Khona wehlela eDerbe naseListra. Bheka, kwakukhona lapho umfundi othile, nguThimothewu igama lakhe, indodana yowesifazane wakwaJuda okholiweyo, kepha uyise wayengumGreki, owayefakazelwa kahle ngabazalwane baseListra nabase-Ikoniyu. Lowo uPawulu wathanda ukuba ahambe naye, wamthatha, wamsoka ngenxa yabaJuda ababekhona kulezo zindawo; ngokuba bonke babemazi ukuthi uyise wayengumGreki. Kwathi bedabula imizi, babanika izinqumo ezanqunywa ngabaphostoli namalunga aseJerusalema ukuba bazigcine. Njalo-ke amabandla aqiniswa ekukholweni, anda ngobuningi imihla ngemihla.
Base bedabula izwe laseFrigiya nelaseGalathiya, benqatshelwe nguMoya oNgcwele ukulikhuluma izwi e-Asiya; sebefikile ngaseMisiya, balinga ukuya eBithiniya, kepha uMoya kaJesu akabavumelanga.
Badlula eMisiya, behlela eTrowa. Kwabonakala kuPawulu umbono ebusuku; indoda ethile yaseMakedoniya eyayimi imncenga yathi: “Welela eMakedoniya, usisize.” Lapho esewubonile umbono, safuna masinyane ukuya eMakedoniya, sathi uNkulunkulu usibizile ukuba sibashumayeze ivangeli.
Khona samuka eTrowa ngomkhumbi, saqonda eSamotrake, ngangomuso safika eNeyapholi.
Sisuka lapho saya eFilipi elingumuzi oyikhanda lesifunda saseMakedoniya, ikoloni.* Kulowo muzi sahlala izinsuku ezithile.
Ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwesango ngasemfuleni, lapho sathi babevama ukukhuleka khona; sahlala phansi, sakhuluma kubo abesifazane ababebuthene. Owesifazane othile ogama lakhe linguLidiya, engumthengisi wezibubende, wasemzini waseThiyathira, okhonza uNkulunkulu, walalela, iNkosi yayivula inhliziyo yakhe ukuba aqaphele okwakhulunywa nguPawulu. Kuthe esebhapathiziwe kanye nendlu yakhe, wasincenga wathi: “Uma nithi ngikholekile eNkosini, ngenani endlini yami, nihlale khona;” wasicindezela.
Kwathi siya endaweni yokukhuleka, kwahlangana nathi intombazana enomoya wobungoma, eyayitholela abaniniyo inzuzo enkulu ngokubhula. Yona yamlandela uPawulu nathi, yamemeza yathi: “Laba bantu bayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ezimemezela kini indlela yensindiso.” Yakwenza lokho izinsuku eziningi. Kepha uPawulu esecasukile waphenduka, wathi kumoya: “Ngiyakuyala egameni likaJesu Kristu ukuba uphume kuyo.” Wayesephuma ngaso leso sikhathi.
Kwathi abaniniyo sebebonile ukuthi ithemba lenzuzo yabo limukile, bababamba oPawulu noSila, babahudulela esigcawini phambi kwababusi, babayisa ezinduneni, bathi: “Laba bantu banyakazisa umuzi wakithi bengabaJuda; bafundisa imikhuba esingavunyelwe ukuba siyamukele, siyenze thina esingamaRoma.”
Isixuku sase sibavukela, nezinduna zayala ukuba bahlutshulwe izingubo, bashaywe ngenduku; sezibashayile imivimbo eminingi, zabaphonsa etilongweni, zayala umgciniziboshwa ukuba abagcine impela; yena eyaliwe kanjalo wabaphonsa etilongweni elingaphakathi, wabopha izinyawo zabo ogongolweni.
Kepha phakathi kobusuku oPawulu noSila bekhuleka bamdumisa uNkulunkulu ngamahubo, iziboshwa zabezwa; kwavela ngokuzuma ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, kwaze kwazanyazanyiswa izisekelo zetilongo; kwavuleka khona lapho iminyango yonke, kwathukuluka nezibopho zabo bonke. Kwathi umgciniziboshwa ephaphama, wabona iminyango yetilongo ivulekile; wayesehosha inkemba efuna ukuzibulala, ngokuba wathi iziboshwa ziphunyukile. Kepha uPawulu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ungazilimazi, ngokuba sikhona sonke.”
Wayesebiza izibani, wagijimela phakathi ethuthumela, wawa phansi phambi kukaPawulu noSila, wabakhiphela ngaphandle, wathi: “Makhosi, ngimelwe ukwenzani ukuba ngisindiswe na?”
Bona bathi: “Kholwa yiNkosi uJesu, yikhona uzakusindiswa wena nendlu yakho.” Base bemshumayeza izwi likaNkulunkulu, yena nabo bonke ababesendlini yakhe. Wabathatha ngaso leso sikhathi sasebusuku, wabageza imivimbo, wabhapathizwa khona lapho, yena nabo bonke abakhe, wabenyusela endlini, wababekela ukudla, wathokoza kanye nendlu yakhe yonke ngokukholwa nguNkulunkulu.
Kepha sekusile, izinduna zathuma izikhonzi, zathi: “Bakhulule labo bantu.” Umgciniziboshwa wabikela uPawulu lawo mazwi, wathi: “Izinduna zithumele ukuba nikhululwe. Ngakho phumani manje, nihambe ngokuthula.”
Kepha uPawulu wathi kuzo: “Basishayile phambi kwabantu singalahlwanga cala, thina singabantu abangamaRoma, basiphonsa etilongweni; manje basikhipha ngasese na? Qhabo, akuze bona, basikhiphe.”
Izikhonzi zabikela izinduna lawo mazwi. Zona zesaba sezizwa ukuthi bangamaRoma, zeza zabancenga; sezibakhiphile zabanxusa ukuba bamuke emzini. Base bephuma etilongweni, bangena kwaLidiya; kwathi sebebabonile abazalwane babaduduza, bamuka.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
