1 Kepha uSawulu esafutha ngokusongela nokubulala abafundi beNkosi, waya kumpristi omkhulu,
2 wacela kuye izincwadi zokuya eDamaseku emasinagogeni,* kuze kuthi uma efumana abantu baleyo Ndlela, abesilisa nabesifazane, abayise eJerusalema beboshiwe.
3 Kepha ekuhambeni kwakhe, esesondela eDamaseku, kwambaneka masinyane nxazonke ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini.
4 Wawa phansi emhlabathini, wezwa izwi lithi kuye: “Sawulu, Sawulu, ungizingelelani na? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlela ezinkandini.”
5 Wayesethi: “Ungubani, Nkosi?”Yathi: “Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo wena;
6 kodwa vuka ungene emzini, uzakutshelwa lokhu omelwe ukukwenza.”
7 Kepha amadoda ayehamba naye ayemi engenakukhuluma, ngokuba ezwa izwi kodwa ayengaboni muntu.
8 USawulu wayesevuka phansi; kepha esevulile amehlo akhe, kabonanga lutho. Base bembamba ngesandla, bamyisa eDamaseku.
9 Izinsuku zaba ntathu engaboni, engadli, engaphuzi.
10 Kwakukhona eDamaseku umfundi othile, igama lakhe lingu-Ananiya; iNkosi yathi kuye ngombono: “Ananiya!”Yena wathi: “Ngikhona, Nkosi.”
11 INkosi yayisithi kuye: “Suka uye esitaladini esithiwa Siqondile, ufune endlini kaJuda umuntu ogama lakhe linguSawulu waseTarsu; ngokuba bheka, uyakhuleka;
12 ubonile indoda, igama layo lingu-Ananiya, ingena, ibeka izandla phezu kwakhe ukuba abone.”
13 Kepha u-Ananiya waphendula wathi: “Nkosi, ngizwile ngabaningi ngaleyo ndoda konke okubi ekwenzile kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalema;
14 nalapha unamandla avela kubapristi abakhulu okubopha bonke abakhuleka egameni lakho.”
15 INkosi yayisithi kuye: “Hamba, ngokuba lo uyisitsha sami esikhethiweyo sokuphatha igama lami phambi kwabezizwe, namakhosi, nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli,
16 ngokuba mina ngizakumbonisa konke amelwe ukuhlushwa ngakho ngenxa yegama lami.”
17 Khona wahamba u-Ananiya, wangena endlini, wabeka izandla phezu kwakhe, wathi: “Sawulu umzalwane, iNkosi uJesu eyabonakala kuwe endleleni oze ngayo, ingithumile ukuba ubuye ubone, ugcwaliswe ngoMoya oNgcwele.”
18 Kwawa masinyane emehlweni akhe kwangathi inkwethu, wabona, wasukuma, wabhapathizwa;
19 esedlile wathola amandla.Wahlala nabafundi baseDamaseku izinsuku ezithile.
20 Masinyane washumayela emasinagogeni* ngoJesu ukuthi yena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
21 Kepha bamangala bonke abezwayo, bathi: “Lo asiye yini owachitha eJerusalema abakhuleka kulelo gama, nalapha uze ngalokhu ukuba abaqhube beboshiwe kubapristi abakhulu na?”
22 Kodwa uSawulu wakhula kakhulu emandleni, wahlula abaJuda abakhileyo eDamaseku eqinisa ukuthi lowo unguKristu.
23 Sekudlule izinsuku eziningi, abaJuda benza icebo lokuba bambulale.
24 Kepha icebo labo laziwa nguSawulu. Babemhlalela nasemasangweni imini nobusuku ukuba bambulale.
25 Abafundi base bemthatha ebusuku, bamehlisa ogangeni, bemewula ngeqoma.
26 Esefikile eJerusalema wazama ukuzihlanganisa nabafundi; kepha bonke bamesaba, bengakholwa ukuthi ungumfundi.
27 Kodwa uBarnaba wamthatha, wamyisa kubaphostoli, wabalandisa ngokuthi uyibonile iNkosi endleleni, nokuthi ikhulumile kuye, nokuthi eDamaseku wayeshumayele ngesibindi ngegama likaJesu.
28 Wayenabo eJerusalema, engena ephuma, eshumayela ngesibindi ngegama leNkosi,
29 ekhuluma ephikisana nabaJuda abakhuluma isiGreki; bona bazama ukumbulala.
30 Abazalwane sebekwazi lokho bamehlisela eKesariya, bamthumela eTarsu.
31 Njalo-ke ibandla laba nokuthula kulo lonke laseJudiya, naseGalile, naseSamariya, lakheka, lihamba ekwesabeni iNkosi, landa ngenduduzo kaMoya oNgcwele.
32 Kwathi uPetru ehambela izindawo zonke, wehlela nakwabangcwele abakhe eLida.
33 Wafumana khona umuntu othile ogama lakhe lingu-Eneya, owayeselele ecansini iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili efe uhlangothi.
34 Khona uPetru wathi kuye: “Eneya, uJesu Kristu uyakuphilisa; vuka, wendlule icansi lakho.” Wayesevuka masinyane.
35 Bambona bonke abakhe eLida naseSarona, baphendukela eNkosini.
36 EJopha kwakukhona umfundikazi othile ogama lakhe linguThabitha, okungukuthi uDorka ngokuhunyushwa; yena wayenemisebenzi eminingi emihle nokwabela abampofu izipho.
37 Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku wagula, wafa; sebemgezile bambeka ekamelweni eliphezulu.
38 Kepha iLida laliseduze neJopha; ngakho-ke abafundi sebezwile ukuthi uPetru ukhona lapho, bathuma kuye amadoda amabili emncenga ethi: “Ungalibali ukuza kithi.”
39 Wayesesuka uPetru, wahamba nabo. Esefikile, bamyisa ekamelweni eliphezulu; abafelokazi bonke beza kuye bekhala, bembonisa izambatho nezingubo abezenzile uDorka esenabo.
40 Kepha uPetru wabakhipha bonke, waguqa ngamadolo, wakhuleka, waphendukela esidunjini, wathi: “Thabitha, vuka!” Wayesevula amehlo akhe, wabona uPetru, walulama.
41 Yena wambamba ngesandla, wamsukumisa. Wayesebiza abangcwele nabafelokazi, wambeka phambi kwabo ephilile.
42 Kwezwakala lokho kulo lonke iJopha; abaningi bakholwa yiNkosi.
43 Wayesehlala izinsuku eziningi eJopha kwaSimoni umshuki.