IzEnzo 24:1-27
24 Ezinsukwini ezinhlanu kamuva umpristi ophakeme u-Ananiyase+ wehla namanye amadoda amadala nesikhulumi saseningini, uTertulu othile, banika umbusi+ ukwaziswa+ okumelene noPawulu.
2 Lapho ebizwa, uTertulu wammangalela, ethi:
“Njengoba sijabulela ukuthula okukhulu+ ngenxa yakho futhi kwenzeka izinguquko kulesi sizwe ngenxa yokucabanga kwakho kusengaphambili,
3 sikwamukela ngokubonga okukhulu kakhulu lokho ngazo zonke izikhathi nakuzo zonke izindawo, Mhlonishwa+ Feliksi.
4 Kodwa ukuze ngingakulibazisi ngokuqhubekayo, ngiyakuncenga ukuba usizwe kafushane ngomusa wakho.
5 Ngoba sithole le ndoda ingumuntu owuhlupho+ nobhebhezela ukuvukela umbuso+ phakathi kwawo wonke amaJuda emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe futhi ingumholi wehlelo lamaNazaretha,+
6 ingumuntu owazama nokungcolisa ithempeli,+ sambamba.
7 ——
8 Ungaphenya uzitholele wena ngokwakho kuye zonke lezi zinto esimmangalela ngazo.”
9 Khona manjalo amaJuda nawo ahlanganyela kulokhu kuhlasela, egomela ngokuthi lezi zinto zinjalo.
10 UPawulu, lapho umbusi emkhomba ngekhanda ukuba akhulume, waphendula:
“Njengoba ngazi kahle ukuthi lesi sizwe besinawe njengomahluleli iminyaka eminingi, ngizikhuluma ngokunganqikazi izinto ezimayelana nami ngiziphendulela,+
11 njengoba usesimweni sokuthola ukuthi akukabi izinsuku ezingaphezu kweshumi nambili kusukela ngakhuphukela eJerusalema ngiyokhulekela;+
12 futhi abangitholanga ethempelini+ ngiphikisana nomuntu noma ngibangela ukuba kubuthane isixuku,+ kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kusemasinagogeni noma kuwo wonke umuzi.
13 Futhi abanakuzifakazela+ kuwe izinto abangimangalela ngazo njengamanje.
14 Kodwa ngiyavuma kuwe ukuthi, ngokwendlela abayibiza ngokuthi ‘ihlelo,’ ngale ndlela nginikela inkonzo engcwele kuNkulunkulu wokhokho bami,+ njengoba ngikholwa yizo zonke izinto ezibekwe eMthethweni+ nezilotshwe kubaProfethi;
15 futhi nginethemba+ kuNkulunkulu, okuyithemba nalaba bantu ngokwabo abanalo, lokuthi kuyoba khona uvuko+ lwabalungile+ nabangalungile.+
16 Ngempela, ngiziqeqesha njalo mayelana nalokhu ukuba ngiqaphele ukuba ngingenzi+ cala kuNkulunkulu nakubantu.
17 Ngakho ngemva kweminyaka eminingana impela ngafika ngizoletha izipho zesihe neminikelo+ esizweni sakithi.
18 Lapho ngisenza lezi zinto bangithola ngihlanzekile ngokwesiko ethempelini,+ kodwa kungekho sixuku kanye nami noma ukuxokozela. Kodwa kwakukhona amaJuda athile ayevela esifundeni sase-Asiya,
19 okufanele abe khona phambi kwakho futhi angimangalele uma kungenzeka ukuthi anokuthile okubi ngami.+
20 Noma, wona la madoda akhona lapha mawasho wona ngokwawo ukuthi bubi buni abuthola lapho ngimi phambi kweSanhedrini,
21 ngaphandle kwaleli zwi elilodwa engamemeza ngalisho lapho ngimi phakathi kwawo, ‘Ngahlulelwa namuhla phambi kwenu ngenxa yovuko lwabafileyo!’”+
22 Nokho, uFeliksi,+ azi kahle impela ngezindaba eziphathelene nale Ndlela,+ wawaxosha la madoda wathi: “Noma nini lapho uLisiya+ umkhuzi wamabutho ehla, ngizonquma ngalezi zindaba ezinithintayo.”
23 Wayala isikhulu samabutho ukuba lo muntu agcinwe futhi anikezwe nenkululeko ethile, nokuba singenqabeli muntu kwabakubo ukuba amkhonze.+
24 Ezinsukwini ezithile kamuva uFeliksi+ wafika noDrusila umkakhe, owayengumJudakazi,+ wathumela ukuba kulandwe uPawulu futhi wamlalela ngokuphathelene nokukholwa kuKristu Jesu.+
25 Kodwa njengoba ayekhuluma ngokuqondene nokulunga+ nokuzithiba+ nokwahlulela+ okuzayo, uFeliksi wethuka, waphendula: “Okwamanje hamba, kodwa lapho ngithola ithuba ngizothumela ukuba ubizwe futhi.”
26 Nokho, ngesikhathi esifanayo wayenethemba lokuthi uPawulu uzomnika imali.+ Ngenxa yalokho wayethumela kaningi ukuba alandwe axoxe naye.+
27 Kodwa, lapho sekudlule iminyaka emibili, uFeliksi walandelwa uPorkiyu Festu; ngenxa yokuthi uFeliksi wayefisa ukuthandwa+ ngamaJuda, washiya uPawulu eboshiwe.
