Acts - Chapter 7

Verse 1: Umpristi omkhulu wayesethi: “Nembala lokhu kunjalo na?”

Verse 2: Yena wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kubaba u-Abrahama eseMesopotamiya, engakakhi eHarana,

Verse 3: wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukukhombisa lona.’

Verse 4: “Khona waphuma ezweni lamaKaledi, waya wakha eHarana. Kwathi esefile uyise, uNkulunkulu wamsusa lapho, wamhlalisa kuleli zwe enakhe kulo nina manje.

Verse 5: Kepha akamnikanga ifa kulo, ngisho nelingangonyawo, wathembisa kodwa ukuthi uzakumnika lona libe ngelakhe nelenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe, engakabi namntwana.

Verse 6: UNkulunkulu wakhuluma kanje, wathi: ‘Inzalo yakhe izakuba ngumfokazi ezweni lezizwe; bayakuyenza izigqila, bayiphathe kabi iminyaka engamakhulu amane.

Verse 7: Kepha leso sizwe abayakuba yizigqila kuso ngiyakusahlulela mina, washo uNkulunkulu, andukuba baphume, bangikhonze kule ndawo.’

Verse 8: Wayesemnika isivumelwano sokusoka; kanjalo-ke wazala u-Isaka, wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili; u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala okhokho abayishumi nambili.

Verse 9: “Okhokho baba nomhawu ngoJosefa, bathengisa ngaye, wasiwa eGibithe; kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye,

Verse 10: wamkhipha kuzo zonke izinhlupheko zakhe, wamupha umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe; yena wammisa abe ngumbusi eGibithe nakuyo yonke indlu yakhe.

Verse 11: “Kepha kwafika indlala kulo lonke iGibithe nakwaKhanani, nokuhlupheka okukhulu; obaba kabafumana ukudla.

Verse 12: UJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibithe, wathuma obaba ngokokuqala;

Verse 13: kwathi ngokwesibili uJosefa waziwa ngabafowabo; kwabonakala kuFaro isizwe sakubo kaJosefa.

Verse 14: UJosefa wayesethumela wabiza uJakobe uyise nabakubo bonke, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu.

Verse 15: UJakobe wehlela eGibithe; wafa yena nawobaba.

Verse 16: Bayiswa eSikemi, babekwa ethuneni alithenga u-Abrahama ngenani lesiliva kumadodana kaHamori eSikemi.

Verse 17: “Kepha sesisondele isikhathi sesithembiso uNkulunkulu asisho ku-Abrahama, banda abantu, baba baningi eGibithe,

Verse 18: kwaze kwavela enye inkosi eGibithe ebingamazi uJosefa.

Verse 19: Yona yasiphatha ngobuqili isizwe sakithi, yabahlupha obaba ngokubalahlisa izingane zabo zingaphili.

Verse 20: “Ngaleso sikhathi kwazalwa uMose, waba muhle kuNkulunkulu; wondliwa izinyanga ezintathu endlini kayise;

Verse 21: eselahliwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamthola, yazondlela yena ukuba abe yindodana yayo.

Verse 22: UMose wafundiswa ukuhlakanipha konke kwabaseGibithe; waba namandla ngamazwi nangemisebenzi yakhe.

Verse 23: “Kuthe eseneminyaka engamashumi amane ezelwe, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba abamele abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

Verse 24: Wabona umuntu ephathwa kabi, wamvikela, wamphindisela ohlushwayo, wambulala owaseGibithe.

Verse 25: Ubethemba ukuthi abafowabo bayakuqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubanika ukusindiswa ngesandla sakhe; kepha abakuqondanga.

Verse 26: Nangangomuso wafika kubo belwa, wazama ukubalamula, babuyisane, wathi: ‘Madoda, ningabazalwane; niphathanelani kabi na?’

Verse 27: “Kepha lowo owayemona umakhelwane wakhe wamhlohloloza wathi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu na?

Verse 28: Usufuna ukungibulala nami, njengalokho ubulele owaseGibithe izolo na?’

Verse 29: Khona uMose wabaleka ngenxa yalelo zwi, waba ngumfokazi ezweni lakwaMidiyani, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.

Verse 30: “Kwathi sekuphelele iminyaka engamashumi amane, kwabonakala kuye ehlane lentaba yaseSinayi ingelosi iselangabini lomlilo esihlahleni.

Verse 31: UMose ekubona wamangala ngalowo mbono; esasondela ukuba abhekisise, kwafika izwi leNkosi, lathi:

Verse 32: ‘NginguNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka nokaJakobe.’ UMose wathuthumela, akaba nasibindi sokubhekisisa.

Verse 33: “INkosi yayisithi kuye: ‘Khumula izicathulo ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.

Verse 34: Ngikubonile nokukubona ukuhlushwa kwesizwe sami esiseGibithe, ngizwile ukububula kwaso; sengehlile ukuba ngibakhiphe. Woza kalokhu, ngizakukuthumela eGibithe.’

Verse 35: “UMose lowo abamalayo bethi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli na?’ nguyena amthumayo uNkulunkulu ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni, abe ngumbusi nomhlengi.

Verse 36: Yena lowo wabakhipha enza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso ezweni laseGibithe, naseLwandle Olubomvu, nasehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane.

Verse 37: “Nguye uMose lowo owathi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uyakunivusela umprofethi kubafowenu onjengami.’

Verse 38: Nguye lowo owayesebandleni ehlane kanye nengelosi eyakhuluma naye entabeni yaseSinayi kanye nawobaba, nowamukela amazwi okuphila, ukuze aninike wona.

Verse 39: “Kepha obaba abavumanga ukumlalela, kodwa bamhlohloloza, babuyela emuva eGibithe ngezinhliziyo zabo,

Verse 40: bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu; ngokuba uMose lowo owasikhipha ezweni laseGibithe, asazi ukuba wehlelwe yini.’

Verse 41: Benza ithole ngaleyo mihla, baletha umhlatshelo esithombeni, bajabula ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo.

Verse 42: Kepha uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabadedela ukuba bakhonze ibandla lezulu, njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yabaprofethi ukuthi: “ ‘Naningilethela iminikelo nemihlatshelo iminyaka engamashumi amane ehlane nina ndlu ka-Israyeli na?

Verse 43: Qha, nathatha itende likaMoloki nenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRemfani, imifanekiso enayenza ukuba nikhuleke kuyo. Ngiyakunimukisela ngaphambili kweBabiloni.’

Verse 44: “Kwakukhona itende lobufakazi kobaba ehlane njengalokho akuyalayo yena owakhuluma noMose ukuba alenze ngomfanekiso abewubonile;

Verse 45: obaba benoJoshuwa balamukela, balingenisa ezweni lezizwe azixoshayo uNkulunkulu ebusweni bawobaba, kwaze kwaba semihleni kaDavide

Verse 46: owathola umusa ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu, wacela ukufunela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe idokodo.

Verse 47: Kepha nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.

Verse 48: “Kodwa oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla njengokusho komprofethi ukuthi:

Verse 49: “ ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi, nomhlaba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zami; ngenjani indlu eniyakungakhela yona,’ isho iNkosi, ‘noma yiyiphi indawo yami yokuphumula na?

Verse 50: Isandla sami asikwenzanga konke lokho na?’

Verse 51: “Nina bantamo zilukhuni, abangasokile ezinhliziyweni nasezindlebeni, nimelana njalo noMoya oNgcwele; njengoyihlo ninjalo nani.

Verse 52: Ngumuphi kubaprofethi oyihlo abangamzingelanga na? Bababulala ababememezela ngaphambili ukuza koLungileyo, eseningabakhapheli nababulali bakhe,

Verse 53: nina enamukela umthetho ngokuyala kwezingelosi, kepha aniwugcinanga.”

Verse 54: Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bahlabeka ezinhliziyweni, bamgugudela amazinyo.

Verse 55: Kepha yena egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu,

Verse 56: wathi: “Bheka, ngibona izulu livuliwe, neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.”

Verse 57: Base bekhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu, bavala izindlebe, batheleka kuye kanyekanye,

Verse 58: bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izingubo zabo ngasezinyaweni zensizwa egama layo linguSawulu.

Verse 59: UStefanu bamkhanda ngamatshe ekhuleka ethi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.”

Verse 60: Wayeseguqa phansi, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono.” Eseshilo lokho walala ubuthongo.