1 Kepha uSawulu wayevumelene nabo ngokubulawa kwakhe.Ngalolo suku kwavela ukuzingelwa okukhulu kwebandla laseJerusalema; bahlakazeka bonke emazweni aseJudiya naseSamariya; kwasala abaphostoli bodwa.
2 Amadoda akholwayo ammbela uStefanu, amkhalela isililo esikhulu.
3 Kepha uSawulu walichitha ibandla, engena ezindlini ngezindlu, ehudula abesilisa nabesifazane, wabafaka etilongweni.
4 Abahlakazekileyo base behamba, beshumayela izwi levangeli.
5 UFiliphu wehlela emzini waseSamariya, wabashumayeza uKristu.
6 Izixuku zalalela nganhliziyonye okwakhulunywa nguFiliphu, zizwa, zibona izibonakaliso azenzayo.
7 Ngokuba kwaphuma omoya abangcolileyo kwabaningi abakhwelwa yibo, bememeza ngezwi elikhulu; nabaningi abafe uhlangothi nabayizinyonga baphulukiswa;
8 kwaba khona ukuthokoza okukhulu kulowo muzi.
9 Kepha kwakukhona indoda ethile, nguSimoni igama layo, eyayikade yenza imilingo kulowo muzi, isimangalisa isizwe saseSamariya, izishaya umuntu omkhulu;
10 banamathela kuye bonke kusukela kwabancinyane kuze kube kwabakhulu, bethi: “Lo ungamandla kaNkulunkulu abizwa ngokuthi Makhulu,”
11 babenamathela kuye, ngokuba ebamangalisile isikhathi eside ngemilingo yakhe.
12 Kepha bathi ukuba bakholwe nguFiliphu eshumayela ivangeli ngombuso kaNkulunkulu nangegama likaJesu Kristu, babhapathizwa abesilisa nabesifazane.
13 Naye uSimoni wakholwa; wathi esebhapathiziwe, wanamathela kuFiliphu, wamangala ebona izibonakaliso nemisebenzi emikhulu yamandla eyenziwayo.
14 Kwathi ukuba abaphostoli baseJerusalema bezwe ukuthi iSamariya lilamukele izwi likaNkulunkulu, bathumela kubo oPetru noJohane;
15 sebehlele khona babakhulekela ukuba bamukele uMoya oNgcwele,
16 ngokuba wayengakehleli nakoyedwa kubo; kodwa babesabhapathiziwe egameni leNkosi uJesu kuphela.
17 Khona babeka izandla phezu kwabo; base bamukela-ke uMoya oNgcwele.
18 Kepha uSimoni, ebonile ukuthi ngokubekwa kwezandla zabaphostoli uyaphiwa uMoya, waletha imali kubo,
19 wathi: “Ngipheni nami lawo mandla, ukuze yilowo nalowo engibeka izandla phezu kwakhe amukele uMoya oNgcwele.”
20 Kepha uPetru wathi kuye: “Isiliva lakho malibhubhe kanye nawe, ngokuba uthi isipho sikaNkulunkulu singathengwa ngemali.
21 Awunasabelo nalifa kuleli zwi, ngokuba inhliziyo yakho ayilungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
22 Ngakho-ke phenduka kulobu bubi bakho, unxuse eNkosini, ingabe ungathethelelwa yini isizindlo senhliziyo yakho,
23 ngokuba ngiyabona ukuthi usenyongweni ebabayo nasekuboshweni kokubi.”
24 USimoni wayesephendula ethi: “Nginxuseleni nina eNkosini, ukuze kungehleli lutho kimi lwalokho enikushiloyo.”
25 Kuthe sebefakazile, belikhulumile izwi leNkosi, babuyela eJerusalema, bashumayela ivangeli emizaneni eminingi yabaseSamariya.
26 Kepha ingelosi yeNkosi yakhuluma kuFiliphu, yathi: “Suka uye ngaseningizimu endleleni ephuma eJerusalema ehlela eGaza; yona iyihlane.”
27 Wayesesuka wahamba. Bheka, nansi indoda yase-Etiyopiya, umthenwa, isikhulu sikaKhandakhe inkosikazi yase-Etiyopiya, ebiphezu kwengcebo yayo yonke, ebifikile eJerusalema izakukhuleka;
28 ibisibuya, ihlezi enqoleni yayo, ifunda umprofethi u-Isaya.
29 UMoya wathi kuFiliphu: “Sondela, unamathele kuleyo nqola.”
30 UFiliphu wayesegijimela kuyo, wayizwa ifunda umprofethi u-Isaya, wathi: “Uyakuqonda kambe lokhu okufundayo na?”
31 Yona yathi: “Ngingakwazi kanjani, uma kungekho ongiholayo na?” Yamnxusa uFiliphu ukuba akhwele ahlale nayo.
32 Kepha isahlukwana sombhalo ebisifunda yilesi esithi:“Wayiswa ekuhlatshweni njengemvu;njengewundlu elithule phambi komgundi walokanjalo kawuvulanga umlomo wakhe.
33 Ekuthobeleni kwakheukwahlulelwa kwakhe kwasuswa.Ngubani ongalanda ngesizukulwane sakhe na?Ngokuba ukuphila kwakhe kuyasuswa emhlabeni.”
34 Kepha umthenwa wathatha wathi kuFiliphu: “Ngiyacela, umprofethi ukhuluma lokho ngobani na? Uzisho yena noma omunye na?”
35 UFiliphu wavula umlomo wakhe, eqala kulowo mbhalo washumayela ivangeli ngoJesu.
36 Kwathi besahamba endleleni, bafika emanzini. Umthenwa wathi: “Bheka, nanka amanzi; kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?”
37 UFiliphu wathi kuye: “Uma ukholwa ngenhliziyo yonke, kungenziwa.”Waphendula wathi: “Ngiyakholwa ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
38 Wayala ukuba inqola ime. Behlela emanzini bobabili, uFiliphu nomthenwa; wambhapathiza.
39 Kwathi sebekhuphukile emanzini, uMoya weNkosi wamhlwitha uFiliphu, umthenwa akabe esambona, kodwa wahamba ngendlela yakhe ethokoza.
40 Kepha uFiliphu wafunyanwa e-Azotu, wahamba eshumayela ivangeli kuyo yonke imizi, waze wafika eKesariya.