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 council, said: Brethren! I have ordered my life in all good conscience before God to this day.

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

And the high-priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him 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 thee, thou whited wall! Art thou then sitting to judge me according to the law, and dost thou command me to be smitten contrary to the law?

4 Lababemi lapho bathi: Uyamthuka umpristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu yini?

And they that stood by said, Dost thou revile God's high-priest?

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

Then said Paul, I knew not, brethren, that he was high-priest; for it is written, “Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy 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 Paul, perceiving one part to be Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried aloud in the council, Brethren! I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; for the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am now tried.

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, and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees affirm both.

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.

And there arose a great clamor; and scribes of the party of the Pharisees arose, and contended, saying, We find nothing amiss in this man; but if a spirit hath 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.

And a great dissension arising, the chief captain, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.

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 night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage; for as thou hast borne witness concerning me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

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

And when it was day, the Jews banded 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 took this oath together.

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

And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste 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 therefore do ye with the council give notice to the chief captain, that he bring him down to you, as though ye were about to examine his case more thoroughly; and we are ready to kill him before he cometh near you.

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

But Paul's sister's son hearing of the plot went, and entering the castle, told Paul.

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

Then Paul called one of the centurions to him, and said, Take this young man to the chief captain; for he hath 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 him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to thee, as he hath something to say to thee.

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

Then the chief captain took him by the hand and went aside privately, and asked him, What is it that thou hast to tell me?

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

And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though thou wert about to inquire more thoroughly 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.

But do not thou yield to them; for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves with an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and they are now ready, looking for the promise from thee.

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

The chief captain then dismissed the young man with the charge, Tell no one that thou hast disclosed these things 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 of the centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night;

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

and provide beasts, whereon they may set Paul, and carry him safe to Felix the governor.

25 wabhala incwadi imumethe lokhu:

And he wrote a letter after this manner:

26 Klawudiyosi Lisiya kumhlekazi umbusi uFelike ngiyabingelela.

Claudius Lysias to the moss 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; but I came upon them with the soldiery, and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

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

And wishing to know the crime of which they accused him, I brought him down to their council;

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

but I found him to be accused only on account of questions of their law, and to have nothing laid to his charge deserving death or bonds.

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 having been informed of a plot against the man, I sent him at once to thee, and directed his accusers also to bring their charges against him before thee.

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

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

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

But on the morrow they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the castle.

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

And they, when they had come to Caesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

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

And having read the letter, he asked of what province he was; and when he understood that he was of Cilicia,

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

he said, I will hear thee fully, when thy accusers also have arrived. And he ordered him to be kept in Herod's palace.