Imisebenzi 26
1 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Uvunyelwe ukuzikhulumela. UPawuli waseselula isandla, waziphendulela wathi:
Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2 Kukho konke engimangalelwa ngakho ngamaJuda, nkosi Agripha, ngizizwa ngithokoza ukuthi sengingaziphendulela phambi kwakho lamuhla;
“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 ikakhulu ngikwazi uyisazi sawo wonke amasiko lokuphikisana phakathi kwamaJuda; ngakho ngiyakuncenga, ukuthi ungizwe ngesineke.
especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
4 Ngakho ukuhamba kwami konke kusukela ebutsheni, okwakuqala esizweni sakithi eJerusalema, wonke amaJuda ayakwazi,
Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.
5 ayangazi phambili kusukela ekuqaleni, uba bethanda ukufakaza, ukuthi ngendlela eqinileyo yehlelo lokukhonza kwakithi ngaphila ngingumFarisi.
They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
6 Lakhathesi ngimi ngithonisiswa ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso esenziwa nguNkulunkulu kubobaba,
And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
7 ezithemba ukufinyelela kuso izizwe zakithi ezilitshumi lambili, zikhonza ngesineke ebusuku lemini; engimangalelwe ngalelithemba, nkosi Agripha, ngamaJuda.
the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
8 Kungani kukhunjulwa ukuthi kuyinto engakholekiyo kini, nxa uNkulunkulu evusa abafileyo?
Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 Ngakho lami ngokwami ngangicabanga ukuthi ngangifanele ukwenza izinto ezinengi eziphambene lebizo likaJesu weNazaretha;
So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 lami engakwenza eJerusalema, njalo mina ngavalela abanengi kwabangcwele entolongweni, sengemukele amandla avela kubapristi abakhulu; lalapho bebulawa ngakukhetha ngimelene labo.
And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 Lemasinagogeni wonke ngabajezisa kanengi, ngababamba ngamandla ukuthi bahlambaze; njalo ngahlanya kakhulu ngabo, ngabazingela baze bafika emizini yabezizwe.
I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
12 Okungazo lami ngisiya eDamaseko ngamandla langokuthunywa ngabapristi abakhulu,
In this pursuit I was on my way 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.
About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14 Kwathi sonke sesiwele phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa ilizwi likhuluma lami lisithi ngolimi lwesiHebheru: Sawuli, Sawuli, ungizingelelani? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlelana lezincijo.
We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 Mina ngasengisithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? Wasesithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo.
‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 Kodwa sukuma, njalo ume ngenyawo zakho; ngoba ngibonakelele lokho kuwe, ukuthi ngikumise ube yisikhonzi lomfakazi wezinto ozibonileyo, kanye lengizazibonakalisa ngazo kuwe,
‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
17 ngikophula ebantwini lakwabezizwe, engikuthuma kubo khathesi,
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
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, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
19 Ngakho, nkosi Agripha, kangalanga ukulalela umbono wezulwini;
So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20 kodwa ngatshumayela kuqala kwabaseDamaseko labeJerusalema, lakulo lonke ilizwe leJudiya, lakwabezizwe, ukuze baphenduke, babuyele kuNkulunkulu, benze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka.
First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
21 Ngenxa yalezizinto amaJuda angibamba ethempelini, azama ukungibulala.
For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to 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,
But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
23 ukuthi uKristu umele ukuhlupheka, lokuthi engowokuqala ekuvukeni kwabafileyo uzatshumayela ukukhanya kulababantu lakwabezizwe.
that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 Kwathi esaziphendulela lezizinto, uFestusi wathi ngelizwi elikhulu: Uyahlanya, Pawuli; ukufunda okunengi kuyakuhlanyisa.
At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
25 Kodwa wathi: Kangihlanyi, mhlekazi Festusi, kodwa ngimemezela amazwi aliqiniso laqondileyo.
But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
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 matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
27 Nkosi Agripha, uyakholwa abaprofethi yini? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Usuphose wangiqinisekisa ukuthi ngibe ngumKristu.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time 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.
“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30 Kwathi esekhulume lezizinto, yasukuma inkosi, lombusi, loBernike, lalabo ababehlezi labo;
Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
31 kwathi sebephumile bakhulumisana, besithi: Lumuntu kenzi lutho olufanele ukufa kumbe ukubotshwa.
On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
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 to Caesar.”
