ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
8 USawuli wayevumelana lokubulawa kukaStefane.+
Ngalelolanga ibandla elaliseJerusalema laqalisa ukuhlukuluzwa kakhulu. Bonke abafundi basabalala kuzo zonke izabelo zeJudiya leSamariya,+ kwasala abaphostoli kuphela. 2 Kodwa amadoda ayesesaba uNkulunkulu athwala uStefane ayamngcwaba njalo amlilela kakhulu. 3 USawuli waseqalisa ukulihlukuluza kabuhlungu ibandla. Wayehlasela indlu ngendlu, ehudulela phandle amadoda labesifazana ebahambisa ejele.+
4 Lanxa kunjalo, ababebaleke eJerusalema bahamba betshumayela izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana lelizwi ezindaweni abaya kuzo. + 5 UFiliphu yena waya edolobheni* leSamariya,+ waqalisa ukutshumayeza abantu ngoKhristu. 6 Bonke abantu babemuzwa uFiliphu futhi babelalela lokho ayekutsho, bebona izibonakaliso ayezenza. 7 Phela abanengi babelamadimoni futhi ayememeza ngelizwi elikhulu abesephuma.+ Kwelatshwa labanengi abome umhlubulo labayizigoga. 8 Lokhu kwabathokozisa kakhulu abantu bedolobho lelo.
9 Edolobheni lelo kwakulendoda okwakuthiwa nguSimoni eyayisenza amasalamusi futhi imangalisa isizwe samaSamariya, izenza umuntu oqakathekileyo. 10 Bonke nje kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu babeyilalela bathi: “Indoda le ingamandla kaNkulunkulu, ilamandla amakhulu.” 11 Ngakho abantu babeyilandela ngoba yayisilesikhathi ibamangalisa ngamasalamusi ayo. 12 Kodwa kwakusithi uFiliphu angabatshela ngezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu+ langebizo likaJesu Khristu bakholwe besebebhabhathizwa,+ abesilisa labesifazana. 13 USimoni laye waba likholwa futhi wathi esebhabhathiziwe waqhubeka eloFiliphu.+ Wayemangala nxa ebona izibonakaliso lezimangaliso ezinkulu ezazisenzakala.
14 Abaphostoli eJerusalema bathi besizwa ukuthi amaSamariya alamukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu,+ bathuma uPhetro loJohane ukuthi bayekhona. 15 Basebehamba bafika bawathandazela ukuze athole umoya ongcwele+ 16 ngoba kakho loyedwa phakathi kwawo owayesewutholile. Ayebhabhathizwe ebizweni leNkosi uJesu kuphela.+ 17 Ngakho bawabeka izandla,+ asesamukela umoya ongcwele.
18 USimoni wathi ebona ukuthi abantu babesithi bangabekwa izandla ngabaphostoli bathole umoya ongcwele, wathembisa ukunika abaphostoli imali 19 wathi: “Lami ngiphani amandla elilawo ukuze loba ngubani engimbeka izandla amukele umoya ongcwele.” 20 Kodwa uPhetro wathi kuye: “Isiliva sakho kasitshabalale lawe ngoba ucabanga ukuthi ungasithenga ngemali isipho sikaNkulunkulu samahala.+ 21 Awulangxenye loba isabelo endabeni le ngoba inhliziyo yakho kayikho qotho phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 22 Ngakho phenduka ebubini lobu obenzayo uncenge uJehova* ukuthi nxa kungenzeka akuthethelele ngoba ulenhloso embi enhliziyweni yakho. 23 Ngiyabona ukuthi uyitshefu ebabayo* lesigqili sezinto ezingalunganga.” 24 USimoni wasebaphendula wathi: “Ngicela lingincengele kuJehova* ukuze ngingehlelwa langokukodwa elikukhulumileyo.”
25 Bathi sebefakaze ngokugcweleyo njalo sebekhulume ilizwi likaJehova,* basebebuyela eJerusalema behamba betshumayela izindaba ezinhle ezigabeni ezinengi zamaSamariya.+
26 Ingilosi kaJehova*+ yakhuluma loFiliphu yathi: “Hamba eningizimu emgwaqweni osuka eJerusalema usiya eGaza.” (Umgwaqo lo udabula enkangala.) 27 Yikho wasuka wahamba. Wathi esithi mehlo suka wabona indoda engumTopiya,* eyayiyisiphathamandla esasingaphansi kukaKhendisi indlovukazi yamaTopiya futhi eyayiphethe yonke inotho yendlovukazi. Indoda le yayihambe yayakhonza eJerusalema+ 28 njalo yayisibuyela kibo. Yayihlezi enqoleni yayo ibalela phezulu umbhalo womphrofethi u-Isaya. 29 Umoya wasutshela uFiliphu wathi: “Hamba enqoleni leyana.” 30 UFiliphu wagijima eceleni kwayo wezwa indoda le ibala umbhalo womphrofethi u-Isaya, wasesithi: “Uyakuzwisisa yini okubalayo?” 31 Yona yathi: “Kambe ngingakuzwisisa njani kungelamuntu ongifundisayo?” Yasicela uFiliphu ukuthi agade enqoleni ahlale layo. 32 Nansi indima yoMbhalo eyayiwubala: “Walethwa njengemvu esisiyahlatshwa njalo kawuvuli umlomo wakhe njengemvana ethuleyo phambi kwalowo oyigelayo.+ 33 Ngesikhathi ephathwa kubi abazange bamahlulele kuhle.+ Ngubani ozakhuluma izinto ezimayelana lesizukulwane sakhe njengoba ukuphila kwakhe kuzasuswa emhlabeni?”+
34 Indoda engumTopiya yathi kuFiliphu: “Ngicela ungitshele ukuthi umphrofethi ukhuluma ngobani lapha? Ukhuluma ngaye kumbe ngomunye umuntu?” 35 UFiliphu waseqalisa ukukhuluma, wayitshumayeza eqalisela embhalweni lo eyitshela izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu. 36 Bathe belokhu behamba ngomgwaqo bafika endaweni eyayilamanzi. Indoda engumTopiya yasisithi: “Khangela! Nanka amanzi. Kuyini okungivimbela ukuthi ngibhabhathizwe?” 37 *—— 38 Yasisithi inqola imiswe, uFiliphu wasesehla layo bayangena emanzini, wayibhabhathiza indoda leyo. 39 Bathi bephuma emanzini, umoya kaJehova* wahle wakhokhela uFiliphu wamsusa lapho. Ngakho indoda leyo kayisaphindanga yambona kodwa yaqhubeka ngohambo lwayo ithokoza. 40 UFiliphu waya e-Ashidodi futhi wahamba etshumayela izindaba ezinhle lakwamanye amadolobho waze wayafika eKhesariya.+