IzEnzo Zabapostoli
19 Kuthe lokha u-Apholo+ aseKorinte, uPowula wadlula eemfundeni eziphakathi kwenarha leyo wehlela e-Efesu.+ Lapho wafumana abanye abafundi 2 wathi kibo: “Nawufumana ummoya ocwengileko lokha naniba makholwa na?”+ Bathi kuye: “Akhenge khesizwe nokobana kunommoya ocwengileko.” 3 Yeke wathi: “Alo-ke nabhajadiswa ngaliphi ibhabhadiso?” Bathi: “Ngebhabhadiso lakaJwanisi.”+ 4 UPowula wathi: “UJwanisi wabhabhadisa ngebhabhadiso elilitshwayo lokutjhuguluka,+ atjela abantu ukuthi bakholwe kiloyo oza ngemva kwakhe,+ okunguJesu.” 5 Nabezwa lokhu, babhajadiswa egameni leKosi uJesu. 6 UPowula nakababeka izandla, ummoya ocwengileko wehlela phezu kwabo+ bathoma ukukhuluma ngamanye amalimi begodu baphorofida.+ 7 Baboke bebamadoda angaba li-12.
8 Wangena esinagogeni+ wakhuluma ngesibindi iinyanga ezintathu, athula iinkulumo, akhuluma nangendlela ekholwekako ngomBuso kaZimu.+ 9 Kodwana kwathi abanye nabala ngekani ukukholwa, bakhuluma kumbi ngeNdlela+ phambi kwesiqubuthu, wasuka kibo+ wathatha nabafundi, wethula iinkulumo qobe langa ewolweni lesikolo sakaTiranusi. 10 Lokhu kwaraga iminyaka emibili, ukwenzela bona boke abahlala esifundeni se-Asiya bezwe ilizwi leKosi, kokubili amaJuda namaGirigi.
11 UZimu wasolo enza imisebenzi yamandla engakajayeleki ngezandla zakaPowula+ 12 kangangobana ngitjho amatjhila nezambatho ezithinte umzimbakhe bezisiwa ebantwini abagulako+ baphole, nemimoya emimbi iphume.+ 13 Kodwana amanye amaJuda ebekakhambakhamba lapho aqotha amadimoni nawo alinga ukusebenzisa igama leKosi uJesu kilabo ebebanemimoya emimbi; athi: “Ngegama lakaJesu uPowula atjhumayela ngaye ngikuyala bona uphume.”+ 14 Bekunamadodana alikhomba womphristi omkhulu omJuda igama lakhe linguSikeva ebekenza lokhu. 15 Kodwana ummoya omumbi wawaphendula wathi kiwo: “Ngiyamazi uJesu+ begodu ngimjayele noPowula,+ nina nibobani?” 16 Indoda enommoya omumbi leyo yabeqela, yawahlula ngokulandelana kwawo, yathumba, kangangobana aphuma endlini leyo angakambathi begodu alimele. 17 Woke amaJuda namaGirigi ahlala e-Efesu ezwa ngalokho; afikelwa kukwesaba, igama leKosi uJesu laragela phambi liphazinyuliswa. 18 Abantu abanengi ababa makholwa bebeza bavume izono, babike nezenzo zabo tjhatjhalazi. 19 Abanengi balabo ebebenza imilingo baletha iincwadi zabo bazitjhisa phambi kwawo woke umuntu.+ Babala intengo yazo, kwafumaniseka ukuthi ilingana neenhlavu zesiliva ezizii-50 000. 20 Ilizwi lakaJehova* laragela phambili likhula begodu lithumba ngendlela enamandla.+
21 Ngemva kobana lokhu kwenzekile, uPowula waqunta ukuthi ngemva kokuya eMasedoniya+ ne-Akhaya, uzokuya eJerusalema.+ Wathi: “Nangifika lapho, kufuze ngiyokubona neRoma.”+ 22 Yeke wathumela abasizi bakhe ababili uThimothi+ no-Erasitusi+ eMasedoniya kodwana yena wahlala isikhatjhana esifundeni se-Asiya.
23 Ngesikhatheso kwavuka isiphithiphithi esikhulu+ malungana neNdlela.+ 24 Ngombana indoda ethileko igama layo linguDemetriyusi umenzi wezinto zesiliva, obekenza amathempedlana ka-Aritemisi ngesiliva, bekalethela iinsebenzi zobukghwari inzuzo enengi.+ 25 Wababizela ndawonye kunye nalabo ebebasebenza ngezinto ezinjalo wathi: “Madoda, nazi kuhle ukuthi umnothwethu uvela erhwebeneli. 26 Nje-ke niyazibonela begodu niyazizwela, ingasi e-Efesu+ kwaphela kodwana pheze kiso soke isifunda se-Asiya, ukuthi uPowula lo wenze isiqubuthu esikhulu sakholwa wasiphambukisela komunye umbono, wathi abozimu abenziwe ngezandla abasibozimu bamambala.+ 27 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ingozi ekhona akusikukobana irhwebo lethweli lizokunyefulwa kwaphela kodwana nokuthi ithempeli lakazimukazi omkhulu u-Aritemisi lizokuqalwa njengelingatjho litho, uzimukazi olotjhwa kiso soke isifunda se-Asiya nephasini loke uzokulahlekelwa sithunzi sakhe.” 28 Abantwaba nabezwa lokhu basilingeka khulu, barhuwelela bathi: “Mkhulu u-Aritemisi wama-Efesu!”
29 Idorobho lahlangahlangana, boke bagijimela ethiyetha,* barhudula labo ebebakhamba noPowula uGayusi no-Aristakusi+ beMasedoniya. 30 UPowula bekazimisele ukungena phakathi ebantwini kodwana abafundi akhenge bamvumele. 31 Ngitjho nabanye abahleli beminyanya nemidlalo ebebamthanda bamthumela umlayezo bamrabhela bona angalibhadi ethiyetha. 32 Eqinisweni abanye bebarhuwelela lokhu, abanye barhuwelela okhunye ngombana umhlangano bewunesiphithiphithi begodu abanengi babo bebangazi nokuthi bahlanganeleni. 33 Yeke bakhupha u-Alekzandra esiqubuthwini, amaJuda amsunduzela phambili, u-Alekzandra watjengisa ngesandla sakhe ukuthi ufuna ukuzikhulumela ebantwini. 34 Kodwana nabalemuka ukuthi mJuda, boke bathoma ukurhuwelela kanye kanye pheze ama-iri amabili bathi: “Mkhulu u-Aritemisi wama-Efesu!”
35 Emaswapheleni umphathi wedorobho nasele athulise isiqubuthu wathi: “Bantu be-Efesu, ngubani ebantwini ongaziko ukuthi idorobho le-Efesu limtlhogomeli wethempeli laka-Aritemisi omkhulu nowesithombe esiwe sivela ezulwini? 36 Njengombana izintwezi zingeze zaphikwa, kufuze nehlise ummoya ningenzi izinto ngokurhaba. 37 Ngombana nilethe amadoda la lapha begodu awasibadlelezeli bethempeli namkha abahlambalazi bakazimukazi wethu. 38 Yeke nangabe uDemetriyusi+ neensebenzi zobukghwari ezikunye naye bafuna ukumangalela othileko, amalanga wekhotho nabondunakulu besifunda bakhona; abamangalelane khonapho. 39 Kodwana nanifuna okungaphezu kwalokho, kufuze kuquntwe emhlanganweni ojayelekileko. 40 Sisengozini yokupharwa ngomlandu wokuvukela umbuso ngendaba yanamhlanjesi le njengombana lingekho ibanga esingalibeka lesiqubuthu esihlangahlangenekwesi.” 41 Ngemva kokutjho lokhu, waqeda umhlangano.