IzEnzo ZabaPhostoli 17:1-34
17 Bahamba badabula i-Amfipholi ne-Apholoniya bafika eThesalonika, + lapho kwakukhona khona isinagoge lamaJuda.
2 Ngakho ngokwenqubo yakhe, uPawulu, + waya kubo ngaphakathi, wabonisana nabo ngemiBhalo + amasabatha amathathu,
3 echaza futhi ebonisa ngezinto ezilotshiwe ukuthi kwakudingekile ukuba uKristu ahlupheke + futhi avuke kwabafile, + ethi: “Lona nguye uKristu, lo Jesu engimmemezela kini.”
4 Ngenxa yalokho, abanye kubo baba amakholwa, bazihlanganisa noPawulu noSila, + kanye noquqaba olukhulu lwamaGreki olwalukhonza uNkulunkulu, nabaningana kwabesifazane abavelele benza kanjalo.
5 Kodwa amaJuda, eba nomona, *+ aqoqela ndawonye amadoda athile akhohlakele ayezulazula emakethe akha iviyo, benza kwaba nesiyaluyalu edolobheni. Bahlasela umuzi kaJasoni befuna ukuba uPawulu noSila balethwe phambi kweviyo.
6 Lapho bengabatholi, bahudulela uJasoni nabanye abazalwane babayisa kubabusi bedolobha, bememeza bethi: “La madoda adale izinkinga yonke indawo asefikile nalapha, +
7 uJasoni uwamukele aba izivakashi zakhe. Wonke la madoda enza izinto eziphikisana nezinqumo zikaKhesari, ethi kukhona enye inkosi, uJesu.” +
8 Lapho bezwa lezi zinto, isixuku nababusi bedolobha bakhathazeka;
9 ngemva kokuthatha imali yebheyili* kuJasoni nabanye, babadedela.
10 Lapho nje kuba sebusuku, abazalwane bathumela uPawulu noSila eBhereya. Lapho befika khona, baya esinagogeni lamaJuda.
11 Laba babenengqondo enhle kunabaseThesalonika, ngoba bamukela izwi ngengqondo enokulangazela okukhulu, behlola ngokucophelela imiBhalo nsuku zonke ukuze bathole ukuthi zinjalo yini lezi zinto.
12 Ngakho abaningi kubo baba amakholwa, kwaba njalo nangabaningana kwabesifazane abangamaGreki abanedumela elihle namanye amadoda.
13 Kodwa lapho amaJuda aseThesalonika ezwa ukuthi uPawulu wayememezela izwi likaNkulunkulu naseBhereya, aya khona ukuze abaxabanise nesixuku. +
14 Ngokushesha abazalwane babe sebethumela uPawulu olwandle, + kodwa uSila noThimothewu basala lapho.
15 Nokho, labo ababephelezela uPawulu bahamba naye baze bafika e-Athene, bahamba ngemva kokuthola iziqondiso ezithi uSila noThimothewu + kufanele beze kuPawulu ngokushesha okukhulu.
16 Ngesikhathi uPawulu esabalindile e-Athene, wacasuka lapho ebona ukuthi idolobha ligcwele izithixo.
17 Ngakho wabonisana namaJuda esinagogeni kanye nabanye abantu ababekhonza uNkulunkulu emakethe nsuku zonke nalabo okwakwenzeka babe khona.
18 Kodwa ezinye izazi zefilosofi ezingama-Epikhuru nezingamaStoyiku zaphikisana naye, ezinye zazithi: “Ufuna ukuthini lo muntu okhulumela safuthi?” Abanye bethi: “Kubonakala sengathi umemezela onkulunkulu bezinye izizwe.” Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi wayememezela izindaba ezinhle zikaJesu novuko. +
19 Ngakho bambamba bamyisa e-Areyophagu, bethi: “Ungasitshela ukuthi iyini le mfundiso entsha okhuluma ngayo?
20 Ngoba usitshela izinto ezintsha esingazazi, sifuna ukwazi ukuthi zisho ukuthini lezi zinto.”
21 Eqinisweni, bonke abase-Athene nabezinye izizwe ababehlala* lapho babechitha isikhathi sabo sokuphumula bengenzi lutho ngaphandle kokuxoxa noma ukulalela okuthile okusha.
22 UPawulu wabe esema phakathi kwe-Areyophagu + wathi:
“Madoda ase-Athene, ngiyabona ukuthi kukho konke nibonakala nesaba onkulunkulu* kakhulu kunabanye abantu. +
23 Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi ngidlula futhi ngibukisisa izinto enizikhonzayo,* ngithole ne-altare okuqoshwe kulo ukuthi ‘Kunkulunkulu Ongaziwa.’ Ngakho, lokho eningakwazi enikukhonzayo, yikho engikumemezela kini.
24 UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, iNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, + akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla; +
25 futhi akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu njengokungathi kukhona akudingayo, + ngoba yena ngokwakhe unika bonke abantu ukuphila nomoya + nazo zonke izinto.
26 Ngomuntu oyedwa + wenza ukuba zonke izizwe zabantu zihlale emhlabeni, + wanquma izikhathi ezimisiwe nendawo okuzohlala kuyo abantu, +
27 ukuze zifune uNkulunkulu, uma zingamfunisisa futhi zimthole ngempela, + nakuba eqinisweni engekude kulowo nalowo kithi.
28 Ngoba ngaye siyaphila, siyanyakaza futhi sikhona, njengoba nje nezinye izimbongi zakini zishilo zathi, ‘Sonke siyizingane* zakhe.’
29 “Ngakho njengoba siyizingane* zikaNkulunkulu, + akufanele sicabange ukuthi uMuntu Waphezulu unjengegolide noma isiliva noma itshe, njengokuthile okuqoshwe ngobuciko noma okuthile okwenziwe umuntu. +
30 Yiqiniso, uNkulunkulu uye wangazinaka izikhathi zokungazi okunjalo; + kodwa manje umemezela kubo bonke abantu kuyo yonke indawo ukuthi kufanele baphenduke.
31 Ngoba umise usuku ahlose ukwahlulela ngalo + abantu abasemhlabeni ngokulunga ngomuntu ammisile, wamvusa lo muntu kwabafile, ngokwenza kanjalo eqinisekisa bonke abantu ukuthi lolo suku luzofika nakanjani.” +
32 Lapho bezwa ngovuko lwabafile, abanye baqala ukuhleka usulu, + kuyilapho abanye bethi: “Sizobuye sikulalele ngesinye isikhathi.”
33 Ngakho uPawulu wabashiya,
34 kodwa abanye abantu bazihlanganisa naye baba amakholwa. Kubo kwakukhona noDiyonisiyu, owayengumahluleli wenkantolo yase-Areyophagu, nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguDamari, kanye nabanye ngaphandle kwabo.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “athukuthela.”
^ Noma, “eyisibambiso.”
^ Noma, “ababevakashe.”
^ Noma, “nithanda inkolo.”
^ Noma, “enizihloniphayo.”
^ Noma, “siyinzalo.”
^ Noma, “siyinzalo.”
