Imisebenti Yebaphostoli
17 Babese badzabula e-Amfipholisi nase-Apholoniya baze befika eThesalonika,+ lapho bekunelisinagoge lemaJuda khona. 2 Njengobe Pawula bekahlale enta,+ wangena ngekhatsi wabonisana nabo ngemiBhalo emasabatha lamatsatfu.+ 3 Bekabachazela kutsi bekufanele Khristu ahlupheke+ futsi avuswe ekufeni,+ bekaphindze akufakazele ngemibhalo loko. Bekatsi: “LoJesu lengimmemetela kini, unguKhristu.” 4 Ngenca yaloko, labanye baba ngemakholwa futsi batihlanganisa naPawula naSilasi.+ EmaGriki lamanyenti lebekakhonta Nkulunkulu, kanye nalabanye bafati lababalulekile labambalwa nabo benta lokufanako.
5 Kodvwa emaJuda aba nemona,+ ase ahlanganisa emadvodza lakhohlakele lebekayingayinga emakethe, futsi asusa siphitsiphitsi kulelidolobha. Ahlasela indlu yaJasoni afuna kutsi boPawula naSilasi bakhishelwe ngephandle kulesicumbi. 6 Atsi nakangabakhandzi, ahudvula Jasoni nalabanye bazalwane abayisa kubaphatsi belidolobha, amemeta atsi: “Lamadvodza lahlupha* kuyo yonkhe indzawo sekalapha,+ 7 futsi Jasoni uwemukele endlini yakhe. Onkhe lamadvodza amelene nemitsetfo yaKhesari, atsi kunalenye inkhosi, lenguJesu.”+ 8 Ngesikhatsi sicumbi sebantfu nebaphatsi belidolobha beva ngaletintfo, betfuka; 9 futsi ngemuva kwekutsatsa sibambiso* lesenele kuJasoni nakulaba labanye, babese bayabakhulula.
10 Kwatsi nasekusebusuku, bazalwane batfumela boPawula naSilasi eBheriya. Nabefika lapho, bangena esinagogeni lemaJuda. 11 Bantfu baseBheriya bebanesimo lesihle kwendlula baseThesalonika, ngobe bebakulangatelela kakhulu kuva livi, bahlolisisa imiBhalo malanga onkhe kuze babone kutsi letintfo lebebativile tiliciniso yini. 12 Ngako labanyenti baba ngemakholwa, lokufaka ekhatsi nebafati labambalwa labakhulunyelwa kahle labangemaGriki kanye nemadvodza latsite. 13 Kodvwa ngesikhatsi emaJuda aseThesalonika eva kutsi Pawula umemetela livi laNkulunkulu eBheriya, aya khona kuze asuse siphitsiphitsi.+ 14 Ngekushesha bazalwane batjela Pawula kutsi ahambe aze ayofika elwandle,+ kodvwa boSilasi naThimothi basala. 15 Labo lebebaphekeletela Pawula bahamba naye baze befika e-Athene. Bajika ngesikhatsi Pawula sekabatfume kutsi batjele Silasi naThimothi+ kutsi bete kuye masinyane.
16 Ngesikhatsi Pawula abamele e-Athene, wakhatsateka kakhulu nakabona kutsi kugcwele tithico kulelidolobha. 17 Ngenca yaloko, wacala kubonisana nemaJuda lebekasesinagogeni kanye nalabanye lebebakhonta Nkulunkulu, futsi malanga onkhe bekakhuluma nalabo lebebasemakethe. 18 Kodvwa letinye tati tema-Ephikhuri nemaStoyiki taphikisana naye. Letinye kuto betitsi: “Ifuna kutsini lencavitsi?” Letinye tona betitsi: “Kubonakala shengatsi umemetela bonkulunkulu labangatiwa.” Loku betikusho ngobe bekamemetela tindzaba letimnandzi ngaJesu nangekuvuswa kwalabafile.+ 19 Ngako tambamba tamyisa enkantolo yase-Ariyophagusi tatsi: “Asewusichazele ngalemfundziso lensha lokhuluma ngayo. 20 Ngobe ukhuluma ngetintfo lesicalako kutiva ngetindlebe tetfu, ngako sifuna kwati kutsi tisho kutsini.” 21 Ecinisweni bonkhe bantfu base-Athene nebantfu bekuhamba lebebahlala lapho,* bebacitsa sikhatsi sabo lesinyenti bakhuluma futsi balalele tindzaba letinsha. 22 Pawula wema embikwenkantolo yase-Ariyophagusi+ watsi:
“Bantfu base-Athene, ngiyabona kutsi kuto tonkhe tintfo nine nitinikele kakhulu kwendlula labanye ekukhonteni bonkulunkulu.*+ 23 Ngobe ngesikhatsi ngendlula futsi ngibukisisa tintfo lenitikhontako, ngibone li-al’thare lelibhalwe kutsi: ‘Kunkulunkulu Longatiwa.’ Ngako loko lenikukhonta ningakwati, ngiko lelengikumemetela kini. 24 Nkulunkulu lowadala umhlaba nako konkhe lokukuwo, loyiNkhosi yelizulu nemhlaba,+ akahlali emathempelini lentiwe ngetandla,+ 25 futsi akadzingi kusitwa bantfu shengatsi kukhona lakweswele,+ ngobe yena unika bonkhe bantfu kuphila, umoya,+ nato tonkhe tintfo. 26 Tive tonkhe watenta ngemuntfu munye+ kuze tihlale emhlabeni wonkhe,+ futsi wabeka tikhatsi nemikhawulo lapho bantfu bebatawuhlala khona,+ 27 kuze bafune Nkulunkulu ngekutimisela futsi bamtfole,+ nanobe ecinisweni angekho khashane kuloyo naloyo kitsi. 28 Ngaye siyaphila, siyanyakata, futsi sikhona, njengobe nje letinye timbongi tenu tisho titsi: ‘Ngobe sibantfwana bakhe.’
29 “Ngako-ke njengobe sibantfwana baKhe,+ akukafaneli sicabange kutsi Nkulunkulu unjengeligolide, lisiliva, litje, nobe intfo leyakhiwe ngekuhlakanipha nekucabanga kwebantfu.+ 30 Nkulunkulu akatinakanga tikhatsi lapho bantfu bebenta ngekungati khona,+ kodvwa nyalo utjela bantfu kuto tonkhe tindzawo kutsi abaphendvuke. 31 Ngobe ubeke lilanga latawehlulela+ ngalo umhlaba ngekulunga asebentisa loyo lamkhetsa, futsi unike bonkhe bantfu sicinisekiso saloku ngekutsi amvuse ekufeni.”+
32 Nabeva ngekuvuswa kwalabafile, labanye bamhleka bulima,+ kantsi labanye batsi: “Sitakulalela ngalesinye sikhatsi.” 33 Ngako Pawula wabashiya, 34 kodvwa labanye batihlanganisa naye futsi baba ngemakholwa. Emkhatsini wabo bekunaDiyonisiyusi, lobekangumehluleli enkantolo yase-Ariyophagusi, nemfati lokutsiwa nguDamarisi kanye nalabanye.