IzEnzo 17:1-34

Sebedabule i-Amfipholi ne-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapho kwakukhona isinagoge labaJuda. UPawuli njengomkhuba wakhe wangena kubo, lamasabatha amathathu wabonisana labo ngemibhalo. Evula efakaza ukuthi uKristu kwakumele ahlupheke, abuye avuke kwabafileyo; nokuthi uJesu lo, engimshumayeza nina, unguKristu. Abanye kubo bakholwa, bazihlanganisa noPawulu noSila; nesixuku esikhulu samaGreki akholwayo, nabesifazane abadumileyo abangeyingcosana. Kepha abaJuda abangakholwanga, benomona, bazithathela amadoda athile axhwalekileyo abenza okubi, abutha iviyo, avusa isiyaluyalu umuzi wonke, ahlasela indlu kaJasoni, afuna ukubakhiphela ngaphandle abantu. Kuthe bengabatholi, badonsela uJasoni labazalwane abathile kubaphathi bomuzi, bememeza besithi: Laba abaphambukise umhlaba wonke sebefikile lalapha; abamamukele uJasoni; bonke laba benza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi, uJesu. Bazihlupha izixuku nababusi bedolobha bezwa lokho. Sebethathele uJasoni labanye isibambiso, babakhulula. Khona masinyane abazalwane babamukisa uPawulu noSila ebusuku ukuba baye eBereya; bathi sebefikile, baya esinagogeni labaJuda. Labo babenobuntu kunabaseThesalonika, balamukela izwi ngenhliziyo yonke, behlola imibhalo imihla ngemihla ukuthi zinjalo yini lezo zinto; Ngakho-ke abaningi kubo bakholwa; nabesifazane abahloniphekayo abangamaGreki, namadoda angeyingcosana. Kodwa kwathi abaJuda baseThesalonika sebezwile ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu litshunyayelwe nguPawuli eBereya, beza lakhona, bavusa ixuku. Khona masinyane abazalwane bamukisa uPawulu ukuba ahambe ngaselwandle, kepha oSila noThimothewu basala. Labaphelekezela uPawuli bamusa eAthene; sebemukele umlayo kuSilasi loThimothi wokuba beze kuye masinyane, bamuka. Kwathi uPawuli esabalindile eAthene, umoya wakhe wakhathazeka phakathi kwakhe ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe. Ngakho waxoxa esinagogeni nabaJuda nabamesabayo, nasesigcawini imihla ngemihla nababehlangana naye. Kwasekumelana laye izazi ezithile zefilosofi zamaEpikhuru lamaStoyiki. Abanye bathi: Lizakuthini lelipholi? abanye bathi: “Ungathi ungumshumayeli wabangaziwa,” ngokuba wayeshumayela kubo ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo. Base bembamba, bamusa e-Areyophagu, bathi: “Singakwazi yini ukwazi le mfundiso entsha oyikhulumayo na? Ngokuba uletha ezindlebeni zethu izinto ezingaziwayo; ngakho-ke sifuna ukwazi ukuthi lezi zinto ziyini. Ngokuba bonke abase-Athene nabafokazi ababekhona babengachithi lutho ngokunye, kuphela ukuxoxa nokuzwa into entsha. UPawuli wema phakathi kwentaba yaseMars, wathi: Madoda aseAthene, ezintweni zonke ngiyabona ukuthi likholwa kakhulu. Ngokuba ngithe ngidlula ngibuka izinto enizikhonzayo, ngathola i-altare elilotshiwe ukuthi: KUNKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Ngakho-ke lowo enimkhonza ngokungazi, nguyena engimemezela kini. UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, yena eyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla; Kakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu njengoswela ulutho, yena onika bonke ukuphila lokuphefumula lakho konke; Wazenza izizwe zonke ngegazi linye ukuba zihlale ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, wamisa izikhathi ezimisiweyo nemikhawulo yokuhlala kwazo; ukuze bayifune iNkosi, mhlawumbe bayiphuthaze, bayithole, nakuba ingekude kulowo nalowo kithi; Ngokuba kuye siphila, siyanyakaza, sikhona; njengalokhu izimbongi ezithile zakini zishilo ukuthi: Ngokuba nathi siyinzalo yakhe. Ngakho lokhu siyinzalo kaNkulunkulu, akufanele sicabange ukuthi ubuNkulunkulu bufana negolide noma isiliva noma itshe, okuqoshwe ngobuciko nangesu lomuntu. Nezikhathi zokungazi uNkulunkulu wazishaya indiva; kepha manje uyala abantu bonke ezindaweni zonke ukuba baphenduke; Ngokuba umisile usuku, ayokwahlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga ngalowo muntu ammisile; enike bonke isiqinisekiso ngokumvusa kwabafileyo. Sebezwile ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu, abanye bathi: “Sizakubuye sikuzwe ngale ndaba.” Ngakho uPawuli wasuka phakathi kwabo. Kepha amadoda athile anamathela kuye, akholwa, okukhona kuwo uDiyonisiyu waseAreyophago, nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguDamari, nabanye kanye nabo.