Imisebenzi 23
1 UPawuli wasewujolozela umphakathi wathi: Madoda bazalwane, mina ngihambile phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngesazela sonke esihle, kuze kube lamuhla.
Looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, “Brothers, in all good conscience I have lived as a citizen before God to this day.”
2 Kodwa uAnaniya umpristi omkhulu walaya labo ababemi phansi kwakhe ukuthi bamtshaye umlomo.
At this the high priest Ananias commanded those who were standing beside 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?
Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike yoʋ, yoʋ whitewashed wall! Are yoʋ sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law ordering me to be struck?”
4 Lababemi lapho bathi: Uyamthuka umpristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu yini?
Those standing nearby said, “Do yoʋ dare to insult God's high priest?”
5 UPawuli wasesithi: Bengingazi, bazalwane, ukuthi ungumpristi omkhulu; ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Ungakhulumi kubi ngombusi wesizwe sakini.
Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. For it is written, ‘Yoʋ shall not speak evil of a ruler of yoʋr 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.
Now when Paul realized that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is regarding 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, a dissension arose on the part of the Pharisees, and the assembly 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 that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge 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 there arose a great clamor, and the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and argued vehemently, “We find no evil in this man. If a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel, 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.
When the dissension grew violent, the commander, exercising caution lest Paul be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them by force, 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.
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage, Paul, for as yoʋ have testified about me in Jerusalem, so yoʋ must also testify in Rome.”
12 Kwathi sekusile, abanye bamaJuda benza iqhinga, bazibopha ngesiqalekiso, besithi kabayikudla lokunatha baze bambulale uPawuli.
When daybreak came, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13 Njalo babengaphezu kwamatshumi amane abenza lesisifungo ndawonye;
More than forty men had taken an oath to join this conspiracy.
14 abaya kubapristi abakhulu labadala bathi: Sizibophe ngesiqalekiso esikhulu, sokuthi kasiyikudla lutho size simbulale uPawuli.
They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn 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 then, you and the council must make an official request to the commander to bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would be investigating the facts about his case in greater detail. And we will be ready to kill him before he draws near to this place.”
16 Kodwa indodana kadadewabo kaPawuli yezwa ngokumcathamela, yeza yangena enkambeni yamabutho, yamtshela uPawuli.
But when the son of Paul's sister heard about this ambush, he went into the barracks and 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 over and said, “Take this young man to the commander, 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 the young man, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called for me and asked me to bring this young man to yoʋ because he has something to tell yoʋ.”
19 Induna enkulu yasilithatha ngesandla, yasibuyela eceleni bebodwa, yabuza: Kuyini ozongitshela khona?
So the commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, “What is it that yoʋ have to tell me?”
20 Laselisithi: AmaJuda avumelene ukucela kuwe, ukuze wehlisele uPawuli emphakathini kusasa, kungathi azahlolisisa ngcono ulutho ngaye.
The young man said, “The Jews have agreed to ask yoʋ to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though the members of the Sanhedrin would be inquiring about his case in greater 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.
Do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are now ready, waiting for yoʋr consent.”
22 Ngakho induna enkulu yasiliyekela ijaha lahamba, ililaya isithi: Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi ungibikele lezizinto.
So the commander sent the young man away, ordering him, “Tell no one that yoʋ have reported this 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;
Then he called over two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.
24 lungisani lezinyamazana, ukuze ligadise uPawuli limfikise ephephile kumbusi uFelike;
Provide mounts so that they may set Paul on one and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
25 wabhala incwadi imumethe lokhu:
Then he wrote the following letter:
26 Klawudiyosi Lisiya kumhlekazi umbusi uFelike ngiyabingelela.
“Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
27 Lindoda ibibanjwe ngamaJuda, njalo ibisizabulawa yiwo, ngafika lamabutho ngayophula, sengizwile ukuthi ungumRoma.
This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.
28 Ngathi ngifuna ukuthi ngazi isizatho ayimangalela ngaso, ngayehlisela emphakathini wawo;
Wishing to know the reason why they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.
29 engathi ngithola ukuthi imangalelwe ngemibuzo yomlayo wawo, kodwa ingamangalelwanga ngalutho olufanele ukufa loba izibopho.
I discovered that he was being accused about questions of their own law, but had no accusation against him that deserved 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.
When I was informed that a plot was about to be executed against this man by the Jews, I sent him to yoʋ at once, also ordering his accusers to state before yoʋ the charges against him. Farewell.”
31 Abebutho-ke, njengokulaywa kwabo, bamthatha uPawuli, bamusa eAntipatri ngobusuku.
So the soldiers took Paul and brought him to Antipatris by night, just as they had been commanded.
32 Njalo kusisa, batshiya abagadi bamabhiza ukuthi bahambe laye, babuyela enkambeni yamabutho;
The next day, they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.
33 okwathi sebefikile eKesariya, bamnika umbusi incwadi, bammisa loPawuli phambi kwakhe.
When the horsemen came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul to him as well.
34 Kwathi umbusi eseyifundile incwadi, wasebuza ukuthi ungowawuphi umkhono; esezwile ukuthi ungoweKilikhiya,
After the governor read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 wathi: Ngizakuzwa, sebefikile labamangaleli bakho. Waselaya ukuthi alondolozwe endlini kaHerodi yokwahlulela.
he said, “I will give yoʋ a hearing once yoʋr accusers have arrived.” Then he gave orders for him to be kept at Herod's headquarters.
