IZenzo Zabapostile 17:1-34
17 Emva koko baya eAmfipoli naseApoloniya bada bayokufika eTesalonika,+ apho kwakukho indlu awayekhonzela kuyo amaYuda.
2 Ngoko ngokwesiqhelo,+ uPawulos wangena apho waza wachitha iisabatha ezintathu ethetha nawo ngeZibhalo,+
3 ewacacisela yaye ecaphula eZibhalweni ukuze awabonise ukuba kwakunyanzelekile ukuba uKristu anyamezele iintlungu,+ afe aze avuswe,+ esithi: “Lo nguKristu, uYesu endishumayela ngaye kuni.”
4 Ngenxa yoko abanye babo baba ngamakholwa baza bathi nca kuPawulos noSilas,+ enza njalo namaGrike amaninzi awayekhonza uThixo nabanye abafazi ababalulekileyo.
5 Kodwa amaYuda aba nomona,+ aqokelela amadoda amaninzi anobubi nangenanto yakwenza, awayehleli kwindawo ekuthengiswa kuyo aza abangela isiphithiphithi esixekweni. Angena ngetshova endlini kaYason efuna ukuzisa uPawulos noSilas kuloo madoda.
6 Athi akungabafumani arhuqa uYason nabanye abazalwana abasa kubalawuli besixeko, esithi: “Aba bantu babangele inkathazo emhlabeni wonke beze nalapha,+
7 yaye baziindwendwe zikaYason. Onke la madoda ayayidelela imithetho kaKesare, esithi kukho omnye ukumkani onguYesu.”+
8 Bathi bakuziva ezi zinto abantu nabalawuli besixeko bothuka.
9 UYason nabanye bahlawuliswa, emva koko bayekwa bahamba.
10 Ngokukhawuleza ebusuku abazalwana bathumela uPawulos noSilas eBhereya. Ukufika kwabo apho baya kwindlu akhonzela kuyo amaYuda.
11 AmaYuda aseBhereya ayeneengqondo ezivulekileyo kunawaseTesalonika, kuba alamkela ilizwi likaThixo ngomdla omkhulu, ezihlolisisa iZibhalo yonke imihla ukuze abone ukuba ziyinyani na ezi zinto.
12 Ngoko ke abaninzi kubo baba ngamakholwa, kunye nabanye abafazi namadoda angamaGrike awaziwayo.
13 Kodwa xa amaYuda aseTesalonika evayo ukuba uPawulos ushumayela ilizwi likaThixo naseBhereya, eza aza antyontyela abantu ukuba bamjikele.+
14 Emva koko abazalwana bambalekisa bamsa ngaselwandle,+ kodwa uSilas noTimoti bashiyeka.
15 Noko ke, abazalwana ababekhaphe uPawulos bada bayokumfikisa eAthene, bajika emva kokuba uPawulos ebathume ukuba bakhawuleze babize uSilas noTimoti.+
16 Ngoxa uPawulos wayesabalindile eAthene, wacatshukiswa kukubona kugcwele izithixo kweso sixeko.
17 Ngoko waqalisa ukuxoxa ngeZibhalo namaYuda nabanye abantu ababekhonza uThixo kwindlu awayekhonzela kuyo amaYuda, ibe wayexoxa yonke imihla nabantu ababekho kwindawo ekuthengiswa kuyo.
18 Kodwa ezinye izifundiswa ezingamaEpikure nezingamaStoyike zaphikisana naye, ezinye zisithi: “Uloqa uthini na lo mntu?” Ezinye zazisithi: “Ubonakala engumshumayeli wezithixo zasemzini.” Le nto babeyithethiswa kukuba wayeshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ezingoYesu nangovuko.+
19 Ngoko bamsa eAreyopago, besithi: “Khawusixelele ngale mfundiso yakho intsha.
20 Kaloku ufundisa izinto esingazaziyo thina, ngoku sifuna ukwazi ukuba zithetha ukuthini.”
21 Onke ama-Athene nabantu basemzini ababehlala* apho babechitha ixesha labo lokuphola bethetha okanye bemamele izinto ezintsha.
22 Ngoko uPawulos wema kwiAreyopago,+ wathi:
“Madoda aseAthene, ndiyabona ukuba kuzo zonke izinto nibonakala ngathi nizinikele kwizithixo ngaphezu kokuba abanye benjalo.+
23 Ngokomzekelo, xa bendigqitha ndijonge izinto zenu ezingcwele,* ndibone nesibingelelo esibhalwe ‘KuThixo Ongaziwayo.’ Ngoko ke, lo thixo nimkhonzayo ningamaziyo, nguye lo ndishumayela ngaye.
24 UThixo owadala umhlaba nazo zonke izinto ezikuwo yiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba,+ ngoko akahlali kwiitempile ezakhiwe ngezandla;+
25 akahoywa ngabantu ngokungathi kukho into ayidingayo,+ kuba nguye onika bonke abantu ubomi, umoya abawuphefumlayo+ nazo zonke izinto.
26 Zonke iintlanga wazenza ezikhupha emntwini omnye+ ukuze zihlale kuwo wonke umhlaba,+ wabeka amaxesha okwenzeka kwezinto nemida yeendawo abantu abamele bahlale kuzo,+
27 ukuze bafune uThixo, bamphuthaphuthe baze bamfumane,+ abe phofu yena engekho kude kuthi sonke.
28 Kuba ngenxa yakhe sinobomi, siyashukuma yaye sikho, kanye njengokuba ezinye iimbongi zenu zisithi, ‘Kuba nathi singabantwana bakhe.’*
29 “Ngoko ekubeni singabantwana bakaThixo,*+ asimele sicinge ukuba uThixo ufana negolide, isilivere okanye ilitye, imifanekiso eyenziwe ngabantu.+
30 Ewe kona, uThixo uye wawayeka loo maxesha okungazi,+ kodwa ngoku uxelela bonke abantu abakuzo zonke iindawo ukuba mabaguquke.
31 Kuba ubeke usuku aza kugweba+ ngalo umhlaba wonke ngobulungisa esebenzisa indoda ayikhethileyo, ibe uye wabaqinisekisa abantu ukuba luza kufika olo suku ngokuyivusa le ndoda ekufeni.”+
32 Bathi bakuva ngokuvuswa kwabantu abafileyo, abanye bahlekisa ngaye,+ kodwa abanye bathi: “Siza kuphinda sikumamele ngelinye ixesha.”
33 Ngoko uPawulos wabashiya,
34 kodwa abanye abantu bamlandela baza baba ngamakholwa. Abanye babo, yayinguDiyonisiyo owayeyijaji kwinkundla yaseAreyopago, ibhinqa elinguDamari nabanye.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “ababendwendwele.”
^ Okanye “enizikhonzayo.”
^ Okanye “siyinzala yakhe.”
^ Okanye “siyinzala kaThixo.”
