Imisebenzi 23

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

And Paul, looking earnestly upon the Sanhedrim, said: Brethren, I have lived in all good conscience toward God to this day.

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

And the chief priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by to smite him on the mouth.

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

Then Paul said to him: God will smite you, you whitened wall! for do you sit to judge me according to the law, and yet violate the law by commanding me to be smitten?

4 Lababemi lapho bathi: Uyamthuka umpristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu yini?

And those who stood by said: Do you revile God’s chief priest?

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

And Paul replied: I did not know, brethren, that he was the chief priest: for it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.

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.

But when Paul perceived that one part belonged to the Sadducees, and the other to the Pharisees, he cried out, in the Sanhedrim: Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; for the hope of the resurrection of the dead am I judged.

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

And when he had said this, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

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

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection; neither angel nor spirit: but the Pharisees acknowledge both. And there arose a great clamor. And the scribes, on the part of the Pharisees, arose and contended, saying:

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.

We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

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

And when there arose a great dissension, the officer, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the fortress.

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

And on the following night, the Lord stood by him, and said: Take courage; for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you testify also in Rome.

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

And when it was day, the Jews combined together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

13 Njalo babengaphezu kwamatshumi amane abenza lesisifungo ndawonye;

And there were more than forty who formed this conspiracy.

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

And they went to the chief priests and elders, and said: We have surely bound ourselves under a curse, that we will taste nothing till we have killed Paul.

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

Now, therefore, do you, together with the Sanhedrim, give notice to the officer, that he bring him down to you to-morrow, as if you intended to inquire more accurately into the matters concerning him: and before he comes near, we are ready to kill him.

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

But the son of Paul’s sister heard of the plot, and he went and entered the fortress, and told Paul.

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

And Paul called one of the centurions to him, and said: Conduct this young man to the officer, for he has something to tell him.

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

So he took him, and led him to the officer, and said: The prisoner Paul called me to him, and requested me to conduct this young man to you; for he has something to tell you.

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

And the officer took him by the hand, and went aside with him privately, and inquired: What is it that you have to tell me?

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

He answered: The Jews have agreed to request you to bring Paul down into the Sanhedrim to-morrow, as if they intended to inquire something more accurately concerning him.

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

Do not, however, be persuaded by them; for more than forty men of them are lying in wait for him; and they have bound themselves under a curse, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for a promise from you.

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

Then the officer sent the young man away, with this charge: Tell no one that you have made these things known to me.

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;

And he called to him two centurions, and said: Make ready two hundred soldiers, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, that they may depart to Cæsarea at the third hour of the night.

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

And provide beasts on which they may set Paul, and take him in safety to Felix the governor.

25 wabhala incwadi imumethe lokhu:

And he wrote a letter in this form:

26 Klawudiyosi Lisiya kumhlekazi umbusi uFelike ngiyabingelela.

Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor, Felix, greeting:

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

This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them. Then I went with soldiers, and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

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

But wishing to know the cause for which they accused him, I brought him down into their Sanhedrim.

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

And I found that he was accused about questions of their law, but had nothing worthy of death or of bonds charged against him.

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.

And as I was informed that a plot was about to be laid against the man by the Jews, I immediately sent him to you, and commanded his accusers to say in your presence what they had against him. Farewell.

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

Then the soldiers took Paul, as they were commanded, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

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

And, on the morrow, they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the fortress.

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

When they came to Cæsarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.

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

And when he had read the letter, he inquired to what province he belonged. And learning that he was from Cilicia,

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

he said: I will hear you when your accusers also have come. And he ordered him to be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.