UkuziThethelela kukaPawulos ngesiHebhere
Emi ezinyukweni zendlu yamajoni, uPawulos uyithulisa indimbane ngokuthetha isiHebhere aze abalise ibali lakhe: umFarisi oqeqeshwe ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli, umtshutshisi, owamfanyekiswa endleleni. Baphulaphula bade athi wathunyelwa kwiintlanga. Eneleliselwe ukuba akatswe, ukhankanya ukuzalelwa kwakhe engumRoma.
22 1“Bazalwana noobawo, phulaphulani ngoku ukuziThethelela kwam phambi kwenu.” 2Bathe bakuva ethetha kubo ngesiHebhere, bathi cwaka ngakumbi. Waza wathi:
3“NdingumYuda, ndizalelwe eTarso yelaseKilikiya, ndakhulela kwesi sixeko, ndaqeqeshwa ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli ngokomthetho ongqongqo woobawo bethu, ndinenzondelelo ngakuThixo njengani nonke namhlanje.
4Ndayitshutshisa le Ndlela ndayisa ekufeni, ndibopha, ndinikela entolongweni amadoda nabafazi, 5njengoko umbingeleli omkhulu nalo lonke ibandla lamadoda amakhulu angangqinelayo. Ndafumana kuwo iincwadi eziya kubazalwana baseDamasko, ndaya ukuze ndibazise abo bakhona bebanjiwe eYerusalem beze kohlwaywa.”
6“Ndandihamba ndisondela eDamasko malunga nemini enkulu, kwathi gqi ukukhanya okukhulu okuvela ezulwini kwandijikeleza.”
7Ndawa phantsi, ndeva izwi lisithi kum: “Sawule, Sawule, undizukuzela ntoni na?”
8Ndaphendula ndathi: “Ungubani na wena, Nkosi?” Waphendula wathi: “NdinguYesu waseNazarete, lo umtshutshisayo.”
9“Abo bebenam bakubona ukukhanya, kodwa abalivanga izwi lalowo wayethetha kum.”
10Ndathi: “Ndenze ntoni na, Nkosi?” Yaphendula iNkosi yathi: “Vuka uye eDamasko. Apho uya kuxelwa konke okumiselweyo ukuba ukwenze.”
11“Ekubeni ndimfanyekiswe kukuqaqamba kwaloo kukhanya, bandibamba ngesandla abo bebenam, bandizisa eDamasko.”
12“Umntu ogama linguAnaniya, ozinikeleyo ngokomthetho, ongqinelwa ngamaYuda onke awayehleli khona, 13weza wema ngakum wathi: ‘Sawule, mzalwana, buya ubone.’ Ngelo lixa kanye ndaphakamisa amehlo ndambona.”
14“Wathi: ‘UThixo woobawo bethu ukumisele ukuba ulazi ukuthanda kwakhe, umbone oLungileyo, ulive izwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe; a a v14 “OLungileyo” sesinye sezibizo zeTestamente eNtsha kuYesu — lowo ungenasono awadibana naye uPawulos endleleni eya eDamasko. 15kuba uya kuba lingqina lakhe kuye wonke umntu ngezinto ozibonileyo nozivileyo. 16Ngoku ke, ulinda ntoni na? Vuka, ubhaptizwe, uzihlambe izono zakho, unqula igama lakhe.”
17“Kuthe ndakuba ndibuyele eYerusalem, ndithandaza etempileni, ndafikelwa sisiyezi,
18ndaza ndambona esithi kum: ‘Khawuleza uphume eYerusalem ngokukhawuleza, ngokuba abayi kwamkela ubungqina bakho ngam.’
19Ndathi: ‘Nkosi, bona ngokwabo bayazi ukuba ndandisuka kwindlu yesikhungu ndiye kwenye ndibakhonkxa, ndibabetha abo bakholwa kuwe. 20Kwakuphalazwa igazi lengqina lakho uStefano, ndandimi apho, ndikuvumela oko, ndigcina iingubo zabo bebembulala.’”
21“Wathi kum: ‘Hamba, kuba ndiya kukuthuma kude kweentlanga.’”
22Bamphulaphula wada wafika kuloo ndawo, baza baliphakamisa ilizwi labo, badanduluka besithi: “Mcime ehlabathini umntu onje! Akafanele ukuba aphile!”
23Kuthe ngoku bedanduluka, belahla iingubo zabo, bephosa uthuli emoyeni, 24umphathi-mkhosi wawisa umthetho wokuba angeniswe enqabeni yomkhosi, atyakatywe, ukuze afumaniseke isizathu sokuba bamdandulukele ngolu hlobo.
25Bathe bakumolula ukuze bambophe ngemitya, uPawulos wathi kumthetheli-khulu owayemi apho: “Kuvumelekile na kuwe ukuba utyakatye ummi waseRoma ongagwetywanga?”
26Akukuva oko umthetheli-khulu waya kumphathi-mkhosi wamxelela, wathi: “Uza kwenza ntoni na? Lo mntu ungummi waseRoma.”
27Waza umphathi-mkhosi weza wambuza: “Ndixelele, ungummi waseRoma na?” Wathi: “Ewe.”
28Umphathi-mkhosi wathi: “Ndahlawula imali eninzi ngobu bummi.” Kodwa uPawulos wathi: “Mna ndazalwa ndingummi.”
29Baza bemka kwaoko abo beza kumbuzisa; umphathi-mkhosi woyika, akubona ukuba ebembophe ummi waseRoma. 30Ngengomso, efuna ukwazi kakuhle isizathu sokuba amaYuda ammangalele, umphathi-mkhosi wamkhulula uPawulos, wawisa umthetho wokuba kuhlanganisane ababingeleli abakhulu nalo lonke ibandla, waza wamhlisa uPawulos, wammisa phambi kwabo.
