Imisebenzi 25
1 Ngakho kwathi uFestusi esengenile emkhonweni, emva kwensuku ezintathu wenyukela eJerusalema esuka eKesariya,
Festus therefore, being come into the eparchy, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 lompristi omkhulu lezikhulu zamaJuda bammangalela uPawuli kuye, bemncenga,
And the chief priests and the chief of the Jews laid informations before him against Paul, and besought him,
3 bacela ukwenzelwa umusa omelane laye, ukuthi amthume eJerusalema, becathamela ukumbulala endleleni.
asking as a grace against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying people in wait to kill him on the way.
4 Kodwa uFestusi waphendula ngokuthi uPawuli ugciniwe eKesariya, lokuthi laye ngokwakhe uzakuya khona ngokuphangisa.
Festus therefore answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to set out shortly.
5 Wathi: Ngakho labo abenelisayo phakathi kwenu kabehle kanye lami; uba kukhona ulutho olubi ngaleyondoda, bayimangalele.
Let therefore the persons of authority among you, says he, going down too, if there be anything in this man, accuse him.
6 Kwathi esehlale phakathi kwabo insuku ezedlula itshumi, wehlela eKesariya; kusisa wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela walaya ukuthi uPawuli alethwe.
And having remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day, having sat down on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.
7 Kwathi esefikile, amaJuda ayehlile evela eJerusalema ema emhanqile, embeka amacala amanengi lanzima uPawuli, ayengelakuwaqinisa,
And when he was come, the Jews who were come down from Jerusalem stood round, bringing many and grievous charges which they were not able to prove:
8 yena eziphendulela wathi: Lemlayweni wamaJuda, lethempelini, lakuKesari kangonanga lutho.
Paul answering for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended [in] anything.
9 Kodwa uFestusi ethanda ukuthabisa amaJuda, waphendula uPawuli wathi: Uyathanda yini ukwenyukela eJerusalema, wahlulelwe khona ngalezizinto phambi kwami?
But Festus, desirous of obliging the Jews, to acquire their favour, answering Paul, said, Art thou willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be judged before me concerning these things?
10 Kodwa uPawuli wathi: Ngimi phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKesari, lapho okufanele ngahlulelwe khona; kangonanga lutho kumaJuda, njengoba lawe usazi kuhle kakhulu.
But Paul said, I am standing before the judgment-seat of Caesar, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest.
11 Ngoba uba ngonile ngenze ulutho olufanele ukufa, kangali ukufa; kodwa uba kungekho lutho lwezinto abangimangalela ngazo, kakulamuntu onganginikela kubo ngesihle. Ngilidlulisela kuKesari.
If then I have done any wrong and committed anything worthy of death, I do not deprecate dying; but if there is nothing of those things of which they accuse me, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.
12 Khona uFestusi esekhulume lomphakathi waphendula wathi: Ulidlulisele kuKesari? KuKesari uzakuya.
Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed to Caesar. To Caesar shalt thou go.
13 Kwathi sekudlule insuku ezithile, uAgripha inkosi loBernike bafika eKesariya, ukuze babingelele uFestusi.
And when certain days had elapsed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to salute Festus.
14 Kwathi sebehlezi khona insuku ezinengi, uFestusi wayilandisela inkosi izindaba zikaPawuli, esithi: Kukhona indoda ethile eyatshiywa nguFelike iyisibotshwa,
And when they had spent many days there, Festus laid before the king the matters relating to Paul, saying, There is a certain man left prisoner by Felix,
15 kwathi ngiseJerusalema, abapristi abakhulu labadala bamaJuda bammangalela, becela isigwebo esimelene laye.
concerning whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid informations, requiring judgment against him:
16 Engabaphendula ngathi: Kakusiwo umkhuba wamaRoma ukumnikela umuntu ekufeni, omangalelweyo labammangalelayo bengalethwanga ubuso ngobuso, njalo azuze ithuba lokuziphendulela ngecala.
to whom I answered, It is not [the] custom of the Romans to give up any man before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and he have got opportunity of defence touching the charge.
17 Ngakho sebebuthene lapha, kangizange ngiphuze; ngosuku olulandelayo ngahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, ngalaya ukuthi indoda ilethwe;
When therefore they had come together here, without putting it off, I sat the next day on the judgment-seat and commanded the man to be brought:
18 leyo abayimangalelayo sebemi kabavezanga cala ngayo ngezinto mina ebengizicabangela,
concerning whom the accusers, standing up, brought no such accusation of guilt as I supposed;
19 kodwa babelokuphikisana okuthile laye ngenkolo yakibo, langothile uJesu owafayo, uPawuli othi ngaye uyaphila.
but had against him certain questions of their own system of worship, and concerning a certain Jesus who is dead, whom Paul affirmed to be living.
20 Kuthe mina ngisadidekile ngombuzo onje, ngathi, angathanda yini ukuya eJerusalema, ayekwahlulelwa khona ngalezozinto.
And as I myself was at a loss as to an inquiry into these things, I said, Was he willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things?
21 Kodwa kwathi uPawuli eselidlulisele phambili ukuthi agcinelwe ukuhlolwa yinkosi enkulu, ngalaya ukuthi agcinwe, ngize ngimthume kuKesari.
But Paul having appealed to be kept for the cognisance of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I shall send him to Caesar.
22 UAgripha wasesithi kuFestusi: Lami bengithanda ukuthi ngimuzwe lumuntu. Yena wathi: Kusasa uzamuzwa.
And Agrippa [said] to Festus, I myself also would desire to hear the man. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
23 Ngakho kusisa, kwathi uAgripha loBernike befika ngokuzibonakalisa okukhulu, basebengena endlini yokwahlulela kanye lezinduna ezinkulu lamadoda ayizikhulu zomuzi, uFestusi waselaya ukuthi uPawuli alethwe.
On the morrow therefore, Agrippa being come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and having entered into the hall of audience, with the chiliarchs and the men of distinction of the city, and Festus having given command, Paul was brought.
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.
And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye see this person, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews applied to me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out against [him] that he ought not to live any longer.
25 Kodwa mina ngathola ukuthi kenzanga lutho olufanele ukufa, lokuthi yena ngokwakhe eselidlulisele enkosini enkulu, ngaquma ukumthuma.
But I, having found that he had done nothing worthy of death, and this [man] himself having appealed to Augustus, I have decided to send him;
26 Okungaye kangilalutho oluqinileyo engingalubhalela inkosi. Ngakho ngimlethile phambi kwenu, ikakhulu phambi kwakho, nkosi Agripha, ukuze kuthi esehloliwe ngibe lakho engingakubhala.
concerning whom I have nothing certain to write to my lord. Wherefore I have brought him before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, so that an examination having been gone into I may have something to write:
27 Ngoba ngibona kungaqondanga ukuthuma isibotshwa, kungatshengiswanga lamacala amelene laso.
for it seems to me senseless, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.
