ImiSebenzi 25:1-27
25 UFestu wathi eselamalanga amathathu efikile esabelweni futhi eqalise ukubusa, wasuka eKhesariya waya eJerusalema.
2 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo lamadoda aqakathekileyo amaJuda amtshela ngoPhawuli emmangalela. Aseqalisa ukuncenga uFestu
3 ukuthi alalele isikhalazo sawo, athumele uPhawuli eJerusalema. Kodwa ayefuna ukucathamela uPhawuli emgwaqweni ambulale.
4 Loba kunjalo uFestu wawatshela ukuthi uPhawuli kwakumele agcinwe eKhesariya, lokuthi yena wayesezabuyela khonale.
5 Wathi kuwo: “Iziphathamandla zenu kazihambe lami ziyeyimangalela indoda leyo nxa kuyikuthi kukhona sibili okubi ekwenzileyo.”
6 Ngakho wathi esehlale lawo okwamalanga angaba yisitshiyagalombili kusiya kwalitshumi, wasuka waya eKhesariya. Ngelanga elilandelayo wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, wasesithi uPhawuli kalethwe kuye.
7 UPhawuli wathi engena, amaJuda ayevela eJerusalema amgombolozela ammangalela ngamacala amanengi amakhulu, kodwa ehluleka ukuwafakazela.
8 UPhawuli wasezivikela wathi: “Kangiwephulanga uMthetho wamaJuda futhi kangenzanga sono kulo ithempeli loba kuKhesari.”
9 UFestu wayefuna ukuthabisa amaJuda, yikho waphendula uPhawuli wathi: “Uyafuna yini ukuya eJerusalema uyekwahlulelwa ngezinto lezi phambi kwami?”
10 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi: “Ngimi phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKhesari, lapho okufanele ngahlulelwe khona. Akulanto embi engiyenzileyo kumaJuda, lawe kuqhubeka kukucacela lokho.
11 Nxa ngiyisephulamthetho sibili njalo kukhona okubi engikwenzileyo okwenza ngifanele ukufa, kangali ukubulawa. Kodwa nxa abangimangalela ngakho kungela bufakazi, kakho olelungelo lokunginikela kubo ukuze abathabise. Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari!”
12 UFestu uthe esekhulume labeluleki bakhe waphendula wathi: “Usucele ukuthi icala lakho lidluliselwe kuKhesari, lakanye uzakuya kuKhesari.”
13 Ngemva kwensuku ezithile, iNkosi u-Agripha loBhenisi bafika eKhesariya bezokwenzela uFestu amhlophe.
14 Njengoba babezahlala lapho okwensukwana, uFestu wethula indaba kaPhawuli enkosini, wathi:
“Kulendoda eyatshiywa nguFelikhe ejele.
15 Ngithe ngiseJerusalema abaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala bamaJuda babuya bazongitshela ngayo, becela ukuthi ngiyigwebele ukuthi ijeziswe.
16 Kodwa ngabatshela ukuthi umthetho wamaRoma kawuvumi ukuthi umuntu omangalelwayo enziwe lokho okufunwa ngabammangalelayo engazange aqale ahlangane labo, athole ithuba lokukhuluma azivikele kulokho asolwa ngakho.
17 Yikho bathi befika kangizange ngipholise amaseko, ngahle ngahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela ngelanga elilandelayo, ngathi indoda leyo ilethwe kimi.
18 Ababeyimangalela basukuma bakhuluma, kodwa kabazange bayimangalele langokukodwa okubi engangicabanga ukuthi ikwenzile.
19 Ababephikisana ngakho nje yizinto eziphathelane lokukhonza kwabo langendoda okuthiwa nguJesu eyafayo, kodwa uPhawuli yena ayelokhu esithi iyaphila.
20 Ngithe sengiswele ukuthi impikiswano yabo ngingayilungisa njani, ngambuza ukuthi uyafuna yini ukuya eJerusalema udaba lolu luyekwahlulelwa khona.
21 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi esecele ukuthi aqhubeke ebotshiwe elindele isinqumo soMbusi Omkhulu, ngathi kabamgcine ngize ngimthumele kuKhesari.”
22 U-Agripha wasesithi kuFestu: “Ngifuna ukuzizwela ngezami ukuthi indoda leyo ithini.” Yena wathi: “Uzayizwa kusasa.”
23 Yikho ngelanga elilandelayo u-Agripha wafika eloBhenisi behamba okokufuna ukubukwa, bangena emthethwandaba belezinduna zamabutho lamadoda aqakathekileyo akulelodolobho. UFestu wathi uPhawuli kangeniswe, basebemngenisa.
24 UFestu wathi: “Nkosi Agripha lani lonke elikhona lapha, khangelani indoda le wonke amaJuda ayekhuluma ngayo engincenga ngiseJerusalema lalapha, ememeza esithi akufanelanga iqhubeke iphila.
25 Kodwa ngathola ukuthi yayingenzanga lutho olwenza ifanele ukufa. Yikho yathi isidlulisele icala kuMbusi Omkhulu, ngakhetha ukuyithumela kuye.
26 Lanxa kunjalo kangilakho okubambekayo engingakubhala mayelana layo ngikuthumele eNkosini yami. Yikho ngiyilethe phambi kwenu lonke, ikakhulu phambi kwakho Nkosi Agripha, ukuze ngithole engingakubhala nxa isithonisisiwe yahlolwa.
27 Ngikubona kungelangqondo ukuthumela isibotshwa ngingazange ngitsho izinto esimangalelwa ngazo.”
