IzEnzo ZabaPhostoli

7 Kodwa umpristi ophakeme wathi: “Zinjalo yini lezi zinto?” 2 UStefanu waphendula wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, nani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abrahama ngesikhathi eseMesophothamiya, ngaphambi kokuba ahlale eHarana, + 3 wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho uye ezweni engizokutshengisa lona.’ + 4 Wabe esephuma ezweni lamaKhaledi wahlala eHarana. Ukusuka lapho, ngemva kokushona kukayise, + uNkulunkulu wabangela ukuba ashintshe indawo yakhe yokuhlala eze kuleli zwe enihlala kulo manje. + 5 Kodwa alikho ifa amnika lona kulelo zwe, cha, ngisho nendawo enganela unyawo lwakhe; kodwa wathembisa ukumnika lona libe ngelakhe nenzalo* yakhe, + nakuba ayengakabi namntwana. 6 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wamtshela ukuthi inzalo* yakhe yayizoba izifiki ezweni elingelona elayo, nokuthi abantu bakhona babeyoyenza izigqila bayihluphe* iminyaka engu-400. + 7 UNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Leso sizwe eyoba izigqila zaso ngiyosahlulela, + futhi ngemva kwalezi zinto iyophuma inikele inkonzo engcwele kimi kule ndawo.’ +

8 “Wamnika nesivumelwano sokusoka, + wazala u-Isaka, + wamsoka ngosuku luka-8, + u-Isaka wazala uJakobe,* uJakobe wazala izinhloko zemindeni* ezingu-12. 9 Izinhloko zemindeni zaba nomona ngoJosefa, + zamthengisa eGibhithe. + Kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye, + 10 wamkhulula kuzo zonke izinsizi zakhe, wamenza wathola umusa futhi wabonisa ukuhlakanipha lapho ephambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Wambeka ukuba abuse iGibhithe nayo yonke indlu yakhe. + 11 Kodwa kwaba khona indlala kulo lonke iGibhithe neKhanani, yebo, usizi olukhulu, okhokho bethu babengakutholi ukudla. + 12 Kodwa uJakobe wezwa ukuthi kwakukhona ukudla* eGibhithe wayesethuma okhokho bethu okokuqala. + 13 Lapho beya khona okwesibili, uJosefa watshela abafowabo ukuthi ungubani, uFaro wawazi umndeni kaJosefa. + 14 Ngakho uJosefa wathumela umyalezo wabiza uyise uJakobe nazo zonke izihlobo zakhe kuleyo ndawo, + sebebonke babengu-75. + 15 Ngakho uJakobe wehlela eGibhithe, + washonela khona, + kanjalo nokhokho bethu. + 16 Bayiswa eShekemi, babekwa ethuneni u-Abrahama ayelithenge ngemali yesiliva emadodaneni kaHamori eShekemi. +

17 “Njengoba nje sisondela isikhathi sokugcwalisa isithembiso uNkulunkulu ayesimemezele ku-Abrahama, isizwe sakhula futhi sanda kakhulu eGibhithe, 18 kwaze kwaba yilapho kuvela enye inkosi eGibhithe, eyayingamazi uJosefa. + 19 Lena yasebenzisa ubuqili ohlangeni lwakithi, yaphoqa obaba ngokungafanele ukuba bachaye izinsana zabo engozini ukuze zingaphili. + 20 UMose wazalwa ngaleso sikhathi, wayemuhle emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.* Wanakekelwa* izinyanga ezintathu emzini kayise. + 21 Kodwa lapho abazali bakhe bephoqeleka ukuba bamlahle, + indodakazi kaFaro yamthatha yamkhulisa njengendodana yayo. + 22 Ngakho uMose wafundiswa kukho konke ukuhlakanipha kwabaseGibhithe. Eqinisweni, wayenamandla ngamazwi nangezenzo zakhe. +

23 “Lapho eba neminyaka engu-40, waba nesifiso* sokuvakashela* abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. + 24 Lapho ebona omunye wabo ephathwa kabi, wamvikela, waphindiselela lowo owayehlukunyezwa ngokubulala owaseGibhithe. 25 Wayecabanga ukuthi abafowabo babezoqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayebasindisa ngesandla sakhe, kodwa abazange bakuqonde lokho. 26 Ngosuku olulandelayo wabonakala kubo njengoba babelwa, wazama ukubahlanganisa ngokuthula, ethi: ‘Madoda, ningabandawonye. Kungani niphathana kabi?’ 27 Kodwa lowo owayephatha kabi umakhelwane wakhe wamsunduzela eceleni, ethi: ‘Ubani okwenze umbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu? 28 Ingabe ufuna ukungibulala ngendlela obulale ngayo owaseGibhithe izolo?’ 29 Lapho ezwa lokhu, uMose wabaleka wayohlala ezweni lakwaMidiyani njengesifiki, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili. +

30 “Lapho sekudlule iminyaka engu-40, ingelosi yabonakala kuye ehlane laseNtabeni iSinayi iselangabini lesihlahla sameva esivuthayo. + 31 Lapho uMose eyibona, wamangala ngalo mbono. Kodwa njengoba esondela ukuze awuhlole, kwezwakala izwi likaJehova* lithi: 32 ‘NginguNkulunkulu wokhokho benu, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama no-Isaka noJakobe.’ + UMose wathuthumela, akabange esaba nesibindi sokuqhubeka ahlole. 33 UJehova* wathi kuye: ‘Khumula izimbadada, ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingcwele. 34 Ngikubonile ngempela ukucindezeleka kwabantu bami abaseGibhithe, ngikuzwile ukububula kwabo + futhi ngehlele ukubakhulula. Manje woza, ngizokuthuma eGibhithe.’ 35 Yena lo Mose abamphika, bethi: ‘Ubani okwenze umbusi nomahluleli?’ + nguye kanye uNkulunkulu amthuma + njengombusi nanjengomkhululi esebenzisa ingelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni sameva. 36 Lo muntu wabahola wabakhipha, + wenza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso eGibhithe + nasoLwandle Olubomvu + nasehlane iminyaka engu-40. +

37 “Yilo Mose owathi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uyonivusela umprofethi onjengami phakathi kwabafowenu.’ + 38 Nguye lowo owaba phakathi kwebandla ehlane ekanye nengelosi + eyakhuluma naye + eNtabeni iSinayi nokhokho bethu, wamukela amazwi angcwele aphilayo ukuze asinike wona. + 39 Okhokho bethu benqaba ukumlalela, bamsunduzela eceleni, + ngezinhliziyo zabo babuyela eGibhithe, + 40 bethi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazohamba phambi kwethu. Ngoba asazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kulo Mose, owasihola wasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.’ + 41 Ngakho ngalezo zinsuku benza ithole, baletha umhlatshelo kuleso sithixo, baqala ukuzijabulisa ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo. + 42 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabayeka banikela inkonzo engcwele ebuthweni lasezulwini, + njengoba nje kulotshiwe encwadini yabaProfethi ukuthi: ‘Akumina enanimenzela iminikelo nemihlatshelo iminyaka engu-40 ehlane, akunjalo nina ndlu ka-Israyeli? 43 Kodwa namukela itende likaMoloki + nenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRefani, izithombe enazenza ukuze nizikhulekele. Ngenxa yalokho ngizonidingisela ngaphesheya kweBhabhiloni.’ +

44 “Okhokho bethu babenetende lobufakazi ehlane, njengoba nje uNkulunkulu ayala lapho ekhuluma noMose ukuba alenze ngokomklamo ayewubonile. + 45 Okhokho bethu balithatha, balingenisa noJoshuwa ezweni lezizwe, + lezo uNkulunkulu azixosha phambi kokhokho bethu. + Lahlala lapha kwaze kwaba izinsuku zikaDavide. 46 Wathola umusa emehlweni kaNkulunkulu, wacela imvume yokwakhela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe indawo yokuhlala. + 47 Kodwa nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu. + 48 Nokho, oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla, + njengoba nje umprofethi esho: 49 ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi, + umhlaba uyindawo yami yokubeka izinyawo. + Hlobo luni lwendlu eniyongakhela yona? kusho uJehova.* Noma, iphi indawo yami yokuphumula? 50 Yisandla sami esenza zonke lezi zinto, akunjalo?’ +

51 “Madoda anenkani nanezinhliziyo ezilukhuni nangalaleli, ngaso sonke isikhathi nimelana nomoya ongcwele; njengoba kwenza okhokho benu, nani nenza kanjalo. + 52 Yimuphi kubaprofethi okhokho benu abangazange bamshushise? + Yebo, bababulala labo abakumemezela kusengaphambili ukuza kolungile, + lowo nina eseninikele ngaye nambulala, + 53 nina enamukela uMthetho njengoba wawudluliselwa yizingelosi + kodwa nangawugcina.”

54 Lapho bezwa lezi zinto bathukuthela kakhulu* ezinhliziyweni, baqala ukumququdela amazinyo. 55 Kodwa yena, egcwele umoya ongcwele, wagqolozela ezulwini wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokudla sikaNkulunkulu, + 56 wathi: “Bhekani! Ngibona amazulu evulekile neNdodana yomuntu + imi ngakwesokudla sikaNkulunkulu.” + 57 Babe sebememeza kakhulu ngawo wonke amazwi abo, babeka izandla ezindlebeni zabo, bamthelekela kanye kanye. 58 Ngemva kokumkhiphela ngaphandle kwedolobha, baqala ukumshaya ngamatshe. + Ofakazi + babeka izingubo zabo zangaphandle ezinyaweni zensizwa okuthiwa uSawulu. + 59 Njengoba babemshaya ngamatshe uStefanu, wanxusa wathi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.” 60 Ngemva kwalokho, waguqa phansi, wakhala ngezwi elikhulu wathi: “Jehova,* ungababaleli lesi sono.” + Ngemva kokusho lokhu, wafa.