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Umhlangano Omkhulu EJerusalema
1 Amadoda athile eza e-Antiyokhi evela eJudiya, afika afundisa abazalwane esithi: “Ngaphandle kokuthi lisokwe ngendlela yomkhuba eyafundiswa nguMosi lingeke lisindiswe.” 2 Lokhu kwenza uPhawuli loBhanabhasi baphikisana labo kakhulu. Ngakho uPhawuli loBhanabhasi bakhethwa kanye lamanye amakholwa ukuthi baye eJerusalema ukuyabona abapostoli labadala ngaloludaba. 3 Ibandla labavalelisa. Bathi bedabula eFenikhiya leSamariya balandisa ngokuthi abeZizwe basebephendukile. Indaba le yathokozisa bonke abazalwane. 4 Bafika eJerusalema bemukelwa kuhle libandla langabapostoli labadala, bababikela konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzile ngabo.
5 Kwasekusithi amanye amakholwa ayengawoluhlu lwabaFarisi asukuma athi, “AbeZizwe kumele basokwe njalo batshelwe ukuthi balandele umthetho kaMosi.”
6 Abapostoli labadala bahlangana bakhuluma ngalindaba. 7 Ngemva kokuphikisana okukhulu uPhethro wasukuma wakhuluma kubo wathi: “Bazalwane, liyakwazi ukuthi esikhathini esedluleyo uNkulunkulu wangikhetha phakathi kwenu ukuthi abeZizwe bezwe kwezami izindebe ilizwi levangeli bakholwe. 8 UNkulunkulu owazi inhliziyo watshengisa ukuthi uyabemukela ngokubapha uMoya oNgcwele, njengalokhu akwenzayo kithi. 9 Kenzanga umahluko phakathi kwethu labo, ngoba wahlanza inhliziyo zabo ngokukholwa. 10 Pho-ke lizamelani ukulinga uNkulunkulu ngokwethesa abafundi beZizweni ijogwe thina labokhokho bethu esehluleka ukulithwala? 11 Hatshi! Sikholwa ukuthi sisindiswa ngomusa weNkosi uJesu, njengabo labo.”
12 Wonke umhlangano wathula zwi balalela uBhanabhasi loPhawuli belandisa ngemimangaliso lezimanga uNkulunkulu ayezenzile kwabeZizwe ngabo. 13 Bathi sebeqedile uJakhobe wakhuluma wathi: “Bazalwane, ake lingilalele. 14 USimoni usesilandisele ngokuthi ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu watshengisa njani ukunakekela kwakhe abeZizwe ngokukhetha phakathi kwabo abantu ukuba babe ngabakhe. 15 Amazwi abaphrofethi ayavumelana lalokhu, njengalokhu kulotshiwe ukuthi:
16 ‘Ngemva kwalokhu ngizabuya
ngakhe kutsha indlu kaDavida ewileyo.
Amanxiwa ayo ngizawavuselela,
njalo ngizayimisa kutsha,
17 ukwenzela ukuthi lonke uluntu luyidinge iNkosi,
kanye labeZizwe abaziwa ngebizo lami,
kutsho iNkosi eyenza lezizinto’*U-Amosi 9.11-12:
18 ezivele zisaziwa kusukela endulo.
19 Ngokubona kwami, kakumelanga sikwenze kube lukhuni kwabeZizwe abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu. 20 Esikhundleni salokho, kasibalobeleni sibatshele ukuthi baxwaye ukudla okungcoliswe yizithombe, lokuhlobonga, lenyama yenyamazana ekhanyiweyo lobubende. 21 Phela uMosi sekwatshunyayelwa ngaye kuwo wonke amadolobho kusukela ekuqaleni njalo kufundwa ngaye emasinagogweni amaSabatha wonke.”
Incwadi Yomhlangano Omkhulu Kumakholwa AbeZizwe
22 Abapostoli labadala kanye lebandla lonke bamisa ukukhetha abanye babo ukuthi babathume e-Antiyokhi loPhawuli loBhanabhasi. Bakhetha uJudasi owayethiwa nguBhasabhasi, loSayilasi, la engamadoda amabili ayengabakhokheli kubazalwane. 23 Babaphathisa incwadi le:
Abapostoli labadala, abazalwane benu,
KwabeZizwe abakholwayo e-Antiyokhi, lase-Asiriya laseSilisiya:
Siyalibingelela.
24 Sesizwile ukuthi bakhona abasuka kithi bengelamvumo yethu bafika balidunga, bedida ingqondo zenu ngalokho ababekutsho. 25 Ngakho sivumelene sonke ukukhetha amadoda athile ukuthi siwathumele kini labangane bethu abathandekayo, uBhanabhasi loPhawuli, 26 amadoda adele impilo zawo ngenxa yebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. 27 Ngakho sithumela uJudasi loSayilasi ukugcwalisa ngomlomo lokhu esikulobayo. 28 Kubonakale kufanele kuMoya oNgcwele lakithi ukuthi singalethesi omthwalo omkhulu ngaphandle kwezimiso lezi: 29 Xwayani ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni, ububende, inyama yenyamazana ekhanyiweyo kanye lokuhlobonga. Lizabe lenze kuhle nxa lizixwaya lezizinto.
Salani kuhle.
30 Bawavalelisa amadoda ahamba aya e-Antiyokhi, lapho afika ahlanganisa ibandla ndawonye ethula incwadi. 31 Abantu bayibala bathokoza ngenxa yamazwi ayo akhuthazayo. 32 UJudasi loSayilasi, bona ngokwabo ababengabaphrofethi, bakhuluma okunengi ukukhuthaza lokuqinisa abazalwane. 33 Sebehlale isikhathi esithile khonapho, abazalwane babavalelisa ngesibusiso sokuthula sebebuyela kulabo ababathumayo. [ 34 Kodwa uSayilasi wakhetha ukusala khona.]†Livesi ayikho kwamanye amaBhayibhili esiLungu. 35 Kodwa uPhawuli loBhanabhasi basala e-Antiyokhi, lapho bona kanye labanye abanengi bafundisa njalo batshumayela ilizwi leNkosi.
Ukungavumelani KukaPhawuli LoBhanabhasi
36 Emva kwesikhatshanyana uPhawuli wathi kuBhanabhasi, “Kasibuyele emuva siyebona abazalwane emadolobheni wonke esitshumayele khona ilizwi leNkosi ukuthi baqhuba njani.” 37 UBhanabhasi wayefuna ukuthi bahambe loJohane, owayethiwa nguMakho, 38 kodwa uPhawuli wakubona kungafanele ukuhamba laye ngoba wayeke wabafulathela besePhamfiliya kaze aqhubeka labo emsebenzini. 39 Baphikisana kakubi baze bacina betshiyana. UBhanabhasi wamthatha uMakho bawelela eSiphrasi, 40 kodwa uPhawuli wakhetha ukuhamba loSayilasi, basuka bebekwe ngabazalwane emuseni weNkosi. 41 Wahamba phakathi kwe-Asiriya leSilisiya eqinisa amabandla.