‏ Acts 12

Umangaliso Wokuphuma KukaPhethro Entolongweni

1Kungaba yisikhathi lapho iNkosi uHerodi eyabopha khona abanye ababe ngabebandla eqonde ukubahlukumeza. 2Wabulalisa uJakhobe umfowabo kaJohane ngenkemba. 3Wathi esebone ukuthi lokho kwakuwathabisa amaJuda, wabopha loPhethro njalo. Lokho kwenzakala ngezinsuku zoMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo. 4Esembophile wamphosela entolongweni, wamnikela ukuba alindwe ngamaviyo amane amabutho, ngalinye lilamabutho amane. UHerodi wayefuna ukuthi ngemva kwePhasika amkhuphele obala athonisiswe phambi kwabantu.

5Ngakho uPhethro wagcinwa entolongweni, kodwa ibandla lamkhulekela njalonjalo kuNkulunkulu.

6Ngobusuku obandulela ukuthonisiswa kukaPhethro nguHerodi, uPhethro wayelele ephahlwe ngamabutho amabili, ebotshwe ngamaketane amabili, kumi abalindi emnyango wentolongo. 7Masinyane ingilosi yeNkosi yavela, kwabakhona ukukhanya kulelokamela lentolongo. Yathinta uPhethro ohlangothini, yamvusa yathi, “Phangisa, vuka!” Amaketane akhithika ezingalweni zikaPhethro.

8Ingilosi yasisithi kuye, “Gqoka, ufake lamanyathela akho.” UPhethro wenzenjalo. Ingilosi yamtshela yathi, “Yembatha ijazi lakho ungilandele.” 9UPhethro wayilandela ngaphandle kwentolongo, kodwa wayedidekile engakwazi ukuthi lokho ingilosi eyayikwenza kwakusenzakala ngempela; wayekhumbula ukuthi ubona umbono. 10Bedlula kubalindi, owokuqala lowesibili bafika esangweni lensimbi elaliphumela edolobheni. Lazivulekela baphuma. Kwathi sebehambe baphutsha umgwaqo wedolobho, ingilosi yamtshiya.

11Kwayikhona uPhethro enanzelela, wathi, “Khathesi sengisazi kungelakuthandabuza ukuthi iNkosi ithume ingilosi yayo yangihlenga ezibotshweni zikaHerodi lakukho konke obekufiswa ngamaJuda.”

12Sekumkhanyele kuhle lokhu, waqonda endlini kaMariya unina kaJohane, owayethiwa nguMakho njalo, khona lapho abantu abanengi babebuthene bekhuleka. 13UPhethro waqoqoda entubeni yangaphandle, kwathi incekukazi eyayithiwa nguRoda yayabuza ukuthi ngubani owayesemnyango. 14Isilizwile ilizwi likaPhethro yathaba kakhulu, yagijimela phakathi ingasawuvulanga, yabika yathi, “UPhethro usemnyango!”

15Bathi, “Uyahlanya wena.” Kwathi ngoba wala elokhu ephikelela ukuthi liqiniso, bathi, “Kutsho ukuthi yingilosi yakhe.”

16Kodwa uPhethro wala elokhu eqoqoda, bathi bevula umnyango bambona, bamangala kakhulu. 17UPhethro wabatshengisa ngesandla ukuthi bathule, wasebalandisela ukuthi iNkosi imkhuphe kanjani entolongweni. Wathi, “Libotshela uJakhobe labazalwane ngalokhu.” Wasesuka waya kwenye indawo.

18Ekuseni kwaba lokunyakazela okukhulu phakathi kwabebutho. Babuza bathi, “Kambe ngabe uPhethro wenzenjani?” 19Kwathi uHerodi esemthungathe waze wabeka phansi, wathonisisa abalindi wasesithi kababulawe.

Ukufa KukaHerodi

UHerodi wasuka eJudiya waya eKhesariya wayahlala khona okwesikhathi esithile. 20Wayekade exabana labantu beThire labeSidoni; basebehlangana ndawonye bacela ukukhuluma laye. Sebezuze ukusekelwa nguBhlastu inceku ethembekileyo enkosini, bacela ukuthula ngoba ukudla kwabo babekuthola elizweni lenkosi.

21Ngosuku olumisiweyo, uHerodi wagqoka izigqoko zobukhosi wahlala esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, wasekhuluma ebantwini. 22Bamemeza bathi, “Leli yilizwi likaNkulunkulu, hatshi elomuntu.” 23Masinyane nje, ngenxa yokuthi uHerodi wayengamkhonzi uNkulunkulu, ingilosi yeNkosi yamtshaya yamlahla phansi, wadliwa zimpethu wafa.

24Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka likhula njalo lisanda.

UBhanabhasi loSawuli Bayabuyela

25Kwathi uBhanabhasi loSawuli sebewuqedile umlandu wabo, babuyela besuka eJerusalema, bahamba loJohane, owayethiwa nguMakho.