Imisebenzi 23

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

With a stedfast gaze at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived with a good conscience before God to this day."

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

Then the High Priest Ananias ordered those who stood near Paul to strike 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?

"You whited sepulcher," exclaimed Paul, "God will strike you! You are sitting there to judge me according to the law, are you? And do you command me to be struck, contrary to the Law?"

4 Lababemi lapho bathi: Uyamthuka umpristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu yini?

"Do you rail at God’s high priest?" said the bystanders.

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

"Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest," exclaimed Paul, "for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of my 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.

Then perceiving that half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisee, he cried out in the Sanhedrin. "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!"

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

When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting 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; the Pharisees affirm them all.

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.

Then a great clamor arose; some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up, and contended. "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?"

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

But when the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul in pieces, ordered the troops to march down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

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

And the following night the Lord stood by him and said. "Be of good courage; for as you have borne faithful witness concerning me at Jerusalem, so you must testify at Rome also."

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

When day dawned the Jews made a conspiracy, 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 had sworn this oath.

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

They went to the high priests and elders, and said to them. "We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until 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 do you and the Sanhedrin ask the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you would judge his case more exactly; and we are ready to kill him, before he comes near the place."

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

But Paul’s sister’s son heard of their intended attack, and he went and got into the barracks, 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, and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, 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 brought his to the tribune, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to him, and begged me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."

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

And the tribune took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "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.

"The Jews," he answered, "have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, as though they wish to examine his case in detail.

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

"Now do not let them persuade, for more than forty men are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse, not to eat nor drink until they have killed him; even now they are all ready, awaiting your consent."

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

So the tribune sent the young man home with the injunction, "Tell no man that you have given me this information."

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;

Then he called two centurions to him and said. "Get ready by nine o’clock tonight two hundred infantry to march as far as Caesarea, and also seventy troopers and two hundred spearmen."

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

He further ordered them to provide horses on which to mount Paul, so as to bring him safely to Felix, the governor.

25 wabhala incwadi imumethe lokhu:

He also wrote a letter in the following terms.

26 Klawudiyosi Lisiya kumhlekazi umbusi uFelike ngiyabingelela.

"Claudius Lysais unto the Most Excellent Governor Felix, greeting.

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

"This man Paul had been seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with the troops, and rescued him, as I had learned that he was a Roman citizen.

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

"Anxious to find out why they had accused him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.

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

"Here I learned that he was accused about questions of their law, but was not charged with anything worthy of death or imprisonment.

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.

"Now when I received information that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him at once to you, charging his accusers also to speak against him before you."

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

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

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

Next day the infantry returned to the barracks, leaving the troopers to ride on with him.

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

They reached Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, and also presented Paul before him.

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

After reading the letter, he asked to what province he belonged, and when he understood that he was of Cilicia, he said,

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

"I will hear your case when your accusers also are come." And he ordered him to be kept in custody in Herod’s palace.