ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli 27:1-44
27 Kwathi sekukhethwe ukuthi siye e-Ithali+ ngomkhumbi, umkhokheli webutho okwakuthiwa nguJuliyu watshelwa ukuthi athathe uPhawuli lezinye izibotshwa. Wayengowebutho lika-Agastu.
2 Sangena emkhunjini owawuvela e-Adramithiyumi owawusuzasuka uye emathekwini* esabelo se-Asiya. Sahamba lo-Aristakhu+ indoda eyayivela eThesalonika esabelweni seMakhedoniya.
3 Ngelanga elilandelayo safika sama eSidoni. UJuliyu waba lomusa kuPhawuli wamvumela ukuthi aye kubangane bakhe bayemnakekela.
4 Sasesisuka ngomkhumbi sahamba sisekele isihlenge seKhuphro sicatshele umoya owawuvunguza uphambana lathi.
5 Ngemva kwalokho sadabula elwandle sisekele iKhilikhiya lePhamfiliya, sayakuma ethekwini leMira elaliseLikhiya.
6 Sesilapho umkhokheli webutho wathola umkhumbi owawuvela e-Alekizandriya usiya e-Ithali, wathi siyengena kuwo.
7 Saqeda insuku ezinengi sihamba kancane kancane njalo safika nzima eKhinidu. Saqhubeka ngohambo sisekele iKhrethe siseSalimone ukuze sicatshele umoya owawusibuyisela emuva.
8 Sahamba nzima sisekele ikhumbi saze sayafika endaweni okuthiwa yiMatheku Amahle, eyayiseduze kwedolobho leLaseya.
9 Kwadlula isikhathi eside futhi kwasekuyingozi ukuqhubeka ngohambo ngoba leLanga Lokuhlawulelwa+ okwakuzilwa ngalo ukudla laselidlulile. Yikho uPhawuli wabacebisa
10 wathi: “Madoda, ngiyabona ukuthi uhambo lolu luzasidalela umonakalo njalo sizalahlekelwa zimpahla lomkhumbi, ngitsho lempilo zethu sibili.”
11 Kodwa umkhokheli webutho walalela umtshayeli womkhumbi lomnikazi wawo kulokuthi alalele uPhawuli.
12 Ethekwini lelo kwakungahlaleki ngesikhathi sebusika. Yikho abanengi bathi kungcono sisuke lapho sibone ukuthi singayafika yini eFenikhe sihlale khona ubusika bonke. IFenikhe litheku leKhrethe elikhangele empumalanga.
13 Kwathi sekuphephetha umoya opholileyo weningizimu, bacabanga ukuthi ababekufisa kwasekusenzakala. Basebengcothula izikhonkwane zomkhumbi, umkhumbi waqalisa ukuhamba usekele iKhrethe eduze lasekhunjini.
14 Kodwa singakayi ngaphi kwaqubuka umoya ololaka okuthiwa nguYurokhilo.*
15 Umkhumbi wakhulelwa ngumoya lo wehluleka ukuphikisana lawo, sawuyekela wandenda nje ulandela umoya.
16 Kwaze kwathi cosololo sesisithele ngale kwesihlenge esincane okuthiwa yiKhawuda. Loba kunjalo, sathwala nzima sivikela isikepe esincane* esasingemva komkhumbi.
17 Kodwa bathi sebesidonsele phakathi komkhumbi bathandela umkhumbi ngentambo ukuze uqine njalo amapulanka awo angehlukani. Behlisa amaseyili wandenda ulandela umoya ngoba babesesaba ukuthi sizatshayelela eSithisi.*
18 Ngelanga elilandelayo baqalisa ukuphungula imithwalo eyayisemkhunjini ngoba isiphepho sasilolaka, sisiphosela le lale.
19 Ngelanga lesithathu baphosela emanzini ezinye intambo ezazisemkhunjini.
20 Isiphepho saqhubeka sisidla ubhedu, kwedlula insuku ezinengi singaliboni ilanga lenkanyezi, saze saqalisa ukuphelelwa lithemba lokuthi sizasila.
21 Sebehlale okwesikhathi eside bengadlanga lutho, uPhawuli wasukuma phakathi kwabo wathi: “Madoda, ngabe lingilalele ngesikhathi ngilicebisa ukuthi lingasuki eKhrethe, besingeke sehlelwe ngumonakalo lo sicine sesilahlekelwe kangaka.+
22 Lanxa kunjalo wobani lesibindi ngoba kakho loyedwa wenu ozakufa, umkhumbi yiwo wodwa ozabhidlika.
23 Ebusuku ingilosi+ kaNkulunkulu wami engimenzela inkonzo engcwele ifike yama eceleni kwami
24 yathi: ‘Ungesabi Phawuli. Kumele uyekuma phambi kukaKhesari+ njalo bonke ohamba labo uNkulunkulu uzabasindisa ngenxa yakho.’
25 Yikho madoda wobani lesibindi ngoba ngiyakholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzakwenza khona kanye engikutsheliweyo.
26 Kodwa umkhumbi uzatshayeka kwesinye isihlenge.”+
27 Phakathi kobusuku ngelanga lesi-14 umoya ulokhu usiphosela le lale eLwandle lwe-Adriya, abagwedli bomkhumbi baqalisa ukucabangela ukuthi sasesisondela emhlabathini.
28 Balinganisa ukuthi amanzi ayetshona kangakanani, bathola ukuthi ayengamamitha angaba ngu-36. Baqhubeka okomangwana balinganisa futhi bathola ukuthi kwasekungamamitha angaba ngu-27.
29 Bathi sebesesaba ukuthi sizatshayeka emadwaleni, baphosa izikhonkwane ezine ezazingemuva komkhumbi ukuze ume. Basebefisa ukuthi ngabe kuyasa.
30 Abagwedli bazama ukubaleka emkhunjini, behlisa isikepe esincane besenza angathi bafuna ukwehlisa izikhonkwane ezaziphambi komkhumbi.
31 UPhawuli wasetshela umkhokheli webutho kanye lamasotsha wathi: “Alisoze lisile nxa amadoda la angaphuma emkhunjini.”+
32 Ngakho amasotsha aquma intambo zesikepe esincane, asiyekela sawa.
33 Kwathi sekuzakusa uPhawuli wakhuthaza bonke ukuthi badle, wathi: “Sekulilanga lesi-14 lihlezi lilindile futhi lingadli lutho.
34 Yikho ngicela ukuthi lidle bakithi ukuze liqine ngoba akula lolulodwa unwele olusemakhanda enu oluzatshabalala.”
35 Esetsho njalo wathatha isinkwa wabonga uNkulunkulu phambi kwabo bonke, wasihlephuna waqalisa ukudla.
36 Bonke baba lesibindi basebeqalisa ukudla.
37 Sonke esasisemkhunjini sasingu-276.
38 Bathi sebedlile basutha baqalisa ukuphungula imithwalo eyayisemkhunjini ngokuphosela ingqoloyi elwandle.+
39 Sekusile abazange bayazi indawo ababekuyo+ kodwa babezibonela indawo egcwele itshebetshebe esekhunjini, basebezimisela ukuthi bayewumisa lapho umkhumbi nxa bengenelisa.
40 Yikho baquma intambo zezikhonkwane baziyekela zawela elwandle, ngapha bethukulula intambo zamaphini okuqondisa umkhumbi. Basebekhweza iseyili encane eyayiphambili ukuze ifuqwe ngumoya, baqonda ekhunjini.
41 Umkhumbi wabhaja etshebetshebeni eyayisekhunjini, wama mpo. Wabanjelwa phambili wangatshedi, ngapha emuva watshaywa ngamagagasi awuvuthuza.+
42 Amasotsha athi ekubona lokhu athi kungcono abulale izibotshwa ukuze zingabhukutshi zibaleke.
43 Kodwa umkhokheli webutho wawavimbela ukwenza lokho ngoba wayezimisele ukufika loPhawuli ephila. Wasesithi ababesenelisa ukubhukutsha beqele elwandle bayefika kuqala emhlabathini,
44 abaseleyo besebelandela bephezu kwamapulanka lokunye okwakuhlephuke emkhunjini. Ngakho bonke bafika kuhle ekhunjini.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Itheku yindawo okufikela khona imikhumbi.
^ Lapha kutshiwo umoya ovela enyakatho mpumalanga.
^ Isikepe lesi sasingesokunceda abantu nxa umkhumbi usucwila.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
