IzEnzo 9:1-43

Kepha uSawulu esafutha izinsongo nokubulala abafundi beNkosi waya kumpristi omkhulu; wacela kuye izincwadi zokuya eDamaseku eziya emasinagogeni, ukuze kuthi uma ethola abanye baleyo Ndlela, abesilisa noma abesifazane, abalethe eJerusalema beboshiwe. Esahamba, wasondela eDamaseku, kwakhanya masinyane nxazonke kuye ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini. Wawa phansi, wezwa izwi lithi kuye: “Sawulu, Sawulu, ungizingelelani na? Wasesithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? INkosi yasisithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo; Ethuthumela emangala wathi: “Nkosi, uthanda ukuba ngenzeni na? INkosi yasisithi kuye: Sukuma uye emzini, njalo uzatshelwa ofanele ukwenze. Lamadoda ayehamba laye ayemi engelakukhuluma, ezwa ilizwi, kodwa engaboni muntu. USawuli wasesukuma emhlabathini; esevulile amehlo akhe, akabonanga muntu, kepha bamhola ngesandla, bamyisa eDamaseku. Waba yizinsuku ezintathu engaboni, engadli, engaphuzi. EDamaseku kwakukhona umfundi othile ogama lakhe lingu-Ananiya; iNkosi yathi kuye embonweni: “Ananiya!” Wathi: Bheka, ngilapha, Nkosi. INkosi yasisithi kuye: Sukuma uye emgwaqweni othiwa uQondile, ubuze endlini kaJudasi othiwa nguSawuli waseTarsu; Ubone embonweni indoda okuthiwa ngu-Ananiya ingena ibeka isandla phezu kwakhe ukuze abuye abone. UAnaniya wasephendula wathi: Nkosi, ngizwile ngabanengi balumuntu ukuthi kungakanani okubi ekwenzile kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalema; nalapha unegunya kubapristi abakhulu lokubopha bonke ababiza igama lakho. Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Hamba; Ngokuba mina ngiyakumbonisa ukuthi kungakanani omelwe ukuhlupheka ngakho ngenxa yegama lami. U-Ananiya wayesehamba, wangena endlini; ebeka izandla phezu kwakhe, wathi: “Sawulu mzalwane, iNkosi ingithumile uJesu, owabonakala kuwe endleleni oze ngayo, ukuba ubuye ubuye ubuye ugcwaliswe ngoMoya oNgcwele. Kwawa masinyane emehlweni akhe kungathi izinkwethu, wabuye wabona, wasukuma, wabhapathizwa. Kwathi esekudlile waqiniswa. Khona-ke uSawulu wayenabafundi baseDamaseku izinsuku ezithile. Masinyane washumayela emasinagogeni ngoKristu ukuthi yena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. Kepha bonke abamuzwayo bamangala, bathi; Lo akusiye yini owabhubhisa eJerusalema ababiza leli gama, futhi uze lapha ngale njongo, ukuze abayise kubapristi abakhulu beboshiwe? Kodwa uSawuli waba namandla kakhulu, wasanganisa abaJuda abakhileyo eDamaseku eqinisa ukuthi lo unguKristu. Kwathi seziphelile izinsuku eziningi, abaJuda benza icebo lokuba bambulale; Kodwa iqhinga labo laziwa nguSawuli. Bawalinda amasango imini nobusuku ukuba bambulale. Khona abafundi bamthatha ebusuku, bamehlisa ngogange ngeqoma. Kwathi uSawuli esefikile eJerusalema, walinga ukuzihlanganisa labafundi, kodwa bonke babemesaba, bengakholwa ukuthi ungumfundi. Kepha uBarnabasi wamthatha, wamyisa kubaphostoli, wabalandisa ukuthi uyibonile iNkosi endleleni, nokuthi yayikhulumile kuye, nokuthi wayeshumayele ngesibindi eDamaseku ngegama likaJesu. Wayenabo, engena ephuma eJerusalema. Wasekhuluma ngesibindi ngebizo leNkosi uJesu, ephikisana lamaGriki, kodwa azama ukumbulala. Abazalwane sebekwazi bamehlisela eKesariya, bamthumela eTarsu. Khona ibandla lathola ukuphumula kulo lonke elaseJudiya, naseGalile, naseSamariya, lisakheka. Behamba ekwesabeni iNkosi, landa ngenduduzo kaMoya oNgcwele. Kwathi uPetru ebhoda ezindaweni zonke, wehlela nakwabangcwele abakhe eLida. Wafumana khona umuntu othiwa ngu-Eneya, owayeselele iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili efe uhlangothi. UPetru wathi kuye: “Eneya, uJesu Kristu uyakuphilisa; Wasesukuma masinyane. Bonke abakhileyo eLida naseSaroni bambona, baphendukela eNkosini. EJopha kwakukhona umfundikazi othile ogama lakhe linguThabitha, okungukuthi uDorka ngokuhunyushwa; Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku wagula, wafa; sebemgezile, bambeka ekamelweni eliphezulu. Ngokuba iLida laliseduze neJopha, nabafundi bezwile ukuthi uPetru ukhona, bathuma kuye amadoda amabili, bemcela ukuba angalibali ukuza kubo. UPetro wasesukuma wahamba labo. Esefikile bamyisa ekamelweni eliphezulu; Kepha uPetru wabakhiphela phandle bonke, waguqa, wakhuleka; waphendukela esidunjini, wathi: Thabitha, vuka. Yasivula amehlo ayo, yathi ibona uPetro yavuka yavuka. Wambamba ngesandla, wamsukumisa; wayesebabiza abangcwele nabafelokazi, wamethula ephilile. Kwase kwaziwa kuyo yonke iJopha; abaningi bakholwa yiNkosi. Kwathi wahlala izinsuku eziningi eJopha noSimoni othile, umshuki.