< Imisebenzi 25 >
1 Ngakho kwathi uFestusi esengenile emkhonweni, emva kwensuku ezintathu wenyukela eJerusalema esuka eKesariya,
2 lompristi omkhulu lezikhulu zamaJuda bammangalela uPawuli kuye, bemncenga,
3 bacela ukwenzelwa umusa omelane laye, ukuthi amthume eJerusalema, becathamela ukumbulala endleleni.
4 Kodwa uFestusi waphendula ngokuthi uPawuli ugciniwe eKesariya, lokuthi laye ngokwakhe uzakuya khona ngokuphangisa.
5 Wathi: Ngakho labo abenelisayo phakathi kwenu kabehle kanye lami; uba kukhona ulutho olubi ngaleyondoda, bayimangalele.
6 Kwathi esehlale phakathi kwabo insuku ezedlula itshumi, wehlela eKesariya; kusisa wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela walaya ukuthi uPawuli alethwe.
7 Kwathi esefikile, amaJuda ayehlile evela eJerusalema ema emhanqile, embeka amacala amanengi lanzima uPawuli, ayengelakuwaqinisa,
8 yena eziphendulela wathi: Lemlayweni wamaJuda, lethempelini, lakuKesari kangonanga lutho.
9 Kodwa uFestusi ethanda ukuthabisa amaJuda, waphendula uPawuli wathi: Uyathanda yini ukwenyukela eJerusalema, wahlulelwe khona ngalezizinto phambi kwami?
10 Kodwa uPawuli wathi: Ngimi phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKesari, lapho okufanele ngahlulelwe khona; kangonanga lutho kumaJuda, njengoba lawe usazi kuhle kakhulu.
11 Ngoba uba ngonile ngenze ulutho olufanele ukufa, kangali ukufa; kodwa uba kungekho lutho lwezinto abangimangalela ngazo, kakulamuntu onganginikela kubo ngesihle. Ngilidlulisela kuKesari.
12 Khona uFestusi esekhulume lomphakathi waphendula wathi: Ulidlulisele kuKesari? KuKesari uzakuya.
13 Kwathi sekudlule insuku ezithile, uAgripha inkosi loBernike bafika eKesariya, ukuze babingelele uFestusi.
14 Kwathi sebehlezi khona insuku ezinengi, uFestusi wayilandisela inkosi izindaba zikaPawuli, esithi: Kukhona indoda ethile eyatshiywa nguFelike iyisibotshwa,
15 kwathi ngiseJerusalema, abapristi abakhulu labadala bamaJuda bammangalela, becela isigwebo esimelene laye.
16 Engabaphendula ngathi: Kakusiwo umkhuba wamaRoma ukumnikela umuntu ekufeni, omangalelweyo labammangalelayo bengalethwanga ubuso ngobuso, njalo azuze ithuba lokuziphendulela ngecala.
17 Ngakho sebebuthene lapha, kangizange ngiphuze; ngosuku olulandelayo ngahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, ngalaya ukuthi indoda ilethwe;
18 leyo abayimangalelayo sebemi kabavezanga cala ngayo ngezinto mina ebengizicabangela,
19 kodwa babelokuphikisana okuthile laye ngenkolo yakibo, langothile uJesu owafayo, uPawuli othi ngaye uyaphila.
20 Kuthe mina ngisadidekile ngombuzo onje, ngathi, angathanda yini ukuya eJerusalema, ayekwahlulelwa khona ngalezozinto.
21 Kodwa kwathi uPawuli eselidlulisele phambili ukuthi agcinelwe ukuhlolwa yinkosi enkulu, ngalaya ukuthi agcinwe, ngize ngimthume kuKesari.
22 UAgripha wasesithi kuFestusi: Lami bengithanda ukuthi ngimuzwe lumuntu. Yena wathi: Kusasa uzamuzwa.
23 Ngakho kusisa, kwathi uAgripha loBernike befika ngokuzibonakalisa okukhulu, basebengena endlini yokwahlulela kanye lezinduna ezinkulu lamadoda ayizikhulu zomuzi, uFestusi waselaya ukuthi uPawuli alethwe.
24 UFestusi wasesithi: Nkosi Agripha, lani lonke madoda elikhona lapha kanye lathi, liyambona lo elangicela ngaye lonke ixuku lamaJuda eJerusalema kanye lalapha, limemeza lisithi kasafanele ukuphila.
25 Kodwa mina ngathola ukuthi kenzanga lutho olufanele ukufa, lokuthi yena ngokwakhe eselidlulisele enkosini enkulu, ngaquma ukumthuma.
26 Okungaye kangilalutho oluqinileyo engingalubhalela inkosi. Ngakho ngimlethile phambi kwenu, ikakhulu phambi kwakho, nkosi Agripha, ukuze kuthi esehloliwe ngibe lakho engingakubhala.
27 Ngoba ngibona kungaqondanga ukuthuma isibotshwa, kungatshengiswanga lamacala amelene laso.
