Imisebenzi 23

1 UPawuli wasewujolozela umphakathi wathi: Madoda bazalwane, mina ngihambile phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngesazela sonke esihle, kuze kube lamuhla.

2 Kodwa uAnaniya umpristi omkhulu walaya labo ababemi phansi kwakhe ukuthi bamtshaye umlomo.

3 UPawuli wasesithi kuye: UNkulunkulu uzakutshaya, mduli oconjwe waba mhlophe; ngoba wena uhlalele ukungahlulela ngomlayo, kanti ngokuphambene lomlayo ulaya ukuthi ngitshaywe?

4 Lababemi lapho bathi: Uyamthuka umpristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu yini?

5 UPawuli wasesithi: Bengingazi, bazalwane, ukuthi ungumpristi omkhulu; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Ungakhulumi kubi ngombusi wesizwe sakini.

6 Kwathi uPawuli esekwazi ukuthi enye ingxenye yabo ingabaSadusi, lenye ingabaFarisi, wamemeza emphakathini wathi: Madoda bazalwane, mina ngingumFarisi, indodana yomFarisi; ngethemba langokuvuka kwabafileyo mina ngiyahlulelwa.

7 Kwathi esetshilo lokhu, kwavela ukuphikisana kwabaFarisi labaSadusi, lexuku ladabuka phakathi;

8 ngoba abaSadusi bathi kakukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, loba ingilosi, loba umoya; kodwa abaFarisi bayakuvuma kokubili.

9 Kwasekuvela ukumemeza okukhulu; kwathi ababhali behlelo labaFarisi basukuma baphika kakhulu besithi: Kasitholi bubi kulumuntu; kodwa nxa umoya kumbe ingilosi kukhulume laye, kasingalwi simelene loNkulunkulu.

10 Kwathi sekuvele ukuphikisana okukhulu, induna enkulu yesaba ukuthi uPawuli uzadatshulwa yibo, yalaya amabutho ukuthi ahle amhluthule phakathi kwabo, njalo abuyele laye enkambeni yamabutho.

11 Njalo ngobusuku obulandelayo iNkosi yema phansi kwakhe yathi: Mana isibindi Pawuli; ngoba njengalokhu ufakaze izinto ngami eJerusalema, kunjalo-ke umele ufakaze leRoma.

12 Kwathi sekusile, abanye bamaJuda benza iqhinga, bazibopha ngesiqalekiso, besithi kabayikudla lokunatha baze bambulale uPawuli.

13 Njalo babengaphezu kwamatshumi amane abenza lesisifungo ndawonye;

14 abaya kubapristi abakhulu labadala bathi: Sizibophe ngesiqalekiso esikhulu, sokuthi kasiyikudla lutho size simbulale uPawuli.

15 Ngakho khathesi lina kanye lomphakathi yazisani induna enkulu, ukuze imthume kini kusasa, ngokungathi lizazwisisa okunengi ngendaba zakhe; thina-ke, engakasondeli, sesilungele ukumbulala.

16 Kodwa indodana kadadewabo kaPawuli yezwa ngokumcathamela, yeza yangena enkambeni yamabutho, yamtshela uPawuli.

17 UPawuli wasebizela kuye enye yezinduna zekhulu wathi: Sana lelijaha enduneni enkulu; ngoba lilento elizayitshela yona.

18 Yasilithatha-ke yalisa enduneni enkulu, yasisithi: UPawuli isibotshwa ungibizele kuye wacela ukuthi ngilethe lelijaha kuwe, lilento elizakutshela yona.

19 Induna enkulu yasilithatha ngesandla, yasibuyela eceleni bebodwa, yabuza: Kuyini ozongitshela khona?

20 Laselisithi: AmaJuda avumelene ukucela kuwe, ukuze wehlisele uPawuli emphakathini kusasa, kungathi azahlolisisa ngcono ulutho ngaye.

21 Ngakho wena ungavunyiswa yiwo; ngoba amadoda adlula amatshumi amane kuwo amcathamele, azibophe ngesiqalekiso ngokuthi angadli anganathi aze ambulale; lakhathesi alungile elindele isithembiso sakho.

22 Ngakho induna enkulu yasiliyekela ijaha lahamba, ililaya isithi: Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi ungibikele lezizinto.

23 Yasibizela kuyo induna zekhulu ezithile ezimbili, yathi: Lungisani abebutho abangamakhulu amabili ukuze bahambe baze bayefika eKesariya, labagadi bamabhiza abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa, labemikhonto abangamakhulu amabili, kusukela ngehola lesithathu lobusuku;

24 lungisani lezinyamazana, ukuze ligadise uPawuli limfikise ephephile kumbusi uFelike;

25 wabhala incwadi imumethe lokhu:

26 Klawudiyosi Lisiya kumhlekazi umbusi uFelike ngiyabingelela.

27 Lindoda ibibanjwe ngamaJuda, njalo ibisizabulawa yiwo, ngafika lamabutho ngayophula, sengizwile ukuthi ungumRoma.

28 Ngathi ngifuna ukuthi ngazi isizatho ayimangalela ngaso, ngayehlisela emphakathini wawo;

29 engathi ngithola ukuthi imangalelwe ngemibuzo yomlayo wawo, kodwa ingamangalelwanga ngalutho olufanele ukufa loba izibopho.

30 Kwathi sekuvelile kimi ukuthi kwasekuzakuba khona iqhinga ngalindoda ngamaJuda, ngahle ngayithuma kuwe, ngibalayile futhi abamangaleli ukuthi bakhulume izinto ababemelene layo ngazo phambi kwakho. Sala kuhle.

31 Abebutho-ke, njengokulaywa kwabo, bamthatha uPawuli, bamusa eAntipatri ngobusuku.

32 Njalo kusisa, batshiya abagadi bamabhiza ukuthi bahambe laye, babuyela enkambeni yamabutho;

33 okwathi sebefikile eKesariya, bamnika umbusi incwadi, bammisa loPawuli phambi kwakhe.

34 Kwathi umbusi eseyifundile incwadi, wasebuza ukuthi ungowawuphi umkhono; esezwile ukuthi ungoweKilikhiya,

35 wathi: Ngizakuzwa, sebefikile labamangaleli bakho. Waselaya ukuthi alondolozwe endlini kaHerodi yokwahlulela.