ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
15 Kwafika amanye amadoda evela eJudiya aqalisa ukufundisa abazalwane esithi: “Nxa lingasokwanga njengoba uMthetho kaMosi usitsho,+ alisoze lisindiswe.” 2 Kodwa uPhawuli loBhanabha abazange bavumelane lawo njalo kwaba lokuphikisana. Kwasekuhlelwa ukuthi uPhawuli loBhanabha labanye bahambise udaba lolu* kubaphostoli labadala eJerusalema.+
3 Amadoda la aphelekezelwa libandla okomangwana aseqhubeka ngohambo. Adabula eFenikhiya leSamariya elandisa konke okuphathelane lokuguquka kwabantu bezinye izizwe. Lokhu kwenza bonke abazalwane bathokoza kakhulu. 4 Athi efika eJerusalema emukelwa kuhle libandla langabaphostoli kanye labadala, aselandisa izinto ezinengi uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngawo. 5 Kodwa abanye abeqembu labaFarisi abasebengamakholwa basukuma ezitulweni zabo bathi: “Kumele basokwe futhi balaywe ukuthi balandele uMthetho kaMosi.”+
6 Ngakho abaphostoli labadala bahlanganisa amakhanda ukuze bahluze udaba lolu. 7 Bathi sebexoxe kabanzi njalo* okwesikhathi eside ngodaba lolu, uPhetro wasukuma wathi kubo: “Madoda, bafowethu, likwazi mhlophe ukuthi kusukela ezinsukwini zokuqala uNkulunkulu wangikhetha phakathi kwenu ukuze abantu bezinye izizwe balizwe ngomlomo wami ilizwi lezindaba ezinhle bakholwe.+ 8 UNkulunkulu owazi inhliziyo+ wafakaza ngokubapha umoya ongcwele+ njengoba wayesiphile lathi 9 njalo waveza ukuthi awukho ngitsho umehluko phakathi kwethu labo,+ wahlambulula izinhliziyo zabo ngokholo.+ 10 Manje selimlingelani uNkulunkulu ngokugaxa entanyeni zabafundi ijogwe+ thina labokhokho bethu esehluleka ukulithwala?+ 11 Thina sikholwa ukuthi sisindiswa ngomusa omkhulu weNkosi uJesu+ futhi labo bayakukholwa ukuthi basindiswa ngawo.”+
12 Iqembu lonke lathi lisizwa lokhu lathula zwi, laselilalela uBhanabha loPhawuli belandisa ngezibonakaliso ezinengi lezimanga uNkulunkulu ayezenze ngabo ebantwini bezinye izizwe. 13 Sebeqedile ukukhuluma uJakhobe wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, ngilalelani. 14 USimiyoni+ usesilandisele konke okumayelana lokuthi uNkulunkulu wabakhumbula njani abezinye izizwe ukuze aqalise ukuthatha abantu bebizo lakhe phakathi kwabo.+ 15 Lamazwi abaPhrofethi ayavumelana lalokhu njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: 16 ‘Ngemva kwalezizinto ngizaphenduka ngilivuse futhi itende* likaDavida eseliwile njalo ngizawakha kutsha amanxiwa alo ngilivuselele, 17 ukuze abantu abaseleyo bamdinge ngenhliziyo yonke uJehova* belabantu bezizwe zonke, abantu ababizwa ngebizo lami, kutsho uJehova* owenza izinto lezi+ 18 ezivele zisaziwa kusukela endulo.’+ 19 Ngakho bengicabanga* ukuthi singabahluphi abavela kwezinye izizwe abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu,+ 20 kodwa sibabhalele ukuthi baxwaye izinto ezingcoliswe yizithombe,+ lokufeba,*+ lezinto eziklinyiweyo* kanye legazi.+ 21 Kusukela endulo abantu bebetshumayela ngoMosi kuwo wonke amadolobho futhi ngamasabatha wonke abantu bayabalelwa emasinagogeni izinto ezabhalwa nguMosi.”+
22 Abaphostoli labadala kanye lebandla lonke basebebona kungcono ukuthi bakhethe amanye amadoda phakathi kwabo ababengawathuma ukuthi ahambe loPhawuli loBhanabha e-Antiyokhi. Bathuma uJudasi owayebizwa ngokuthi nguBhasabha kanye loSila.+ Amadoda la ayekhokhela phakathi kwabazalwane. 23 Babhala incwadi bawaphathisa. Incwadi leyo yayisithi:
“Ivela kubafowenu, abaphostoli labadala. Kini bafowethu be-Antiyokhi+ leSiriya leKhilikhiya, elingabezinye izizwe: Siyalibingelela! 24 Njengoba sesizwile ukuthi kulabanye abantu abasuke lapha bazolidalela uhlupho khonangapho ngalokho abakutshoyo+ bezama ukuliphambula, befundisa izinto esingabatshelanga zona, 25 sesivumelene senza isinqumo sokuthi sikhethe amadoda siwathume kini elabathandekayo bethu, uBhanabha loPhawuli, 26 amadoda adele impilo zawo ngenxa yebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu.+ 27 Ngakho sithuma uJudasi loSila ukuze labo balitshele izinto ezisencwadini le.+ 28 Kubonakale kufanele emoyeni ongcwele+ lakithi ukungalingezeleli omunye umthwalo ngaphandle kwalezizinto eziqakathekileyo, 29 ukuthi liqhubeke lixwaya izinto ezinikelwe ezithombeni,+ lixwaya legazi,+ lezinto eziklinyiweyo*+ kanye lokufeba.*+ Nxa lingaqhubeka lizibalekela lezizinto, lizaphumelela. Libe lempilakahle!”*
30 Kwathi amadoda la esetshelwe ukuthi ahambe, ehla aya e-Antiyokhi afika abuthanisa bonke abafundi abanika incwadi. 31 Bathi sebeyibalile bathokoza ngoba yayikhuthaza. 32 Njengoba uJudasi loSila labo babengabaphrofethi, bakhuthaza abazalwane ngamazwi amanengi babaqinisa.+ 33 Amadoda la athi eseke ahlala isikhathi avalelisa, abazalwane bawafisela uhambo oluhle asebuyela kulabo ababewathumile. 34 *—— 35 Kodwa uPhawuli loBhanabha basala e-Antiyokhi befundisa njalo betshumayela izindaba ezinhle zelizwi likaJehova* belabanye abanengi.
36 Ngemva kwensuku ezithile uPhawuli wathi kuBhanabha: “Asibuyele siyevakatshela abafowethu kuwo wonke amadolobho esatshumayela kuwo ilizwi likaJehova* siyebona ukuthi banjani.”+ 37 UBhanabha wayezimisele ukuthi bahambe loJohane owayebizwa ngokuthi nguMakho.+ 38 Kodwa uPhawuli wayengavumelani lokuthi bahambe laye ngoba wayebatshiyile ePhamfiliya wangahambi labo emsebenzini.+ 39 Baphikisana kwaba luthuli bacina besehlukana. UBhanabha+ wasethatha uMakho baya eKhuphro ngesikepe, 40 uPhawuli yena wakhetha uSila. Abazalwane bathi sebenikele uPhawuli emuseni omkhulu kaJehova,*+ wasuka wahamba. 41 Wadabula eSiriya leKhilikhiya eqinisa amabandla.