Isahluko 17
1Kwathi sebedabulile i-Amfipholi ne-Apholoniya, bafika eThesalonika, lapho kwakukhona isinagoge labaJuda.
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Kepha uPawulu njengokwenza kwakhe wangena kubo, waphendulana nabo amasabatha amathathu, ethathela emibhalweni,
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ebavulela, ebachasisela ukuthi kwakumelwe ukuba uKristu ahlupheke, avuke kwabafileyo, ethi futhi: “UJesu lo engimshumayela kini unguKristu.”
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Base bevuma abanye kubo, bazihlanganisa noPawulu noSila, futhi nesixuku esikhulu samaGreki akholwayo, kanye nabesifazane abadumileyo abangeyingcosana.
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Kepha abaJuda benomhawu bathatha kumabhukudwane abalisa abathile ababi, besusa isiyaluyalu phakathi kwabantu, baxokozelisa umuzi; bahlasela indlu kaJasoni befuna ukubakhiphela kubantu;
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kepha bengabafumani bamhudulela uJasoni kanye nabazalwane abathile kubaphathimuzi, bamemeza bathi: “Laba abayaluzisa izwe lonke sebefikile nalapha,
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uJasoni ubamukele; bonke laba benza okuphambene nezimiso zikaKesari, bethi kukhona enye inkosi, nguJesu.”
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Kepha bethusa isixuku nabaphathimuzi abezwa lokho,
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bathatha isibambiso kuJasoni nakwabanye, babakhulula.
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Kepha abazalwane bamukisa oPawulu noSila masinyane ebusuku ukuba baye eBereya; bona sebefikile khona bangena esinagogeni labaJuda.
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Labo-ke babebahle kunabaseThesalonika, balamukela izwi ngenhliziyo yonke, bahlolisisa imibhalo imihla ngemihla ukuba zinjalo yini lezo zinto.
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Ngakho abaningi kubo bakholwa, nabesifazane abanesithunzi abangamaGreki, namadoda angeyingcosana.
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Kwathi abaJuda baseThesalonika sebezwile ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu limenyezelwe nguPawulu naseBereya, beza nakhona, bazinyakazisa bezivusa izixuku.
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Khona abazalwane bamukisa masinyane uPawulu ukuba aze afike elwandle; kepha oSila noThimothewu basala khona.
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Abamphelekezelayo uPawulu bamfikisa e-Athene; kwathi sebamukele isiyalezo ngoSila nangoThimothewu sokuba beze kuye ngokushesha okukhulu, bamuka.
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Kwathi uPawulu esabalinda e-Athene, umoya wakhe wacunuka phakathi kwakhe ebona umuzi ugcwele izithombe.
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Ngakho-ke wakhuluma esinagogeni kubaJuda nakuwo amakholwa nasesigcawini imihla ngemihla kubo ababesuke bekhona.
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Kepha abathile kuzo izazi zama-Epikhuru nezamaStoyiku baphikisana naye; abanye bathi: “Leli phoshophosho lithini na?” Abanye bathi: “Kungathi ungomemezela onkulunkulu abangaziwayo,” ngokuba wayeshumayela ivangeli ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo.
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Base bemthatha, bamyisa e-Areyophagu, bethi: “Ungesazise ukuthi siyini lesi sifundiso esisha esikhulunywa nguwe na?
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Ngokuba uletha ezindlebeni zethu okuthile okungaziwayo; ngalokho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi lokhu kungaba yini.”
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Ngokuba bonke abase-Athene nabafokazi abakhe khona babengazilibazisi ngokunye, kuphela ngokukhuluma nokuzwa izindaba ezintsha.
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UPawulu wema-ke phakathi ne-Areyophagu, wathi: “Madoda ase-Athene, ngiyabona ngakho konke ukuthi nikhonza kakhulu onkulunkulu.
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Ngokuba kwathi ngihamba ngibuka izinto enizikhonzayo, ngafumana ne-altare okulotshwe kulo ukuthi: ELIKANKULUNKULU ONGAZIWAYO. Lokho-ke enikukhonza ningakwazi, yikho engikumemezela kini.
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“UNkulunkulu owenza umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, yena oyiNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla;
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futhi akakhonzwa ngezandla zabantu ngokungathi udinga utho, yena obapha bonke ukuphila nokuphefumula nakho konke;
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wazenza izizwe zonke ngagazi linye ukuba zakhe ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, wamisa izikhathi ezinqunyiweyo nemikhawulo yokuhlala kwazo,
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ukuze zifune uNkulunkulu, ingabe zingamuzwa, zimfumane; ingani kakude kulowo nalowo kithi.
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‘Ngokuba siphila, sihamba, sikhona kuye,’ njengalokho izimbongi ezithile zakini zishilo zathi: “ ‘Ngokuba futhi siyinzalo yakhe.’
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“Ngakho lokhu siyinzalo kaNkulunkulu, akufanele ukuba sithi ubuNkulunkulu bufana negolide noma isiliva noma itshe, okuqoshwe ngekhono nangesu lomuntu.
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Ngokuba izikhathi zokungazi wazithalalisa uNkulunkulu, kodwa kalokhu usememezela kubantu ukuba bonke ezindaweni zonke baphenduke,
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njengokuba umisile usuku azakwahlulela ngalo izwe ngokulunga ngomuntu ammisele lokho, enika bonke ithemba ngokumvusa kwabafileyo.”
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Kwathi bezwa ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, abanye bahleka usulu, kepha abanye bathi: “Siyakuphinda sikuzwe ngaleyo ndaba.”
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Kanjalo uPawulu waphuma phakathi kwabo.
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Kepha amadoda athile anamathela kuye, akholwa; phakathi kwawo kwakukhona noDiyonisiyu wase-Areyophagu, nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguDamari, nabanye kanye nabo.