Imisebenzi 25 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UPawuli umangalelwa phambi kukaFestusi

¹ Kwathi uFestusi esengenile esikhundleni, emva kwensuku ezintathu wasuka eKesariya, wakhuphukela eJerusalema;

² abapristi abakhulu lezikhulu zabaJuda bammangalela uPawuli kuye bemncenga,

³ bacela ukuba abenzele umusa ngokumthumela eJerusalema, beqonde ukumcathamela bambulale endleleni.

⁴ Kodwa uFestusi waphendula ngokuthi uPawuli ugciniwe eKesariya lokuthi laye uzakuya khona masinyane;

⁵ wathi: Akuthi abayizikhulu phakathi kwenu behlele khona kanye lami; uba kukhona ulutho olubi ngaleyondoda, bayimangalele.

⁶ Kwathi esehlale labo insuku ezingadluli ezificaminwembili ingabe ezilitshumi, wehlela eKesariya; kusasa wahlala esihlalweni sokuthonisisa, walaya ukuba uPawuli alethwe.

⁷ Esefikile, abaJuda ababehlile bevela eJerusalema bema bemhanqile, bemmangalela ngezinto ezinengi ezinzima, ababengelakuziqinisa.

⁸ UPawuli eziphendulela wathi: Kangonanga lutho emlayweni wabaJuda, lasethempelini, lakuKesari.

⁹ Kodwa uFestusi ethanda ukubongwa ngabaJuda, wathi kuPawuli: Uyathanda yini ukwenyukela eJerusalema, uthonisiswe khona ngalezizinto phambi kwami na?

UPawuli ucela ukuthonisiswa nguKesari

¹⁰ Kodwa uPawuli wathi: Ngimi phambi kwesihlalo sokuthonisisa sikaKesari, lapho okufanele ngithonisiswe khona. Kangonanga lutho kubaJuda njengokuba lawe usazi kuhle.

¹¹ Uba ngonile ngenze ulutho olufanele ukufa, kangali ukufa; kodwa uba kungekho lutho lwalokho abangimangalela ngakho, kakulamuntu onganginikela kubo. Ngilidlulisela kuKesari.

¹² Kwang’khona uFestusi esekhulume lomphakathi wakhe waphendula wathi: Ulidlulisele kuKesari; uzakuya kuKesari.

UAgripha ubikelwa indaba kaPawuli

¹³ Kwathi sekudlule insuku ezithile, uAgripha inkosi loBernike bafika eKesariya ukubingelela uFestusi.

¹⁴ Sebehlezi khona insuku ezinengi, uFestusi wayilandisela inkosi ngendaba kaPawuli esithi: Kukhona indoda lapha eyatshiywa nguFelike iyisibotshwa;

¹⁵ kwathi ngiseJerusalema, abapristi abakhulu labadala babaJuda bangibikela ngayo becela ukuba ilahlwe.

¹⁶ Ngabaphendula ngathi: Kakusiwo umkhubo wamaRoma ukumnikela umuntu omangalelweyo engamiswanga phambi kwabammangaleleyo, azuze ithuba lokuziphendulela ngecala amangalelwa ngalo.

¹⁷ Ngakho sebebuthene lapha, kangiphuzanga; kodwa ngosuku olulandelayo ngahlala esihlalweni sokuthonisisa, ngalaya ukuba leyondoda ilethwe.

¹⁸ Basukuma abammangalelayo, kodwake kabavezanga cala ngayo lalezozinto ezimbi ebengizicabangela,

¹⁹ kodwa babelokuphikisana okuthile laye ngenkolo yakibo langomunye othile othiwa nguJesu, owafayo; kodwa uPawuli uthi uyaphila.

²⁰ Kuthe mina ngisadidekile ukuba leyondaba ngizakuyihlola kanjani, ngambuza ukuthi angathanda ukukhuphukela eJerusalema ayethonisiswa khona ngalezozinto.

²¹ Kodwa kwathi uPawuli eselidlulisile wacela ukuba agcinwe lize lithethwe yinkosi enkulu, ngalaya ukuba agcinwe ngize ngimthumele kuKesari.

²² UAgripha wathi kuFestusi: Lami bengithanda ukuba kengiyizwe leyondoda. Yena wathi: Uzakuyizwa kusasa.

²³ Ngakho kusasa oAgripha loBernike bafika begqoke ubucwazicwazi langodumo, bangena endlini yokuthethela amacala kanye lezinduna ezinkulu lezikhulu zomuzi. Ngakho uFestusi walaya ukuba uPawuli alethwe.

²⁴ UFestusi wasesithi: Nkosi Agripha, lani lonke elikhona lapha kanye lathi, liyayibona lindoda esangicela ngayo sonke isizwe sabaJuda eJerusalema lalapha, simemeza sisithi kayisafanele ukusila.

²⁵ Kodwa mina kangifumananga ukuba wenze ulutho olufanele ukuba afe; kwathi yena eselidlulisele enkosini enkulu ngaquma ukumthumela khona.

²⁶ Kodwa kangilalutho oluqinileyo ngaye engingayilobela inkosi; ngakho ngimlethile phambi kwenu, ikakhulu phambi kwakho, nkosi Agripha, ukuze kuthi esehloliwe ngibe lakho engingakuloba.

²⁷ Ngoba mina ngibona kungaqondanga ukuba kuthunyelwe isibotshwa, kungatshiwo icala laso.