IZENZO ZABAPOSTOLI 27

₁Kwathi bonyana kuquntwe bona kufuze sithayele eTariyana, basa uPowula nezinye iimbotjhwa kuJuliyasi umphathimabutho wombusi. ₂Sakhwela umkhumbi we-Adramitheno, ogade sewulungele ukusuka uye eligwini lelwandle e-Asiya, sathaya sakhamba siphekelelwa ngu-Aristarirhusi weMasedoniya ovela eThesalonika. ₃Ngelanga elilandelako safika eTsidoni; uJuliyasi waphatha uPowula kuhle, wamvumela bona ayokubona abangani bakhe, bamnikela lokho akufunako. ₄Sasuka lapho, sathayela ngehlangothini elivikeliweko leSayipurasi ngombana ummoya gade uphambene nathi. ₅Sadlulela elwandle eligudle indawo yeSilisiya nePhamfiliya, safika eMira ngeLisiya. ₆Lapho-ke umphathimabutho wafumana umkhumbi ovela e-Alekzandriya usiya eTariyana, wasikhweza kiwo.

₇Sathaya kancani amalanga amanengi ngobudisi obukhulu ukufika malungana neKinidu. Ummoya gade uphambene nathi; yeke, sathayela ngehlangothini elivikeliweko lesihlengeleni seKrete malungana neSalimone. ₈Sadlula lapho ngobudisi obukhulu besafika endaweni ekuthiwa siTjhaphululo esiHle eduze nedorobho leLaseya.

₉Njengombana besele kulahleke isikhathi esinengi nokuthaya bese kuyingozi ngombana nesikhathi sokuzila ukudla besele siphelile, uPowula wabayelelisa ₁₀wathi: “Madoda, ngiyabona ikhambo lethu lizokuba nengozi nomonakalo omkhulu, kungabi ngowepahla nomkhumbi kwaphela kodwana nepilwethu isengozini.” ₁₁Kodwana umphathimabutho walalela umpathimkhumbi nomninimkhumbi kunokulalela lokho okutjhiwo nguPowula. ₁₂Njengombana iligu bekungasiyo indawo elungele ukuhlala ebusika, inengi labona kungcono ukusuka lapho liye elwandle, lilinge ukufika eFinikisi, kuhlalwe khona ubusika boke. Leli bekuliligu leKrete eliqale esewula-tjingalanga netlhagu-tjingalanga.

₁₃Kwathi isewula isathoma ukuphephetha kuhle, badlumbana bona bangafikelela ibanga labo; yeke bakhuphula i-ankera bathoma ukuthayela eduze neligu leKrete. ₁₄Kodwana khonokho kwavunguza ummoya ovela ngetlhagwini-pumalanga ebekuthiwa yi-Ewurakiloni, waphephetha wehla ukusukela enarheni. ₁₅Ummoya wadudula umkhumbi wangasakghona ukujika uqalane nawo, yeke sawulisa bona usunduzwe mumoya. ₁₆Sesibalekele endaweni evikelekileko yesihlengele esincani ekuthiwa yiKhawuda, saphumelela kanzima ukulawula umkhunjana wokusindisa. ₁₇Sele bawukhwezile bathatha iintambo bawubophelela emkhunjini, besaba bona bangahle baphephukele emgwedlweni wetjhwabatjhwaba yeSiritisi; ngalokho behlisa iinlawulamkhumbi; umkhumbi wasunduzwa mumoya. ₁₈Isivunguvungu sawunawunana nathi, kwathi ngakusasa balahlela intundu yomkhumbi ngemanzini. ₁₉Ngelanga lesithathu balahla ngezandla zabo izinto ezisetjenziswa ngemkhunjini. ₂₀Kuthe lokha nasele kuphele amalanga amanengi, ilanga neenkwekwezi kungasabonakali, nommoya udlangile ngokuvunguza, salahlekelwa ngilo loke ithemba lokusinda.

₂₁Ngemva kobana amadoda ahlezi isikhathi eside anganakudla, uPowula wajama phakathi kwawo wathi: “Madoda, ngathana ningilalele sangasuka eKrete, ngabe niwuphephile woke umonakalo lo nokulahlekelwa okungaka. ₂₂Nje-ke ngibawa bona niqine idolo ngombana akakho noyedwa wenu ozakulahlekelwa yipilo; mkhumbi kwaphela ozakonakala. ₂₃Ebusuku bayizolo kuze ingilozi kaZimu engingowakhe nengimlotjhako yajama ngakimi, ₂₄yathi, ‘Ungesabi, Powula ngombana kufanele ujame phambi kombusi omkhulu; begodu qala, uZimu ukuphephisele boke othaya nabo.’ ₂₅Yeke madoda, qinani idolo ngombana ngikholwa kuZimu bona kuzakuba njengombana ngitjeliwe. ₂₆Kodwana sizakuphetjhulelwa kesinye isihlengele.”

₂₇Ngobusuku belanga letjhumi nane, sisaphetjhulwa mumoya ekweyameni ilwandle le-Adriya, pheze phakathi kobusuku, abathayi badlumbana bona sesitjhidele esebeni. ₂₈Nje-ke baphosa intambo yokulinganisa ukutjhinga, bafumana bona kumamitha amatjhumi amathathu nekhomba ngemva kokuthuthuka kancani babuyelela godu baphosa, bafumana kumamitha amatjhumi amabili nekhomba. ₂₉Ngokubethwa livalo bona umkhumbi ungahle utjhinge ngemadwaleni, behlisa ama-ankera amane ngemva komkhumbi bathandaza bona kuse. ₃₀Kwathi lokha abathayi nabalinga ukweqa ngemkhunjini, sele behlise umkhunjana ngelwandle batjhaya sengathi bayokubeka ama-ankerabo ngaphambi komkhumbi. ₃₁Nje-ke uPowula wathi emphathimabuthweni nemajonini: “Nangabe abathayi laba abahlali ngemkhunjini, angekhe nakwazi ukusinda.” ₃₂Ngalokho amajoni aquntula iintambo ezibophe umkhunjana, bawulisa wawela ngemanzini.

₃₃Ngaphambi kobana kuse, uPowula wabakhuthaza boke bona bagome, asithi: “Namhlanje sekulilanga letjhumi nane nilindile, nizilile ningagomi ilitho. ₃₄Ngalokho ngiyanibawa bona nikhe nigome ilitjhwana; lokho kuzanisiza nifunyane amandla ngombana akukho namunye wenu ozakuncuthuka isihluthu sinye ehloko.” ₃₅Bona aqede ukutjho lokho, wathatha isikwa wathokoza kuZimu phambi kwabo boke, wasihlephula wathoma ukugoma. ₃₆Nje-ke boke bakhuthazeka bagoma nabo. ₃₇Sesisoke ngemkhunjini besimakhulu amabili namatjhumi alikhomba nesithandathu. ₃₈Sele bagomile basutha, benza umkhumbi bona ube lula ngokulahlela ikoroyi ngelwandle.

₃₉Kuthe bona kuse, akhange babone isebe, kodwana babona iligu elinetjhwabatjhwaba, bahlela bona bakhuphele umkhumbi khona nabe bekungakghonakala. ₄₀Yeke baquntula iintambo ezibambe ama-ankera, bawatjhiya ngemanzini. Kwathi khonokho batjhaphulula neentambo ebegade zibambe amaphini amabili amakhulu ebebanqophisa ngawo umkhumbi. Baphakamisa iseyila elikhulu eliphambili emkhunjini, baya eligwini. ₄₁Kodwana umkhumbi wabetha phezu komqoqo wetjhwabatjhwaba wabhajwa ngemanzini; ipumulo yomkhumbi yabambeka yabhalelwa kutjhida, isidunu sona saphulwa mamaza saba ziinquqwana.

₄₂Amajoni aluka iqhinga lokubulala zoke iimbotjhwa, khona zingazukghona ukududa zibaleke. ₄₃Kodwana ngokufisa ukusindisa uPowula, umphathimabutho wawakhalimela bona angakwenzi lokho. Wayala woke amadoda akghona ukududa bona eqe qangi adudele eligwini. ₄₄Aseleko bekazokulandela, abambelele phezu kwamapulanka nanyana phezu kwezinye iinqezwana eziphukileko emkhunjini. Ngendlela le, woke afika eligwini aphephile.