Indoda ethile, egama layo kungu-Ananiya, kanye nomkayo uSafira, bathengisa ngendawo. Kepha yagodla enye ingxenye yemali, nomkayo azi, yaletha ingxenye ethile, yayibeka ngasezinyaweni zabaphostoli.
UPhethro wayesethi: “Ananiya, kungani ukuba uSathane agcwalise inhliziyo yakho, uqambe amanga kuMoya oNgcwele, ugodle ingxenye yemali yezwe na? Le ndawo ingakathengiswa bekungesiyo yini eyakho na? Lapho seyithengisiwe ibingekho yini emandleni akho na? Pho yini unqume ukwenza lobu bubi enhliziyweni yakho na? Awuqambanga nje amanga kubantu kodwa kuNkulunkulu.”
Kuthe u-Ananiya ezwa lawo mazwi, waqumbeka phansi, wafa. Bonke abezwa ngalokho behlelwa wukwesaba okukhulu. Izinsizwa zasuka, zamsonga, zamkhiphela phandle, zamngcwaba.
Kwathi emuva kwesikhathi esingaba ngamahora amathathu, kwangena nomkakhe, wayengazi okwenzekileyo. UPhethro wayesethi kuye: “Ngitshele ukuthi indawo niyithengise ngenani elingaka na?”
Wathi: “Yebo, ngelingako.”
Kepha uPhethro wathi kuye: “Kungani nivumelene ngokulinga uMoya weNkosi na? Uyabona-ke, izinyawo zabangcwabe umyeni wakho zisemnyango, nawe-ke bazakukukhiphela phandle.”
Wawa ngokuphazima kweso ngasezinyaweni zikaPhethro, wafa. Izinsizwa zangena, zamfumana efile, zamkhiphela phandle, zamngcwaba nomyeni wakhe. Ukwesaba okukhulu kwalehlela lonke ibandla nabo bonke abezwa ngalokho.
Kwenziwa izimangaliso nezibonakaliso eziningi kubantu, ngezandla zabaphostoli. Bonke babenhliziyonye besemphemeni kaSolomoni. Kepha kwabanye abantu akukho namunye owaba nesibindi sokuzihlanganisa nabo, kodwa abantu babebazisa kakhulu. Kwanezelwa abaningi abakholwa eNkosini, izinkumbi zabesilisa nabesifazane, kangangokuthi baze bakhiphela phandle emigwaqweni abagulayo, bababeka emacansini nasezinhlakeni, ukuze kuthi lapho uPhethro edlula, isithunzi sakhe sibeleke abanye babo. Kwabuthana nezindimbane zivela emizini ezungeze iJerusalema, zithwele abagulayo nabahlukunyezwa ngomoya abangcolileyo. Baphulukiswa bonke.
Kwase kusuka umphristi omkhulu, nabo bonke ababenaye beqembu labaSadusi, begcwele umona. Babamba abaphostoli, babafaka ejele lombuso. Kepha ingelosi yeNkosi yavula iminyango yejele ebusuku; isibakhiphile, yathi: “Hambani, niye ethempelini, nikhulume kubantu bonke amazwi alokhu kuPhila.”
Sebezwile, bangena ethempelini entathakusa, bafundisa. Kepha kwafika umphristi omkhulu nayehamba nabo, babizela ndawonye umkhandlu namalunga wonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli, base bethumela ejele ukuba balethwe kubo. Kepha izikhonzi zafika azabafumana ejele; zase zibuyela emuva, zabika, zathi: “Ijele silithole livaliwe, nabaqaphi bemi eminyango, kepha sesivulile asitholanga muntu ngaphakathi.”
Kuthe lapho iwezwa lawa mazwi induna yethempeli nabaphristi abakhulu, bamangala ukuthi ngabe kwenzekeni.
Kepha kwafika omunye, wababikela wathi: “Amadoda ebeniwafake ejele asethempelini, afundisa abantu.”
Yaphuma-ke induna kanye nezikhonzi, zabaletha, hhayi ngempoqo, ngokuba babesaba abantu, funa bakhandwe ngamatshe.
Kuthe sebefikile, babamisa emkhandlwini; umphristi omkhulu wababuza, wathi: “Asinidonsanga yini ngendlebe ukuba ningafundisi ngaleli gama, kodwa senigcwalise iJerusalema ngemfundiso yenu, futhi nizimisele ukwehlisela igazi lalo muntu phezu kwethu.”
Kodwa uPhethro nabaphostoli baphendula bathi: “Simelwe ukulalela uNkulunkulu kunabantu. UNkulunkulu wokhokho bethu wamvusa uJesu enambulala nina ngokumphanyeka emthini. Lowo, uNkulunkulu wamphakamisa ngakwesokunene sakhe ukuba abe yiNkosi noMsindisi, anike u-Israyeli ukuphenduka nokuthethelelwa kwezono. Thina singofakazi balezo zinto kanye noMoya oNgcwele uNkulunkulu amnikile labo abamlalelayo.”
Kuthe sebekuzwile lokho bathukuthela, bafuna ukubabulala.
Kwase kusukuma omunye emkhandlwini, umFarisi ogama lakhe nguGamaliyeli, isazimthetho esihlonishwayo esizweni sonke, wayala ukuba laba abantu bakhishelwe phandle isikhashana; wayesethi kubo: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, cabangisisani ngalokho enizakukwenza kulaba bantu. Ngokuba kulezi zinsuku ezedlule, kwasuka uThewuda wazenza umuntu omkhulu; waba nabalandeli, amadoda angaba ngama-400. Wabulawa, kwathi bonke abamlalelayo, bahlakazeka baphela nya. Emva kwalowo, kwavela uJuda waseGalile ezinsukwini zokubalwa kwabantu; wadukisa abantu ukuba bamlandele; naye wabulawa, kwathi bonke abamlalelayo bahlakazeka. Manje ngithi kini: hlukanani nalaba bantu, bayekeni phansi, ngokuba uma lokhu kungumsebenzi ovela kubantu, kuyakushabalala, kodwa uma kuvela kuNkulunkulu, aniyukuba namandla okubachitha, funa mhlawumbe nifunyanwe ningabaphikisana noNkulunkulu.”
Bamvumela-ke.
Sebebabizile abaphostoli, babashaya, babaxwayisa ngokuthi bangakhulumi ngegama likaJesu, base bebakhulula.
Ngakho-ke basuka phambi komkhandlu bethokoza, ngokuba betholakale bekufanele ukuthelwa ngehlazo ngenxa yalelo gama. Abayekanga ukufundisa nokushumayela ivangeli ngoKhristu uJesu imihla ngemihla, ethempelini nasemakhaya.
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