Izenzo ZikaPawulu NoThecla ISAHLUKO 1 1 Lapho uPawulu ekhuphukela e-Ikoniyu, ngemva kokubaleka kwakhe e-Antiyokiya, uDema noHermogene baba abangane bakhe, ababegcwele ubuzenzisi ngaleso sikhathi. 2 Kodwa uPawulu wayebheka ubuhle bukaNkulunkulu kuphela, akabalimazanga, kodwa wabathanda kakhulu. 3 Ngakho-ke wazama ukwenza kube kuhle kubo, zonke iziprofetho nezimfundiso zikaKristu, kanye nomklamo weVangeli leNdodana kaNkulunkulu ethandekayo, ebafundisa ngokwazi uKristu, njengoba kwembulwe kuye. 4 Indoda ethile egama layo lingu-Onesiforu, yezwa ukuthi uPawulu ufikile e-Ikoniyu, yaphuma ngokushesha ukuyomhlangabeza, kanye nomkakhe uLectra, namadodana akhe uSimmia noZeno, ukuyommemela endlini yabo. 5 Ngoba uThithu wayebachazele ubuntu bukaPawulu, bengakamazi ubuso nobuso, kodwa bejwayelene nobuntu bakhe. 6 Bahamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi baya eListra, bema lapho bemlindele, beqhathanisa bonke abadlulayo, naleyo ncazelo uThithu ayebanike yona. 7 Ekugcineni babona indoda iza (okunguPawulu), emfushane, enempandla (noma egundiwe) ekhanda, amathanga agobile, imilenze emihle, enamehlo angenalutho; enekhala eligobile; egcwele umusa; ngoba ngezinye izikhathi wayebonakala njengomuntu, ngezinye izikhathi wayenobuso bengelosi. UPawulu wabona uOnesiforu, wajabula. 8 U-Onesiforu wathi: “Sawubona, nceku kaNkulunkulu obusisiweyo.” UPawulu waphendula wathi: “Umusa kaNkulunkulu mawube nawe nomndeni wakho.” 9 Kodwa uDemos noHermogenes baba nomona, futhi, ngaphansi kokubonakaliswa kwenkolo enkulu, uDemas wathi, Futhi asizona yini izinceku zikaNkulunkulu obusisiweyo? Kungani ungasibingelelanga? 10 U-Onesiforu waphendula wathi: “Ngoba angizange ngibone izithelo zokulunga kini; noma kunjalo, uma ninjalo, niyokwamukelwa nasendlini yami.” 11 UPawulu wangena endlini ka-Onesiforu, kwaba khona injabulo enkulu emndenini ngenxa yalokho; baqhubeka nokuthandaza, behlephula isinkwa, bezwa uPawulu eshumayela izwi likaNkulunkulu ngokuzithiba nangokuvuka kwabafileyo, ngale ndlela: 12 Babusisiwe abahlanzekile enhliziyweni; ngoba bayobona uNkulunkulu. 13 Babusisiwe abagcina inyama yabo ingangcolisiwe (noma ihlanzekile); ngoba bayoba yithempeli likaNkulunkulu.
14 Babusisiwe abathobekile (noma abamsulwa); ngoba uNkulunkulu uzoziveza kubo. 15 Babusisiwe labo abashiya izinjabulo zabo zezwe; ngoba bayokwamukelwa nguNkulunkulu. 16 Babusisiwe abanabafazi njengokungathi abanabo, ngokuba bayakwenziwa izingelosi zikaNkulunkulu. 17 Babusisiwe labo abathuthumela ngezwi likaNkulunkulu; ngoba bayoduduzeka. 18 Babusisiwe labo abagcina ubhapathizo lwabo luhlanzekile; ngoba bayothola ukuthula noBaba, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele. 19 Babusisiwe labo abaphishekela ukuhlakanipha (noma imfundiso) kukaJesu Kristu; ngoba bayobizwa ngokuthi amadodana oPhezukonke. 20 Babusisiwe labo abagcina imiyalelo kaJesu Kristu; ngoba bayohlala ekukhanyeni okuphakade. 21 Babusisiwe labo, ngenxa yothando lukaKristu abashiya inkazimulo yezwe; ngokuba bayokwahlulela izingelosi, futhi babekwe ngakwesokunene sikaKristu, futhi ngeke babhekane nobuhlungu bokwahlulelwa kokugcina. 22 Babusisiwe imizimba nemiphefumulo yezintombi; ngoba bayamukeleka kuNkulunkulu, futhi ngeke balahlekelwe umvuzo wobuntombi babo; ngoba izwi likaYise (wasezulwini) lizosebenza ekusindisweni kwabo ngosuku lweNdodana yakhe, futhi bayojabulela ukuphumula kuze kube phakade. ISAHLUKO 2 1 Kwathi uPawulu eshumayela le ntshumayelo ebandleni elalisendlini ka-Onesiforu, intombi ethile egama layo linguThekla (igama likanina lalinguTheyokliya, eyayithembisene nendoda egama layo linguThamiri) yayihlezi efasiteleni elithile endlini yayo. 2 Lapho, ngefasitela endlini uPawulu ayekuyo, wayezwa izintshumayelo zikaPawulu ubusuku nemini mayelana noNkulunkulu, mayelana nothando, mayelana nokholo kuKristu, kanye nomthandazo; 3 Futhi wayengeke aphume efasiteleni, kwaze kwaba yilapho ngenjabulo enkulu ethobeke ezimfundisweni zokholo. 4 Ekugcineni, lapho ebona abesifazane abaningi nezintombi bengena kuPawulu, wafisa kakhulu ukuthi angacatshangwa efanelekile ukuvela phambi kwakhe, futhi ezwe izwi likaKristu; ngoba wayengakamboni uPawulu, kodwa wayezwe izintshumayelo zakhe kuphela, futhi lokho kuphela. 5 Kodwa lapho engafuni ukuphoqwa ukuba aphume ngefasitela, unina wathumela kuThamiri, owafika ngenjabulo enkulu, enethemba lokumshada manje. Ngakho wathi kuTheoclia: “Uphi uThekla wami?” 6 UTheoclia waphendula wathi, Thamyris, nginokuthile okungavamile kakhulu engifuna ukukutshela kona; ngoba uThecla, isikhathi esiyizinsuku ezintathu, ngeke asuke efasiteleni, hhayi nje ekudleni noma ekuphuzeni, kodwa uzimisele kakhulu ukuzwa izinkulumo zobuciko nezikhohlisayo zomuntu othile wesinye isizwe, kangangokuthi ngiyamhlonipha kakhulu Thamyris, kangangokuthi owesifazane osemusha onesizotha sakhe, uzovuma ukunqotshwa kangaka. 7 Ngoba lowo muntu uphazamise wonke umuzi waseIkoniyu, ngisho neThekla yakho, phakathi kwabanye, Bonke abesifazane nezinsizwa bathutheleka kuye ukuze