Mabasa 27:1-44

Kwakati kwarongwa kuti tiende nechikepe kuItari, Pauro navamwe vasungwa vakaiswa mumaoko omukuru wezana ainzi Juriasi akanga ari wehondo yaAgasito. Takakwira chikepe chaibva kuAdhiramitiami chakanga chava kuenda nomunzvimbo dzaiva kumahombekombe enyika yeEzhia, ndokubva taenda kugungwa. Takanga tiina Aristakusi, muMasedhonia aibva kuTesaronika, pamwe chete nesu. Zuva rakatevera takasvika paSidhoni; uye Juriasi akanzwira Pauro tsitsi akamutendera kuti aende kushamwari dzake kuti zvimwe vangamupa zvaaishayiwa. Tichibva ipapo takaendazve kugungwa tikapfuura nezasi kweSaipurasi, nokuti mhepo yakanga ichitidzivisa. Takati tayambuka gungwa reSirisia nePamufiria, takandomira paMira muRisia. Mukuru wezana akawana chikepe cheArekizandiria ipapo chaienda kuItari akatikwidzamo. Takafamba zvishoma zvishoma mazuva mazhinji uye zvakanga zvakatiomera kusvikira paNidhasi. Sezvo mhepo yakanga ichitidzivisa kuti tifambe mugwara redu, takabva taenda nezasi kweKirete, kwakatarisana neSarimone. Takafamba nokumahombekombe tichitambudzika tikasvika panzvimbo yainzi Zororo Rakanaka, pedyo neguta reRasea. Takarasikirwa nenguva yakawanda kwazvo, uye kufambisa chikepe kwakanga kwava nenjodzi nokuti zvino Nguva Yokutsanya yakanga yatopfuura. Saka Pauro akavayambira akati, “Varume, ndinoona kuti rwendo rwedu ruchava nenjodzi uye ruchauyisa kurasikirwa kukuru kuchikepe nokunhumbi, uyewo nokuupenyu hwedu chaihwo.” Asi mukuru wezana, pachinzvimbo chokuti ateerere kune zvakanga zvataurwa naPauro, akatevera zano romuchairi wechikepe uye neromuridzi wechikepe. Sezvo panomira chikepe pakanga pasina kunaka kuti vanhu vagarepo munguva yechando, voruzhinji vakasarudza kuti tirambe tichifamba, vachitarisira kusvika kuFonisia tigogarako panguva yechando. Iyi ndiyo yaiva nzvimbo yomuKirete yaimirira chikepe, yakatarisa kwose zasi kwakadziva kumavirira nokumusoro kwakadziva kumavirira. Mhepo yakadzikama yaibva zasi yakati yotanga kuvhuvhuta, vakafunga kuti vawana zvavaida; saka vakakanga chimiso mumvura tikafamba takatevedza mahombekombe eKirete. Kusati kwambopera nguva huru, mhepo huru ine simba, yainzi “Yurakuro,” yakavhuvhuta ichibva nokuchitsuwa. Chikepe chakabatwa nedutu chikatadza kupinda nomumhepo; saka takarega zvakadaro uye tikaramba tichingosairirwa. Takati tapfuura nezasi kwechitsuwa chiduku chainzi Kaudha, takanga tisisagoni kuchengetedza igwa rokununura upenyu. Varume vakati varikwidza pamusoro pechikepe, vakapinza tambo napasi pechikepe kuti zvibate zvakasimba. Vachitya kuti vangasairirwa kujecha rokuSiritisi, vakaderedza zvimiso zvomugungwa ndokubva varega chikepe chichisairirwa. Takanga tava kuvhungwa-vhungwa nedutu raiva nesimba zvokuti mangwana acho vakatanga kubudisa nhumbi muchikepe vachidzikanda mugungwa. Pazuva retatu, vakakanda mimwe midziyo yaishandiswa muchikepe mugungwa namaoko avo. Zuva kana nyeredzi pazvisina kuonekwa kwamazuva mazhinji, uye dutu parakaramba richipenga, takagumisira tarasikirwa netariro yose yokuponeswa kwedu. Shure kwokunge vanhu vagara nguva refu vasina zvokudya, Pauro akamira pamberi pavo akati, “Varume, maifanira kunge makateerera zano rangu rokuti murege kubva paKirete; ipapo mungadai makazviponesa pakuparadza nokurasikirwa uku. Asi zvino ndinokukurudzirai kuti mutsunge, nokuti hakuna mumwe wenyu acharasikirwa noupenyu hwake; asi chikepe ichi bedzi ndicho chichaparadzwa. Madeko mutumwa waMwari uyo wandiri wake uye wandinoshumira akamira neni akati kwandiri, ‘Usatya, Pauro. Unofanira kutongwa pamberi paKesari; uye nenyasha Mwari akupa upenyu hwavose vanofamba newe muchikepe.’ Saka tsungai mwoyo, varume, nokuti ndino kutenda muna Mwari kuti zvichaitika sezvaakandiudza. Kunyange zvakadaro tichandokandwa hedu pane chimwe chitsuwa.” Nousiku hwegumi nechina, takanga tichiri kungosundwa nemhepo tichiyambuka Gungwa reAdhiria, panenge pakati pousiku vafambisi vechikepe vakaona kuti vakanga voswedera kunyika. Vakashandisa zvokuyera kudzika kwemvura vakaona kuti pakanga pakadzika mamita makumi mana. Shure kwenguva pfupi, vakayerazve vakawana kuti pakanga padzika namamita makumi matatu. Vachitya kuti vangabondera pamatombo, vakadzikisa zvimiso zvina shure, ndokunyengetera kuti dai kwaedza. Vachida kuedza kutiza kubva muchikepe, vafambisi vechikepe vakaburutsa igwa rokununura upenyu ndokurikanda mugungwa, vachiita sokunge vaizodzikisa zvimiso mberi kwechikepe. Ipapo Pauro akati kumukuru wezana nokuvarwi, “Kana vanhu ava vakasagara muchikepe, hamungararami.” Saka varwi vakadambura tambo dzakanga dzakabata igwa rokununura upenyu vakarirega richiwira mumvura. Kwava kuda kuedza, Pauro akavakurudzira kuti vadye achiti, “Mazuva gumi namana apfuura, manga makangogara musingadyi, hamuna kutongodya kana chinhu. Zvino ndinokukurudzirai kuti mudye. Munofanira kudya kuti murarame. Hakuna mumwe pakati penyu acharasikirwa nebvudzi romusoro wake.” Shure kwokutaura kwake izvozvo, akatora chingwa akavonga kuna Mwari pamberi pavo vose. Ipapo akachimedura akatanga kudya. Vose vakakurudzirwa uye vakadya zvokudya. Tose takanga tiri mazana maviri namakumi manomwe navatanhatu. Vakati vadya pavaida napo, vakarerutsa chikepe nokukanda gorosi mugungwa. Kunze kwakati kwaedza, havana kuziva nyika iyo, asi vakaona nzvimbo yaiva nejecha, apo pavakasarudza kuti vamise chikepe kana zvaigona. Vakadambura zvimiso, vakazvisiya mugungwa uye nenguva yakare iyoyo vakadamburawo tambo dzakanga dzakasunga zvokudzoresa chikepe. Ipapo vakasimudza sairi rechikepe kumhepo kuti risairirwe panodira makungwa maviri. Asi chikepe chakarovera pajecha. Muromo wacho wakabatirira kwazvo uye ukasagona kubvapo, nokudaro shure kwacho kwakapwanyika kukaita zvimedu zvimedu nokuda kwokurova kwamasaisai. Varwi vakaronga kuuraya vasungwa kuti vatadzise kana mumwe chete wavo kushambira kuti apunyuke. Asi mukuru wezana akanga achida kuponesa Pauro, akavadzivisa kuita zvavakanga varonga. Akarayira vaya vaigona kushambira kuti vashambire havo vatange kubuda muchikepe vaende kumahombekombe. Vakasara vavo vainge vachizoyambutswa vari pamapuranga kana pazvidimbu zvechikepe. Nenzira iyi, mumwe nomumwe akasvika pavhu rakaoma zvakanaka.