UPowula e-Efesu
1Kuthe u-Apolo asesengeKorinte, uPowula wadabula esifundeni seGalatiya neseFrigiya weza e-Efesu, lapha afumana khona abafundi. 2Wababuza wathi: “Namamukela uMoya oCwengileko lokha naniba makholwa na?”
Baphendula bathi: “Awa, akhange besizwe nokuzwa bona kukhona uMoya oCwengileko.”
3Nje-ke wababuza wathi: “Alo-ke umbhabhadiso enawufumanako ngonjani na?” Baphendula bathi: “Mbhabhadiso kaJwanisi.”
4UPowula wathi: “Umbhabhadiso kaJwanisi gade ungewokuphenduka, atjela abantu bona kufuze bakholwe kiloyo ozako ngemva kwakhe, okutjho uJesu.” 5Kwathi bona bezwe lokho, babhajadiswa ebizweni leKosi uJesu. 6Kuthe uPowula sele abeke izandla phezu kwabo behlelwa nguMoya oCwengileko bakhuluma ngeenlimi bebaphorofida. 7Sele baboke bebalitjhumi nambili.
8UPowula wangena ngesinagogini wakhuluma lapho ngesibindi iinyanga ezintathu aphikisana nabo ngokulinga ukubabonisa umbuso kaZimu. 9Kodwana lokha abanye babo nabathoma ukukhunyalala, bangafuni ukukholwa begodu bakhuluma kumbi ngeNdlela epepeneneni watjhida kibo wathatha nabafundi kanye naye. Imihla ngemihla bekabamba iinkulumo esikolweni sakaTiranusi. 10Lokho kwathatha iminyaka emibili, kangangobana zoke izakhamuzi ze-Asiya, amaJuda nabatjhili, zezwa ilizwi leKosi.
Amadodana kaSikeva
11UZimu wenza imikarisomraro engakajayeleki ngoPowula, 12kangangobana iinsagadugu nezambatho ekhe zamthinta zalethwa kwabagulako, ukugula kwabo bekusuka nemimoya emimbi iphuma kibo.
13Namanye amaJuda agade akhamba aqotjha amadimoni, nawo alinga ukusebenzisa ibizo leKosi uJesu phezu kwalabo ebebanemimoya emimbi. Bathi: “Ebizweni lakaJesu, uPowula atjhumayela ngaye, nginiyala bona niphume.” 14Abagade benza lokho bekumadodana alikhomba womphristi omkhulu omuJuda okuthiwa nguSikeva. 15Kodwana ummoya omumbi wawaphendula wathi kiwo: “Ngiyamazi uJesu begodu ngiyazi ngoPowula, kodwana nina nibobani na?”
16Nje-ke indoda enommoya omumbi yabeqela yabahlula ngamandla boke njalo. Baphuma sele babaleka ngendlinapho babhunubhunu begodu banamanceba. 17Kuthe lokho nakuzwakala kizo zoke izakhamuzi ze-Efesu okumaJuda nabatjhili, omunye nomunye wehlelwa kukwesaba, ibizo leKosi uJesu ladunyiswa. 18Abanengi balabo abakholwako beza bavuma izono ngokudalula imikhuba yabo. 19Inengi lalabo egade benza imilingo babutha iincwadi zabo, bazitjhisa phambi kwabantu baqalile. Kuthe nesele kuhlanganiswa inani leencwadi ezatjhako, kwafumaneka bona ziziimpaparwana zesiliva eziziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amahlanu. 20Ngendlela leyo ilizwi leKosi lakhula ngamandla, lahlula.
Isiphithiphithi e-Efesu
21Emva kobana sekwenzekile koke lokho, uPowula wazimisela emmoyeni bonyana adabule eMasedoniya ne-Arhaya kobana adundubale adlulele eJerusalema. Wathi: “Emva kobana ngidlulile lapho kufuze ngithekele neRoma.” 22Yeke wathumela abasizi bakhe ababili uThimothi no-Erasitusi eMasedoniya, yena wahlala isikhathi eside e-Asiya.
23Ngesikhatheso kwavuka isiphithiphithi esikhulu mayelana neNdlela.
24Indoda ethileko ekuthiwa nguDemetriyusi, ebumba imifanekiso ngesiliva neyakha amathempedlana wesiliva ka-Aritemisi, yangenisa inzuzo ekulu kibososino. 25Yababizela ndawonye kanye nabanye abanomsebenzi ofana newabo, yathi kibo: “Madoda, niyazi bona umnotho wethu uphuma emsebenzini lo. 26Manje nani niyabona beniyazizwela ngokwenu bona akusinge-Efesu kwaphela kodwana pheze i-Asiya loke, uPowula lo udukise abanengi ngokubatjela bona abozimu abenziwe ngezandla, akusibo abozimu bamambala. 27Nje-ke sekukhona ingozi ekulu, ingasi kwaphela bona lirhwebo lethu elizakulahlekelwa libizo lalo elihle, kodwana nokobana nethempeli lakazimukazi omkhulu u-Aritemisi lizokunyazwa begodu uzimukazi ngokwakhe, olotjhwa esifundeni se-Asiya nephasini loke, uzokululazeka isithunzi sakhe sobundlovukazi!”
28Kuthe bona bezwe lokho, bathukuthela bebarhuwelela, bathi: “Mkhulu u-Aritemisi we-Efesu!” 29Idorobho loke lazala ihlangahlangano, abantu badosa uGayusi no-Aristarirhusi okumaMasedoniya amabili agade akhamba noPowula, babasa ngendaweni yomboniso. 30UPowula wafuna ukungena hlangana nesiqubuthu, kodwana abafundi bamalela. 31Ngitjho neenkhulu zesifunda se-Asiya egade zibangani bakhe zathumela umlayezo zimncenga bona angalibhadi ngendaweni yomboniso. 32Isiqubuthu besihlangahlangene: Abanye barhuwelela lokhu, abanye barhuwelela okhunye ngombana inengi labo belingazi bona kuhlangenwe ngani. 33Abanye besiqubuthu barhuwelela imiyalo ku-Alekzandra ngombana nguye amaJuda ebegade amsunduzele phambili. Nje-ke yena waphakamisa isandla alinga ukuzivikela ebantwini. 34Kodwana kuthe bonyana balemuke bona umuJuda, barhuwelela boke okufanako ama-awara amabili bathi: “Omkhulu ngu-Aritemisi wama-Efesu!”
35Kodwana kuthe lokha usosiba wedorobho nasele athulise isiqubuthu, wathi: “Zakhamuzi ze-Efesu! Angithi woke uyazi bona idorobho le-Efesu lilibulungelo lethempeli laka-Aritemisi omkhulu nesithombe esakhithika sivela ezulwini. 36Yeke njengombana lokhu kuliqiniso elingaphikekiko nje, kumele nithule, ningenzi itshurhutshurhu. 37Nilethe amadoda la lapha, okungasiwo abadlelezeli bethempeli namkha abaphoqi bakazimukazi wethu.
38“Ngalokho nangabe uDemetriyusi nabososino abanaye banesililo nanoma ngobani, iinkundla zokugwebela zivulekile nabagwebi bakhona; abalethe iimangalo lapho. 39Kodwana nangabe kukhona enikufunako ngaphezu kwalokho enithanda ukukwazi, kufuze ilungiswe embizweni yezakhamuzi yangokomthetho. 40Nakungasinjalo sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngokuguruzela namhlanje ngombana asikho isizathu esingazilandulela ngaso ngesiphithiphithesi.”
41Emva kokutjho lokhu, waqeda umhlangano.
