Isiphithiphithi seThesalonika
1Kuthe uPowula noSilasi sebadabule e-Amfipolisi ne-Apoloniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapha bekukhona isinagogi lamaJuda. 2Njengesiqhelo sakhe, uPowula wangena ngesinagogini waphikisana nawo ngemitlolo ecwengileko amaSabatha amathathu ngokulandelana; 3ahlathulula awabonisa kiyo bona uKrestu bekufanele afe abuye avuke godu kabafileko, asithi: “UJesu lo engikhuluma ngaye kini, kazi nguKrestu.” 4Amanye amaJuda akholwa abe alandela uPowula noSilasi. Senza njalo nesiqubuthu esikhulu samaGirigi ebegade esaba uZimu kanye nabafazi abanesithunzi abangasibancani ngesibalo.
5Kodwana amaJuda aba nomona, abuthelela etatawini isiqhema sabolova abumba isitlamu kobana avuse umguruguru edorobheni. Isitlameso sasahlela indlu kaJasoni, sazumana noPowula noSilasi kobana sibakhuphele phambi kwewoma labantu. 6Kuthe amaJuda nakangabafumaniko, adosela uJasoni nabanye abazalwana phambi kweenkhulu zedorobho, arhuwelela athi: “Amadoda la enze umonakalo iphaseli loke nje, njesi sele afike nalapha. 7UJasoni ubamukele endlinakhe. Boke baphula imithetho yombusi omkhulu, ngokuthi batjho kukhona enye ikosi, ibizo layo nguJesu.”
8Ngokuzwa lokho isitlamu neenkhulu zedorobho zavungama. 9Ngemva kobana iinkhulu zithethe imali yehlawulo kuJasoni nakabanye zabalisa bakhamba.
UPowula noSilasi eBheriya
10Kuthe bona kurhwaqele, abazalwana bathumela uPowula noSilasi eBheriya. Ekufikeni kwabo lapho baya ngesinagogini lamaJuda. 11Abantu balapho bebakhanyelwe khulu kunabantu beThesalonika; nje-ke bamukela ilizwi ngokuzimisela okukhulu begodu bahlolisisa imitlolo malanga woke kobana zinjalo izintwezo na. 12Inengi lamaJuda lakholwa; ukufaka phakathi abafazi bamaGirigi abanesithunzi namadoda amanengi wamaGirigi.
13Kuthe lokha amaJuda weThesalonika nakezwa bona uPowula utjhumayela ilizwi lakaZimu eBheriya, nawo eza lapho kobana azokunyakazisa abe aphehle isiqubuthu. 14Khonokho abazalwana bathumela uPowula eligwini lelwandle kodwana uSilasi noThimothi basala. 15Amadoda abekakhamba noPowula amphekelela amfikisa e-Athene; abuyela emuva nomlayezo othi uSilasi noThimothi kufuze bamlandele msinyazana.
UPowula e-Athene
16Kwathi uPowula, asabalindele e-Athene, wadana kwamambala ukubona idorobho lizele iinthombe zabosingazimu. 17Yeke waphikisana namaJuda namaGirigi esaba uZimu ngesinagogini. Wenza njalo woke amalanga nebantwini ebebafunyaneka ematatawini. 18Godu nezinye izazi zama-Ephikuru namaSitoyika zaphikisana naye. Abanye bathi: “Ongazizwako lo uzama ukuthini na?” Abanye baphawula bathi: “Kwangathi utjhumayela abosingazimu abatjhili.” Lokhu bakutjho ngombana bekatjhumayela ivangeli ngoJesu nokuvuka kwabafileko. 19Nje-ke bamthatha bamusa phambi kwehlangano ye-Areyophagusi bathi: “Ungakhese usihlathululele bona iyini ifundiso etja oyikhulumako le? 20Izinto ozikhulumakwezi, ziyasirara thina; yeke besithanda ukuzazi bona zitjho ukuthini.” 21(Woke ama-Athene nabaqhamuki abahlala lapho bebangazilibazisi ngalitho ngaphandle kokukhuluma nokuzwa izinto ezitja.)
22Nje-ke uPowula wasikima phambi kwehlangano ye-Areyophagusi wathi: “Madoda we-Athene, ngiyabona bonyana nikholwe khulu ngazo zoke iindlela. 23Kuthe nangikhambakhambako ngiqala eendaweni lapha nithandazela khona, ngifumene kujame i-aldari litlolwe lathi, ‘NgelakaZimu ongaziwako.’ Nje-ke lokho enikukhonza ningakwazi, ngikho engikutjhumayelako kini. 24UZimu obumbe iphasi nakho koke okukilo, oyiKosi yezulu nephasi, akahlali ngemathempelini akhiwe babantu. 25Begodu akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu inga udinga ilitho ngombana nguye opha koke okuphilako ipilo, umphefumulo nezinto zoke. 26Ngomuntu oyedwa wadala zoke izizwe kobana zihlale ebusweni balo loke iphasi. Wazibeka iinkhathi zokuphila kwazo waziquntela nemikhawulo lapha zizakuhlala khona. 27Wakwenza lokho ukuze zimfune, mhlamunye zingamfunyana lokha nazimfunako, nanyana angasikude ngitjho nakubani wethu. 28Ngaye siyaphila, siyakhambakhamba begodu sikhona, njengombana abanye beembongi zenu batjhwile bona,
“ ‘Nathi siziinzukulwana zakhe.’
29“Yeke, njengombana siziinzukulwana zakaZimu, asikafaneli sidlumbane bonyana ubuZimu bufana negolide namkha isiliva nanyana ilitje eliqandulwe ngobuhlakani nelwazi lomuntu obhubhako. 30Ngalokho uZimu wathalalisa iinkhathi zokungazi, kodwana kwanjesi uyayala bonyana kuphi nakuphi abantu boke baphenduke 31ngombana sele abeke ilanga azokugweba ngalo iphasi ngokulunga ngaloyo amkhethileko. Ngalokho ukukhombisile ngokwenza isiqiniseko sokumvusa kabafileko.”
32Kuthe nabezwa ngokuvuka kwabafileko, abanye bamtshima, kodwana abanye bathi: “Sizakubuya sikulalele godu ngalokho.”
33Yeke uPowula wabasukela, wakhamba. 34Kodwana abanye babo bamnamathela babamakholwa, sekubalwa nomAreyophagusi uDiyonisiyosi nomfazi okuthiwa nguDamarisi nabanye kanye nabo.
