Imisebenzi 24
1 Kwathi emva kwensuku ezinhlanu uAnaniya umpristi omkhulu wehla labadala lomkhulumeli othile uTertulo, abamangalela uPawuli kumbusi.
And, after five days, the high, Ananias, came down, with the elders, and a certain orator, named Tertullus: and they made their appearance before the governor, against Paul.
2 Kwathi esebiziwe, uTertulo waqala ukumcala esithi: Ukuthula okukhulu sikuzuzile ngawe, lemisebenzi emihle yenzakele kulesisizwe ngokunakekela kwakho,
And he being called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, As we enjoy great peace by your means, and as illustrious deeds are happily done to this nation, by your prudent administration;
3 ngazo zonke indlela lakuzo zonke indawo siyakwemukela, mhlekazi Felike, ngakho konke ukubonga.
we accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 Kodwa ukuze ngingakubambeleli kakhulu, ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ngomusa wakho usizwe ngokufitshane.
But, that I may not further trouble you, I beseech you to hear us briefly, with your usual candor.
5 Ngoba lindoda siyifice iyinkathazo, njalo ingeyenza umvukela phakathi kwamaJuda wonke emhlabeni jikelele, lomkhokheliqembu wobubhazuka bamaNazaretha;
for we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world; and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
6 eyake yazama lokungcolisa ithempeli; esike sayibamba sithanda ukuyehlulela ngokomlayo wethu,
who has attempted to profane the temple; and whom we apprehended, and would have judged according to our law;
7 kodwa kwafika uLisiya induna enkulu wamthatha ngodlakela olukhulu ezandleni zethu,
but Lysias, the commander, coming upon us with a great force, took him away out of our hands,
8 elaya abamangaleli bakhe ukuthi beze kuwe; ongathi, ngokumbuzisisa wena uqobo, ungaba lakho ukwazi kuye ngazo zonke izinto thina esimmangalela ngazo.
commanding his accusers to come to you; by which means, you may yourself, on examination, know the certainty of all these things, of which we accuse him.
9 LamaJuda lawo avuma, esithi lezizinto zinjalo.
And the Jews also gave their assent, saying, that these things were so.
10 UPawuli wasephendula, umbusi esemqhwebile ukuthi akhulume, wathi: Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminengi ungumahluleli phezu kwalesisizwe, ngiyaziphendulela ngesibindi esikhulu ngezinto zami,
Then Paul, after the governor had made a signal to him to speak, answered, Knowing that you, O Felix! have been for several years a judge to this nation, I answer for myself with the more cheerfulness;
11 njengoba ungakubona ukuthi kakukadluli insuku ezilitshumi lambili, lokhu ngenyukele eJerusalema ukukhuleka;
since you may know that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem;
12 njalo kabangificanga ethempelini ngiphikisana lomuntu loba ngivusa isiphithiphithi exukwini, loba emasinagogeni, loba emzini.
and they neither found me disputing with any man in the temple, nor making any insurrection among the people, either in the synagogues, or in the city:
13 Futhi bangeke baqinise ngezinto abangimangalela ngazo khathesi.
nor can they produce any proof of the things concerning which they now accuse me.
14 Kodwa ngiyavuma kuwe lokhu, ukuthi ngendlela abayibiza ngokuthi yibubhazuka, ngokunjalo ngiyamkhonza uNkulunkulu wabobaba, ngikholwa konke okulotshiweyo emlayweni lakubaprofethi;
But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call a sect, so worship I the God of our fathers; believing all things which are written in the law, and in the prophets;
15 ngilethemba kuNkulunkulu, abalilindeleyo labo uqobo lwabo, elokuthi kuzakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungileyo kanye labangalunganga.
having hope toward God, of that which they themselves also expect, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust.
16 Njalo kulokho mina ngiyazama, ukuthi ngibe lesazela esingelacala phambi kukaNkulunkulu labantu isikhathi sonke.
And upon this account, I exercise myself to have always a conscience without offense toward God, and toward men.
17 Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminengi ngafika ukuletha izipho zomusa esizweni sakithi leminikelo;
Now, after several years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings:
18 ngikulezizinto amaJuda athile avela eAsiya angifica ethempelini ngihlanjululwe, kungekho ixuku loba isiphithiphithi;
upon which some Asiatic Jews found me purified in the temple; neither with multitude nor with tumult;
19 afanele ukuba khona lapha phambi kwakho angicale uba elolutho ngami;
who ought to have been present before you, and to accuse me, if they had anything against me:
20 kumbe bona ngokwabo kabatsho, ukuthi baficani okungalunganga kimi, mhla ngimi phambi komphakathi,
or let these themselves say, if, when I stood before the Sanhedrim,
21 ngaphandle kwalelolizwi elilodwa, engalimemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo ngisithi: Ngokuvuka kwabafileyo mina ngiyehlulelwa yini lamuhla.
they found any crime in me; unless it be with relation to this one word, which I expressed, when I stood among them--that, for the resurrection of the dead, I am judged by you this day.
22 Kwathi uFelike wabadlulisela phambili, esezwile lezizinto esazi ngokupheleleyo izinto ngaleyondlela, esithi: Nxa uLisiya induna enkulu isiyehlile, ngizayihlolisisa indaba yenu;
And when Felix heard these things, he put them off, saying, After I have been more accurately informed concerning this way, when Lysias, the commander, comes down, I will take cognizance of the affair between you.
23 waselaya induna yekhulu ukuthi agcinwe uPawuli, lokuthi abe lenkululeko, njalo kungalelwa muntu wakibo ukumncedisa kumbe ukuza kuye.
And he commanded the centurion to keep Paul, and let him have liberty, and to hinder none of his friends from assisting him, or coming to him.
24 Kwathi emva kwensuku ezithile, uFelike weza loDrusila umkakhe engumJudakazi, wathumela ukubiza uPawuli, wamuzwa mayelana lokholo kuKristu.
And, after some days, Felix, coming the Drusilla his wife, who was a Jewess, sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 Kwathi esakhuluma ngokulunga langokuzithiba langokwahlulela okuzayo, uFelike watshaywa luvalo waphendula wathi: Hamba okwakhathesi; nxa sengizuze ithuba elihle ngizakubizela kimi;
And he reasoned concerning righteousness and temperance, and judgment to come, Felix, trembling, answered, Go your way for this time, and I will take some future opportunity to call for you.
26 njalo ngesikhathi esifananayo wayethemba futhi ukuthi uzanikwa imali nguPawuli, ukuze amkhulule; ngakho wayehlezi embizela kuye ekhuluma laye.
And he hoped, also, that money would be given him by Paul, that he might be set at liberty: and, therefore, he sent the more frequently for him, and discoursed with him.
27 Kodwa sekugcwaliseke iminyaka emibili, uFelike wemukela omlandelayo uPorkiyu uFestusi; uFelike efisa ukuthokozisa amaJuda wamtshiya uPawuli ebotshiwe.
Now, after two years were ended, Felix was succeeded by Portius Festus; and Felix, willing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, left Paul a prisoner.
