IzEnzo 16:1-40

Khona wafika eDerbe naseListra; bheka, kwakukhona lapho umfundi othile, uThimothewu igama lakhe, indodana yowesifazane ongumJuda okholiweyo; kepha uyise wayengumGreki. Owayefakazelwa kahle ngabazalwane baseListra nase-Ikoniyu. Yena uPawulu wathanda ukuba ahambe naye; wamthatha, wamsoka ngenxa yabaJuda ababekulezo zindawo, ngokuba bonke babazi ukuthi uyise ungumGreki. Kwathi bedabula imizi, babanika izimiso ezamiswa ngabaphostoli namalunga aseJerusalema ukuba bazigcine. Ngakho-ke amabandla aqiniswa ekukholweni, anda ngenani imihla ngemihla. Sebedabule izwe laseFrigiya nelaseGalathiya, benqatshelwe nguMoya oNgcwele ukulishumayela izwi e-Asiya; Sebefikile eMisiya balinga ukungena eBhithiniya, kodwa uMoya kabavumelanga. Sebedlula eMisiya behlela eTrowa. Kwabonakala umbono kuPawulu ebusuku; kwakumi indoda yaseMakedoniya, imncenga, ithi: Welela eMakedoniya, usisize. Esewubonile umbono, sahle sazama ukuya eMakedoniya, sesibonile impela ukuthi iNkosi isibizile ukuba sishumayele ivangeli kubo. Ngakho sasuka eTrowa ngomkhumbi, saqonda eSamotraki, ngangomuso safika eNeyapholi; Sisuka lapho saya eFiliphi, umuzi oyinhloko yesifunda saseMakedoniya, uyikoloni; sahlala izinsuku ezithile kulowo muzi. Kwathi ngesabatha saphumela ngaphandle komuzi ngasemfuleni, lapho okwakumelwe ukukhuleka khona; sahlala phansi, sakhuluma kwabesifazane ababebuthene khona. Owesifazane othile ogama lakhe linguLidiya, engumthengisi wezibubende, womuzi waseThiyathira, okhonza uNkulunkulu, wasizwa, onhliziyo yakhe iNkosi yayivula ukuba alalele okwakhulunywa nguPawulu. Kuthe esebhapathiziwe kanye nendlu yakhe, wasincenga, wathi: “Uma nithi ngikholekile eNkosini, ngenani endlini yami, nihlale khona. Futhi wasicindezela. Kwasekusithi siyakukhuleka, intombazana ethile eyayilomoya wokubhula yasihlangabeza, eyayizuzela abaniniyo inzuzo enkulu ngokubhula. Yona yamlandela uPawulu nathi, yamemeza yathi: “Laba bantu bayizinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ezishumayela kithi indlela yensindiso. Wakwenza lokho izinsuku eziningi. Kepha uPawulu edabukile waphenduka, wathi kumoya: “Ngiyakuyala ngegama likaJesu Kristu ukuba uphume kuyo.” Waphuma ngaso leso sikhathi. Abaphathi bakhe sebebonile ukuthi ithemba lenzuzo yabo seliphelile, babamba oPawulu noSila, babadonsela esigcawini kubaphathi; Wabayisa ezinduneni, wathi: Laba bantu bengamaJuda bawuhlupha kakhulu umuzi wakithi. Futhi bafundisa amasiko esingavunyelwe ukuba siwamukele kumbe siwenze, singamaRoma. Isixuku sabavukela, nezinduna zayala ukuba bashaywe. Sebebashayile imivimbo eminingi, babaphonsa etilongweni, bayala umgciniziboshwa ukuba abagcine ngokunesizotha; yena esemukele umyalo onjalo wabaphonsa etilongweni elingaphakathi, wabopha izinyawo zabo ogongolweni. Kepha phakathi kobusuku oPawulu noSila bakhuleka, bamdumisa uNkulunkulu ngamahubo, iziboshwa zabezwa. Kwase kuba khona ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu, kwaze kwazanyazanyiswa izisekelo zetilongo; kwavuleka khona lapho iminyango yonke, athukululwa nezibopho zabo bonke. Kwathi umgciniziboshwa ephaphama, ebona iminyango yetilongo ivulekile, wahosha inkemba yakhe, efuna ukuzibulala, ngokuthi iziboshwa zibalekile. Kepha uPawulu wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Ungazilimazi, ngokuba sikhona sonke. Wasebiza isibane, wagijimela phakathi, weza ethuthumela, wawa phambi kukaPawuli loSila. Wabakhiphela phandle, wathi: “Makhosi, ngimelwe ukwenzani ukuba ngisindiswe na? Basebesithi: Kholwa yiNkosi uJesu, njalo uzasindiswa wena lendlu yakho. Base bekhuluma kuye izwi leNkosi nakubo bonke ababesendlini yakhe. Wabathatha ngaso leso sikhathi sobusuku, wabageza imivimbo; wabhapathizwa khona lapho, yena nabo bonke abakhe. Wabangenisa endlini yakhe, wababekela ukudla, wathokoza kanye nendlu yakhe yonke ngokukholwa nguNkulunkulu. Kwathi sekusile, izinduna zathuma izikhonzi, zithi: “Khulula labo bantu; Umgciniziboshwa wabikela uPawulu lawo mazwi, wathi: “Izinduna zithumele ukuba nikhululwe; Kepha uPawulu wathi kubo: “Basishayile obala singalahlwanga cala, thina singamaRoma, basiphonsa etilongweni; manje basikhipha ngasese na? cha impela; kodwa mabeze bona basikhiphe. Izikhonzi zakhuluma lawo mazwi ezinduneni, zesaba zizwa ukuthi bangamaRoma. Beza babancenga, babakhipha, babacela ukuba baphume emzini. Base bephuma etilongweni, bangena endlini kaLidiya; sebebonile abazalwane, babaduduza, bamuka.