Isahluko 19
1Kwathi u-Apholo eseKorinte, uPawulu wafika e-Efesu esedabulile amazwe angasenhla, wafumana abafundi abathile,
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wathi: “Namamukela yini uMoya oNgcwele mhla nikholwayo na?” Bathi kuye: “Qhabo, asizwanga nokuzwa ukuba kukhona uMoya oNgcwele.”
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Wathi: “Pho, nabhapathizelwa kukuphi na?” Base bethi: “Kukho ukubhapathiza kukaJohane.”
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UPawulu wayesethi: “UJohane wabhapathiza umbhapathizo wokuphenduka, ethi kubantu mabakholwe nguyena obezakuza emva kwakhe, kungukuthi uJesu.”
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Bathi ukuzwa lokho, babhapathizwa egameni leNkosi uJesu.
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Kwathi uPawulu esebekile izandla phezu kwabo, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo; base bekhuluma ngezilimi, baprofetha.
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Babe ngamadoda angathi ishumi nambili bebonke.
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Wayesengena esinagogeni, wakhuluma ngesibindi izinyanga zaba ntathu, eshumayela ebafundisa ngombuso kaNkulunkulu.
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Kepha lapho abathile bezenza lukhuni bengalaleli, bekhuluma kabi ngaleyo Ndlela phambi kwabantu, wasuka kubo, waqembula abafundi, washumayela imihla ngemihla esikoleni sikaTiranu.
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Lokho kwenzeka iminyaka emibili, baze balizwa izwi leNkosi bonke abakhileyo e-Asiya, abaJuda namaGreki.
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UNkulunkulu wenza imisebenzi yamandla engavamile ngezandla zikaPawulu,
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baze bathatha amaduku nezindwangu emzimbeni wakhe, bazibeka phezu kwabagulayo; zase zisuka kubo izifo, nomoya ababi baphuma.
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Kepha nabathile abayizanusi kubaJuda, abayizinzulane, balokotha ukuphatha igama leNkosi uJesu phezu kwabakhwelwe ngomoya ababi, bathi: “Ngiyanifungisa uJesu amshumayelayo uPawulu.”
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USkeva othile, umJuda, umpristi omkhulu, wayenamadodana ayisikhombisa ayekwenza lokho.
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Kepha umoya omubi waphendula, wathi kuwo: “UJesu ngiyamazi, noPawulu ngiyamqonda; kepha nina ningobani na?”
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Lowo muntu onomoya omubi wabadumela, wahlula ababili, wabanqoba, baze baphunyuka kuleyo ndlu behambaze, belimele.
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Lokho kwezwakala kubo bonke abakhileyo e-Efesu, abaJuda namaGreki, ukwesaba kwabehlela bonke; ladunyiswa igama leNkosi uJesu;
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nabaningi kwabakholwayo beza bazivuma, bazibika izenzo zabo.
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Kepha abaningi kubo ababenza imilingo babuthela ndawonye izincwadi zabo, bazishisa phambi kwabo bonke; bahlanganisa amanani azo, bafumana ukuthi ayizinhlamvu zesiliva eziyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisihlanu.
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Kanjalo izwi landa ngamandla eNkosi, lanqoba.
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Kwathi ukuba sezenzekile lezo zinto, uPawulu wazimisela emoyeni ukuya eJerusalema esedabulile iMakedoniya ne-Akhaya, wathi: “Emva kokufika kwami khona ngimelwe ukubona neRoma.”
22
Wayesethumela eMakedoniya ababili kwabamkhonzayo oThimothewu no-Erastu; yena uqobo wasala isikhathi e-Asiya.
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Kepha ngaleso sikhathi kwavela isiphithiphithi esingesincane maqondana naleyo Ndlela.
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Ngokuba umuntu othile ogama lakhe linguDemetriyu, umkhandi wesiliva owenza amathempelana esiliva kaDiyana, wazuzisa abakhandi besiliva inzuzo engencane,
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waqoqa bona kanye nezisebenzi ezinjalo, wathi: “Madoda, niyazi ukuthi kulo msebenzi kuvela ingcebo yethu,
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kepha seniyabona, niyezwa futhi ukuthi akukuphela e-Efesu kodwa cishe kulo lonke i-Asiya uPawulu lona udukisile abantu abaningi ngokubancenga, ethi akusibo onkulunkulu labo abenziwe ngezandla.
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Ngakho akusikho lokhu kuphela ukuba umsebenzi wethu usengozini yokudelelwa, kodwa nethempeli lonkulunkulukazi omkhulu uDiyana liyakuthiwa aliyinto yalutho, nobukhulukazi bakhe sebuzakuphela, yena elimkhonzayo lonke i-Asiya nezwe lonke.”
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Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bagcwala ulaka, bamemeza bathi: “Mkhulu uDiyana wabase-Efesu.”
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Umuzi wonke wagcwala isiphithiphithi, batheleka nganhliziyonye esigcawini sokubukela, babamba oGayu no-Aristarku, abaseMakedoniya, ababehamba noPawulu.
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Kepha uPawulu esefuna ukungena phakathi kwabantu, abafundi abamvumelanga.
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Nabanye bababusi base-Asiya, bengabahlobo bakhe, bathumela kuye, bamncenga ukuba angaze angena esigcawini sokubukela.
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Khona-ke abanye bamemeza okunye nabanye okunye; ngokuba ibandla layaluza nje, nabaningi babengazi ukuthi babuthanele indabani.
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Base bekhipha u-Aleksandru esixukwini, abaJuda bamqhubela phambili; kepha u-Aleksandru waqhweba ngesandla, efuna ukuziphendulela kubantu.
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Kwathi ukuba bezwe ukuthi ungumJuda, bamemeza bonke ngazwi linye kwangathi amahora amabili, bathi: “Mkhulu uDiyana wabase-Efesu.”
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Kepha umbhali esebathulisile abantu wathi: “Madoda ase-Efesu, kukhona yini phakathi kwabantu ongaziyo ukuthi umuzi wase-Efesu ungumlondi wethempeli likaDiyana omkhulu nowesithombe esawa ezulwini na?
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Ngakho lokhu lezo zinto zingephikwe, kufanele nithule, ningenzi lutho ngamawala.
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Ngokuba nilethile lawa madoda angesibo abaphangi bamathempeli nokuba abahlambalaza uNkulunkulu wethu.
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Ngakho uma uDemetriyu kanye nezingcweti zabakhandi besiliva benendaba nomuntu, zikhona izinsuku zokuthetha amacala, bakhona nababusi; mabamangalelane.
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Kepha uma nifuna utho ngaphezu kwalokho, kuyalungiswa ebandleni elimisiweyo.
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Ngokuba-ke sisengozini yokumangalelwa ngomsindo wanamuhla, lokhu kungekho sizathu esingazilandulela ngaso ngalesi siwiliwili.”
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Eseshilo lokho walimukisa ibandla.