Imisebenzi 24
1 Ngemva kwensuku ezinhlanu umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wehlela eKhesariya labadala abathile kanye lomeli owayethiwa nguThethula, bafika beneka ukumangalela kwabo uPhawuli kumbusi.
And after five days, the high priest, Ananias, came with certain of the rulers, and an expert talker, one Tertullus; and they made a statement to Felix against Paul.
2 UPhawuli esebiziwe, uThethula walethula icala kuFelikhe wathi: “Mhlekazi! Ngaphansi kombuso wakho sesikholise isikhathi sokuthula eside, ikanti lombono wakho usulethe intuthuko kulesisizwe.
And when he had been sent for, Tertullus, starting his statement, said, Because by you we are living in peace, and through your wisdom wrongs are put right for this nation,
3 Yonke indawo, ngazozonke izindlela, mhlekazi omuhle Felikhe, siyakwamukela konke lokhu ngokubonga okukhulu.
In all things and in all places we are conscious of our great debt to you, most noble Felix.
4 Kodwa ukuthi ngingakuchitheli isikhathi, ngiyakucela ukuthi uke usizwe kancinyane esikutshoyo.
But, so that I may not make you tired, I make a request to you of your mercy, to give hearing to a short statement.
5 Indoda le siyifumane ukuthi iluhlupho, ivusa isiphithiphithi phakathi kwamaJuda kuwo wonke umhlaba. Ingumholi wequla lamaNazarini
For this man, in our opinion, is a cause of trouble, a maker of attacks on the government among Jews through all the empire, and a chief mover in the society of the Nazarenes:
6 futhi yazama njalo ukungcolisa ithempeli; yikho sayibamba. Sasifuna ukumahlulela ngokomlayo wethu. [
Who, in addition, was attempting to make the Temple unclean: whom we took,
7 Kodwa umlawuli uLisiya weza wazamthatha ngodlakela ezandleni zethu, wathi obamangalelayo kabeze phambi kwakhe].
8 Ngokumhlola wena ngokwakho uzalibona iqiniso ngazozonke lezizinto esimangalela ngazo.”
And from whom you will be able, by questioning him yourself, to get knowledge of all the things which we say against him.
9 AmaJuda lawo ayingenela indaba eqinisa ukuthi lezizinto zaziliqiniso.
And the Jews were in agreement with his statement, saying that these things were so.
10 Kwathi umbusi esemphile ithuba lokuthi akhulume uPhawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi usube ngumahluli walesisizwe okweminyaka eminengi; ngakho ngizivikela ngesibindi langentokozo.
Then when the ruler had given him a sign to make his answer, Paul said, Because I have knowledge that you have been a judge over this nation for a number of years, I am glad to make my answer:
11 Ungalithola iqiniso lokuthi kakudluli insuku ezilitshumi lambili ngiyile eJerusalema ukuyakhonza.
Seeing that you are able to make certain of the fact that it is not more than twelve days from the time when I came up to Jerusalem for worship;
12 Abangimangalelayo kabazange bangifumane ngiphikisana lomuntu ethempelini, loba ngitshotshozela amaxuku emasinagogweni kumbe ngaphi edolobheni.
And they have not seen me in argument with any man in the Temple, or working up the feelings of the people, in the Synagogues or in the town:
13 Bangezake balethe ubufakazi kuwe balezizinto abangimangalela ngazo.
And they are not able to give facts in support of the things which they say against me now.
14 Kodwa ngiyavuma ukuthi ngikhonza uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, njengomlandeli weNdlela abayibiza ngokuthi ngumvukela. Ngiyakukholwa konke okuvumelana loMlayo lokubhaliweyo kubaphrofethi,
But this I will say openly to you, that I do give worship to the God of our fathers after that Way, which to them is not the true religion: but I have belief in all the things which are in the law and in the books of the prophets:
15 njalo ngilethemba elifana lelamadoda la kuNkulunkulu, ukuthi kuzakuba lokuvuka kwabafileyo, abalungileyo lababi.
Hoping in God for that which they themselves are looking for, that there will be a coming back from the dead for upright men and wrongdoers.
16 Ngakho ngiyazama kokuphela ukuba isazela sami sihlale sihlanzekile phambi kukaNkulunkulu laphambi kwabantu.
And in this, I do my best at all times to have no reason for shame before God or men.
17 Ngemva kweminyaka eminengi ngingekho, ngeza eJerusalema ukuletha izipho zabaswelayo ebantwini bakithi lokwethula iminikelo.
Now after a number of years I came to give help and offerings to my nation:
18 Ngangihlanzekile ngokomkhuba baze bangifumane ethempelini ngisenza lokhu. Kwakungelaxuku labantu elalilami, kumbe ukuthi ngangiphazamisa ngokuthile.
And having been made clean, I was in the Temple, but not with a great number of people, and not with noise: but there were certain Jews from Asia,
19 Kodwa kukhona amaJuda athile avela esifundeni sase-Ezhiya, okufanele ukuthi ngabe akhona lapha phambi kwakho, angethese icala nxa kukhona akusolayo ngami.
And it would have been better if they had come here to make a statement, if they have anything against me.
20 Kumbe wonala akhona kawachaze ukuthi licala bani alifumanayo kimi mhlazana ngimi eSanihedrini,
Or let these men here present say what wrongdoing was seen in me when I was before the Sanhedrin,
21 ngaphandle kwalokhu kodwa engakumemezayo ngimi phambi kwawo ukuthi: ‘Kungenxa yokuvuka kwabafileyo okwenza ngithonisiswe phambi kwenu lamuhla.’”
But only this one thing which I said among them in a loud voice, I am this day being judged on the question of the coming back from the dead.
22 Ngakho uFelikhe, owayesazi kakhulu ngeNdlela walimisa icala. Wathi, “Kuzakuthi nxa uLisiya umlawuli angafika ngizaliquma icala lenu.”
But Felix, who had a more detailed knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, When Lysias, the chief captain, comes down, I will give attention to your business.
23 Walaya umphathi wekhulu ukuthi agcine uPhawuli elindiwe kodwa amvumele ukukhululeka okuthile kanye labangane bakhe ukuthi bamuphe lokho akuswelayo.
And he gave orders to the captain to keep Paul under his control, and to let him have everything he had need of; and not to keep his friends from coming to see him.
24 Ngemva kwensuku ezinengi uFelikhe wafika lomkakhe uDrusila owaye ngumJudakazi. Wathi kakubizwe uPhawuli, wamlalela echaza ngokukholwa kuJesu Khristu.
But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, who was of the Jews by birth, and sent for Paul, and gave hearing to him about faith in Christ Jesus.
25 UPhawuli wathi esebalisa ngokulunga, langokuzithiba langokwahlulelwa okuzayo uFelikhe wesaba wathi, “Sekwanele okwamanje! Usungahamba. Kungaze kulunge njalo ngizakubiza.”
And while he was talking about righteousness and self-control and the judging which was to come, Felix had great fear and said, Go away for the present, and when the right time comes I will send for you.
26 Yena wayecabanga ukuthi uPhawuli uzamupha imali yokumfumbathisa, yikho wayembiza futhifuthi ekhuluma laye.
For he was hoping that Paul would give him money: so he sent for him more frequently and had talk with him.
27 Isidlule iminyaka emibili, uFelikhe walandelwa esikhundleni nguPhokhiyu Festasi, kodwa ngoba uFelikhe wayefuna ukuthabisa amaJuda, watshiya uPhawuli elokhu esentolongweni.
But after two years Porcius Festus took the place of Felix, who, desiring to have the approval of the Jews, kept Paul in chains.
