IZenzo Zabapostile
8 USawule wayeyixhasa into yokubulawa kwakhe.+
Ngaloo mini laqalisa ukutshutshiswa kakhulu ibandla elaliseYerusalem; bonke abafundi bathi saa kwimimandla yakwaYuda neyaseSamariya, kwashiyeka abapostile bodwa.+ 2 Kodwa amadoda awoyika uThixo amthatha uStefano ayokumngcwaba, yaye amlilela kakhulu. 3 Yena uSawule walihlasela ibandla ngenkohlakalo. Wayegqogqa indlu nendlu, erhuqa amadoda nabafazi abafake ejele.+
4 Noko ke, abo babesasazekile balityhutyha ilizwe beshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zelizwi.+ 5 Yena uFilipu waya kwisixeko saseSamariya,*+ wafika washumayela ngoKristu kubantu balapho. 6 Bonke baba nomdla kwizinto awayezithetha uFilipu, yaye babemamele bebukele nemimangaliso awayeyenza. 7 Kaloku kwakukho abantu abaninzi ababenoomoya abamdaka, yaye aba moya babekhala ngelizwi elikhulu, baphume.+ Ngaphezu koko, abantu abaninzi ababekhubazekile nabaziziqhwala babephiliswa. 8 Ngoko bavuya kakhulu abantu beso sixeko.
9 Kweso sixeko kwakukho indoda ekwakusithiwa nguSimon, eyayisenza imilingo ize ibashiye bemangalisiwe abantu baseSamariya, isithi yona ingumntu obalulekileyo. 10 Bonke abantu balapho, ukususela koyena mncinci ukuya koyena mkhulu, babembukela ngomdla besithi: “Le ndoda inamandla amakhulu kaThixo.” 11 Babembukela ngomdla kuba kwakusele kulithuba ebamangalisa ngemilingo yakhe. 12 Kodwa xa bamkholelwayo uFilipu, owayeshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani BukaThixo+ nezegama likaYesu Kristu, babhaptizwa, amadoda nabafazi.+ 13 NoSimon lowo waba likholwa, yaye emva kokuba ebhaptiziwe, waqhubeka ekunye noFilipu;+ yaye wayemangaliswa xa ebona imimangaliso nezinto ezinkulu ezazisenzeka.
14 Xa bevayo abapostile abaseYerusalem ukuba iSamariya ilamkele ilizwi likaThixo,+ bathumela uPetros noYohane apho. 15 Baya baza bathandazela amakholwa ukuba afumane umoya oyingcwele.+ 16 Kuba akukho mntu owayesele ewufumene kubo, kodwa babebhaptizwe nje egameni leNkosi uYesu.+ 17 Ngoko bababeka izandla,+ baza baqalisa ukufumana umoya oyingcwele.
18 Ngoko xa uSimon wayebona ukuba abantu bafumana umoya oyingcwele xa bebekwa izandla ngabapostile, wathembisa ukunika abapostile imali, 19 esithi: “Nam ndinikeni eli gunya, ukuze nabani na endimbeka izandla afumane umoya oyingcwele.” 20 Kodwa uPetros wathi kuye: “Kwanga isilivere yakho ingatshabalala kunye nawe, ngenxa yokuba ucinga ukuba ungathenga isipho sikaThixo sasimahla ngemali.+ 21 Akukho nto ikudibanisa nalo msebenzi, kuba uThixo uyayibona intliziyo yakho ukuba ayinyanisekanga. 22 Ngoko guquka kobu bubi ubucingayo uze uthandaze kuYehova* umcenge, yaye ukuba kunokwenzeka yena uza kubuxolela ububi obusentliziyweni yakho; 23 kuba ndiyabona ukuba uyityhefu nekhoboka lobubi.” 24 USimon wathi kubo: “Ndithandazeleni kuYehova* nindicengele ukuba zingenzeki ezi zinto nithe ziza kwenzeka kum.”
25 Emva kokuba begqibile ukuzishumayela ngokucokisekileyo iindaba ezilungileyo baza balithetha nelizwi likaYehova,* baqalisa ukubuyela eYerusalem yaye babeshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kwiidolophana ezininzi zamaSamariya.+
26 Kodwa ingelosi kaYehova*+ yathetha noFilipu, yathi: “Hamba uye emzantsi, kwindlela evela eYerusalem isiya eGaza.” (Le yindlela esentlango.) 27 Ngoko wahamba waza wabona indoda engumTiyopiya, igosa elikwisikhundla esiphezulu* likaKandase ukumkanikazi wamaTiyopiya, neyayijongene nabo bonke ubutyebi bakhe. Le ndoda yayiye eYerusalem iyokukhonza,+ 28 yaye ngoku yayigoduka ihleli kwinqwelo yayo, ifunda ngokuvakalayo incwadi kamprofeti uIsaya. 29 Ngoko umoya oyingcwele wathi kuFilipu: “Yiya kule nqwelo.” 30 UFilipu wabaleka ecaleni kwale nqwelo waza wayiva ifunda ngokuvakalayo incwadi kamprofeti uIsaya, wathi kuyo: “Uyayiva* na le nto uyifundayo?” 31 Yona yathi: “Ndingayiva njani kungekho mntu undifundisayo?” Ngoko yamcela uFilipu ukuba akhwele enqwelweni ahlale nayo. 32 Amazwi eyayiwafunda kweso Sibhalo ayesithi: “Waziswa njengegusha esiwa ekuxhelweni, njengetakane legusha elithe cwaka phambi komchebi walo, wayengawuvuli umlomo wakhe.+ 33 Xa wayehlaziswa akazange agwetywe ngobulungisa.+ Ngubani na oza kuyichaza ngokweenkcukacha imvelaphi yakhe? Kuba ubomi bakhe buthathiwe emhlabeni.”+
34 Eli gosa lathi kuFilipu: “Ndicela undixelele, umprofeti uthetha ngabani apha? Ngaye okanye ngomnye umntu?” 35 UFilipu waqalisa ukuthetha, eqala ngesi Sibhalo, walishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo ezingoYesu. 36 Njengoko babehamba ngendlela, bafika endaweni enamanzi amaninzi, laza eli gosa lathi: “Jonga! Nanga amanzi, ndinqandwa yintoni ndingabhaptizwa?” 37 *—— 38 Ngoko layalela ukuba inqwelo imiswe, laza lehla noFilipu bangena emanzini, uFilipu walibhaptiza. 39 Xa babephuma emanzini, umoya kaYehova wakhawuleza wakhokela uFilipu ukuba emke, alaphinda lambona elo gosa, kodwa lagoduka livuya. 40 Yena uFilipu wazibona sele eseAshdode, yaye wawujikeleza wonke loo mmandla, waqhubeka eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kuzo zonke izixeko de wayokufika eKesareya.+