1 Umbingeleli omkhulu wabhekisa kuStefano wathi: “Khanyela watyholwa!”
2 Waza uStefano wathetha nentlanganiso wenjenje: “Mawethu nani bobawo, khanindiphulaphule. UThixo, eyona ngangalala, wabonakala kukhokho wethu uAbraham ngexesha awayehlala eMesopotami, ngaphambi kokuba aye kuhlala eHaran,
3 wathi kuye: ‘Suka, umke apha, uzishiye izizalwana zakho, kunye nelizwe lakowenu, uye kumhlaba endiya kukubonisa wona.’
4 Waza ke ngoko wawushiya umhlaba wamaKaledi, waya kuhlala eHaran. Emveni kokufa kukayise, uThixo wathi uAbraham makafudukele kweli lizwe nikulo nani ngoku.
5 Ngelo xesha uThixo akamnikanga nendawana le uAbraham kulo mhlaba, ukuba ayime: hayi, nditsho nomhlathana lo womhlaba! Kodwa kananjalo uThixo wamthembisa uAbraham ukuba uya kumnika loo mhlaba, awume yena nezizukulwana zakhe emva kwakhe. Ukusenza kwakhe uThixo esi sithembiso uAbraham wayengekazali mntwana.
6 UThixo wathetha ngolu hlobo kuye: ‘Isizukulwana sakho siya kufuduka, siye kuhlala elizweni lasemzini, apho siya kuba ngamakhoboka, sibandezeleke iminyaka engamakhulu amane.
7 Kodwa mna ndiya kubagweba abo bantu siphantsi kwabo; kuze kuthi emva kwelo thuba, babuye kwelo lizwe, beze kundikhonza kule ndawo.’
8 Waza uThixo wamnika ulwaluko uAbraham ukutywina loo mnqophiso. UAbraham ke wamolùsa uIsake ngosuku lwesibhozo ezelwe, waza ngokukwanjalo uIsake wamolùsa uYakobi, noYakobi wenza kwaloo nto kookhokho abalishumi elinambini.
9 “Oobawo bammonela uJosefu, bamthengisa waba likhoboka eJiputa. Kodwa uThixo waba naye,
10 wamweza kuzo zonke iinkxwaleko awaba kuzo. Akusiwa phambi kokumkani waseJiputa, uThixo wamenza wathandeka uJosefu, wampha nobulumko. Ukumkani wammisela uJosefu wayirhuluneli yelaseJiputa nekomkhulu lakhe.
11 Kwabakho indlala enkulu kulo lonke elaseJiputa nelaseKanana, ababi nakufumana nokutya oku ookhokho, ikati ilele eziko.
12 Akuva uYakobi ukuba eJiputa kukho ukudla, wabathumela okokuqala oonyana bakhe; ngookhokho kuthi ke abo.
13 Kutyelelo lwabo lwesibini uJosefu wazazisa kubantakwabo, waza wamxelela ukumkani ngamawabo lawo.
14 UJosefu wamema uyise uYakobi ukuba aye kuhlala eJiputa nomzi wakhe wonke. Babengamashumi asixhenxe anesihlanu bebonke.
15 Wehla ke uYakobi, waya eJiputa, apho yena nookhokho bethu bafela khona.
16 Imizimba yabo yasiwa eShekem, apho yangcwatywa kwingcwaba elathengwa nguAbraham koonyana bakaHamori.
17 “Ekusondeleni kwexesha lokuba uThixo asizalisekise isithembiso awasenza kuAbraham, abantu bakuthi ababeseJiputa babesebande kakhulu.
18 Ekuhambeni kwethuba kwavela kumkani wumbi, owayengamazi uJosefu, wangumlawuli weJiputa.
19 Wabenzela ubutshijolo abantu bakowethu, wabakhohlakalela ookhokho bethu, ebanyanzela ukuba babalahle abantwana babo, ukuze babe sesichengeni sokufa.
20 Wazalwa ngeli xesha ke uMosis engumntwana omhle kakhulu. Wakhuliselwa ekhayeni lakhe iinyanga ezintathu;
21 waza wathi naye akulahlwa, wacholwa yintombi yokumkani waseJiputa, yazikhulisela yena.
22 Wabufunda bonke ubulumko bamaJiputa, waza waba yingcaphephe ekuthetheni nasekwenzeni.
23 “Akuba neminyaka engamashumi amane uMosis, watyelela amawabo amaSirayeli.
24 Wabona uwabo edlakathiswa ngumJiputa, waza wamnceda, waphindezela ngokumbulala umJiputa lowo.
25 Wayecinga ukuba amawabo oqonda ukuba uThixo ufuna ukusebenzisa yena ekuwakhululeni, kodwa akazange aqonde.
26 Ngenye imini wagagana namaSirayeli amabini esilwa, waza wazama ukuwohlula, esithi kuwo: ‘Khangelani, madoda, niyazalana; kungani ukuba nilwe ke?’
27 Kodwa lo wayevuyelela omnye, watyhalela uMosis bucala, wabuza wathi: ‘Ngubani okwenze induna nomgwebi phezu kwethu?
28 Nam ufuna ukundibulala njengalaa mJiputa umbuleleyo izolo?’
29 Akuyiva le ntetho uMosis, wabaleka, waya kuhlala kumhlaba waseMidiyan. Apho wazala oonyana ababini.
30 “Emva kwamashumi amane eminyaka, kwabonakala isithunywa seNkosi kuMosis sisemalangatyeni etyholo elivuthayo entlango ngakwintaba yeSinayi.
31 Lo mbono wammangalisa uMosis, wasondela etyholweni apho ukuba aliqwalasele. Suka weva ilizwi leNkosi lisithi:
32 ‘Mna ndinguThixo wookhokho bakho, uThixo ka-Abraham, kaIsake, noYakobi.’ UMosis wankwantya kukoyika, akabi saba nako ukulikhangela.
33 INkosi yathi kuye: ‘Khulula iimbadada ezo, kuba indawo le umi kuyo ingcwele.
34 Ndiyibonile ingcinezelo nentlupheko yabantu bam eJiputa; ndisivile isikhalo sabo; ke ngoku ndize kubahlangula. Yiza ke, ndikuthume eJiputa.’
35 “Lo ngulaa Mosis ambukulayo amaSirayeli esithi: ‘Ngubani okwenze induna nomgwebi phezu kwethu?’ Kanti ke lo Mosis unguyena mntu uThixo amthume ukuba abe ngumlawuli nomsindisi, esebenzisa isithunywa sezulu eso uMosis wasibona etyholweni elivuthayo.
36 Wabakhokela ke abantu ukuphuma eJiputa, wenza imiqondiso nemimangaliso, eJiputa nakuLwandle oluBomvu, kananjalo nasentlango, iminyaka emashumi mane.
37 Nguloo Mosis wathi kumaSirayeli: ‘UThixo uya kunithumela *umshumayeli ophuma kwalapha kumawenu njengam.’
38 Nguye lowa wayekunye nebandla likaSirayeli entlango. Wayekhona apho nookhokho bethu, ekwakunye nesithunywa sezulu esasithetha naye entabeni yeSinayi. Wamkela kuThixo imiyalelo ephilileyo ukuba ayidlulisele kuthi.
39 “Kananjalo ookhokho bethu bala ukumthobela, bambukula, besithi kubhetele baphindele kwaseJiputa.
40 Kungoko bathi kuAron: ‘Senzele *oothixo bokusikhokela, kuba asiyazi into emngeneyo laa Mosis wasikhupha eJiputa.’
41 Kungeli thuba ke apho baziqingqela umfanekiso wethole, baza balenzela umbingelelo, benza netheko lokuzivuyisa ngenxa yaloo nto yayenziwe zizandla zabo.
42 Ngenxa yaloo nto uThixo wabafulathela, wabayeka ukuba banqule iinkwenkwezi zezulu, njengoko kubhaliweyo encwadini *yabashumayeli kwathiwa:“ ‘MaSirayeli, yayingendim enanimxhelela,nimenzela amadini,iminyaka emashumi mane entlango.
43 *Yayisisibingelo *sesithixo *uMoleki enanisiphethe,nomfanekiso wenkwenkwezi yesithixo *uRefani.Zizithixo enazenzayo, khon' ukuze nizinqule.Ngoku ke ndiya kunigxothela ngaphaya kweBhabheli.’
44 “Ookhokho bethu bona babenaso entlango *isibingelelo esingqina ubukho bukaThixo. Sasakhiwe ngokomfanekiselo lowo uThixo wawubonisa uMosis.
45 Emva koko ookhokho bethu abasamkelayo isibingelelo kooyise, bahamba naso, kwada kwaza kuthi gaa ngexesha likaYoshuwa, xeshikweni bawuthathayo umhlaba wezizwe abazigxothelwa nguThixo. Sahlala ke isibingelelo eso kwada kwayimihla kaDavide.
46 Yena wathandeka kuThixo, waza wacela ukuba uThixo amvumele akhele inzala kaYakobi indlu yokunqula.
47 Kodwa yona indlu leyo yakhiwa nguSolomon.
48 “Phofu yena uThixo uPhezukonke akahlali zindlwini zakhiwe ngabantu; njengoko atshoyo umshumayeli:
49 “ ‘Izulu likomkhulu lam,’ itsho iNkosi:‘Umhlaba wona ngamathânga am.Ndluni eningaze nindakhele yona?Iphi yona indawo endingaphumla kuyo?
50 Ezi zinto azenziwanga ndim zonke na?’
51 “Bantundini baneenkani, abantliziyo ziqaqadekileyo, hayi ubuthulu benu emyalelweni kaThixo! Nifuz' ooyihlo! Nani nasoloko nimgiba uMoya oyiNgcwele!
52 Nguwuphi umshumayeli abangamtshutshisanga ooyihlo? Bazibulala izigidimi zikaThixo, ezathi kwangaphambili zakuvakalisa ukuza kwalowo uliLungisa. Kungokunje nimngcatshile namgebenga.
53 Umthetho kaThixo owaziswa zizithunywa zezulu, wamkelwa nini kanye – kodwa anikawuthobeli unangoku!”
54 Athi amalungu *eBhunga akuziva ezi zinto zithethwa nguStefano, acaphuka kangangokuba ade abe ngathi osuka amthi qwenge-qwenge.
55 Kodwa uStefano yena ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele, wakhangela ezulwini, waza wabubona ubuqaqawuli bukaThixo, noYesu emi ewongeni ngakuThixo.
56 Waqhuba wathi: “Khawukhangele! Amazulu ndiwabona evulekile, *noNyana woLuntu emile ngasekunene kukaThixo!”
57 Kwesi sithuba basuka bazivingca iindlebe zabo, bahlahlamba kwathi nkxwe, baza basuka indulumbane phezu kwakhe.
58 Bamkhuphela ngaphandle kwedolophu, bamxuluba ngamatye. Abamangaleli bakaStefano bazigcinisa iimpahla zabo kumfana ogama linguSawule.
59 Bemxuluba njalo ngamatye, uStefano yena wakhala eNkosini esithi: “Nkosi Yesu, wamkele umoya wam!”
60 Waguqa ngamadolo, wadanduluka wathi: “Nkosi, musa ukubabeka tyala ngesi sono!” Akukhov' ukutsho, wafa ke.