Imisebenti Yebaphostoli

7 Umphristi lophakeme watsi: “Kuliciniso yini loku labakushoko?” 2 Stefano waphendvula watsi: “Banaketfu nani bobabe, ngilaleleni. Nkulunkulu lokhatimulako wabonakala kukhokho wetfu Abrahama ngesikhatsi aseMesophothamiya, asengakahlali eHarani,+ 3 watsi kuye: ‘Phuma eveni lakini, futsi ushiye tihlobo takho, uye eveni lengitakukhombisa lona.’+ 4 Ngako wesuka eveni lemaKhaledi wayohlala eHarani. Ngesikhatsi sekafile babe wakhe,+ Nkulunkulu wamletsa kulelive lesenihlala kulo nyalo.+ 5 Kute lifa lamnika lona kulo, ngisho neligadze nje lemhlaba; kodvwa wametsembisa kutsi utamnika lelive, bese kutsi ngemuva kwakhe alinike bantfwana* bakhe,+ ngisho nobe bekasete umntfwana. 6 Ngetulu kwaloko, Nkulunkulu wamtjela kutsi bantfwana* bakhe bebatawuba tihambi kulelinye live, nekutsi bantfu balapho bebatawubagcilata futsi babahluphe* iminyaka lengu-400.+ 7 Nkulunkulu watsi: ‘Lesive lesitawubagcilata ngitasehlulela,+ futsi ngemuva kwaloko batawuphuma kulelo live batongikhonta kulendzawo.’+

8 “Waphindze wenta naye sivumelwane sekusoka.+ Abrahama wabese utala Isaka+ futsi wamsoka ngelilanga lesi-8,+ Isaka watala* Jakobe, naJakobe watala bokhokho betfu labangu-12. 9 Labokhokho betfu bamdlela umona Josefa,+ futsi bamtsengisa eGibhithe.+ Kodvwa Nkulunkulu waba naye,+ 10 wamsindzisa kulo lonkhe lusizi lwakhe, futsi wamnika umusa nekuhlakanipha embikwaFaro inkhosi yaseGibhithe. Ngako Faro wambeka kutsi aphatse iGibhithe nayo yonkhe indlu yakhe.+ 11 Kwaba nendlala kanye nekuhlupheka lokukhulu kuyo yonkhe iGibhithe neKhenani, futsi bokhokho betfu bebete kudla.+ 12 Jakobe weva kutsi kunekudla eGibhithe, ngako watfuma bokhokho betfu kwekucala.+ 13 Nababuyela kwesibili, Josefa wativeta kubo, naFaro wase uyawati lomndeni wakuboJosefa.+ 14 Ngako Josefa watsi akulandvwe babe wakhe Jakobe, nato tonkhe tihlobo takhe lebetikulendzawo.+ Sebabonkhe bebangu-75.+ 15 Jakobe waya eGibhithe,+ futsi wafela khona;+ kwenteka lokufanako nakubokhokho betfu.+ 16 Bayiswa eShekhemu, bangcwatjwa ethuneni lebelitsengwe ngu-Abrahama ngemali yelisiliva emadvodzaneni aHamori eShekhemu.+

17 “Nasekutawugcwaliseka setsembiso Nkulunkulu lebekasente ku-Abrahama, labantfu bandza eGibhithe. 18 Kwabese kubusa lenye inkhosi lebeyingamati Josefa.+ 19 Lenkhosi yabaphatsa kabi bantfu bakitsi, futsi yaphocelela bokhokho betfu kutsi bashiye tinswane tabo kuze tife.+ 20 Ngaleso sikhatsi kwatalwa Mosi, futsi bekamuhle emehlweni aNkulunkulu. Wanakekelwa* ekhaya kubo tinyanga letintsatfu.+ 21 Ngesikhatsi sekashiyiwe,+ indvodzakati yaFaro yamtsatsa yamkhulisa njengendvodzana yayo.+ 22 Ngako Mosi wafundziswa yonkhe inhlakanipho yaseGibhithe. Bekanelikhono lekukhuluma kanye nemandla lamakhulu.+

23 “Nasekaneminyaka lengu-40 budzala, wancuma* kutsi ayohlola* bomnakabo, lokungemadvodzana aka-Israyeli.+ 24 Nakabona lomunye wabo aphatfwa kabi ngumGibhithe, wamlwela, futsi wamphindziselela ngekutsi abulale lomGibhithe. 25 Bekacabanga kutsi labomnakabo bebatawubona kutsi Nkulunkulu usebentisa yena kuze abasindzise, kodvwa bona abazange bakubone loko. 26 Ngakusasa wabakhandza balwa, wase wetama kubalamula watsi: ‘Madvodza, nibandzawonye. Pho nilwelani?’ 27 Kodvwa lona lobekaphatsa kabi lolomunye wafuca Mosi, watsi kuye: ‘Ngubani lokubeke kutsi ube ngumbusi nemehluleli wetfu? 28 Sewufuna kungibulala yini nami, njengobe ubulele lomGibhithe itolo?’ 29 Nakeva loku, Mosi wabaleka, waba sihambi eveni lakaMidiyani, lapho atala khona emadvodzana lamabili.+

30 “Ngemuva kweminyaka lengu-40, wabona ingilosi elangabini lesihlahla semanyeva lebesivutsa+ ehlane leliseNtsabeni iSinayi. 31 Ngesikhatsi Mosi abona loko, wamangala. Watsi nakasondzela kuze atewubuka, kwevakala livi laJehova* litsi: 32 ‘Mine nginguNkulunkulu wabokhokho bakho, Nkulunkulu wa-Abrahama, wa-Isaka, newaJakobe.’+ Mosi wesaba kakhulu, futsi wabese akasachubeki nekubuka. 33 Jehova* watsi kuye: ‘Khumula tincabule takho, ngobe lendzawo lome kuyo ingcwele. 34 Ngikubonile kucindzeteleka kwebantfu bami eGibhithe, sengikuvile nekukhala kwabo,+ futsi ngitele kutobakhulula. Ngako wota ngikutfume eGibhithe.’ 35 LoMosi labatsi kuye: ‘Ngubani lokubeke kutsi ube ngumbusi nemehluleli?’+ Nkulunkulu nguye lamtfuma+ kutsi abe ngumholi nekutsi abakhulule, asebentisa lengilosi leyabonakala kuye kulesihlahla lebesivutsa. 36 Mosi wabakhipha,+ enta timangaliso netibonakaliso eGibhithe+ naseLwandle Lolubovu,+ futsi watenta nasehlane iminyaka lengu-40.+

37 “Mosi nguye lowatsi kumadvodzana aka-Israyeli: ‘Nkulunkulu utanivetela umphrofethi lofana nami kubantfu bakini.’+ 38 Nguye lowaba nalabantfu ehlane; bekalapho nabokhokho betfu kanye nengilosi+ leyakhuluma naye+ eNtsabeni iSinayi, futsi wanikwa emavi aNkulunkulu laphilako kuze asitjele wona.+ 39 Bokhokho betfu abamlalelanga kodvwa bamlahla,+ kantsi netinhlitiyo tabo betiseGibhithe.+ 40 Batsi ku-Aroni: ‘Sentele bonkulunkulu labatawuhamba embikwetfu. Ngobe asati kutsi kwentekeni ngaloMosi lowasihola wasikhipha eGibhithe.’+ 41 Ngalawo malanga benta litfole, baletsa nemihlatjelo kulesithico, futsi loko lebebakwentile kwabajabulisa.+ 42 Ngako Nkulunkulu wabafulatsela, wabayekela bakhonta libutfo lasezulwini,+ njengobe kwabhalwa encwadzini yebaPhrofethi kwatsiwa: ‘Awu ninendlu yaka-Israyeli, kuleminyaka lengu-40 nisehlane beniyentela mine yini lemihlatjelo neminikelo? 43 Nine natsatsa lithende laMoloki+ nemfanekiso wenkhanyeti lengunkulunkulu wenu Refani nakukhonta. Ngako-ke ngitanilahlela khashane neBhabhulona.’+

44 “Ehlane, bokhokho betfu bebanelithende lebelingufakazi, njengobe Nkulunkulu bekanike Mosi ticondziso tekutsi alakhe ngendlela lebekamkhombise ngayo.+ 45 Bokhokho betfu balitsatsa ngesikhatsi sebanaJoshuwa, bangena nalo kulendzawo yebetive,+ leto Nkulunkulu laticosha embikwabo,+ futsi laba khona kwaze kwaba sesikhatsini saDavide. 46 Davide wemukelwa nguNkulunkulu waJakobe, wacela nekumakhela indzawo yekuhlala.+ 47 Kodvwa nguSolomoni lowamakhela indlu.+ 48 Nanobe kunjalo, Losetikwako Konkhe akahlali etindlini letakhiwe ngetandla,+ njengobe nje umphrofethi asho nakatsi: 49 ‘Jehova* utsi: Lizulu lisihlalo sami sebukhosi+ futsi umhlaba usenabelo setinyawo tami.+ Nitawungakhela indlu lenjani? Iphi indzawo yami yekuphumula? 50 Akusiso yini sandla sami lesente tonkhe letintfo?’+

51 “Nine ninenkhani, ninetinhlitiyo letilukhuni futsi anilaleli, nihlale niwala umoya longcwele; njengobe nabokhokho benu benta, nani nenta njalo.+ 52 Ukhona yini umphrofethi labangazange bamphatse kabi bokhokho benu?+ Bababulala labo lebebaphrofetha ngekuta kwaloyo lolungile,+ futsi nine senibe batsengisi nebabulali bakhe.+ 53 Nkulunkulu wasebentisa tingilosi kutsi tininike uMtsetfo+ kodvwa nine anizange niwugcine.”

54 Batsi nabeva loku, batfukutsela babila,* futsi bacucudza ematinyo. 55 Agcwele umoya longcwele, Stefano wabuka ezulwini, wabona inkhatimulo yaNkulunkulu, naJesu eme ngesekudla saKhe,+ 56 wase utsi: “Bukani! Ngibona emazulu avulekile, neNdvodzana yemuntfu+ ime ngesekudla saNkulunkulu.”+ 57 Nabeva loku bamemeta kakhulu, bavala tindlebe, futsi bonkhe bamtselekela. 58 Batsi nasebamkhiphele ngephandle kwelidolobha, bamgcoba ngematje.+ Labofakazi+ lebebammangalela babeka tingubo tabo tangetulu embikwalelinye lijaha lokutsiwa nguSawula.+ 59 Ngesikhatsi basamshaya ngematje, Stefano wancenga Jesu watsi: “Nkhosi Jesu, yemukela umoya wami.” 60 Ngemuva kwaloko waguca, waphakamisa livi watsi: “Jehova,* ungababeki licala ngaloku.”+ Nakacedza kusho lamavi, wafa.*