IzEnzo Chapter 17

1. Kwathi sebedabulile i-Amfipholi ne-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapho kwakukhona isinagoge labaJuda.

2. Kepha uPawulu njengokwenza kwakhe wangena kubo, waphendulana nabo amasabatha amathathu, ethathela emibhalweni,

3. ebavulela, ebachasisela ukuthi kwakumelwe ukuba uKristu ahlupheke, avuke kwabafileyo, ethi futhi: “UJesu lo engimshumayela kini unguKristu.”

4. Base bevuma abanye kubo, bazihlanganisa noPawulu noSila, futhi nesixuku esikhulu samaGreki akholwayo, kanye nabesifazane abadumileyo abangeyingcosana.

5. Kepha abaJuda benomhawu bathatha kumabhukudwane abalisa abathile ababi, besusa isiyaluyalu phakathi kwabantu, baxokozelisa umuzi; bahlasela indlu kaJasoni befuna ukubakhiphela kubantu;

6. kepha bengabafumani bamhudulela uJasoni kanye nabazalwane abathile kubaphathimuzi, bamemeza bathi: “Laba abayaluzisa izwe lonke sebefikile nalapha,

7. uJasoni ubamukele; bonke laba benza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi, nguJesu.”

8. Kepha bethusa isixuku nabaphathimuzi abezwa lokho,

9. bathatha isibambiso kuJasoni nakwabanye, babakhulula.

10. Kepha abazalwane bamukisa oPawulu noSila masinyane ebusuku ukuba baye eBereya; bona sebefikile khona bangena esinagogeni labaJuda.

11. Labo-ke babebahle kunabaseThesalonika, balamukela izwi ngenhliziyo yonke, bahlolisisa imibhalo imihla ngemihla ukuba zinjalo yini lezo zinto.

12. Ngakho abaningi kubo bakholwa, nabesifazane abanesithunzi abangamaGreki, namadoda angeyingcosana.

13. Kwathi abaJuda baseThesalonika sebezwile ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu limenyezelwe nguPawulu naseBereya, beza nakhona, bazinyakazisa bezivusa izixuku.

14. Khona abazalwane bamukisa masinyane uPawulu ukuba aze afike elwandle; kepha oSila noThimothewu basala khona.

15. Abamphelekezelayo uPawulu bamfikisa e-Athene; kwathi sebamukele isiyalezo ngoSila nangoThimothewu sokuba beze kuye ngokushesha okukhulu, bamuka.

16. Kwathi uPawulu esabalinda e-Athene, umoya wakhe wacunuka phakathi kwakhe ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe.

17. Ngakho-ke wakhuluma esinagogeni kubaJuda nakuwo amakholwa nasesigcawini imihla ngemihla kubo ababesuke bekhona.

18. Kepha abathile kuzo izazi zama-Epikhuru nezamaStoyiku baphikisana naye; abanye bathi: “Leli phoshophosho lithini na?” Abanye bathi: “Kungathi ungomemezela onkulunkulu abangaziwayo,” ngokuba wayeshumayela ivangeli ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo.

19. Base bemthatha, bamyisa e-Areyophagu, bethi: “Ungesazise ukuthi siyini lesi sifundiso esisha esikhulunywa nguwe na?

20. Ngokuba uletha ezindlebeni zethu okuthile okungaziwayo; ngalokho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi lokhu kungaba yini.”

21. Ngokuba bonke abase-Athene nabafokazi abakhe khona babengazilibazisi ngokunye, kuphela ngokukhuluma nokuzwa izindaba ezintsha.

22. UPawulu wema-ke phakathi ne-Areyophagu, wathi: “Madoda ase-Athene, ngiyabona ngakho konke ukuthi nikhonza kakhulu onkulunkulu.

23. Ngokuba kwathi ngihamba ngibuka izinto enizikhonzayo, ngafumana ne-altare okulotshwe kulo ukuthi: ELIKANKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Lokho-ke enikukhonza ningakwazi, yikho engikumemezela kini.

24. “UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, yena oyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla;

25. futhi akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu ngokungathi udinga utho, yena obapha bonke ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke;

26. wazenza izizwe zonke ngagazi linye ukuba zakhe ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, wamisa izikhathi ezinqunyiweyo nemikhawulo yokuhlala kwazo,

27. ukuze zifune uNkulunkulu, ingabe zingamuzwa, zimfumane; ingani kakude kulowo nalowo kithi.

28. ‘Ngokuba siphila, sihamba, sikhona kuye,’ njengalokho izimbongi ezithile zakini zishilo zathi: “ ‘Ngokuba futhi siyinzalo yakhe.’

29. “Ngakho lokhu siyinzalo kaNkulunkulu, akufanele ukuba sithi ubuNkulunkulu bufana negolide noma isiliva noma itshe, okuqoshwe ngekhono nangesu lomuntu.

30. Ngokuba izikhathi zokungazi wazithalalisa uNkulunkulu, kodwa kalokhu usememezela kubantu ukuba bonke ezindaweni zonke baphenduke,

31. njengokuba umisile usuku azakwahlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga ngomuntu ammisele lokho, enika bonke ithemba ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”

32. Kwathi bezwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu, kepha abanye bathi: “Siyakuphinda sikuzwe ngaleyo ndaba.”

33. Kanjalo uPawulu waphuma phakathi kwabo.

34. Kepha amadoda athile anamathela kuye, akholwa; phakathi kwawo kwakukhona noDiyonisiyu wase-Areyophagu, nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguDamari, nabanye kanye nabo.