Acts 22
1 Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.
“Bazalwane labobaba, manje lalelani lizwe ukuzivikela kwami.”
2 And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,
Bathi bemuzwa ekhuluma kubo ngesiHebheru bathula zwi. UPhawuli wasesithi,
3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day;
“Mina ngingumJuda owazalelwa eThasasi eseSilisiya, kodwa ngakhulela kulonaleli idolobho. Ngafunda ngaphansi kukaGamaliyeli, ngafundiswa okugcweleyo ngomlayo wabokhokho, lami ngakhuthalela uNkulunkulu njengani lamuhla.
4 who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;
Ngabahlukuluza abalandeli bale iNdlela baze bafa, ngibopha abesilisa labesifazane ngibaphosela entolongweni,
5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.
into engafakazwa ngumphristi omkhulu kanye lenkundla. Ngaze ngathola izincwadi kubo zisiya kubazalwane babo eDamaseko, ngaya khona ngifuna ukubaletha labobantu beyizibotshwa eJerusalema ukuthi bazojeziswa.
6 And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.
Kwathi sekungaba yimini enkulu sengisondela eDamaseko, masinyane kwaphazima ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini kwangizingelezela.
7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Ngawela phansi, ngezwa ilizwi lisithi kimi, ‘Sawuli! Sawuli! Ungihlukuluzelani na?’
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest.
Ngabuza ngathi, ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ Waphendula wathi, ‘NginguJesu waseNazaretha omhlukuluzayo.’
9 But they that were with me beheld the light, [and were filled with fear], but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.
Ababengiphelekezela bakubona ukukhanya, kodwa kabalizwanga ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma lami.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.
Ngabuza ngathi, ‘Kumele ngenzeni Nkosi?’ INkosi yathi, ‘Phakama uye eDamaseko. Khonale uzatshelwa konke osumiselwe ukuthi ukwenze.’
11 And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.
Abaphelekezeli bami bangihola ngesandla bangisa eDamaseko ngoba inkazimulo yokukhanya yayingenze ngaba yisiphofu.
12 And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt [there],
Indoda eyayithiwa ngu-Ananiya yeza yazangibona. Yayingumlandeli omkhulu womlayo njalo ihlonitshwa kakhulu yiwo wonke amaJuda ayehlala khona.
13 coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.
Wema eceleni kwami wathi, ‘Mzalwane Sawuli, bona njalo!’ Ngalesosikhathi ngahle ngazuza amandla okumbona.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;
Wasesithi, ‘UNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu usekukhethile ukuthi uyazi intando yakhe lokuthi umbone oLungileyo lokuba uzwe amazwi aphuma emlonyeni wakhe.
15 for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
Uzakuba ngufakazi wakhe ebantwini bonke ngalokho okubonileyo lokuzwileyo.
16 And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.
Pho usalindeni? Sukuma ubhaphathizwe, ugeze izono zakho, ubiza ibizo lakhe.’
17 And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,
Ngithe sengibuyile eJerusalema ngikhuleka ethempelini, ngafikelwa yisiyeziphupho,
18 and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
ngabona iNkosi ikhuluma isithi kimi, ‘Phangisa! Suka masinyane eJerusalema ngoba kabayikubamukela ubufakazi bakho ngami.’
19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;
Ngaphendula ngathi, ‘Nkosi, lababantu bayakwazi ukuthi nganginquma lamasinagogu ngibabopha njalo ngibatshaya labo abakholwa kuwe.
20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.
Lalapho kuchithwa igazi lomfakazi wakho uStefane ngangimi khonapho ngivumelana labo njalo ngilinde izigqoko zalabo ababembulala.’
21 And he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off.
INkosi yasisithi kimi, ‘Hamba; ngizakuthumela kude kwabeZizwe.’”
22 And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.
Abantu bamlalela uPhawuli sonke isikhathi, kodwa esetsho lokhu bavungama bamemeza bathi, “Kasuswe emhlabeni lo umuntu! Kamelanga aphile!”
23 And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,
Bathi sebeklabalala, behlubula amajazi abo, njalo bephosa uthuli emoyeni,
24 the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.
umlawuli wamabutho walaya ukuthi uPhawuli kangeniswe enkambeni yamabutho. Wayala ukuthi atshaywe njalo abuzisiswe ukuthi kungani abantu bemvukela kanje.
25 But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood [by], Is it lawful for you to scourge a man [who is] a Roman and uncondemned?
Bathi sebemlalisa phansi ukuthi bambhaxabule bembophile, uPhawuli wathi kumphathi wekhulu owayemi khonapho, “Kusemthethweni yini ukuthi utshaye umuntu ongumRoma ongetheswanga cala na?”
26 And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.
Umphathi wekhulu esekuzwile lokho wayabikela umlawuli wamabutho wathi, “Usuzathini manje? Indoda le ingumRoma.”
27 And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.
Umlawuli wamabutho waya kuPhawuli wambuza wathi, “Ake ungitshele, kanti ungumRoma na?” Wathi, “Yebo, nginguye.”
28 And the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also [free] born.
Umlawuli wamabutho wasesithi, “Mina ngahlawula imali ukuthi ngithole ilungelo lokuba ngumRoma.” UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “Kodwa mina nginguye ngokuzalwa.”
29 Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
Labo abasebelungele ukumbuzisisa bahle batshedela emuva masinyane. Umlawuli webutho ngokwakhe wethuka esenanzelela ukuthi wayebophe uPhawuli, umRoma, ngamaketane.
30 And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty [of the matter] why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, njengoba umlawuli wamabutho wayefuna ukwazi isibili ukuthi kungani uPhawuli wayebekwa icala ngamaJuda, wamkhulula walaya abaphristi abakhulu leSanihedrini yonke ukuthi bahlangane. Wasemletha uPhawuli wamisa phambi kwabo.
