ImiSebenzi 24:1-27
24 Ngemva kwamalanga amahlanu umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wafika labanye abadala legqwetha okuthiwa nguThethula, batshela usibalukhulu ukuthi babemmangalela ngani uPhawuli.
2 UThethula wathi esetshelwe ukuthi akhulume, waqalisa ukusola uPhawuli phambi kukaFelikhe esithi:
“Siyabona ukuthi wenze saba lokuthula okukhulu lokuthi ingqondo yakho ebanzi isilethe izinguquko esizweni lesi.
3 Lokhu siyakubona zikhathi zonke ezindaweni zonke Mhlonitshwa Felikhe njalo siyabonga kakhulu.
4 Kodwa ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ube lomusa kithi, usilalele kancane nje ukuze ngingakuqedeli isikhathi.
5 Sithole ukuthi indoda le iyimpehlane,* itshotshozela wonke amaJuda emhlabeni wonke ukuthi avukele umbuso futhi yiyo ekhokhela iqembu lamaNazaretha.
6 Ibizama lokungcolisa ithempeli, yikho siyibambile.
7 *——
8 Nxa ungayibuzisisa, kuzakucacela konke lokhu esiyimangalela ngakho.”
9 Esetsho njalo lamaJuda ancedisa, emhlasela esithi zonke izinto lezo ziliqiniso.
10 Usibalukhulu wanqekuza ikhanda esithi uPhawuli kakhulume. UPhawuli wasesithi:
“Ngikwazi mhlophe ukuthi usube ngumahluleli wesizwe lesi okweminyaka eminengi. Yikho ngikhuluma ngikhululekile, ngizivikela.
11 Akukadluli amalanga angu-12 ngihambe eJerusalema ngisiyakhonza, ungabuza loba ngubani.
12 Kabazange bangithole ngixabana lomuntu ethempelini loba ngitshotshozela amaxuku emasinagogeni lakulo lonke idolobho.
13 Kakho ongafakaza kuwe ukuthi ziliqiniso izinto abangimangalela ngazo khathesi.
14 Kodwa engikuvumayo kuwe yikuthi ngenzela uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bami inkonzo engcwele, ngilandela indlela le bona abayibiza ngokuthi ngeyababhazukayo, njalo ngiyakukholwa konke okuseMthethweni kanye lokubhalwe kubaPhrofethi.
15 Ngilethemba kuNkulunkulu, ithemba amadoda la lawo alalo elokuthi abafileyo bazavuswa, abalungileyo labangalunganga.
16 Lokhu kungenza ngihlale ngizama ngamandla wonke ukuba lomzwangedwa omsulwa* phambi kukaNkulunkulu labantu.
17 Kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka eminengi, ngafika ngizokupha isizwe sakithi izipho* njalo ngizokwenza iminikelo.
18 Ngathi ngisenza lokhu bangifica ethempelini ngihlanjululiwe ngokoMthetho kaMosi, ngingelaxuku futhi ngingabangeli ukuxokozela. Kodwa kwakulamanye amaJuda ayevela esabelweni sase-Asiya
19 obekumele abekhona phambi kwakho, angimangalele nxa kukhona sibili akusolayo ngami.
20 Kumbe vumela amadoda alapha azikhulumele ukuthi ngesikhathi ngimi phambi kweSanihedrini angithola ngilecala bani,
21 ngaphandle kokukodwa nje engakutshoyo ngimi phakathi kwawo ngisithi: ‘Lamuhla ngithonisiswa phambi kwenu ngenxa yokuthi ngiyakholwa ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa!’”
22 Kodwa uFelikhe wayezazi kuhle izinto eziphathelane leNdlela le. Ngakho wabatshela ukuthi bahambe, wathi: “Indaba yenu ngizayahlulela nxa induna yamabutho uLisiya ingabuya.”
23 Watshela lomkhokheli webutho ukuthi uPhawuli aqhubeke ebotshiwe kodwa aphiwe inkululeko yokwenza ezinye izinto lokuthi abangane bakhe bavunyelwe ukumncedisa ngakuswelayo.
24 Ngemva kwamalanga athile, uFelikhe wabuya lomkakhe uDrusila owayengumJuda, wasesithi uPhawuli abizwe, wamlalela ekhuluma ngokukholwa kuKhristu uJesu.
25 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi ekhuluma ngokulunga, lokuzibamba kanye lokwahlulela okuzayo, uFelikhe wesaba wasesithi kuye: “Okwakhathesi zihambele, kodwa ngingathola ithuba ngizathi ubizwe futhi.”
26 Wayelokhu ekhangelele ukuthi uPhawuli uzamupha imali. Yikho wayesehlala esithi kabizwe, abesekhuluma laye.
27 Kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka emibili uPhokhiyu Festu wangena esikhundleni sikaFelikhe. Kodwa uFelikhe watshiya uPhawuli elokhu esejele ngoba wayefuna ukuthabisa amaJuda.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “idala uhlupho.” NgesiGrikhi, “ingumkhuhlane omemethekayo.”
^ Ivesi le kayitholakali kweminye imibhalo yasendulo njalo ubufakazi obukhona butshengisa ukuthi yayingekho eMibhalweni ephefumulelweyo.
^ Kumbe, “ongelasici.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “izipho zesihawu.” Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
