USawula Uzingela Amakholwa
1USawula wayevumelene nabo ngokuthi akabulawe. Ngalolo lusuku kwaba nokuhlushwa kwebandla okukhulu eJerusalema. Abazalwane bonke bahlakazekela ezifundeni eJudiya naseSamariya; kwasala abaphostoli kuphela. 2Amadoda akholwayo amngcwaba uStefani, amkhalela isililo esikhulu. 3Kodwa uSawula walichitha ibandla, engena izindlu ngezindlu, ehudula abesilisa nabesifazane; ebafaka ejele.
UFiliphu Ushumayela ESamariya
4Abahlakazekileyo bahamba beshumayela izwi levangeli. 5UFiliphu wehlela emzini eSamariya, wabashumayeza uKhristu. 6Izixuku zalalela nganhliziyonye okwakushiwo nguFiliphu, zizwa, futhi zibona izibonakaliso ayezenza. 7Kwaphuma imimoya engcolileyo kwabaningi ababenayo, iphuma imemeza ngezwi elikhulu. Kwaphiliswa abaningi abafe uhlangothi, nabayizinyonga. 8Kwakukhona ukuthokoza okukhulu kulowo muzi.
USimoni Oyisanusi
9Kwakukhona indoda ethile igama layo kunguSimoni, eyayikade yenza imilingo kulowo muzi, imangalisa abantu abaningi baseSamariya, izishaya umuntu omkhulu. 10Babemnaka bonke, kusukela kwabancane kuya kwabadala, bethi: “Lo ungamandla kaNkulunkulu abizwa ngokuthi Makhulu.”
11Babemnakile ngoba isikhathi eside wayebamangalisa ngemilingo yakhe ayenzayo. 12Kepha kwathi ukuba bakholwe yivangeli elashunyayelwa nguFiliphu ngombuso kaNkulunkulu nangegama likaJesu uKhristu, babhabhadiswa abesilisa nabesifazane. 13USimoni naye wakholwa; esebhabhadisiwe wamlandela uFiliphu, emangaliswa izibonakaliso nemisebenzi emikhulu yamandla eyayenzeka.
14Kuthe lapho abaphostoli eJerusalema sebezwile ukuthi abaseSamariya balemukele izwi likaNkulunkulu, bathumela kubo uPhethro noJohane. 15Kuthe sebefikile, babakhulekela ukuba bamukele uMoya oNgcwele, 16ngokuba wayengakehleli nakoyedwa kubo, kodwa babebhabhadiswe egameni leNkosi uJesu kuphela. 17Ngakho-ke babeka izandla phezu kwabo, base bemukela uMoya oNgcwele.
18Kepha uSimoni, esebonile ukuthi ngokubekwa kwezandla zabaphostoli abantu bemukela uMoya, waletha imali kubo, 19wathi: “Ngipheni nami leli gunya ukuze yilowo nalowo engibeka izandla phezu kwakhe, amukele uMoya oNgcwele.”
20Kepha uPhethro wathi kuye: “Isiliva lakho malibhubhe kanye nawe, ngokuba ucabanga ukuthi isipho sikaNkulunkulu singathengwa ngemali. 21Awunasabelo nalifa kuleli lizwi, ngokuba inhliziyo yakho ayilungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 22Ngakho-ke phenduka kulobu bubi, ukhuleke eNkosini, hleze ikuthethelele umdlinzo wenhliziyo yakho, 23ngokuba ngiyabona ukuthi ugcwele umona futhi uyisigqila sobubi.”
24USimoni wayesephendula ethi: “Nginxuseleni nina eNkosini, ukuze ngingehlelwa yilokho enikushilo.”
25Kuthe sebefakazile, balikhuluma izwi leNkosi, base bebuyela eJerusalema, bashumayela ivangeli emizaneni eminingi yabaseSamariya.
Ukuphenduka Kwenduna Yase-Etopiya
26Ingelosi yeNkosi yakhuluma kuFiliphu, yathi: “Suka uye ngaseningizimu, endleleni ephuma eJerusalema yehlele eGaza, le ndawo iyihlane.”
27Wasuka-ke wahamba. Wase ebona indoda yase-Etopiya, umthenwa, isikhulu sikaKhandakhe, indlovukazi yase-Etopiya, eyayengamele yonke ingcebo yendlovukazi. Yayikade ize eJerusalema ukuzokhuleka. 28Isibuyela emuva, yayihleli enqoleni yayo, ifunda umphrofethi u-Izaya. 29UMoya wathi kuFiliphu. “Sondela, uhambisane nale nqola.”
30UFiliphu wagijima wasondela kuyo, wayizwa ifunda umphrofethi u-Izaya, wayesethi kuyo: “Uyakuqonda yini lokho okufundayo na?”
31Yona yathi: “Ngingakuqonda kanjani, uma kungekho ongichasisela khona?”
Yayisimnxusa uFiliphu ukuba agibele enqoleni ahlale nayo. 32Kepha isahlukwana sombhalo eyayisifunda yilesi esithi:
“Njengewundlu liyiswa ekuhlatshweni,
nanjengemvu ithule phambi komgundi wayo,
akawuvulanga umlomo wakhe.
33Ekudunyazweni kwayo,
ukwehlulelwa kwakhe kwasuswa.
Ngubani oyakulanda ngesizukulwane sakhe na?
Ngokuba ukuphila kwakhe kuyasuswa emhlabeni.”
34Umthenwa wathi kuFiliphu: “Ngiyacela, umphrofethi ukukhuluma ngobani lokhu? Ngabe uzisho yena noma ukhuluma ngomunye na?”
35UFiliphu wakhuluma naye, eqala kulowo mbhalo; wamshumayeza ivangeli ngoJesu.
36Besahamba endleleni, bafika emanzini. Umthenwa wathi: “Nanka phela amanzi; kwalani ukuba ngibhabhadiswe na?”
37UFiliphu wathi kuye: “Uma ukholwa ngenhliziyo yonke, kungenziwa.”
Waphendula wathi: “Ngiyakholwa ukuthi uJesu uKhristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
38Wayeseyala ukuba ime inqola. Umthenwa noFiliphu behla baya emanzini, uFiliphu wayesembhabhadisa umthenwa. 39Kuthe sebephumile emanzini, uMoya weNkosi wamhlwitha uFiliphu, umthenwa akabe esambona, kodwa waqhubeka nohambo lwakhe ethokozile. 40Kepha uFiliphu wafunyanwa e-Azothu, ehamba eshumayela ivangeli kuyo yonke imizi, waze wayofika eKhesariya.
