Imisebenzi 22
1 “Bazalwane labobaba, manje lalelani lizwe ukuzivikela kwami.”
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense [which I make] now to you.
2 Bathi bemuzwa ekhuluma kubo ngesiHebheru bathula zwi. UPhawuli wasesithi,
(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept the more silence: and he saith, )
3 “Mina ngingumJuda owazalelwa eThasasi eseSilisiya, kodwa ngakhulela kulonaleli idolobho. Ngafunda ngaphansi kukaGamaliyeli, ngafundiswa okugcweleyo ngomlayo wabokhokho, lami ngakhuthalela uNkulunkulu njengani lamuhla.
I am verily a man [who am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, being zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.
4 Ngabahlukuluza abalandeli bale iNdlela baze bafa, ngibopha abesilisa labesifazane ngibaphosela entolongweni,
And I persecuted this way even to death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 into engafakazwa ngumphristi omkhulu kanye lenkundla. Ngaze ngathola izincwadi kubo zisiya kubazalwane babo eDamaseko, ngaya khona ngifuna ukubaletha labobantu beyizibotshwa eJerusalema ukuthi bazojeziswa.
As also the high priest doth bear me testimony, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them who were there bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.
6 Kwathi sekungaba yimini enkulu sengisondela eDamaseko, masinyane kwaphazima ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini kwangizingelezela.
And it came to pass, that as I was passing on my journey, and had come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me.
7 Ngawela phansi, ngezwa ilizwi lisithi kimi, ‘Sawuli! Sawuli! Ungihlukuluzelani na?’
And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 Ngabuza ngathi, ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ Waphendula wathi, ‘NginguJesu waseNazaretha omhlukuluzayo.’
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 Ababengiphelekezela bakubona ukukhanya, kodwa kabalizwanga ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma lami.
And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me.
10 Ngabuza ngathi, ‘Kumele ngenzeni Nkosi?’ INkosi yathi, ‘Phakama uye eDamaseko. Khonale uzatshelwa konke osumiselwe ukuthi ukwenze.’
And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 Abaphelekezeli bami bangihola ngesandla bangisa eDamaseko ngoba inkazimulo yokukhanya yayingenze ngaba yisiphofu.
And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 Indoda eyayithiwa ngu-Ananiya yeza yazangibona. Yayingumlandeli omkhulu womlayo njalo ihlonitshwa kakhulu yiwo wonke amaJuda ayehlala khona.
And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews who dwelt [there],
13 Wema eceleni kwami wathi, ‘Mzalwane Sawuli, bona njalo!’ Ngalesosikhathi ngahle ngazuza amandla okumbona.
Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 Wasesithi, ‘UNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu usekukhethile ukuthi uyazi intando yakhe lokuthi umbone oLungileyo lokuba uzwe amazwi aphuma emlonyeni wakhe.
And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth.
15 Uzakuba ngufakazi wakhe ebantwini bonke ngalokho okubonileyo lokuzwileyo.
For thou shalt be his witness to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 Pho usalindeni? Sukuma ubhaphathizwe, ugeze izono zakho, ubiza ibizo lakhe.’
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
17 Ngithe sengibuyile eJerusalema ngikhuleka ethempelini, ngafikelwa yisiyeziphupho,
And it came to pass, that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18 ngabona iNkosi ikhuluma isithi kimi, ‘Phangisa! Suka masinyane eJerusalema ngoba kabayikubamukela ubufakazi bakho ngami.’
And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 Ngaphendula ngathi, ‘Nkosi, lababantu bayakwazi ukuthi nganginquma lamasinagogu ngibabopha njalo ngibatshaya labo abakholwa kuwe.
And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 Lalapho kuchithwa igazi lomfakazi wakho uStefane ngangimi khonapho ngivumelana labo njalo ngilinde izigqoko zalabo ababembulala.’
And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 INkosi yasisithi kimi, ‘Hamba; ngizakuthumela kude kwabeZizwe.’”
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles.
22 Abantu bamlalela uPhawuli sonke isikhathi, kodwa esetsho lokhu bavungama bamemeza bathi, “Kasuswe emhlabeni lo umuntu! Kamelanga aphile!”
And they gave him audience to this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [man] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 Bathi sebeklabalala, behlubula amajazi abo, njalo bephosa uthuli emoyeni,
And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24 umlawuli wamabutho walaya ukuthi uPhawuli kangeniswe enkambeni yamabutho. Wayala ukuthi atshaywe njalo abuzisiswe ukuthi kungani abantu bemvukela kanje.
The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know for what cause they cried so against him.
25 Bathi sebemlalisa phansi ukuthi bambhaxabule bembophile, uPhawuli wathi kumphathi wekhulu owayemi khonapho, “Kusemthethweni yini ukuthi utshaye umuntu ongumRoma ongetheswanga cala na?”
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 Umphathi wekhulu esekuzwile lokho wayabikela umlawuli wamabutho wathi, “Usuzathini manje? Indoda le ingumRoma.”
When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman.
27 Umlawuli wamabutho waya kuPhawuli wambuza wathi, “Ake ungitshele, kanti ungumRoma na?” Wathi, “Yebo, nginguye.”
Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.
28 Umlawuli wamabutho wasesithi, “Mina ngahlawula imali ukuthi ngithole ilungelo lokuba ngumRoma.” UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “Kodwa mina nginguye ngokuzalwa.”
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.
29 Labo abasebelungele ukumbuzisisa bahle batshedela emuva masinyane. Umlawuli webutho ngokwakhe wethuka esenanzelela ukuthi wayebophe uPhawuli, umRoma, ngamaketane.
Then forthwith they departed from him who were about to examine him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 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.
On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
