ImiSebenzi 23:1-35
23 UPhawuli wayithapha ngamehlo iSanihedrini wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, ngilomzwangedwa omsulwa ngenxa yendlela ebengiziphethe ngayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu kuze kube lamuhla.”
2 Umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wasesithi ababemi eduze kwakhe bamtshaye umlomo.
3 UPhawuli wathi kuye: “UNkulunkulu uzakutshaya wena mduli oconjwe waba mhlophe. Uhlezi khonapho ukuze ungahlulele ngoMthetho ngapha wena usephula lowoMthetho ngokubatshela ukuthi bangitshaye.”
4 Ababemi lapho bathi: “Kanti uthethisa umphristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu?”
5 UPhawuli wathi: “Bafowethu, bengingazi ukuthi ungumphristi omkhulu. Kubhaliwe ukuthi, ‘Akumelanga uthuke umbusi wabantu bakini.’”
6 Njengoba uPhawuli wayesazi ukuthi elinye icele lalingelabaSadusi elinye lingelabaFarisi, wamemeza phakathi kweSanihedrini wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, mina ngingumFarisi, ngiyindodana yabaFarisi. Ngithonisiswa ngenxa yokuthi ngilethemba lokuthi abafileyo bazavuswa.”
7 Esetsho njalo kwavuka impikiswano kubaFarisi labaSadusi, badabukana phakathi
8 ngoba abaSadusi bathi akukho ukuvuswa kwabafileyo, akulangilosi futhi akulamoya, kodwa abaFarisi bona bathi konke lokhu kukhona.
9 Yikho-ke kwaba lokuxokozela okukhulu, abanye ababhali beqembu labaFarisi basukuma baphikisa besidla amahabula, besithi: “Kasitholi cala emuntwini lo, kodwa nxa umoya kumbe ingilosi ikhulume laye—.”
10 Impikiswano yathi isitshisa, induna yamabutho yesaba ukuthi babezamdabudabula uPhawuli, yasilaya amasotsha ukuthi ayehle ayemhluthuna phakathi kwabo, amlethe enkambeni yamasotsha.
11 Ngelanga elilandelayo iNkosi yema eceleni kwakhe ebusuku, yathi: “Woba lesibindi! Njengoba nje ubufakaza ngami ngokugcweleyo eJerusalema, kumele uyefakaza laseRoma.”
12 Kusisa amaJuda ahlanganisa amakhanda enza isifungo, athi wona aqalekisiwe nxa engadla loba anathe engazange aqale ambulale uPhawuli.
13 Amadoda enza isifungo lesi ayesedlula 40.
14 Ahamba kubaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala afika athi: “Sesenze isifungo sokuthi siyabe siqalekisiwe nxa singadla loba yini singazange siqale simbulale uPhawuli.
15 Yikho lina leSanihedrini kumele litshele induna yamabutho ukuthi kufanele imlethe kini, lenze angathi lifuna ukulihlolisisa kuhle icala lakhe. Kodwa sizabe sesimlindele ukuze simbulale esesekhatshana.”
16 Lanxa kunjalo indodana kadadewabo kaPhawuli yezwa ukuthi babefuna ukumcathamela, yasingena enkambeni yamasotsha yabikela uPhawuli.
17 UPhawuli wabiza omunye wabakhokheli bebutho wathi kuye: “Thatha ijaha leli uhambe lalo enduneni yamabutho ngoba kulento elifuna ukuyibika kuyo.”
18 Lakanye waya lalo enduneni yamabutho wafika wathi: “UPhawuli isibotshwa ungibizile wangicela ukuthi ngilethe ijaha leli kuwe ngoba kulento elifuna ukukutshela yona.”
19 Induna yamabutho yabamba ijaha lelo ngesandla yalidonsela eceleni yalibuza yathi: “Ufuna ukungitshelani?”
20 Lona lathi: “AmaJuda asevumelene ukukucela ukuthi ulethe uPhawuli eSanihedrini kusasa ukuze kukhanye angathi afuna ukwazi okunye ngecala lakhe.
21 Kodwa ungavumi loba angaze akucele njani ngoba alamadoda edlula 40 amcathameleyo njalo enze isifungo, esithi aqalekisiwe nxa engadla loba anathe engazange aqale ambulale. Sikhuluma nje asemelele ukuthi wena uvume kuphela.”
22 Ngakho induna yamabutho yaqonqosela ijaha lelo yathi: “Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi ungitshele indaba le.” Yasiliyekela lahamba.
23 Yabiza abakhokheli bebutho ababili yathi: “Thathani amasotsha angu-200 lilungiselele ukuya eKhesariya ngehola lesithathu ebusuku,* lithathe lamanye angu-70 agada amabhiza kanye langu-200 alemikhonto.
24 Liphinde lilungisele loPhawuli amabhiza ukuze ahambe evikelekile kusibalukhulu uFelikhe.”
25 Wasebhala incwadi eyayilamazwi athi:
26 “Mina Klawudiyu Lisiya, ngiyakubingelela wena Mhlonitshwa, Sibalukhulu Felikhe:
27 Indoda le ibanjwe ngamaJuda futhi abesezayibulala, kodwa mina lamasotsha ami sifike masinyane sayilamulela ngoba besengizwe ukuthi ingumRoma.
28 Ngiyithethe ngayisa phambi kweSanihedrini yawo ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi ayimangalela ngani.
29 Ngasengithola ukuthi ayimangalela ngezinto ezimayelana loMthetho wawo, kodwa kakukho lokukodwa emangalelwa ngakho okungenza ifanele ukubulawa loba ukufakwa ejele.
30 Loba kunjalo ngiyithumela kuwe masinyane ngoba ngitshelwe ukuthi sekubunjwe icebo lokuyibulala, njalo sengitshele lalabo abayimangalelayo ukuthi bazokwethula udaba lwabo phambi kwakho.”
31 Amasotsha athatha uPhawuli njengoba ayetsheliwe, ahamba laye ebusuku ayafika e-Antiphatri.
32 Ngelanga elilandelayo amtshiya lamasotsha ayehamba ngamabhiza ukuthi aqhubeke laye, wona abuyela enkambeni yamasotsha.
33 Ababegade amabhiza bangena eKhesariya bafika banika usibalukhulu incwadi, batshiya loPhawuli ezandleni zakhe.
34 Waseyibala wabuza ukuthi wayevela kusiphi isabelo, watshelwa ukuthi wayevela eKhilikhiya.
35 Wasesithi, “Indaba yakho ngizayilalelisisa nxa abakumangalelayo sebefikile.” Walaya ukuthi alindwe esigodlweni sikaHerodi.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ngabo-9 ebusuku.
