ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
16 UPhawuli wafika eDebhe laseListra.+ Kuleyondawo kwakulomfundi okwakuthiwa nguThimothi.+ Wayeyindodana yowesifazana ongumJuda olikholwa kodwa uyise wayengumGrikhi. 2 Abazalwane beListra labe-Ikhoniyami babekhuluma kuhle ngaye. 3 UPhawuli waveza ukuthi wayelesifiso sokuhamba loThimothi, wasemthatha wamsoka ngenxa yamaJuda akulezondawo+ ngoba wonke ayesazi ukuthi uyise wayengumGrikhi. 4 Babehamba idolobho ngedolobho betshela abazalwane izinqumo ezazenziwe ngabaphostoli labadala eJerusalema ukuze bazilandele.+ 5 Yikho amabandla aqhubeka eqiniswa ekukholweni labazalwane besanda usuku ngosuku.
6 Badabula eFrigiya lasemangweni weGalathiya+ ngoba umoya ongcwele wawalile ukuthi bakhulume ilizwi esabelweni sase-Asiya. 7 Bathi befika eMisiya bazama ukungena eBhithiniya+ kodwa umoya kaJesu awubavumelanga. 8 Ngakho badlula* eMisiya, bayafika eTrowa. 9 UPhawuli wafikelwa ngumbono ebusuku, wabona indoda yeMakhedoniya imi imncenga isithi: “Chaphela ngapha eMakhedoniya usincede.” 10 Wathi esebone umbono lo sahle sazama ukuya eMakhedoniya sesiphethe ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wayesibizele ukuthi siyetshumayela izindaba ezinhle kubo.
11 Yikho sasuka eTrowa ngesikepe saqonda eSamotrake, kwasekusithi ngelanga elilandelayo saya eNiyapholi. 12 Sisuka lapho salubangisa eFiliphi,+ idolobho leRoma eliqakathekileyo esabelweni seMakhedoniya. Sahlala edolobheni lelo okwamalanga athile. 13 Ngelanga leSabatha saya ngaphandle kwegedi eceleni komfula, lapho esasicabanga ukuthi kulendawo yokuthandaza. Safika sahlala phansi saqalisa ukukhuluma labesifazana ababebuthene khonapho. 14 Kwakulowesifazana owayedabuka edolobheni leThiyathira+ okuthiwa nguLidiya owayelalele. Wayengumthengisi wamalembu ayibubende* futhi wayekhonza uNkulunkulu. UJehova* wayivula kakhulu inhliziyo yakhe ukuze amukele okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli. 15 Kwathi yena layehlala labo sebebhabhathiziwe,+ wasincenga wathi: “Nxa lingibona ngithembekile kuJehova,* wozani lizohlala endlini yami.” Sacina sihamba laye ngoba wayelokhu esincenga.
16 Sathi sisiya endaweni yokuthandaza sahlangana lenye intombazana eyincekukazi eyayilomoya, idimoni lokubonisa ngekusasa.+ Yayisenzela abanikazi bayo inzuzo enengi ngokutshela abantu okuzakwenzakala. 17 Intombazana le yayilokhu isilandela thina kanye loPhawuli imemeza isithi: “Amadoda la ayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke+ futhi khathesi atshumayela kini indlela yensindiso.” 18 Yaqhubeka isenza njalo okwamalanga amanengi. Ekucineni uPhawuli wadakeka, watshibilika wathi edimonini lelo: “Ngebizo likaJesu Khristu ngithi phuma kuye.” Idimoni lahle laphuma ngalesosikhathi.+
19 Abanikazi bathi bebona ukuthi ithemba labo lokuthola inzuzo laseliphelile,+ babamba uPhawuli loSila babahudulela kubabusi emakethe.+ 20 Bafika labo kubomantshi bathi: “Amadoda la aphambanisa idolobho lethu kakhulu.+ AngamaJuda 21 njalo afundisa amasiko okungekho emthethweni ukuthi thina siwamukele loba siwalandele, njengoba singamaRoma.” 22 Bonke abantu babavukela njalo omantshi bathi izigqoko zabo zidatshulwe futhi batshaywe ngemiqwayi.+ 23 Bathi sebebatshaye kanengi, babafaka ejele batshela umgcinijele ukuthi abalinde bangaphunyuki.+ 24 Esetshelwe lokho wabafaka esitokisini esiphakathi laphakathi kwejele, wabophela inyawo zabo emapulankeni amakhulu.
25 Kodwa phakathi kobusuku uPhawuli loSila babethandaza futhi behlabela bedumisa uNkulunkulu,+ izibotshwa zibalalele. 26 Khonokho nje kwaba lokuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, okwenza izisekelo zejele zanyikinyeka. Yonke iminyango yathi gwabu, amaketane akhululeka emuntwini wonke.+ 27 Umgcinijele wathi ephaphama wabona iminyango yejele ivulekile wasehwatsha inkemba yakhe efuna ukuzibulala, ecabanga ukuthi izibotshwa zasezibalekile.+ 28 Kodwa uPhawuli wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Ungazibulali ngoba sonke sikhona!” 29 Ngakho umgcinijele wacela izibane wahaluzela engena phakathi, eqhuqha engasazazi wafika wazilahla phansi phambi kukaPhawuli loSila. 30 Waphuma labo phandle wathi: “Madoda, kumele ngenzeni ukuze ngisindiswe?” 31 Bathi: “Kholwa eNkosini uJesu, uzasindiswa wena lalabo ohlala labo.”+ 32 Basebemtshela ilizwi likaJehova* njalo batshumayeza bonke ababesendlini yakhe. 33 Wabathatha ngalelohora ebusuku wabagezisa amanxeba. Yena labo bonke abendlu yakhe bahle babhabhathizwa.+ 34 Wabangenisa endlini yakhe wabafakela ukudla etafuleni njalo yena labo bonke ayehlala labo bathokoza kakhulu ngoba wayesekholwa kuNkulunkulu.
35 Sekusile omantshi bathuma abalindi ukuthi bayekuthi: “Khulula amadoda lawana.” 36 Umgcinijele watshela uPhawuli amazwi abo wathi: “Omantshi bathume amadoda ukuthi azolikhulula lina lobabili. Yikho phumani khathesi lizihambele ngokuthula.” 37 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi kubo: “Basibhaxabule phambi kwabantu singadliwanga licala* lanxa singamaRoma,+ basebesifaka ejele. Manje khathesi sebesikhulula ngudlu? Okungaqalwayo! Ababuye bona bazosikhipha.” 38 Abalindi babikela omantshi amazwi la. Omantshi besaba besizwa ukuthi uPhawuli loSila bangamaRoma.+ 39 Ngakho babuya bazobancenga, bathe sebebakhiphile babacela ukuthi basuke edolobheni lelo. 40 Kodwa bona baphuma ejele baya emzini kaLidiya njalo bathi bebona abazalwane babakhuthaza+ basebehamba.