Imisebenzi 26

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

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

3 ikakhulu ngikwazi uyisazi sawo wonke amasiko lokuphikisana phakathi kwamaJuda; ngakho ngiyakuncenga, ukuthi ungizwe ngesineke.

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

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

6 Lakhathesi ngimi ngithonisiswa ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso esenziwa nguNkulunkulu kubobaba,

7 ezithemba ukufinyelela kuso izizwe zakithi ezilitshumi lambili, zikhonza ngesineke ebusuku lemini; engimangalelwe ngalelithemba, nkosi Agripha, ngamaJuda.

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

9 Ngakho lami ngokwami ngangicabanga ukuthi ngangifanele ukwenza izinto ezinengi eziphambene lebizo likaJesu weNazaretha;

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

11 Lemasinagogeni wonke ngabajezisa kanengi, ngababamba ngamandla ukuthi bahlambaze; njalo ngahlanya kakhulu ngabo, ngabazingela baze bafika emizini yabezizwe.

12 Okungazo lami ngisiya eDamaseko ngamandla langokuthunywa ngabapristi abakhulu,

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

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

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

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

17 ngikophula ebantwini lakwabezizwe, engikuthuma kubo khathesi,

18 ukuvula amehlo abo, lokubaphendula emnyameni baye ekukhanyeni, lemandleni kaSathane baye kuNkulunkulu, ukuze bemukeliswe uthethelelo lwezono, lelifa phakathi kwabangcwelisiweyo ngokholo olukimi.

19 Ngakho, nkosi Agripha, kangalanga ukulalela umbono wezulwini;

20 kodwa ngatshumayela kuqala kwabaseDamaseko labeJerusalema, lakulo lonke ilizwe leJudiya, lakwabezizwe, ukuze baphenduke, babuyele kuNkulunkulu, benze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka.

21 Ngenxa yalezizinto amaJuda angibamba ethempelini, azama ukungibulala.

22 Ngakho ngizuzile usizo oluvela kuNkulunkulu, kuze kube lamuhla ngimi ngifakaza kubo bonke abancinyane labakhulu, ngingakhulumi lutho ngaphandle kwalezozinto abazikhulumayo abaprofethi loMozisi ukuthi zizakwenzeka,

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

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

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

26 Ngoba inkosi iyazi ngalezizinto, engikhuluma ngesibindi lakuyo; ngoba ngiqinisekile ukuthi akukho okunye kwalezizinto okufihlakeleyo kuyo; ngoba lokhu kakwenziwanga engonsini.

27 Nkosi Agripha, uyakholwa abaprofethi yini? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.

28 UAgripha wasesithi kuPawuli: Usuphose wangiqinisekisa ukuthi ngibe ngumKristu.

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.

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

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

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