Kwathi lapho sesihlukene nabo, sahamba ngomkhumbi, sahamba ngendlela eqondile saze safika eKhose, ngakusasa safinyelela eRode, sedlula lapho saya ePhathara, sesitholile isikebhe esiwelela eFonesiya, sangena kuso, sahamba. Kwathi sesiyibona iKhuphro saze sayedlula, siyishiya ngemuva ngakwesokhohlo, saya eSiriya. Safika echwebeni eThire, ngokuba umkhumbi wawuzokwethula lapho izimpahla. Emva kokubafuna abafundi, sahlala khona izinsuku eziyikhombisa; beqhutshwa nguMoya, bamtshela uPawula ukuba angalubeki eJerusalema. Kepha kuthe seziphelile lezo zinsuku, saphuma sahamba, siphelezelwa yibo bonke, nomkabo nabantwana, baze basibeka ngaphandle komuzi. Saguqa ngamadolo ogwini, sakhuleka, savalelisana, sangena emkhumbini, kodwa bona babuyela emakhaya.
Thina sesiluqedile uhambo sisuka eThire, safika ePhetholemayi, sesibabingelele abazalwane, sahlala nabo usuku. Ngakusasa sahamba saze safika eKhesariya, sangena emzini kaFiliphu umvangeli, owayengomunye wabayisikhombisa, sahlala naye. Yena-ke wayenamadodakazi amane, ayizintombi eziphrofethayo.
Kwathi sisahleli lapho izinsukwana, kwafika umphrofethi evela eJudiya, igama lakhe lingu-Agabhu. Esefikile kithi, wathatha ibhande likaPawula, wazibopha ngalo izinyawo nezandla, wathi: “Usho lokhu uMoya oNgcwele, uthi: ‘Lo muntu ongumnikazi waleli bhande, abaJuda eJerusalema bazakumbopha kanje, bamkhaphele ezandleni zabezizwe.’ ”
Lapho sikuzwa lokhu, samncenga thina kanye nabantu bakuleya ndawo ukuba angakhuphukeli eJerusalema. Nokho uPawula waphendula wathi: “Nenzani ukuba nikhale nidabukise inhliziyo yami na? Ngokuba mina sengikulungele, hhayi nje ukuboshwa kuphela, kodwa nokufa eJerusalema ngenxa yegama leNkosi uJesu.”
Sesehlulekile ukumvimba, sathula sathi: “Mayenziwe intando yeNkosi.”
Emva kwalezo zinsuku umthwalo waba sobhokweni, sakhuphukela eJerusalema. Abanye babafundi baseKhesariya bahamba nathi, basiyisa kuMnasoni othile waseKhuphro, umfundi omdala, esangenisa kwakhe. Sesifikile eJerusalema, abazalwane basemukela ngokujabula. Ngakusasa uPawula wahamba nathi waya kuJakobe; onke amalunga eza. UPawula esewabingelele, wawalandisa ngakho konke, ngakunye ngakunye, uNkulunkulu ayekwenze kwabezizwe ngenkonzo yakhe.
Sebekuzwile lokho bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi kuye: “Uyabona, mzalwane, ukuthi ziningi kangakanani izinkulungwane zalabo asebekholwa, ezikhona phakathi kwabaJuda, futhi bonke bayizishisekeli zomthetho! Babikelwe ngawe ukuthi ufundisa bonke abaJuda, abaphakathi kwabezizwe, ukuhlubuka kuMose, uthi mabangabasoki abantwana babo, futhi bangawagcini amasiko. Pho manje sesizokwenzenjani na? Impela bazakuzwa ukuthi usufikile. Ngakho-ke yenza lokhu esizakukutshela khona: kukhona phakathi kwethu amadoda amane azibophile ngesifungo, wathathe uzihlambulule kanye nawo, uwakhokhele ukuze aphuce amakhanda, khona bonke bezokwazi ukuthi akukho lutho oluliqiniso kulokho okubikiwe ngawe, kodwa ukuthi nawe uyavumelana nomthetho futhi uyawugcina. Kepha maqondana nabezizwe abakholwayo, sesibalobele sanquma ukuthi mabakugweme okuhlatshelwe izithombe, igazi, inyama yesilwane esiklinyiweyo nobufebe.”
Ngakho-ke uPawula wathatha lawo madoda, kwathi ngakusasa wazihlambulula kanye nawo, wangena ethempelini, wabazisa ngokuphela kwezinsuku zokuhlanjululwa, kuze kwenziwe umnikelo walowo nalowo.
Kuthe sekuzophela izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, abaJuda base-Asiya bembonile ethempelini, bagovuza sonke isixuku, bambamba, bamemeza bathi: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, yelekelelani! Nguye lo muntu ofundisa bonke ezindaweni zonke okuphambene nesizwe, nomthetho, nale ndawo, futhi ufike namaGriki wawangenisa ethempelini, wayingcolisa le ndawo engcwele.”
Ngokuba babekade bembonile phambilini uThroyifimu wase-Efesu esemzini naye, ababecabanga ukuthi uPawula umngenise ethempelini.
Umuzi wonke wanyakaziswa, abantu babuthanela ndawonye, bambamba uPawula, bamhudulela ngaphandle kwethempeli; iminyango yavalwa ngokuphazima kweso. Kuthe sebefuna ukumbulala, kwafika izwi enduneni yenkulungwane elithi lonke iJerusalema liyaphithizela. Yathatha ngokushesha amabutho nezinduna zekhulu, yagijimela kubo. Kuthe sebebona induna yenkulungwane namabutho, bayeka ukumshaya uPawula.
Yayisisondela induna yenkulungwane, yamthatha, yayala ukuba aboshwe ngamaketanga amabili, yayisibuza ukuthi ungubani nokuthi wenzeni. Abanye esixukwini babememeza besho lokhu, nabanye besho lokhuya, ayangakwazi ukuthola iqiniso ngenxa yomsindo, yase iyala ukuba ayiswe enkanjini. Kuthe lapho esefikile esikhwelweni, wathwalwa ngamabutho ngenxa yokuminyana kwesixuku, ngokuba isixuku sabantu sasisimemeza sithi: “Msuseni!” Lapho esezongeniswa enkanjini, uPawula wathi enduneni yenkulungwane: “Ngabe ngivunyelwe yini ukuba notho engilushoyo kuwe na?”
Yona yathi: “Uyasazi yini isiGriki na? Kanti awusiye yini umGibhithe, okwathi ngaphambi kwalezi zinsuku wadala isiyaluyalu, wembuka, waholela amadoda ayizi-4 000 ehlane, angababulali na?”
Kepha uPawula, wathi: “Mina ngingumJuda waseTharsu eKhilikhiya, isakhamuzi somuzi odumileyo. Ngiyacela ukuba ungivumele ngikhulume kubantu.”
Esemvumele, uPawula wema esikhwelweni, wathulisa abantu ngesandla. Kwase kuthula kuthi cwaka, wayesekhuluma ngolimi lwesiHebheru, ethi
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