Imisebenzi 26

1 U-Agripha wasesithi kuPhawuli, “Ulemvumo yokuzikhulumela.” Ngakho uPhawuli wasephakamisa isandla sakhe waqalisa ukuzivikela, wathi,

2 “Nkosi Agripha, ngizibona ngilenhlanhla ukuma phambi kwakho lamuhla ngisethula ukuzivikela kwami kuwo wonke amacala engiwetheswa ngamaJuda,

3 ikakhulu njengoba wena uwazi amasiko amaJuda kanye lokuphikisana kwawo. Ngakho ngiyakucela ukuthi ungilalele ngokubekezela.

4 AmaJuda wonke ayayazi impilo engiyiphilileyo kusukela ebuntwaneni bami, ekuqaleni kokuphila kwami elizweni lakithi njalo laseJerusalema.

5 Sebengazi okwesikhathi eside njalo bangafakaza nxa bethanda, ukuthi ngenhlelo zenkolo yethu eqinileyo, ngangiphila ngingumFarisi.

6 Manje sekungenxa yethemba lami kulokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisa okhokho bethu okwenza ngithonisiswe lamuhla.

7 Lesi yiso isithembiso esilindelwe yizizwana zakithi ezilitshumi lambili ukuthi zizasibona sigcwaliseka zilokhu zimkhonza uNkulunkulu ngokutshiseka emini lebusuku. Mhlekazi, kungenxa yalo lelithemba engimangalelwa lona ngamaJuda.

8 Kungenzakala kanjani ukuthi phakathi kwenu kube yinto engakholekiyo ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabavusa abafileyo na?

9 Lami ngokwami ngangizimisele ukuthi ngenze yonke imizamo yokuphikisana lebizo likaJesu waseNazaretha.

10 Lakanye yikho lokho engakwenzayo eJerusalema. Ngaphiwa amandla ngabaphristi abakhulu ngaphosela abanengi abangcwele entolongweni, kwathi ekubulaweni kwabo lami ngasekela ukubalahla.

11 Izikhathi ezinengi ngangihamba nginquma lamasinagogu ngisithi kabajeziswe, ngazama njalo ukubabamba ngamandla ukuthi bahlambaze uJesu. Ngathi ngihlanyiswa yikubazonda ngaya lakwamanye amadolobho asezizweni ukuyabahlukuluza khona.

12 Kolunye uhambo lwami ngalubangisa eDamaseko ngilamandla lomlayo engawuphiwa ngabaphristi abakhulu.

13 Kwathi sekungaba yimini enkulu ngisendleleni Mhlekazi Agripha, ngabona ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, kukhazimula ukwedlula ilanga, kungizingelezele kanye labakhula bami.

14 Sonke sawela phansi, ngezwa ilizwi lisithi kimi, ngesiHebheru, ‘Sawuli, Sawuli ungihlukuluzelani na? Kubuhlungu kuwe ukukhahlela izinciji.’

15 Ngasengibuza ngathi, ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ INkosi yaphendula yathi, ‘NginguJesu omhlukuluzayo.

16 Phakama khathesi ume ngezinyawo zakho. Ngizibonise kuwe ukuthi ngikukhethe ukuba yinceku njalo ube ngufakazi walokho osukubonile ngami, lalokho engisazakutshengisa khona.

17 Ngizakuphephisa ebantwini bakini lakwabeZizwe. Ngikuthuma

18 ukuthi uvule amehlo abo, ubaphendule basuke ebumnyameni baye ekukhanyeni, njalo basuke emandleni kaSathane baye kuNkulunkulu ukuze bemukele ukuthethelelwa kwezono lendawo phakathi kwalabo abangcweliswe ngokukholwa kimi.’

19 Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Agripha, kangiqholozelanga umbono ovela ezulwini.

20 Ngaqala ngaba seDamaseko, kwalandela abaseJerusalema laseJudiya lonke, kwalandela labeZizwe labo, ngatshumayela ukuthi kumele baphenduke babuyele kuNkulunkulu njalo babonise ukuphenduka kwabo ngezenzo zabo.

21 Kungaleso isizatho okwenza amaJuda angibamba ngisemagumeni ethempeli azama ukungibulala.

22 Kodwa uNkulunkulu ungiphephisile kuze kube namuhla, yikho ngimi lapha ngifakaza kwabancinyane labakhulu ngokufananayo. Kakulalutho engilutshoyo ngaphezu kwalokho abaphrofethi loMosi abathi kuzakwenzakala,

23 ukuthi uKhristu wayezahlupheka, njalo njengowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, atshumayele ukukhanya ebantwini bakibo lakwabeZizwe.”

24 Khonapho uFestasi wasemphazamisa esazivikela wathi, “Phawuli, usangene ingqondo! Ukufunda kwakho okukhulu sekukuphambanise ingqondo.”

25 Waphendula uPhawuli wathi, “Kangihlanyi, Mhlekazi omkhulu Festasi. Engikutshoyo kuliqiniso njalo kulengqondo.

26 Inkosi izijayele lezizinto yikho ngikhuluma kuyo ngikhululekile. Ngiyakholwa ukuthi kakukho lokukodwa kukho okuyeqileyo inkosi, ngoba kakwenziwanga ejikweni ngokucatshelana.

27 Nkosi Agripha, uyabakholwa na abaphrofethi? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyabakholwa.”

28 U-Agripha wasesithi kuPhawuli, “Kambe ucabanga ukuthi ngesikhatshana esifitshane kangaka ungangiphendula ngibe ngumKhristu?”

29 UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “Singaba sisifitshane loba sibeside, ngiyakhuleka kuNkulunkulu ukuthi kakungabi nguwe kuphela kodwa bonke abangizwayo lamuhla bangaba yilokho engiyikho khona, ngaphandle kwala amaketane.”

30 Inkosi yaphakama kanye lombusi loBhenikhe lalabo ababehlezi labo.

31 Baphuma endlini, bathi sebekhuluma bodwa, bathi, “Indoda le kakulalutho elwenzayo olufanele ukufa loba ukuvalelwa entolongweni.”

32 U-Agripha wathi kuFestasi, “Indoda le ibizakhululwa kube ibingedluliselanga icala layo kuKhesari.”