Isandla sikaJehova* sehlele phezu kwakho. Uzakuba yisiphofu, ungaboni ukukhanya kwelanga okwesikhathi esithile.” Masinyane nje inkungu lobumnyama kwamgubuzela, wahamba esephumputha edinga umuntu ongambamba ngesandla amkhokhele. 12 Umbusi wesabelo wathi esebone okwakwenzakele waba likholwa ngoba wayemangaliswe yilokho ayesekufunde ngoJehova.*
13 UPhawuli layehamba labo basuka ePhafo ngesikepe bayafika ePhega ePhamfiliya. Kodwa uJohane+ wabatshiya wabuyela eJerusalema.+ 14 Bona basuka ePhega baya e-Antiyokhi yePhisidiya njalo bafika bangena esinagogeni+ ngelanga leSabatha basebehlala phansi. 15 Abantu bathi sebebalelwe uMthetho+ leMibhalo yabaPhrofethi, abaphathi besinagogi bakhuluma loPhawuli loBhanabha bathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, nxa lilelizwi lokukhuthaza abantu likhulumeni.” 16 Yikho uPhawuli wasukuma wathulisa abantu ngesandla, wasesithi:
“Madoda, bantu bako-Israyeli lani lonke elesaba uNkulunkulu lalelani. 17 UNkulunkulu wabantu bako-Israyeli wakhetha okhokho bethu wabenza baba yisizwe esilamandla ngesikhathi bengabantu bezizweni elizweni leGibhithe njalo wabakhipha kulo ngengalo ephakemeyo.+ 18 Wababekezelela okweminyaka engaba ngu-40 besenkangala.+ 19 Wathi esetshabalalise izizwe eziyisikhombisa elizweni leKhenani, wabapha ilizwe lelo ukuthi libe lilifa labo.+ 20 Konke lokhu kwenzakala phakathi kweminyaka engaba ngu-450.
“Ngemva kwalokho wabanika abahluleli kwaze kwaba yisikhathi somphrofethi uSamuyeli.+ 21 Kodwa bona basebesithi bafuna inkosi,+ yikho uNkulunkulu wabanika uSawuli indodana kaKhishi, indoda yesizwe sakoBhenjamini+ futhi wababusa okweminyaka engu-40. 22 Wathi esemsusile wakhetha uDavida ukuthi abe yinkosi yabo,+ lowo afakaza ngaye wathi: ‘Sengithole uDavida indodana kaJese,+ indoda ethokozisa inhliziyo yami.+ Uzakwenza konke engikufisayo.’ 23 UNkulunkulu uselethe ko-Israyeli uJesu umsindisi, ovela esizukulwaneni sendoda le njengoba nje wayethembisile.+ 24 UJesu engakafiki, uJohane wayetshumayeza abantu bonke obala, ebatshela ukuthi babhabhathizwe ukuze batshengise ukuthi sebephendukile.+ 25 Kodwa uJohane esesiyaqeda inkonzo yakhe wayejayele ukuthi: ‘Libona angathi nginguye yini? Hatshi angisuye. Kodwa zwanini! Uyeza ngemva kwami lowo okungangifanelanga ukuthukulula intambo zamanyathela akhe.’+
26 “Madoda, bafowethu, lina zizukulwane zika-Abrahama lani lonke elesaba uNkulunkulu, ilizwi lensindiso le selithunyelwe kini.+ 27 Abahlala eJerusalema lababusi abamnanzelelanga kodwa bathi besahlulela bagcwalisa izinto ezakhulunywa ngabaPhrofethi,+ ezibalelwa abantu ngamasabatha wonke. 28 Lanxa bengatholanga isizatho sokuthi afe,+ batshela uPhilathu ukuthi kumele abulawe.+ 29 Bathi sebegcwalise konke okubhaliweyo ngaye, bamethula esigodweni* bambeka ethuneni.+ 30 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo+ 31 njalo wabonakala okwamalanga amanengi kulabo ababesuke laye eGalile besiya eJerusalema. Laba yibo asebengofakazi bakhe ebantwini.+
32 “Yikho simemezela izindaba ezinhle eziphathelane lesithembiso esenziwa kubokhokho bethu. 33 Konke okumayelana laso uNkulunkulu usekugcwalisile kithi thina abantwababo ngokuvusa uJesu,+ njengoba kubhaliwe kuhubo lesibili ukuthi: ‘Wena uyindodana yami, lamuhla sengibe nguyihlo.’+ 34 Wamvusa kwabafileyo ukuze angaphindi abuyele ekonakaleni, futhi lokhu wakuphrofetha lapho esithi: ‘Ngizalithanda ngothando oluqotho olwathenjiswa uDavida njalo lona luthembekile.’+ 35 Lakwelinye ihubo kuthiwa: ‘Awusoze uvume ukuthi oqotho wakho akubone ukonakala.’+ 36 UDavida yena wenzela uNkulunkulu inkonzo engcwele* esizukulwaneni sakhe, wasesifa* wabekwa labokhokho bakhe njalo wakubona ukonakala.+ 37 Kodwa lowo owavuswa nguNkulunkulu kazange akubone ukonakala.+
38 “Ngakho-ke bafowethu ngithanda ukuba likwazi ukuthi ngomuntu lo kumenyezelwa kini ukuthethelelwa kwezono.+ 39 Ngaye, loba ngubani okholwayo kuzathiwa kalacala.+ Kodwa uMthetho kaMosi+ wona awenelisi ukwesula amacala enu. 40 Nanzelelani ukuthi amazwi abhalwe kubaPhrofethi awenzakali kini, athi: 41 ‘Lina abachothozayo khangelani limangale futhi litshabalale ngoba ezinsukwini zenu ngenza umsebenzi elingasoze liwukholwe lanxa umuntu engalitshela konke okuphathelane lawo.’”+
42 UPhawuli loBhanabha bathi sebephuma abantu babancenga ukuthi bakhulume ngezinto lezi ngeSabatha elilandelayo. 43 Umhlangano owawusesinagogeni wathi uphela, amaJuda amanengi lababephendukele ekholweni lwesiJuda* futhi ababekhonza uNkulunkulu balandela uPhawuli loBhanabha. Ngakho bakhuluma labo bebakhuthaza ukuthi baqhubeke bebambelele emuseni omkhulu kaNkulunkulu.+
44 NgeSabatha elilandelayo, phose lonke idolobho labuthana lizokuzwa ilizwi likaJehova.* 45 AmaJuda athi ebona abantu bebanengi kakhulu aba lomhawu aseqalisa ukuthuka ephikisa okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli.+ 46 UPhawuli loBhanabha basebekhuluma lawo ngesibindi bathi: “Ilizwi likaNkulunkulu bekumele likhulunywe kini kuqala.+ Kodwa njengoba lingalamukeli futhi lizahlulela ukuthi ukuphila okungapheliyo akulifanelanga, sesisiya kwabezinye izizwe.+ 47 UJehova* usilaye ngamazwi la athi: ‘Ngikubeke ukuthi ube yikukhanya kwezizwe ukuze utshumayele mayelana lensindiso kuze kuyefika emikhawulweni yomhlaba.’”+
48 Abantu bezinye izizwe bathi bekuzwa lokhu bathokoza baqalisa ukukhazimulisa ilizwi likaJehova.* Bonke ababelenhliziyo eziqotho futhi bezimisele ukuthola ukuphila okungapheliyo baba ngamakholwa. 49 Ilizwi likaJehova* lalo laqhubeka lisabalala kuyo yonke indawo. 50 Lanxa kunjalo amaJuda atshotshozela amadoda ayengabakhokheli bedolobho kanye labesifazana abadumileyo ababesesaba uNkulunkulu, abangela ukuthi uPhawuli loBhanabha bahlukuluzwe,+ abakhiphela phandle kwedolobho. 51 Ngakho bathintitha uthuli olwalusenyaweni zabo,* basebesiya e-Ikhoniyami.+ 52 Abafundi baqhubeka bethokoza kakhulu+ futhi begcwala umoya ongcwele.