Imisebenzi 26

1 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Uvunyelwe ukuzikhulumela. UPawuli waseselula isandla, waziphendulela wathi:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

2 Kukho konke engimangalelwa ngakho ngamaJuda, nkosi Agripha, ngizizwa ngithokoza ukuthi sengingaziphendulela phambi kwakho lamuhla;

“I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning the things 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 you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

4 Ngakho ukuhamba kwami konke kusukela ebutsheni, okwakuqala esizweni sakithi eJerusalema, wonke amaJuda ayakwazi,

Really, the Jews all know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem,

5 ayangazi phambili kusukela ekuqaleni, uba bethanda ukufakaza, ukuthi ngendlela eqinileyo yehlelo lokukhonza kwakithi ngaphila ngingumFarisi.

since they have known me for a long time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

6 Lakhathesi ngimi ngithonisiswa ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso esenziwa nguNkulunkulu kubobaba,

And now I stand here being judged for 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 twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is because of this hope that I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa.

8 Kungani kukhunjulwa ukuthi kuyinto engakholekiyo kini, nxa uNkulunkulu evusa abafileyo?

Why should 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;

“However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;

10 lami engakwenza eJerusalema, njalo mina ngavalela abanengi kwabangcwele entolongweni, sengemukele amandla avela kubapristi abakhulu; lalapho bebulawa ngakukhetha ngimelene labo.

I actually did this in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put 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.

Yes, I punished them often in every synagogue, trying to force them to blaspheme; I was so excessively enraged against them that I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 Okungazo lami ngisiya eDamaseko ngamandla langokuthunywa ngabapristi abakhulu,

“It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,

13 emini enkulu, nkosi, ngabona endleleni ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, kudlula ukukhanya kwelanga, kwakhanya kwangizingelezela lalabo ababehamba lami.

at midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling with me.

14 Kwathi sonke sesiwele phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa ilizwi likhuluma lami lisithi ngolimi lwesiHebheru: Sawuli, Sawuli, ungizingelelani? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlelana lezincijo.

Well we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 Mina ngasengisithi: Ungubani, Nkosi? Wasesithi: Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo.

So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16 Kodwa sukuma, njalo ume ngenyawo zakho; ngoba ngibonakelele lokho kuwe, ukuthi ngikumise ube yisikhonzi lomfakazi wezinto ozibonileyo, kanye lengizazibonakalisa ngazo kuwe,

Now get up and stand on your feet; because I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things I will reveal to you,

17 ngikophula ebantwini lakwabezizwe, engikuthuma kubo khathesi,

delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:

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 as to bring them back from darkness into light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified, by faith into me.’

19 Ngakho, nkosi Agripha, kangalanga ukulalela umbono wezulwini;

Therefore, 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 all the region of Judea and to the ethnic nations, I still preach: ‘repent and turn back to God, doing works worthy of repentance.’

21 Ngenxa yalezizinto amaJuda angibamba ethempelini, azama ukungibulala.

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple 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,

So then, having experienced the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what both the prophets and Moses said would happen

23 ukuthi uKristu umele ukuhlupheka, lokuthi engowokuqala ekuvukeni kwabafileyo uzatshumayela ukukhanya kulababantu lakwabezizwe.

—that the Messiah would suffer; that as the first to rise from the dead He would proclaim light to both ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations.”

24 Kwathi esaziphendulela lezizinto, uFestusi wathi ngelizwi elikhulu: Uyahlanya, Pawuli; ukufunda okunengi kuyakuhlanyisa.

Well as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

25 Kodwa wathi: Kangihlanyi, mhlekazi Festusi, kodwa ngimemezela amazwi aliqiniso laqondileyo.

So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.

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 speak freely; for I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since 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 that you believe.”

28 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Usuphose wangiqinisekisa ukuthi ngibe ngumKristu.

So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon 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.

So Paul said, “Whether sooner or later, I would to God that not only you but also all who are hearing me this day may become such as I am, except for these chains.”

30 Kwathi esekhulume lezizinto, yasukuma inkosi, lombusi, loBernike, lalabo ababehlezi labo;

Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;

31 kwathi sebephumile bakhulumisana, besithi: Lumuntu kenzi lutho olufanele ukufa kumbe ukubotshwa.

and when they had withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

32 UAgripha wasesithi kuFestusi: Lumuntu ubengakhululwa, uba ebengalidluliselanga kuKesari.

And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”