Imisebenzi 26
1 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Uvunyelwe ukuzikhulumela. UPawuli waseselula isandla, waziphendulela wathi:
And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul, having stretched forth his hand, made a defense.
2 Kukho konke engimangalelwa ngakho ngamaJuda, nkosi Agripha, ngizizwa ngithokoza ukuthi sengingaziphendulela phambi kwakho lamuhla;
Concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed, being about to make my defense before thee today.
3 ikakhulu ngikwazi uyisazi sawo wonke amasiko lokuphikisana phakathi kwamaJuda; ngakho ngiyakuncenga, ukuthi ungizwe ngesineke.
Especially thee, being an expert of all things regarding Jews, both habits and issues. Therefore I beg thee to hear me patiently.
4 Ngakho ukuhamba kwami konke kusukela ebutsheni, okwakuqala esizweni sakithi eJerusalema, wonke amaJuda ayakwazi,
Indeed therefore, my manner of life from youth, having developed from the beginning among my nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know,
5 ayangazi phambili kusukela ekuqaleni, uba bethanda ukufakaza, ukuthi ngendlela eqinileyo yehlelo lokukhonza kwakithi ngaphila ngingumFarisi.
having known me previously from the beginning, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 Lakhathesi ngimi ngithonisiswa ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso esenziwa nguNkulunkulu kubobaba,
And now for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers, I stand being judged,
7 ezithemba ukufinyelela kuso izizwe zakithi ezilitshumi lambili, zikhonza ngesineke ebusuku lemini; engimangalelwe ngalelithemba, nkosi Agripha, ngamaJuda.
to which our twelve tribes, serving in earnestness night and day, hope to attain, about which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews!
8 Kungani kukhunjulwa ukuthi kuyinto engakholekiyo kini, nxa uNkulunkulu evusa abafileyo?
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God raises the dead?
9 Ngakho lami ngokwami ngangicabanga ukuthi ngangifanele ukwenza izinto ezinengi eziphambene lebizo likaJesu weNazaretha;
Indeed therefore I thought it necessary for myself to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,
10 lami engakwenza eJerusalema, njalo mina ngavalela abanengi kwabangcwele entolongweni, sengemukele amandla avela kubapristi abakhulu; lalapho bebulawa ngakukhetha ngimelene labo.
which also I did at Jerusalem. And I locked up many of the sanctified in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were killed, I gave a vote against them.
11 Lemasinagogeni wonke ngabajezisa kanengi, ngababamba ngamandla ukuthi bahlambaze; njalo ngahlanya kakhulu ngabo, ngabazingela baze bafika emizini yabezizwe.
And punishing them often at all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being extraordinarily furious toward them, I persecuted them even as far as to outside cities.
12 Okungazo lami ngisiya eDamaseko ngamandla langokuthunywa ngabapristi abakhulu,
And during which, while going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13 emini enkulu, nkosi, ngabona endleleni ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, kudlula ukukhanya kwelanga, kwakhanya kwangizingelezela lalabo ababehamba lami.
at midday, O king, I saw on the road a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, which shone around me and those who went with me.
14 Kwathi sonke sesiwele phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa ilizwi likhuluma lami lisithi ngolimi lwesiHebheru: Sawuli, Sawuli, ungizingelelani? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlelana lezincijo.
And when we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.
15 Mina ngasengisithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? Wasesithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo.
And I said, Who are thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecute.
16 Kodwa sukuma, njalo ume ngenyawo zakho; ngoba ngibonakelele lokho kuwe, ukuthi ngikumise ube yisikhonzi lomfakazi wezinto ozibonileyo, kanye lengizazibonakalisa ngazo kuwe,
But arise, and stand upon thy feet, for I appeared to thee for this, to appoint thee an assistant and a witness both of things that thou saw, and of the things that I will make visible to thee,
17 ngikophula ebantwini lakwabezizwe, engikuthuma kubo khathesi,
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send thee,
18 ukuvula amehlo abo, lokubaphendula emnyameni baye ekukhanyeni, lemandleni kaSathane baye kuNkulunkulu, ukuze bemukeliswe uthethelelo lwezono, lelifa phakathi kwabangcwelisiweyo ngokholo olukimi.
to open their eyes to turn about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, for them to receive remission of sins and a lot among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.
19 Ngakho, nkosi Agripha, kangalanga ukulalela umbono wezulwini;
Whereupon, King Agrippa, I did not become disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 kodwa ngatshumayela kuqala kwabaseDamaseko labeJerusalema, lakulo lonke ilizwe leJudiya, lakwabezizwe, ukuze baphenduke, babuyele kuNkulunkulu, benze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka.
but declaring first to those at Damascus and then at Jerusalem, and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, to repent and return to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 Ngenxa yalezizinto amaJuda angibamba ethempelini, azama ukungibulala.
Because of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, tried to grasp and kill me.
22 Ngakho ngizuzile usizo oluvela kuNkulunkulu, kuze kube lamuhla ngimi ngifakaza kubo bonke abancinyane labakhulu, ngingakhulumi lutho ngaphandle kwalezozinto abazikhulumayo abaprofethi loMozisi ukuthi zizakwenzeka,
Having therefore experienced the help from God, I stand to this day solemnly declaring both to small and great, saying nothing apart from what both the prophets and Moses said was going to happen,
23 ukuthi uKristu umele ukuhlupheka, lokuthi engowokuqala ekuvukeni kwabafileyo uzatshumayela ukukhanya kulababantu lakwabezizwe.
that the suffering Christ, since first from a resurrection of the dead, is going to proclaim light to our people and to the nations.
24 Kwathi esaziphendulela lezizinto, uFestusi wathi ngelizwi elikhulu: Uyahlanya, Pawuli; ukufunda okunengi kuyakuhlanyisa.
And while he made a defense by these things, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, thou are mad. Much scholarship is driving thee into madness.
25 Kodwa wathi: Kangihlanyi, mhlekazi Festusi, kodwa ngimemezela amazwi aliqiniso laqondileyo.
But Paul says, I am not mad, eminent Festus, but I speak forth sayings of truth and soberness.
26 Ngoba inkosi iyazi ngalezizinto, engikhuluma ngesibindi lakuyo; ngoba ngiqinisekile ukuthi akukho okunye kwalezizinto okufihlakeleyo kuyo; ngoba lokhu kakwenziwanga engonsini.
For the king knows about these things, before whom I also speak boldly. For I am convinced not any of these things, nothing, to be hidden from him. For this was not done in a corner.
27 Nkosi Agripha, uyakholwa abaprofethi yini? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.
King Agrippa, do thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believe.
28 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Usuphose wangiqinisekisa ukuthi ngibe ngumKristu.
And Agrippa said to Paul, By a little thou persuade me to become a Christian.
29 UPawuli wasesithi: Bengingafisa kuNkulunkulu ukuthi, loba ngokulutshwana loba ngokunengi kungabi nguwe wedwa, kodwa labo bonke abangizwayo lamuhla, babe ngabanje njengoba nginjalo lami, ngaphandle kwalezizibopho.
And Paul said, I ever pray to God, both by little and by much, not only thee, but also all who hear me this day, to become such kind as I also am, apart from these bonds.
30 Kwathi esekhulume lezizinto, yasukuma inkosi, lombusi, loBernike, lalabo ababehlezi labo;
And when he spoke these things, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 kwathi sebephumile bakhulumisana, besithi: Lumuntu kenzi lutho olufanele ukufa kumbe ukubotshwa.
And having withdrawn, they spoke to each other, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 UAgripha wasesithi kuFestusi: Lumuntu ubengakhululwa, uba ebengalidluliselanga kuKesari.
And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, if he had not appealed Caesar.
