Kepha indoda ethile, igama layo lingu-Ananiya, inoSafira umkayo, yathengisa ngendawo; yagodla inxenye yemali, nomkayo ekwazi, yaletha inxenye ethile, yayibeka ngasezinyaweni zabaphostoli.
Wayesethi uPetru: “Ananiya, kungani ukuba uSathane agcwalise inhliziyo yakho, uqambe amanga kuMoya oNgcwele, ugodle inxenye yemali yezwe, na? Lisekhona belingesilo elakho na? Selithengisiwe belingekho emandleni akho na? Uyibekeleni leyo nto enhliziyweni yakho na? Awuqambanga amanga kubantu kepha kuNkulunkulu.”
Kuthe u-Ananiya ezwa lawo mazwi, wawa phansi, wafa, ukwesaba okukhulu kwehlela bonke abezwa lokho. Izinsizwa zasuka, zamsongelezela, zamkhiphela phandle, zammbela.
Kwathi emva kwesikhathi esingaba ngamahora amathathu kwangena nomkakhe, engakwazi okwenzakeleyo. UPetru wayesethatha ethi: “Ngitshele ukuba izwe nilithengise ngokungaka na?”
Wathi: “Yebo, ngokungaka.”
Kepha uPetru wathi kuye: “Kungani ukuba nivumelene ngokulinga uMoya weNkosi na? Bheka, izinyawo zabambele indoda yakho zisemnyango, nawe bazakukukhiphela phandle.”
Wayesewa phansi masinyane ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wafa; izinsizwa zangena, zamfumana efile, zamkhiphela phandle, zammbela ngasendodeni yakhe. Ukwesaba okukhulu kwalehlela ibandla lonke nabo bonke abezwa lokho.
Kwenziwa izimangaliso nezibonakaliso eziningi ebantwini ngezandla zabaphostoli; bonke babe nhliziyonye besemphemeni kaSolomoni. Kepha kwabanye akwabakho owayenesibindi sokuzihlanganisa nabo, kepha abantu babebazisa kakhulu; benezelwa kakhulu abakholwa yiNkosi, abaningi nabesilisa nabesifazane, ngangokuba bakhiphela phandle emigwaqweni abagulayo, bababeka emacansini nasezinhlakeni, kuze kuthi lapho eza uPetru, isithunzi nje sakhe sisithibeze abanye kubo. Kwabuthana nesixuku esivela emizini ezungeze iJerusalema, beletha abagulayo nabakhathazwa ngawomoya abangcolileyo; baphulukiswa bonke.
Kwase kusuka umpristi omkhulu nabo bonke ababe naye abangabehlelo labaSadusi, bagcwala umhawu, babamba abaphostoli, babafaka etilongweni lombuso. Kepha ingelosi yeNkosi yavula iminyango yetilongo ebusuku, yabakhipha, yathi: “Hambani, nime nikhulume ethempelini kubantu amazwi onke alokhu kuPhila.”
Kwathi sebezwile, bangena ethempelini ekuthatheni kokusa, bafundisa. Kepha kwafika umpristi omkhulu nababe naye, babizela ndawonye umphakathi nezigele zonke zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bathumela endlini yeziboshwa ukuba balethwe. Kepha izikhonzi ezafika khona azibafumananga etilongweni; zase zibuyela emuva, zabika zathi: “Indlu yeziboshwa sayifumana ivaliwe, iqinile impela, nabalindi bemi eminyango; kepha sesivulile asifumananga muntu ngaphakathi.” Kwathi ukuba induna yethempeli nabapristi abakhulu bezwe lawo mazwi, basambatheka ngawo ngokuthi kungaba yini lokho na?
Kepha kwafika omunye, wababikela wathi: “Bhekani, amadoda ebeniwafakile etilongweni emi ethempelini, afundisa abantu.” Khona yaphuma induna kanye nezikhonzi, zabaletha, kungengampoqo, ngokuba bebesaba abantu, funa bakhandwe ngamatshe.
Sebebalethile babamisa emphakathini; umpristi omkhulu wababuza, wathi: “Saniyala nokuniyala ukuba ningafundisi ngalelo gama; bhekani, senigcwalise iJerusalema ngesifundiso senu, nihlose ukwehlisela igazi lalowo muntu phezu kwethu.”
Kepha uPetru nabaphostoli baphendula bathi: “Simelwe ukulalela uNkulunkulu kunabantu. UNkulunkulu wawobaba wamvusa uJesu enambulala nina ngokumphanyeka emthini; lowo uNkulunkulu wamphakamisa ngesokunene sakhe abe yiNkosi noMsindisi ukuba anike u-Israyeli ukuphenduka nokuthethelelwa kwezono. Thina singofakazi balezo zinto kanye noMoya oNgcwele uNkulunkulu amnikile labo abamlalelayo.”
Bona sebezwile bathukuthela, bafuna ukubabulala.
Kwase kusukuma omunye emphakathini, umFarisi ogama lakhe linguGamaliyeli, isazimthetho esitusekayo esizweni sonke, wayala ukuba abantu bakhishwe isikhashana; wayesethi kubo: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, qaphelani kulokho enizakukwenza kulaba bantu. Ngokuba ngaphambi kwalezi zinsuku kwasuka uThewuda ezishaya omkhulu; kwanamathela kuye amadoda angathi amakhulu amane; wabulawa yena nabo bonke abamlalelayo, bachitheka, baphela. Emva kwalowo kwasuka uJuda waseGalile ezinsukwini zokubhalwa; wahlubukisa abantu ukuba bamlandele; nalowo wabhubha, nabo bonke abamlalelayo bahlakazeka. Manje-ke ngithi kini: Dedani kulaba bantu, nibayeke, ngokuba uma leli su nalo msebenzi kuvela kubantu, kuyakuchitheka; kepha uma kuvela kuNkulunkulu, aniyikuba namandla okubachitha, funa mhlawumbe nifunyanwe ningabalwayo noNkulunkulu.” Bamvumela-ke.
Base bebabiza abaphostoli, babashaya, babayala ngokuthi bangakhulumi ngegama likaJesu, babakhulula.
Khona basuka phambi komphakathi bethokoza, ngokuba bebefanele ukudunyazwa ngenxa yalelo gama; abayekanga ukufundisa nokushumayela ivangeli ngoJesu Kristu imihla yonke ethempelini nasemakhaya.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
