ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
7 Kodwa umphristi omkhulu wathi: “Kuliqiniso yini lokhu?” 2 UStefane wasephendula wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu lani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abrahama eMesophothamiya, engakayihlala eHarani,+ 3 wathi kuye: ‘Suka elizweni lakini lasezihlotsheni zakho uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.’+ 4 Wasesuka elizweni lamaKhaledi wayahlala eHarani. Ngemva kokufa kukayise+ uNkulunkulu wathi athuthele elizweni leli elihlala kulo khathesi.+ 5 Kodwa kazange amnike ilifa endaweni le. Kazange amuphe ngitsho lendawo encane. Loba kunjalo wamthembisa ukuthi uzamnika ilizwe leli lokuthi uzalipha izizukulwane zakhe,+ lanxa ngalesosikhathi wayengakabi lomntwana. 6 Waphinda wamtshela ukuthi izizukulwane zakhe zizakuba ngabezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lazo lokuthi labobantu bazakwenza izizukulwane zakhe zibe yizigqili, bazihlukuluze okweminyaka engu-400.+ 7 UNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Ngizasahlulela isizwe leso abazakuba yizigqili zaso.+ Ngemva kwalokho bazaphuma kuso futhi bazangenzela inkonzo engcwele endaweni le.’+
8 “Wenza laye isivumelwano sokusoka+ njalo wazala u-Isaka+ wamsoka ngelanga lesi-8.+ U-Isaka wazala uJakhobe, uJakhobe yena wazala izinhloko zemuli ezilitshumi lambili. 9 Inhloko zemuli lezi zaba lomhawu ngoJosefa,+ zamthengisela eGibhithe.+ Kodwa uNkulunkulu wayelaye+ 10 futhi wamkhulula kuzo zonke inhlupho zakhe, wamnika lokuhlakanipha njalo wenza uFaro inkosi yeGibhithe yaba lomusa kuye. UFaro wambeka ukuthi abuse iGibhithe lendlu yakhe yonke.+ 11 Kodwa lonke ilizwe leGibhithe leleKhenani lahlaselwa yindlala kwaba lokuhlupheka okukhulu, okhokho bethu baswela khona okokufaka emlonyeni.+ 12 UJakhobe wezwa ukuthi kwakulokudla* eGibhithe, wasethuma okhokho bethu okokuqala.+ 13 Ngohambo lwabo lwesibili, uJosefa watshela abafowabo ukuthi ungubani futhi uFaro wayazi imuli yakoJosefa.+ 14 Yikho uJosefa wathumela ilizwi wabiza uyise uJakhobe lezihlobo zakhe zonke ezazikuleyondawo.+ Bonke babengu-75.+ 15 UJakhobe wasesiya eGibhithe+ futhi wafela khona,+ kwaba njalo langabokhokho bethu.+ 16 Bathwalelwa eShekhemu babekwa ethuneni u-Abrahama ayelithenge ngemali yesiliva emadodaneni kaHamori eShekhemu.+
17 “Sathi sesisiyafika isikhathi sokuthi kugcwaliseke lokho uNkulunkulu ayekuthembise u-Abrahama, abantu bakithi banda baba banengi kakhulu eGibhithe. 18 Kwaqalisa ukubusa enye inkosi eGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa.+ 19 Inkosi le yaqilibezela isizwe sakithi njalo yahlukuluza obaba, ibabamba ngenkani ukuthi bayekele ukondla izinsane zabo ukuze zife.+ 20 Ngalesosikhathi kwazalwa uMosi. Wayemuhle kakhulu ngitsho lakuNkulunkulu njalo wondliwa emzini kayise okwezinyanga ezintathu.+ 21 Kodwa wathi esetshiyiwe,+ indodakazi kaFaro yamthatha yamkhulisa angathi yindodana yayo.+ 22 Ngakho uMosi wafundiswa konke ukuhlakanipha kwabaseGibhithe. Amazwi akhe ayelamandla futhi wayesenza izinto ezibabazekayo.+
23 “Eseleminyaka engu-40 wacabanga ukuthi ake ayevakatshela* abafowabo, abantu bako-Israyeli.+ 24 Uthe ebona omunye wabo ehlukuluzwa, wamvikela njalo wamphindiselela ngokubulala umGibhithe. 25 Wayecabanga ukuthi abafowabo bazananzelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayebasindisa ngesandla sakhe, kodwa bona abazange bananzelele. 26 Ngelanga elilandelayo wathola abanye besilwa wasezama ukubalamula ngokuthula, esithi: ‘Madoda lingabantu banye. Manje lilwelani?’ 27 Kodwa lowo owayetshaya umakhelwane wakhe wamfuqela khatshana uMosi, wathi: ‘Ngubani okubeke ukuthi ube ngumbusi lomahluleli wethu? 28 Usufuna ukungibulala njengomGibhithe ombulele izolo?’ 29 UMosi wathi ekuzwa lokho wabaleka wayahlala elizweni lakoMidiyani njalo esekhonale waba lamadodana amabili.+
30 “Kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka engu-40, ingilosi yabonakala kuye enkangala eseduze lentaba iSinayi, elangabini lesihlahla sameva esasibhebha.+ 31 UMosi wamangala ekubona lokho. Kodwa wathi esondela ekhangelisisa kwezwakala ilizwi likaJehova* lisithi: 32 ‘NginguNkulunkulu wabokhokho bakho, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama lo-Isaka loJakhobe.’+ UMosi wesaba waqhuqha, waswela lesibindi sokuqhubeka ehlolisisa. 33 UJehova* wathi kuye: ‘Khipha amanyathela akho ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingcwele. 34 Sengikubonile sibili ukuhlukuluzwa kwabantu bami abaseGibhithe. Sengikuzwile ukukhala kwabo+ njalo sengehlile ukuze ngiyebakhulula. Ngakho ngizakuthuma eGibhithe.’ 35 UMosi lo babemalile besithi: ‘Ngubani okubeke ukuthi ube ngumbusi lomahluleli?’+ Kodwa nguye owathunywa nguNkulunkulu+ ukuthi abe ngumbusi lomkhululi, esebenzisa ingilosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni sameva. 36 Indoda le yabakhokhela yabakhipha eGibhithe,+ isenza izimangaliso lezibonakaliso kulelolizwe, laseLwandle Olubomvu+ kanye lasenkangala okweminyaka engu-40.+
37 “Nguye uMosi lo owathi emadodaneni ako-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uzalivusela umphrofethi onjengami phakathi kwabafowenu.’+ 38 Wayekhona ebantwini bako-Israyeli enkangala, elengilosi+ eyakhuluma laye+ labokhokho bethu entabeni iSinayi. Wamukela amazwi angcwele aphilayo ukuze asiphe wona.+ 39 Okhokho bethu bala ukumlalela, bamninela khatshana.+ Ezinhliziyweni zabo babuyela eGibhithe,+ 40 yikho bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu ngoba asikwazi osekwenzakale emuntwini lo uMosi, owasikhokhelayo siphuma eGibhithe.’+ 41 Ngalesosikhathi benza isithombe sethole, baletha imihlatshelo kuso futhi baqalisa ukujabula phambi kwalokho ababekwenze ngezandla zabo.+ 42 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wabafulathela wabayekela besenzela ibutho elisemazulwini inkonzo engcwele,+ njengoba nje kubhaliwe ebhukwini labaPhrofethi ukuthi: ‘Iminikelo yenu lemihlatshelo elayenza enkangala okweminyaka engu-40 lalingayenzeli mina, angithi kunjalo lina ndlu ka-Israyeli? 43 Kodwa laphakamisa itende likaMolokhi+ lenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRefani, izithombe elazenzayo ukuze lizikhonze. Yikho ngizakwenza ukuthi lithunjwe lihanjiswe ngale kweBhabhiloni.’+
44 “Okhokho bethu babeletende lobufakazi enkangala, njengoba uNkulunkulu wayenike uMosi imilayo yokuthi alenze lifanane lalokho ayekubonile.+ 45 Okhokho bethu balamukela laba ngelabo, babuya lalo beloJoshuwa beliletha elizweni lezizwe+ uNkulunkulu azixotsha phambi kwabo.+ Itende leli lahlala khonapho kwaze kwaba sensukwini zikaDavida. 46 Yena wenzelwa umusa nguNkulunkulu futhi wacela isibusiso sokwakhela uNkulunkulu kaJakhobe indawo yokuhlala.+ 47 Loba kunjalo uSolomoni nguye owamakhela indlu.+ 48 Kodwa oPhezukonke kahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla,+ njengoba nje umphrofethi esithi: 49 ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi,+ lomhlaba uyisenabelo* senyawo zami.+ Manje yindlu enjani lina elingangakhela yona? Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguJehova.* Ingaba ngaphi indawo yami yokuphumula? 50 Isandla sami ayisiso yini esenze konke lokhu?’+
51 “Madoda ayiziqholo futhi angasokanga enhliziyweni lendlebeni, lihlala liphikisana lomoya ongcwele. Lenza okwakusenziwa ngokhokho benu.+ 52 Ukhona yini umphrofethi okhokho benu abangazange bamhlukuluze?+ Bababulala sibili labo ababememezela ngokuza kolungileyo,+ lowo eselimthengisile lambulala,+ 53 lina elawamukelayo uMthetho owadluliselwa yizingilosi+ kodwa aliwugcinanga.”
54 Bathi besizwa lokhu bazonda kakhulu baqalisa ukumgedlela amazinyo. 55 Kodwa yena wakhangela ezulwini egcwele umoya ongcwele, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu lekaJesu emi esandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu,+ 56 wasesithi: “Khangelani! Ngibona amazulu evulekile leNdodana yomuntu+ imi esandleni sokudla sikaNkulunkulu.”+ 57 Bekuzwa lokho baklabalala bavala indlebe zabo ngezandla bamhahabela bonke. 58 Bamkhiphela phandle kwedolobho baqalisa ukumkhanda ngamatshe.+ Ofakazi+ ababemmangalela babeka izembatho zabo zangaphandle phambi kwejaha okwakuthiwa nguSawuli.+ 59 Bathi belokhu besamkhanda ngamatshe, uStefane wacela kuJesu wathi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.” 60 Waseguqa wamemeza ngelizwi elilamandla wathi: “Jehova,* ungabethesi isono lesi.”+ Esekutshilo lokhu wafa.*