Kwakukhona indoda ethile eKhesariya, igama layo kunguKhorneliyu, iyinduna yekhulu yebutho okuthiwa elase-Ithaliya. Wayengumuntu okholwayo nomesabayo uNkulunkulu kanye nabendlu yakhe yonke. Wayabela abantu abampofu izipho eziningi, ekhuleka kuNkulunkulu engaphezi. Waba nombono lapho abona kuwo ngokusobala ingelosi kaNkulunkulu ifika kuye, cishe ngehora lesishiyagalolunye emini, ithi: “Khorneliyu!”
Wayigqolozela enovalo, wathi: “Kwenzenjani, Nkosi na?”
Yathi kuye: “Imikhuleko yakho nokwabela kwakho abampofu izipho kwenyukile, kwaba yisikhumbuzo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke thumela amadoda eJopha, ayobiza uSimoni othile, okuthiwa nguPhethro; ungenise emzini kaSimoni othile, umshuki wezikhumba, indlu yakhe ingasolwandle.”
Isihambile ingelosi ebikhuluma naye, wabiza ababili kwabendlu yakhe nebutho elikholwayo kulawo ayeyizinceku zakhe, wabachazela konke, wayesebathumela eJopha.
Kuthe ngakusasa besahamba labo, sebesondela emzini, uPhethro wenyukela phezu kwendlu ukuba ayokhuleka ngehora lesithupha. Walamba, wafuna ukudla, kodwa kwathi besamlungisela wafikelwa yisiyezi. Wabona izulu livulekile kunesitsha esithile sehla sinjengendwangu enkulu, sehliselwa emhlabeni ngamachopho amane. Kwakukhona kuso izilwane zomhlaba ezinhlobonhlobo ezinezinyawo ezine, nezinwabuzelayo nezinyoni zezulu. Kwezwakala izwi lithi kuye: “Vuka, Phethro; hlaba, udle.”
Kepha uPhethro wathi: “Qha, Nkosi, ngokuba selokhu kwathi nhlo angikaze ngidle okuyichilo nokungcolileyo.”
Izwi laphinda ngokwesibili lathi kuye: “Ungasho ukuthi kungcolile lokho uNkulunkulu akuhlambululile!”
Lokhu kwenzeka kwaze kwaba kathathu, isitsha sase senyuselwa ezulwini ngokuphazima kweso.
Esamangele uPhethro ukuthi lo mbono awubonile ngabe uchaza ukuthini, amadoda ayethunywe nguKhorneliyu, ayesemi ngasesangweni, emva kokuba esebuzile ukuthi ngabe yiyo yini indlu kaSimoni. Amemeza, ebuza ukuthi ngabe uSimoni okuthiwa nguPhethro ungenisile yini lapho. Kuthe uPhethro esazindla ngombono, uMoya wathi kuye: “Amadoda amathathu ayakufuna; sukuma, wehle, uhambe nawo, ungangabazi, ngokuba yiMina engiwathumileyo.”
Esehlile uPhethro, wathi kula madoda: “Yimina enimfunayo; ngabe nize ngaludaba luni lapha na?”
Athi: “UKhorneliyu induna yekhulu, indoda elungileyo nemesabayo uNkulunkulu, futhi enegama elihle esizweni sonke sabaJuda, uyalwe yingelosi engcwele ukuba akubize, uye endlini yakhe, ukuze ezwe amazwi avela kuwe.”
USimoni wayesewabiza, wawangenisa endlini yakhe. Ngakusasa wasuka wahamba nawo, ephelezelwa ngabazalwane abathile baseJopha. Kwathi ngosuku olulandelayo bafika eKhesariya. UKhorneliyu wayebalindele, esememe izihlobo nabangani bakhe abakhulu. Kuthe uPhethro esezofika khona, uKhorneliyu wamhlangabeza, wawa ngobuso, wathi mbo phansi ngasezinyaweni zikaPhethro, wakhuleka. Kepha uPhethro wamsukumisa ethi kuye: “Sukuma, nami ngingumuntu nje.”
Esakhuluma naye, wangena, wafica abantu abaningi bebuthene lapho. Wathi kubo: “Niyazi ukuthi akuvunyelwe ukuba umuntu ongumJuda ahlangane noma ahambelane nowesinye isizwe, kodwa uNkulunkulu ungitshengisile ukuba ngingasho nakoyedwa ngithi unechilo noma ungcolile. Ngakho-ke angizange ngenqabe, ngibiziwe, ngeza. Ngakho-ke ngiyabuza ukuthi ungibizeleni na?”
UKhorneliyu wathi: “Kuthe ngikhuleka ngehora lesishiyagalolunye endlini yami, ezinsukwini ezine ezedlule, ngabonasekumi phambi kwami indoda eyayembethe ingubo ekhazimulayo, yathi: ‘Khorneliyu, kuzwakele ukukhuleka kwakho, nokwabela kwakho abampofu izipho, kukhunjuliwe phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Ngakho, thumela eJopha, ubize uSimoni okuthiwa nguPhethro; ungenise endlini kaSimoni, umshuki wezikhumba, ngasolwandle.’
“Ngase ngithumela kuwe khona manjalo; wenze kahle-ke wafika. Manje sesilapha sonke phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuba sizwe konke okuyalelwe yiNkosi.”
UPhethro wayesethatha ekhuluma, ethi: “Impela kuyangicacela ukuthi uNkulunkulu akabheki ubuso bomuntu, kodwa ezizweni zonke lowo omesabayo nowenza ukulunga uyemukeleka kuye. Walithumela izwi kubantu bakwa-Israyeli, eshumayela ivangeli lokuthula ngaye uJesu uKhristu; okunguYena oyiNkosi yabo bonke. Niyalazi izwi elamenyezelwa kulo lonke iJudiya, elaliqale eGalile, emva kombhabhadiso ayewushumayele uJohane. Lelo lizwi lalithi: uNkulunkulu wamgcoba uJesu waseNazaretha ngoMoya oNgcwele nangamadla, owahamba enza okuhle, ephilisa bonke ababephansi kwamandla kaSathane, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayenaye.
“Thina singofakazi bazo zonke izinto azenzayo ezweni labaJuda naseJerusalema, Yena lo bambulala ngokumphanyeka emthini. UNkulunkulu wamvusa ngosuku lwesithathu, wamenza ukuba abonakale, hhayi kubantu bonke, kodwa kithina esingofakazi ababekhethwe nguNkulunkulu phambilini, esasidla siphuza naye, emva kokuba esemvusile kwabafileyo. Wasiyala ukuba sishumayele kubantu, sifakaze ukuthi nguye omiswe nguNkulunkulu ukuba abe nguMahluleli wabaphilayo nabafileyo. Nguye, bonke abaphrofethi abafakaza ngaye ukuthi bonke abakholwa nguye bayakwemukela ukuthethelelwa kwezono ngegama lakhe.”
Esakhuluma uPhethro lawo mazwi, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela kubo bonke ababelilalele izwi. Abasokileyo abakholwayo ababefike noPhethro bamangala kakhulu bebona ukuthi isipho sikaMoya oNgcwele sithululelwe naphezu kwabezizwe. Ngokuba babezwa bekhuluma ngezilimi, betusa uNkulunkulu. UPhethro wayesephendula ethi: “Ukhona yini ongenqaba namanzi ukuba babhabhadiswe laba abamukele uMoya oNgcwele njengathi na?”
Wayeseyala ukuba babhabhadiswe egameni leNkosi. Base bemncenga ukuba ahlale nabo izinsukwana.
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