ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli 25:1-27
25 UFestu+ wathi eselamalanga amathathu efikile esabelweni seJudiya futhi eqalise ukubusa, wasuka eKhesariya waya eJerusalema.
2 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo lamadoda aqakathekileyo amaJuda amtshela ngoPhawuli emmangalela.+ Ancenga uFestu
3 ukuthi amukele isikhalazo sawo, athumele uPhawuli eJerusalema. Kodwa ayefuna ukucathamela uPhawuli emgwaqweni ambulale.+
4 UFestu wawatshela ukuthi uPhawuli kwakumele agcinwe eKhesariya lokuthi yena wayesezabuyela khona.
5 Wathi kuwo: “Iziphathamandla zenu azihambe lami ziyeyimangalela indoda leyo nxa kuyikuthi kukhona sibili okubi ekwenzileyo.”+
6 Ngakho wathi esehlale lawo okwamalanga angaba ngu-8 kusiya kwangu-10, wasuka waya eKhesariya. Ngelanga elilandelayo wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela wasesithi uPhawuli alethwe kuye.
7 UPhawuli wathi engena, amaJuda ayevela eJerusalema amgombolozela ammangalela ngamacala amanengi amakhulu kodwa ehluleka ukuveza ubufakazi.+
8 UPhawuli wasezivikela wathi: “Angiwephulanga uMthetho wamaJuda, angenzanga lutho olubi ethempelini njalo angonanga 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 uyakubona lokho.
11 Nxa ngiyisephulamthetho sibili njalo kukhona okubi engikwenzileyo okwenza ngifanele ukufa+ angali ukubulawa. Kodwa nxa abangimangalela ngakho kungelabufakazi, kakho olelungelo lokunginikela kubo ukuze abathabise. Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari!”+
12 UFestu uthe esekhulume labeluleki bakhe waphendula wathi: “Njengoba usucele ukuthi icala lakho lidluliselwe kuKhesari, usuzakuya 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 bezongitshela ngayo+ becela ukuthi ngiyigwebele ukuthi ijeziswe.
16 Kodwa ngibatshele ukuthi umthetho wamaRoma awuvumi ukuthi umuntu omangalelwayo enziwe lokho okufunwa ngabammangalelayo engazange aqale ahlangane labo, athole ithuba lokukhuluma azivikele kulokho asolwa ngakho.+
17 Yikho bathi befika angizange ngipholise amaseko ngahle ngahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela ngelanga elilandelayo, ngathi indoda leyo ilethwe kimi.
18 Ababeyimangalela basukuma bakhuluma kodwa abazange bayimangalele langokukodwa okubi engangicabanga ukuthi ikwenzile.+
19 Ababephikisana ngakho nje yizinto eziphathelane lokukhonza kwabo+ langendoda okuthiwa nguJesu eyafayo, uPhawuli ayelokhu esithi iyaphila.+
20 Ngithe sengiswele ukuthi impikiswano yabo ngingayilungisa njani, ngambuza ukuthi uyafuna yini ukuya eJerusalema udaba lolu luyekwahlulelwa khona.+
21 Kodwa yena wacela ukuthi aqhubeke ebotshiwe elindele isinqumo soMbusi Omkhulu,+ yikho ngathi agcinwe 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 loBhenisi bafika ngokuzibonakalisa okukhulu bangena emthethwandaba belezinduna zamabutho lamadoda aqakathekileyo akulelodolobho. UFestu wathi uPhawuli angeniswe, basebemngenisa.
24 UFestu wathi: “Nkosi Agripha lani lonke elilapha, nansi indoda wonke amaJuda ayekhuluma ngayo engincenga ngiseJerusalema kanye lalapha, ememeza esithi kumele ife.+
25 Kodwa ngathola ukuthi ayenzanga lutho olwenza ifanele ukubulawa.+ Yikho yathi isidlulisele icala kuMbusi Omkhulu ngakhetha ukuyithumela kuye.
26 Lanxa kunjalo angilakho 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.”
