Imisebenzi 4

UPhethro LoJohane Phambi KweSanihedrini

1Abaphristi lomlawuli wabalindi bethempeli kanye lamaSadusi beza kuPhethro loJohane belokhu besakhuluma labantu. 2Bakhathazeka kakhulu ngoba abapostoli babefundisa abantu betshumayela ukuthi kuJesu kulokuvuka kwabafileyo. 3Babamba uPhethro loJohane, kwathi ngenxa yokuthi kwasekuntambama, babafaka entolongweni kwaze kwaba kusasa. 4Kodwa abanengi abalizwayo ilizwi bakholwa, inani lamadoda lakhula okungaba zinkulungwane ezinhlanu.

5Ngosuku olulandelayo ababusi, abadala, labafundisi bomthetho babuthana eJerusalema. 6U-Anasi umphristi omkhulu, uKhayifasi, uJohane, u-Alekizanda labanye abendlu yomphristi omkhulu. 7Bathi uPhethro loJohane balethwe, baqala ukubathonisa besithi, “Lokhu likwenze ngamandla bani kumbe ngaliphi ibizo na?”

8UPhethro egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wathi kubo, “Babusi labadala babantu! 9Nxa sibekwa umlandu lamuhla ngesenzo somusa owenzelwe indoda ebiyisigoga, besesibuzwa ukuthi isiliswe njani, 10yazini lokhu, lina kanye labo bonke abantu bako-Israyeli; kungenxa yamandla kaJesu Khristu waseNazaretha elambethelayo kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo, yiwo enza indoda le ime phambi kwenu isilile ngokupheleleyo. 11Yena uyilo

‘ilitshe lina abakhi elalilahlayo,

khathesi seliyilona ilitshe lekhoneni.’1

12Kakho omunye okulensindiso kuye; phela kalikho elinye ibizo ngaphansi kwezulu elaphiwa abantu ukuthi sisindiswe ngalo.”

13Bathi ngokubona isibindi sikaPhethro loJohane njalo benanzelela ukuthi ngabantu makhaza, ababengafundanga, batsha amathe, bakunanzelela ukuthi amadoda la ake aphila loJesu. 14Kodwa njengoba babeyibona indoda eyayisilisiwe imi khonapho labo, baswela ukuthi bangathini. 15Ngakho kwathiwa kabasuke emphakathini weSanihedrini, umphakathi wasala uhlanganisa amakhanda. 16Babuzana bathi, “Kambe senzeni ngamadoda la? Bonke abahlala eJerusalema bayakwazi ukuthi benze umangaliso obabazekayo, lathi asingeke sikulandule lokho. 17Kodwa ukuze into le siyimise ukuthi ingasabalali phakathi kwabantu, kasibaqonqoseleni ukuthi bangaphindi bakhulume lakubani ngebizo leli.”

18Basebebabiza njalo, babalaya ukuthi bangaqali ukukhuluma loba ukufundisa ngebizo likaJesu. 19Kodwa uPhethro loJohane baphendula bathi, “Yikuphi okuqondileyo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukulalela lina kumbe ukulalela uNkulunkulu? Kwahluleleni lokho. 20Thina ngokwethu asingeke siyekele ukukhuluma ngalokho esikubonileyo lesikuzwileyo.”

21Sebebaqonqosele njalo babakhulula. Baswela ukuthi babengabajezisa njani, ngoba abantu bonke babemdumisa uNkulunkulu ngalokho okwakwenzakele. 22Ngoba leyondoda eyasiliswa ngesimanga yayileminyaka engamatshumi amane ubudala.

Umkhuleko Wamakholwa

23Ekukhululweni kwabo uPhethro loJohane babuyela ebantwini bakibo, bababikela konke okwakukhulunywe kibo ngabaphristi abakhulu labadala. 24Sebekuzwile lokhu, baphakamisa amazwi abo bonke bakhuleka kuNkulunkulu. Bathi, “Thixo Nkosi, wena wenza amazulu lomhlaba, lolwandle lakho konke okukuwo. 25Wena wakhuluma ngoMoya oNgcwele ngomlomo wenceku yakho, ubaba wethu uDavida wathi:

‘Kungani izizwe zixokozela,

labantu besakha amacebo ngeze?

26Amakhosi omhlaba ayahloma ajame

lababusi bahlangana ndawonye

bemelana loThixo

lalowo Ogcotshiweyo wakhe.’2

27Ngempela uHerodi loPhontiyasi Philathu bahlangana labeZizwe kanye labantu bako-Israyeli baceba ngenceku yakho engcwele, uJesu owamgcobayo. 28Benza lokho okwakumiswe ngaphambilini ngamandla akho layintando yakho ukuthi kwakuzakwenzakala. 29Ngakho, Nkosi, zwana ukusonga kwabo, uphe izinceku zakho amandla ukuthi zilikhulume ilizwi lakho ngesibindi esikhulu. 30Yelula isandla sakho ukusilisa lokwenza imimangaliso lezimanga ngebizo lenceku yakho engcwele uJesu.”

31Sebekhulekile, indawo ababekuyo yazamazama. Bonke bagcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele, balikhuluma ngesibindi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.

Amakholwa Ayahlanganyela Kuyo Yonke Impahla Yawo

32Wonke amakholwa ayenhliziyo nye njalo engqondo nye. Kakho owathi okwakhe ngokwakhe yedwa kodwa babelana konke ababelakho. 33Abapostoli baqhubeka ukufakaza ngamandla amakhulu ngokuvuka kweNkosi uJesu kwabafileyo, bonke babusiseka kakhulu. 34Kakho owayeswela phakathi kwabo. Kwakusithi izikhathi ngezikhathi labo ababe leziqinti loba izindlu bazithengise balethe imali abathengise ngayo 35bayethule ebapostolini, yabelwe loba ngubani ngokuswela kwakhe.

36UJosefa, umLevi waseSiphrasi, abapostoli ababembiza ngokuthi nguBhanabhasi (okutsho ukuthi, iNdodana yeNkuthazo), 37wathengisa isivande sakhe waletha imali wayethula phambi kwabapostoli.