UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 7

Intetho kaStefano

1Umbingeleli omkhulu wabhekisa kuStefano wathi: “Khanyela watyholwa!”

2Waza uStefano wathetha nentlanganiso wenjenje: “Mawethu nani bobawo, khanindiphulaphule. UThixo, eyona ngangalala, wabonakala kukhokho wethu uAbraham ngexesha awayehlala eMesopotami, ngaphambi kokuba aye kuhlala eHaran, 3wathi kuye: ‘Suka, umke apha, uzishiye izizalwana zakho, kunye nelizwe lakowenu, uye kumhlaba endiya kukubonisa wona.’ 4Waza ke ngoko wawushiya umhlaba wamaKaledi, waya kuhlala eHaran. Emveni kokufa kukayise, uThixo wathi uAbraham makafudukele kweli lizwe nikulo nani ngoku. 5Ngelo xesha uThixo akamnikanga nendawana le uAbraham kulo mhlaba, ukuba ayime: hayi, nditsho nomhlathana lo womhlaba! Kodwa kananjalo uThixo wamthembisa uAbraham ukuba uya kumnika loo mhlaba, awume yena nezizukulwana zakhe emva kwakhe. Ukusenza kwakhe uThixo esi sithembiso uAbraham wayengekazali mntwana. 6UThixo wathetha ngolu hlobo kuye: ‘Isizukulwana sakho siya kufuduka, siye kuhlala elizweni lasemzini, apho siya kuba ngamakhoboka, sibandezeleke iminyaka engamakhulu amane. 7Kodwa mna ndiya kubagweba abo bantu siphantsi kwabo; kuze kuthi emva kwelo thuba, babuye kwelo lizwe, beze kundikhonza kule ndawo.’ 8Waza uThixo wamnika ulwaluko uAbraham ukutywina loo mnqophiso. UAbraham ke wamolùsa uIsake ngosuku lwesibhozo ezelwe, waza ngokukwanjalo uIsake wamolùsa uYakobi, noYakobi wenza kwaloo nto kookhokho abalishumi elinambini.

9“Oobawo bammonela uJosefu, bamthengisa waba likhoboka eJiputa. Kodwa uThixo waba naye, 10wamweza kuzo zonke iinkxwaleko awaba kuzo. Akusiwa phambi kokumkani waseJiputa, uThixo wamenza wathandeka uJosefu, wampha nobulumko. Ukumkani wammisela uJosefu wayirhuluneli yelaseJiputa nekomkhulu lakhe. 11Kwabakho indlala enkulu kulo lonke elaseJiputa nelaseKanana, ababi nakufumana nokutya oku ookhokho, ikati ilele eziko. 12Akuva uYakobi ukuba eJiputa kukho ukudla, wabathumela okokuqala oonyana bakhe; ngookhokho kuthi ke abo. 13Kutyelelo lwabo lwesibini uJosefu wazazisa kubantakwabo, waza wamxelela ukumkani ngamawabo lawo. 14UJosefu wamema uyise uYakobi ukuba aye kuhlala eJiputa nomzi wakhe wonke. Babengamashumi asixhenxe anesihlanu bebonke. 15Wehla ke uYakobi, waya eJiputa, apho yena nookhokho bethu bafela khona. 16Imizimba yabo yasiwa eShekem, apho yangcwatywa kwingcwaba elathengwa nguAbraham koonyana bakaHamori.

17“Ekusondeleni kwexesha lokuba uThixo asizalisekise isithembiso awasenza kuAbraham, abantu bakuthi ababeseJiputa babesebande kakhulu. 18Ekuhambeni kwethuba kwavela kumkani wumbi, owayengamazi uJosefu, wangumlawuli weJiputa. 19Wabenzela ubutshijolo abantu bakowethu, wabakhohlakalela ookhokho bethu, ebanyanzela ukuba babalahle abantwana babo, ukuze babe sesichengeni sokufa. 20Wazalwa ngeli xesha ke uMosis engumntwana omhle kakhulu. Wakhuliselwa ekhayeni lakhe iinyanga ezintathu; 21waza wathi naye akulahlwa, wacholwa yintombi yokumkani waseJiputa, yazikhulisela yena. 22Wabufunda bonke ubulumko bamaJiputa, waza waba yingcaphephe ekuthetheni nasekwenzeni.

23“Akuba neminyaka engamashumi amane uMosis, watyelela amawabo amaSirayeli. 24Wabona uwabo edlakathiswa ngumJiputa, waza wamnceda, waphindezela ngokumbulala umJiputa lowo. 25Wayecinga ukuba amawabo oqonda ukuba uThixo ufuna ukusebenzisa yena ekuwakhululeni, kodwa akazange aqonde. 26Ngenye imini wagagana namaSirayeli amabini esilwa, waza wazama ukuwohlula, esithi kuwo: ‘Khangelani, madoda, niyazalana; kungani ukuba nilwe ke?’ 27Kodwa lo wayevuyelela omnye, watyhalela uMosis bucala, wabuza wathi: ‘Ngubani okwenze induna nomgwebi phezu kwethu? 28Nam ufuna ukundibulala njengalaa mJiputa umbuleleyo izolo? ’ 29Akuyiva le ntetho uMosis, wabaleka, waya kuhlala kumhlaba waseMidiyan. Apho wazala oonyana ababini.

30“Emva kwamashumi amane eminyaka, kwabonakala isithunywa seNkosi kuMosis sisemalangatyeni etyholo elivuthayo entlango ngakwintaba yeSinayi. 31Lo mbono wammangalisa uMosis, wasondela etyholweni apho ukuba aliqwalasele. Suka weva ilizwi leNkosi lisithi: 32‘Mna ndinguThixo wookhokho bakho, uThixo ka-Abraham, kaIsake, noYakobi.’ UMosis wankwantya kukoyika, akabi saba nako ukulikhangela. 33INkosi yathi kuye: ‘Khulula iimbadada ezo, kuba indawo le umi kuyo ingcwele. 34Ndiyibonile ingcinezelo nentlupheko yabantu bam eJiputa; ndisivile isikhalo sabo; ke ngoku ndize kubahlangula. Yiza ke, ndikuthume eJiputa.’

35“Lo ngulaa Mosis ambukulayo amaSirayeli esithi: ‘Ngubani okwenze induna nomgwebi phezu kwethu?’ Kanti ke lo Mosis unguyena mntu uThixo amthume ukuba abe ngumlawuli nomsindisi, esebenzisa isithunywa sezulu eso uMosis wasibona etyholweni elivuthayo. 36Wabakhokela ke abantu ukuphuma eJiputa, wenza imiqondiso nemimangaliso, eJiputa nakuLwandle oluBomvu, kananjalo nasentlango, iminyaka emashumi mane. 37Nguloo Mosis wathi kumaSirayeli: ‘UThixo uya kunithumela *umshumayeli ophuma kwalapha kumawenu njengam.’ 38Nguye lowa wayekunye nebandla likaSirayeli entlango. Wayekhona apho nookhokho bethu, ekwakunye nesithunywa sezulu esasithetha naye entabeni yeSinayi. Wamkela kuThixo imiyalelo ephilileyo ukuba ayidlulisele kuthi.

39“Kananjalo ookhokho bethu bala ukumthobela, bambukula, besithi kubhetele baphindele kwaseJiputa. 40Kungoko bathi kuAron: ‘Senzele *oothixo bokusikhokela, kuba asiyazi into emngeneyo laa Mosis wasikhupha eJiputa.’ 41Kungeli thuba ke apho baziqingqela umfanekiso wethole, baza balenzela umbingelelo, benza netheko lokuzivuyisa ngenxa yaloo nto yayenziwe zizandla zabo. 42Ngenxa yaloo nto uThixo wabafulathela, wabayeka ukuba banqule iinkwenkwezi zezulu, njengoko kubhaliweyo encwadini *yabashumayeli kwathiwa:

“ ‘MaSirayeli, yayingendim enanimxhelela,

nimenzela amadini,

iminyaka emashumi mane entlango.

43*Yayisisibingelo *sesithixo *uMoleki enanisiphethe,

nomfanekiso wenkwenkwezi yesithixo *uRefani.

Zizithixo enazenzayo, khon' ukuze nizinqule.

Ngoku ke ndiya kunigxothela ngaphaya kweBhabheli.’

44“Ookhokho bethu bona babenaso entlango *isibingelelo esingqina ubukho bukaThixo. Sasakhiwe ngokomfanekiselo lowo uThixo wawubonisa uMosis. 45Emva koko ookhokho bethu abasamkelayo isibingelelo kooyise, bahamba naso, kwada kwaza kuthi gaa ngexesha likaYoshuwa, xeshikweni bawuthathayo umhlaba wezizwe abazigxothelwa nguThixo. Sahlala ke isibingelelo eso kwada kwayimihla kaDavide. 46Yena wathandeka kuThixo, waza wacela ukuba uThixo amvumele akhele inzala kaYakobi indlu yokunqula. 47Kodwa yona indlu leyo yakhiwa nguSolomon.

48“Phofu yena uThixo uPhezukonke akahlali zindlwini zakhiwe ngabantu; njengoko atshoyo umshumayeli:

49“ ‘Izulu likomkhulu lam,’ itsho iNkosi:

‘Umhlaba wona ngamathânga am.

Ndluni eningaze nindakhele yona?

Iphi yona indawo endingaphumla kuyo?

50Ezi zinto azenziwanga ndim zonke na?’

51“Bantundini baneenkani, abantliziyo ziqaqadekileyo, hayi ubuthulu benu emyalelweni kaThixo! Nifuz' ooyihlo! Nani nasoloko nimgiba uMoya oyiNgcwele! 52Nguwuphi umshumayeli abangamtshutshisanga ooyihlo? Bazibulala izigidimi zikaThixo, ezathi kwangaphambili zakuvakalisa ukuza kwalowo uliLungisa. Kungokunje nimngcatshile namgebenga. 53Umthetho kaThixo owaziswa zizithunywa zezulu, wamkelwa nini kanye – kodwa anikawuthobeli unangoku!”

Ukuxulutywa kukaStefano

54Athi amalungu *eBhunga akuziva ezi zinto zithethwa nguStefano, acaphuka kangangokuba ade abe ngathi osuka amthi qwenge-qwenge. 55Kodwa uStefano yena ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele, wakhangela ezulwini, waza wabubona ubuqaqawuli bukaThixo, noYesu emi ewongeni ngakuThixo. 56Waqhuba wathi: “Khawukhangele! Amazulu ndiwabona evulekile, *noNyana woLuntu emile ngasekunene kukaThixo!”

57Kwesi sithuba basuka bazivingca iindlebe zabo, bahlahlamba kwathi nkxwe, baza basuka indulumbane phezu kwakhe. 58Bamkhuphela ngaphandle kwedolophu, bamxuluba ngamatye. Abamangaleli bakaStefano bazigcinisa iimpahla zabo kumfana ogama linguSawule. 59Bemxuluba njalo ngamatye, uStefano yena wakhala eNkosini esithi: “Nkosi Yesu, wamkele umoya wam!” 60Waguqa ngamadolo, wadanduluka wathi: “Nkosi, musa ukubabeka tyala ngesi sono!” Akukhov' ukutsho, wafa ke.

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UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 7: XHO96

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