< Imisebenzi 24 >
1 Kwathi emva kwensuku ezinhlanu uAnaniya umpristi omkhulu wehla labadala lomkhulumeli othile uTertulo, abamangalela uPawuli kumbusi.
2 Kwathi esebiziwe, uTertulo waqala ukumcala esithi: Ukuthula okukhulu sikuzuzile ngawe, lemisebenzi emihle yenzakele kulesisizwe ngokunakekela kwakho,
3 ngazo zonke indlela lakuzo zonke indawo siyakwemukela, mhlekazi Felike, ngakho konke ukubonga.
4 Kodwa ukuze ngingakubambeleli kakhulu, ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ngomusa wakho usizwe ngokufitshane.
5 Ngoba lindoda siyifice iyinkathazo, njalo ingeyenza umvukela phakathi kwamaJuda wonke emhlabeni jikelele, lomkhokheliqembu wobubhazuka bamaNazaretha;
6 eyake yazama lokungcolisa ithempeli; esike sayibamba sithanda ukuyehlulela ngokomlayo wethu,
7 kodwa kwafika uLisiya induna enkulu wamthatha ngodlakela olukhulu ezandleni zethu,
8 elaya abamangaleli bakhe ukuthi beze kuwe; ongathi, ngokumbuzisisa wena uqobo, ungaba lakho ukwazi kuye ngazo zonke izinto thina esimmangalela ngazo.
9 LamaJuda lawo avuma, esithi lezizinto zinjalo.
10 UPawuli wasephendula, umbusi esemqhwebile ukuthi akhulume, wathi: Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminengi ungumahluleli phezu kwalesisizwe, ngiyaziphendulela ngesibindi esikhulu ngezinto zami,
11 njengoba ungakubona ukuthi kakukadluli insuku ezilitshumi lambili, lokhu ngenyukele eJerusalema ukukhuleka;
12 njalo kabangificanga ethempelini ngiphikisana lomuntu loba ngivusa isiphithiphithi exukwini, loba emasinagogeni, loba emzini.
13 Futhi bangeke baqinise ngezinto abangimangalela ngazo khathesi.
14 Kodwa ngiyavuma kuwe lokhu, ukuthi ngendlela abayibiza ngokuthi yibubhazuka, ngokunjalo ngiyamkhonza uNkulunkulu wabobaba, ngikholwa konke okulotshiweyo emlayweni lakubaprofethi;
15 ngilethemba kuNkulunkulu, abalilindeleyo labo uqobo lwabo, elokuthi kuzakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungileyo kanye labangalunganga.
16 Njalo kulokho mina ngiyazama, ukuthi ngibe lesazela esingelacala phambi kukaNkulunkulu labantu isikhathi sonke.
17 Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminengi ngafika ukuletha izipho zomusa esizweni sakithi leminikelo;
18 ngikulezizinto amaJuda athile avela eAsiya angifica ethempelini ngihlanjululwe, kungekho ixuku loba isiphithiphithi;
19 afanele ukuba khona lapha phambi kwakho angicale uba elolutho ngami;
20 kumbe bona ngokwabo kabatsho, ukuthi baficani okungalunganga kimi, mhla ngimi phambi komphakathi,
21 ngaphandle kwalelolizwi elilodwa, engalimemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo ngisithi: Ngokuvuka kwabafileyo mina ngiyehlulelwa yini lamuhla.
22 Kwathi uFelike wabadlulisela phambili, esezwile lezizinto esazi ngokupheleleyo izinto ngaleyondlela, esithi: Nxa uLisiya induna enkulu isiyehlile, ngizayihlolisisa indaba yenu;
23 waselaya induna yekhulu ukuthi agcinwe uPawuli, lokuthi abe lenkululeko, njalo kungalelwa muntu wakibo ukumncedisa kumbe ukuza kuye.
24 Kwathi emva kwensuku ezithile, uFelike weza loDrusila umkakhe engumJudakazi, wathumela ukubiza uPawuli, wamuzwa mayelana lokholo kuKristu.
25 Kwathi esakhuluma ngokulunga langokuzithiba langokwahlulela okuzayo, uFelike watshaywa luvalo waphendula wathi: Hamba okwakhathesi; nxa sengizuze ithuba elihle ngizakubizela kimi;
26 njalo ngesikhathi esifananayo wayethemba futhi ukuthi uzanikwa imali nguPawuli, ukuze amkhulule; ngakho wayehlezi embizela kuye ekhuluma laye.
27 Kodwa sekugcwaliseke iminyaka emibili, uFelike wemukela omlandelayo uPorkiyu uFestusi; uFelike efisa ukuthokozisa amaJuda wamtshiya uPawuli ebotshiwe.
