4
UPhethro LoJohane Phambi KweSanihedrini
1 Abaphristi lomlawuli wabalindi bethempeli kanye lamaSadusi beza kuPhethro loJohane belokhu besakhuluma labantu. 2 Bakhathazeka kakhulu ngoba abapostoli babefundisa abantu betshumayela ukuthi kuJesu kulokuvuka kwabafileyo. 3 Babamba uPhethro loJohane, kwathi ngenxa yokuthi kwasekuntambama, babafaka entolongweni kwaze kwaba kusasa. 4 Kodwa abanengi abalizwayo ilizwi bakholwa, inani lamadoda lakhula okungaba zinkulungwane ezinhlanu.
5 Ngosuku olulandelayo ababusi, abadala, labafundisi bomthetho babuthana eJerusalema. 6 U-Anasi umphristi omkhulu, uKhayifasi, uJohane, u-Alekizanda labanye abendlu yomphristi omkhulu. 7 Bathi uPhethro loJohane balethwe, baqala ukubathonisa besithi, “Lokhu likwenze ngamandla bani kumbe ngaliphi ibizo na?”
8 UPhethro egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wathi kubo, “Babusi labadala babantu! 9 Nxa sibekwa umlandu lamuhla ngesenzo somusa owenzelwe indoda ebiyisigoga, besesibuzwa ukuthi isiliswe njani, 10 yazini 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. 11 Yena uyilo
‘ilitshe lina abakhi elalilahlayo,
khathesi seliyilona ilitshe lekhoneni.’* 4.11 AmaHubo 118.22
12 Kakho omunye okulensindiso kuye; phela kalikho elinye ibizo ngaphansi kwezulu elaphiwa abantu ukuthi sisindiswe ngalo.”
13 Bathi ngokubona isibindi sikaPhethro loJohane njalo benanzelela ukuthi ngabantu makhaza, ababengafundanga, batsha amathe, bakunanzelela ukuthi amadoda la ake aphila loJesu. 14 Kodwa njengoba babeyibona indoda eyayisilisiwe imi khonapho labo, baswela ukuthi bangathini. 15 Ngakho kwathiwa kabasuke emphakathini weSanihedrini, umphakathi wasala uhlanganisa amakhanda. 16 Babuzana bathi, “Kambe senzeni ngamadoda la? Bonke abahlala eJerusalema bayakwazi ukuthi benze umangaliso obabazekayo, lathi asingeke sikulandule lokho. 17 Kodwa ukuze into le siyimise ukuthi ingasabalali phakathi kwabantu, kasibaqonqoseleni ukuthi bangaphindi bakhulume lakubani ngebizo leli.”
18 Basebebabiza njalo, babalaya ukuthi bangaqali ukukhuluma loba ukufundisa ngebizo likaJesu. 19 Kodwa uPhethro loJohane baphendula bathi, “Yikuphi okuqondileyo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukulalela lina kumbe ukulalela uNkulunkulu? Kwahluleleni lokho. 20 Thina ngokwethu asingeke siyekele ukukhuluma ngalokho esikubonileyo lesikuzwileyo.”
21 Sebebaqonqosele njalo babakhulula. Baswela ukuthi babengabajezisa njani, ngoba abantu bonke babemdumisa uNkulunkulu ngalokho okwakwenzakele. 22 Ngoba leyondoda eyasiliswa ngesimanga yayileminyaka engamatshumi amane ubudala.
Umkhuleko Wamakholwa
23 Ekukhululweni kwabo uPhethro loJohane babuyela ebantwini bakibo, bababikela konke okwakukhulunywe kibo ngabaphristi abakhulu labadala. 24 Sebekuzwile lokhu, baphakamisa amazwi abo bonke bakhuleka kuNkulunkulu. Bathi, “Thixo Nkosi, wena wenza amazulu lomhlaba, lolwandle lakho konke okukuwo. 25 Wena wakhuluma ngoMoya oNgcwele ngomlomo wenceku yakho, ubaba wethu uDavida wathi:
‘Kungani izizwe zixokozela,
labantu besakha amacebo ngeze?
26 Amakhosi omhlaba ayahloma ajame
lababusi bahlangana ndawonye
bemelana loThixo
lalowo Ogcotshiweyo wakhe.’† 4.26 AmaHubo 2.1-2
27 Ngempela uHerodi loPhontiyasi Philathu bahlangana labeZizwe kanye labantu bako-Israyeli baceba ngenceku yakho engcwele, uJesu owamgcobayo. 28 Benza lokho okwakumiswe ngaphambilini ngamandla akho layintando yakho ukuthi kwakuzakwenzakala. 29 Ngakho, Nkosi, zwana ukusonga kwabo, uphe izinceku zakho amandla ukuthi zilikhulume ilizwi lakho ngesibindi esikhulu. 30 Yelula isandla sakho ukusilisa lokwenza imimangaliso lezimanga ngebizo lenceku yakho engcwele uJesu.”
31 Sebekhulekile, indawo ababekuyo yazamazama. Bonke bagcwaliswa ngoMoya oNgcwele, balikhuluma ngesibindi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.
Amakholwa Ayahlanganyela Kuyo Yonke Impahla Yawo
32 Wonke amakholwa ayenhliziyo nye njalo engqondo nye. Kakho owathi okwakhe ngokwakhe yedwa kodwa babelana konke ababelakho. 33 Abapostoli baqhubeka ukufakaza ngamandla amakhulu ngokuvuka kweNkosi uJesu kwabafileyo, bonke babusiseka kakhulu. 34 Kakho owayeswela phakathi kwabo. Kwakusithi izikhathi ngezikhathi labo ababe leziqinti loba izindlu bazithengise balethe imali abathengise ngayo 35 bayethule ebapostolini, yabelwe loba ngubani ngokuswela kwakhe.
36 UJosefa, umLevi waseSiphrasi, abapostoli ababembiza ngokuthi nguBhanabhasi (okutsho ukuthi, iNdodana yeNkuthazo), 37 wathengisa isivande sakhe waletha imali wayethula phambi kwabapostoli.