Imisebenzi 24
1 Kwathi emva kwensuku ezinhlanu uAnaniya umpristi omkhulu wehla labadala lomkhulumeli othile uTertulo, abamangalela uPawuli kumbusi.
Ngemva kwensuku ezinhlanu umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wehlela eKhesariya labadala abathile kanye lomeli owayethiwa nguThethula, bafika beneka ukumangalela kwabo uPhawuli kumbusi.
2 Kwathi esebiziwe, uTertulo waqala ukumcala esithi: Ukuthula okukhulu sikuzuzile ngawe, lemisebenzi emihle yenzakele kulesisizwe ngokunakekela kwakho,
UPhawuli esebiziwe, uThethula walethula icala kuFelikhe wathi: “Mhlekazi! Ngaphansi kombuso wakho sesikholise isikhathi sokuthula eside, ikanti lombono wakho usulethe intuthuko kulesisizwe.
3 ngazo zonke indlela lakuzo zonke indawo siyakwemukela, mhlekazi Felike, ngakho konke ukubonga.
Yonke indawo, ngazozonke izindlela, mhlekazi omuhle Felikhe, siyakwamukela konke lokhu ngokubonga okukhulu.
4 Kodwa ukuze ngingakubambeleli kakhulu, ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ngomusa wakho usizwe ngokufitshane.
Kodwa ukuthi ngingakuchitheli isikhathi, ngiyakucela ukuthi uke usizwe kancinyane esikutshoyo.
5 Ngoba lindoda siyifice iyinkathazo, njalo ingeyenza umvukela phakathi kwamaJuda wonke emhlabeni jikelele, lomkhokheliqembu wobubhazuka bamaNazaretha;
Indoda le siyifumane ukuthi iluhlupho, ivusa isiphithiphithi phakathi kwamaJuda kuwo wonke umhlaba. Ingumholi wequla lamaNazarini
6 eyake yazama lokungcolisa ithempeli; esike sayibamba sithanda ukuyehlulela ngokomlayo wethu,
futhi yazama njalo ukungcolisa ithempeli; yikho sayibamba. Sasifuna ukumahlulela ngokomlayo wethu. [
7 kodwa kwafika uLisiya induna enkulu wamthatha ngodlakela olukhulu ezandleni zethu,
Kodwa umlawuli uLisiya weza wazamthatha ngodlakela ezandleni zethu, wathi obamangalelayo kabeze phambi kwakhe].
8 elaya abamangaleli bakhe ukuthi beze kuwe; ongathi, ngokumbuzisisa wena uqobo, ungaba lakho ukwazi kuye ngazo zonke izinto thina esimmangalela ngazo.
Ngokumhlola wena ngokwakho uzalibona iqiniso ngazozonke lezizinto esimangalela ngazo.”
9 LamaJuda lawo avuma, esithi lezizinto zinjalo.
AmaJuda lawo ayingenela indaba eqinisa ukuthi lezizinto zaziliqiniso.
10 UPawuli wasephendula, umbusi esemqhwebile ukuthi akhulume, wathi: Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminengi ungumahluleli phezu kwalesisizwe, ngiyaziphendulela ngesibindi esikhulu ngezinto zami,
Kwathi umbusi esemphile ithuba lokuthi akhulume uPhawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi usube ngumahluli walesisizwe okweminyaka eminengi; ngakho ngizivikela ngesibindi langentokozo.
11 njengoba ungakubona ukuthi kakukadluli insuku ezilitshumi lambili, lokhu ngenyukele eJerusalema ukukhuleka;
Ungalithola iqiniso lokuthi kakudluli insuku ezilitshumi lambili ngiyile eJerusalema ukuyakhonza.
12 njalo kabangificanga ethempelini ngiphikisana lomuntu loba ngivusa isiphithiphithi exukwini, loba emasinagogeni, loba emzini.
Abangimangalelayo kabazange bangifumane ngiphikisana lomuntu ethempelini, loba ngitshotshozela amaxuku emasinagogweni kumbe ngaphi edolobheni.
13 Futhi bangeke baqinise ngezinto abangimangalela ngazo khathesi.
Bangezake balethe ubufakazi kuwe balezizinto abangimangalela ngazo.
14 Kodwa ngiyavuma kuwe lokhu, ukuthi ngendlela abayibiza ngokuthi yibubhazuka, ngokunjalo ngiyamkhonza uNkulunkulu wabobaba, ngikholwa konke okulotshiweyo emlayweni lakubaprofethi;
Kodwa ngiyavuma ukuthi ngikhonza uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, njengomlandeli weNdlela abayibiza ngokuthi ngumvukela. Ngiyakukholwa konke okuvumelana loMlayo lokubhaliweyo kubaphrofethi,
15 ngilethemba kuNkulunkulu, abalilindeleyo labo uqobo lwabo, elokuthi kuzakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungileyo kanye labangalunganga.
njalo ngilethemba elifana lelamadoda la kuNkulunkulu, ukuthi kuzakuba lokuvuka kwabafileyo, abalungileyo lababi.
16 Njalo kulokho mina ngiyazama, ukuthi ngibe lesazela esingelacala phambi kukaNkulunkulu labantu isikhathi sonke.
Ngakho ngiyazama kokuphela ukuba isazela sami sihlale sihlanzekile phambi kukaNkulunkulu laphambi kwabantu.
17 Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminengi ngafika ukuletha izipho zomusa esizweni sakithi leminikelo;
Ngemva kweminyaka eminengi ngingekho, ngeza eJerusalema ukuletha izipho zabaswelayo ebantwini bakithi lokwethula iminikelo.
18 ngikulezizinto amaJuda athile avela eAsiya angifica ethempelini ngihlanjululwe, kungekho ixuku loba isiphithiphithi;
Ngangihlanzekile ngokomkhuba baze bangifumane ethempelini ngisenza lokhu. Kwakungelaxuku labantu elalilami, kumbe ukuthi ngangiphazamisa ngokuthile.
19 afanele ukuba khona lapha phambi kwakho angicale uba elolutho ngami;
Kodwa kukhona amaJuda athile avela esifundeni sase-Ezhiya, okufanele ukuthi ngabe akhona lapha phambi kwakho, angethese icala nxa kukhona akusolayo ngami.
20 kumbe bona ngokwabo kabatsho, ukuthi baficani okungalunganga kimi, mhla ngimi phambi komphakathi,
Kumbe wonala akhona kawachaze ukuthi licala bani alifumanayo kimi mhlazana ngimi eSanihedrini,
21 ngaphandle kwalelolizwi elilodwa, engalimemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo ngisithi: Ngokuvuka kwabafileyo mina ngiyehlulelwa yini lamuhla.
ngaphandle kwalokhu kodwa engakumemezayo ngimi phambi kwawo ukuthi: ‘Kungenxa yokuvuka kwabafileyo okwenza ngithonisiswe phambi kwenu lamuhla.’”
22 Kwathi uFelike wabadlulisela phambili, esezwile lezizinto esazi ngokupheleleyo izinto ngaleyondlela, esithi: Nxa uLisiya induna enkulu isiyehlile, ngizayihlolisisa indaba yenu;
Ngakho uFelikhe, owayesazi kakhulu ngeNdlela walimisa icala. Wathi, “Kuzakuthi nxa uLisiya umlawuli angafika ngizaliquma icala lenu.”
23 waselaya induna yekhulu ukuthi agcinwe uPawuli, lokuthi abe lenkululeko, njalo kungalelwa muntu wakibo ukumncedisa kumbe ukuza kuye.
Walaya umphathi wekhulu ukuthi agcine uPhawuli elindiwe kodwa amvumele ukukhululeka okuthile kanye labangane bakhe ukuthi bamuphe lokho akuswelayo.
24 Kwathi emva kwensuku ezithile, uFelike weza loDrusila umkakhe engumJudakazi, wathumela ukubiza uPawuli, wamuzwa mayelana lokholo kuKristu.
Ngemva kwensuku ezinengi uFelikhe wafika lomkakhe uDrusila owaye ngumJudakazi. Wathi kakubizwe uPhawuli, wamlalela echaza ngokukholwa kuJesu Khristu.
25 Kwathi esakhuluma ngokulunga langokuzithiba langokwahlulela okuzayo, uFelike watshaywa luvalo waphendula wathi: Hamba okwakhathesi; nxa sengizuze ithuba elihle ngizakubizela kimi;
UPhawuli wathi esebalisa ngokulunga, langokuzithiba langokwahlulelwa okuzayo uFelikhe wesaba wathi, “Sekwanele okwamanje! Usungahamba. Kungaze kulunge njalo ngizakubiza.”
26 njalo ngesikhathi esifananayo wayethemba futhi ukuthi uzanikwa imali nguPawuli, ukuze amkhulule; ngakho wayehlezi embizela kuye ekhuluma laye.
Yena wayecabanga ukuthi uPhawuli uzamupha imali yokumfumbathisa, yikho wayembiza futhifuthi ekhuluma laye.
27 Kodwa sekugcwaliseke iminyaka emibili, uFelike wemukela omlandelayo uPorkiyu uFestusi; uFelike efisa ukuthokozisa amaJuda wamtshiya uPawuli ebotshiwe.
Isidlule iminyaka emibili, uFelikhe walandelwa esikhundleni nguPhokhiyu Festasi, kodwa ngoba uFelikhe wayefuna ukuthabisa amaJuda, watshiya uPhawuli elokhu esentolongweni.
