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 stretching out his hand answered in his defence:
2 Kukho konke engimangalelwa ngakho ngamaJuda, nkosi Agripha, ngizizwa ngithokoza ukuthi sengingaziphendulela phambi kwakho lamuhla;
I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,
3 ikakhulu ngikwazi uyisazi sawo wonke amasiko lokuphikisana phakathi kwamaJuda; ngakho ngiyakuncenga, ukuthi ungizwe ngesineke.
especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4 Ngakho ukuhamba kwami konke kusukela ebutsheni, okwakuqala esizweni sakithi eJerusalema, wonke amaJuda ayakwazi,
My manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,
5 ayangazi phambili kusukela ekuqaleni, uba bethanda ukufakaza, ukuthi ngendlela eqinileyo yehlelo lokukhonza kwakithi ngaphila ngingumFarisi.
who knew me before from the outset [of my life], if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 Lakhathesi ngimi ngithonisiswa ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso esenziwa nguNkulunkulu kubobaba,
And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
7 ezithemba ukufinyelela kuso izizwe zakithi ezilitshumi lambili, zikhonza ngesineke ebusuku lemini; engimangalelwe ngalelithemba, nkosi Agripha, ngamaJuda.
to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of [the] Jews.
8 Kungani kukhunjulwa ukuthi kuyinto engakholekiyo kini, nxa uNkulunkulu evusa abafileyo?
Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?
9 Ngakho lami ngokwami ngangicabanga ukuthi ngangifanele ukwenza izinto ezinengi eziphambene lebizo likaJesu weNazaretha;
I indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.
10 lami engakwenza eJerusalema, njalo mina ngavalela abanengi kwabangcwele entolongweni, sengemukele amandla avela kubapristi abakhulu; lalapho bebulawa ngakukhetha ngimelene labo.
Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.
11 Lemasinagogeni wonke ngabajezisa kanengi, ngababamba ngamandla ukuthi bahlambaze; njalo ngahlanya kakhulu ngabo, ngabazingela baze bafika emizini yabezizwe.
And often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out [of our own land].
12 Okungazo lami ngisiya eDamaseko ngamandla langokuthunywa ngabapristi abakhulu,
And when, [engaged] in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,
13 emini enkulu, nkosi, ngabona endleleni ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, kudlula ukukhanya kwelanga, kwakhanya kwangizingelezela lalabo ababehamba lami.
at mid-day, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying 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 were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against goads.
15 Mina ngasengisithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? Wasesithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
16 Kodwa sukuma, njalo ume ngenyawo zakho; ngoba ngibonakelele lokho kuwe, ukuthi ngikumise ube yisikhonzi lomfakazi wezinto ozibonileyo, kanye lengizazibonakalisa ngazo kuwe,
but rise up and stand on thy feet; for, for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in,
17 ngikophula ebantwini lakwabezizwe, engikuthuma kubo khathesi,
taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, 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, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
19 Ngakho, nkosi Agripha, kangalanga ukulalela umbono wezulwini;
Whereupon, 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.
but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 Ngenxa yalezizinto amaJuda angibamba ethempelini, azama ukungibulala.
On account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy 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 met with [the] help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,
23 ukuthi uKristu umele ukuhlupheka, lokuthi engowokuqala ekuvukeni kwabafileyo uzatshumayela ukukhanya kulababantu lakwabezizwe.
[namely, ] whether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of [the] dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.
24 Kwathi esaziphendulela lezizinto, uFestusi wathi ngelizwi elikhulu: Uyahlanya, Pawuli; ukufunda okunengi kuyakuhlanyisa.
And as he answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.
25 Kodwa wathi: Kangihlanyi, mhlekazi Festusi, kodwa ngimemezela amazwi aliqiniso laqondileyo.
But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words 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 is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this was not done in a corner.
27 Nkosi Agripha, uyakholwa abaprofethi yini? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Usuphose wangiqinisekisa ukuthi ngibe ngumKristu.
And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest 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 would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as I also am, except these bonds.
30 Kwathi esekhulume lezizinto, yasukuma inkosi, lombusi, loBernike, lalabo ababehlezi labo;
And the king stood 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 gone apart, they spoke to one another 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 might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.
