UPawulos Phambi Kwentlanganiso Yamatyala
Embethwe emlonyeni kuvavanyo lwakhe, uPawulos wahlula intlanganiso yamatyala ngokukhankanya ukuvuka kwabafileyo, baza abaFarisi nabaSadusi bachasana. Ngobo busuku uYesu umxelela ukuba uya kungqina eRoma. Amadoda angamashumi mane afunga ukumbulala; unyana wodade wabo omncinane uyabaphulaphula, aza amajoni amkhuphe ebumnyameni.
23 1UPawulos wayiqwalasela ngokungqala intlanganiso yamatyala, wathi: “Bazalwana, ndiyiphilile imihla yam phambi koBawo wethu ngesazela esihle sonke kude kube namhla.”
2Umbingeleli omkhulu uAnaniya wabawisela umthetho abo babemi ngakuye ukuba bambethe uPawulos emlonyeni.
3Wathi uPawulos kuye: “UBawo wethu uya kukubetha, wena donga liqatywe umculu omhlophe! Uhleli apho usithi uya kundigweba ngomthetho, kanti uyawaphula umthetho ngokuwisela umthetho wokuba ndibethwe?”
4Abo babemi ngakufuphi bathi: “Ulinganisa ukumngcikiva na umbingeleli omkhulu kaBawo wethu?”
5Wathi uPawulos: “Bazalwana, bendingazi ukuba ngumbingeleli omkhulu; kuba isibhalo sithi, ‘Uze ungathethi kakubi ngesikhulu sabantu bakowenu.’”
6UPawulos, esazi ukuba abanye babengabaSadusi, abanye bengabaFarisi, wadanduluka entlanganisweni yamatyala, wathi: “Bazalwana, ndingumFarisi mna, unyana wabaFarisi. Ndimangalelwa ngenxa yethemba nokuvuka kwabafileyo!”
7Akuba etshilo, kwavela impikiswano phakathi kwabaFarisi nabaSadusi, laza iqela labantu lahlukana. 8Kuba abaSadusi bathi akukho kuvuka kwabafileyo, kungekho nasithunywa sezulu nokuba ngumoya, kodwa abaFarisi bayazivuma zonke ezo zinto. 9Kwavela ingxokolo enkulu. Abanye ababhali bakubaFarisi basuka bema baphikisana kabukhali: “Asifumani nto imbi kulo mntu. Kuthekani ukuba kukho umoya nokuba sisithunywa sezulu esithethileyo kuye?” 10Yakubon’ ukuba impikiswano iya isiba lukhulu, umthetheli-mkhosi, esoyika ukuba uPawulos angakhahlulwa ngabo, wawisela umthetho amasoldati ukuba ehle, amthabathe phakathi kwabo, amse enqabeni yamasoldati.
11Ngobusuku obulandelayo yema ngakuye iNkosi uYesu, yathi: “Yomelela! Njengokuba undingqinile eYerusalem, ngokunjalo umelwe kukungqina naseRoma.”
Iyelenqe Lokubulala UPawulos
12Kwakusa, amaYuda enza iyelenqe, afunga esithi akayi kudla nokusela ade ambulale uPawulos. 13Ayengaphezu kwamashumi amane amadoda abehlanganyele kweli yelenqe. 14Aya kubabingeleli abakhulu namadoda amakhulu, athi: “Sizibophelele ngesifungo esiqatha ukuba singangcamli nto side simbulale uPawulos. 15Ngoko ke, nina nentlanganiso yamatyala, celani kumthetheli-mkhosi ukuba amhlisele kuni, ngokungathi niza kucokisa ngetyala lakhe. Thina silungele ukumbulala engekafiki.”
16Kodwa unyana wodade boPawulos, akuluva udaba lokulalelwa, waya wangena enqabeni yamasoldati, wamxelela uPawulos. 17UPawulos wabiza omnye wabathetheli-bekhulu, wathi: “Mse lo mfana kumthetheli-mkhosi, kuba unento aya kumxelela yona.”
18Wamthabatha ke, wamsa kumthetheli-mkhosi, wathi: “Ibanjwa uPawulos undibizile, wandicela ukuba ndikuzisele lo mfana; kuba unento aya kukuxelela yona.”
19Umthetheli-mkhosi wambamba ngesandla, wamsa bucala, wathi: “Yintoni le unento yokundixelela yona?”
20Wathi: “AmaYuda avumelene ukuba akucela ukuba umhlisele uPawulos entlanganisweni yamatyala ngomso, ngokungathi afuna ukubuza ngokucokisekileyo ngaye. 21Uze ungawaphulaphuli—kuba angaphezu kwamashumi amane amadoda awo amlalele. Azibophelele ngesifungo ukuba akayi kudla nokusela ade ambulale, yaye ngoku alungile, elindele imvume yakho.”
22Umthetheli-mkhosi wamndulula umfana, emwisele umthetho othi: “Uze ungaxeleli bani ukuba uluxelile olu daba kum.”
UBawo Wethu Umkhusela Ingqina Lakhe
23Wandula ukubiza abathetheli-bekhulu ababini, wathi: “Lungiselani amakhulu amabini amasoldati ukuba aye eKesareya, nabamahashe abangamashumi asixhenxe, namakhulu amabini abaphethe iinkwankqa, ngelixa lesithoba ngobu busuku.” 24Wabaxelela ukuba balungiselele uPawulos amahashe okukhwela, ukuze bamse ngoxolo kwirhuluneli uFelikisi. 25Wabhala incwadi ethi:
26“UKlawudiyo Lisiya, kuye ozukileyo irhuluneli uFelikisi: Ndiyabulisa.
27Lo mntu wabanjwa ngamaYuda, aza azimisela ukumbulala, ndaza mna ndafika nomkhosi wam, ndamhlangula, ndakuba ndivile ukuba ungumRoma. 28Ndithe, ndifuna ukwazi ityala ababemmangalela ngalo, ndamhlisela entlanganisweni yabo yamatyala. 29Ndamfumana emmangalelwe ngemibuzo yomthetho wabo, engenatyala elifanelwe kukufa nokuba yintolongo. 30Ndakuxelelwa ngeyelenqe elenzelwa lo mntu, ndamthumela kuwe kwaoko, ndasuka ndabawisela nabamtyholayo umthetho ukuba balibeke ityala labo ngaye phambi kwakho.”
31Ngoko amasoldati, esenza ngokomthetho awawuwiselweyo, amthabatha uPawulos, amsa ebusuku eAntipatri. 32Ngengomso ayeka abamahashe ukuba bahambe naye, bona babuyela enqabeni yamasoldati. 33Abamahashe bafika eKesareya, bayinika incwadi kwirhuluneli, bamnikela noPawulos kuyo. 34Yakuba iyifundile, irhuluneli yabuza ukuba ungowaliphi na iphondo, yaza yeva ukuba ungowaseKilikiya, 35“Ndiya kukuva,” yatsho, “bakufika abakutyholayo.” Yawisela umthetho wokuba agcinwe phantsi kolinzelo endlwini yobukumkani kaHerode.
