Ukumangalelwa phambi koFelikse
Isithethi esiqeshiweyo sibiza uPawulos ngokuba sisibetho nenkokeli yehlelo. UPawulos uphendula ngelithi akukho bani unako ukungqina nto, nokuba enyanisweni uxoxelwa ukuvuka kwabafileyo. UFelikse uyalibazisa, athi akoyike xa intetho ijika isinga emgwebeni, amgcine iminyaka emibini elindele unyobo.
24 1Emva kweemini ezintlanu, wehla umbingeleli omkhulu uAnaniya namanye amadoda amakhulu, nomphicothi-mthetho othile, uTertulo, baza bammangalela uPawulos phambi kwerhuluneli. 2Wathi uPawulos akubizwa, uTertulo waqala ukummangalela, wathi: “Ngenxa yakho sixhamla uxolo olukhulu, kwaza kweza nolungiso kwesi sizwe ngenxa yokuqiqa kwakho, 3siyakuvuma oku ngandlela zonke nasezindaweni zonke, wena Felikse ohloniphekileyo, ngombulelo wonke. 4Kodwa ukuze ndingakubambezeli ngokugqithiseleyo, ndiyakucela ukuba usive ngesisa, ngamazwi ambalwa. 5Siye safumanisa ukuba le ndoda isisibetho, ivusa iziphithiphithi phakathi kwamaYuda onke ehlabathini liphela, ineyinkokeli yehlelo lamaNazarete. 6Uye wazama nokungcolisa itempile, saza ke samthi hlasi. a a v6 Oyena mibhalo-ngqangi ayinavesi ye-7 apha; iikopi zamva zongeza: “Kodwa weza umphathi uLisiya, waza ngamandla amakhulu wamhlutha ezandleni zethu,” 8Ngokumphengulula ngokwakho, unako ukufumanisa zonke ezi zinto simmangalela ngazo.”
9AmaYuda nawo azibandakanya nalo uhlaselo, egomela ukuba zinjalo ezi zinto.
10Irhuluneli yamqhwebela ukuba athethe. Waphendula uPawulos wathi: “Ekwazini ukuba uwagwebe esi sizwe iminyaka emininzi, ndizithethelela ngovuyo. 11Unako ukuqinisekisa ukuba azigqithanga kwiintsuku ezilishumi elinazibini ukususela oko ndanyuka ndisiya kunqula eYerusalem. 12Bandifumana ndingaphikisani namntu, ndingavusi sihlwele—nasetempileni, nakwizindlu zesikhungu, nakunaphi na esixekweni. 13Bengenako ukukungqinela ezi zinto bandimangalela ngazo ngoku. 14Kodwa ndiyakuvuma kuwe: ndilandela iNdlela—abathi yihlelo—ndinqula uThixo woobawo bethu, ndikholwa yiyo yonke evumelana noMthetho nebhaliweyo kubaProfeti, 15ndinethemba kuBawo wethu— nala madoda analo kwalona—lokuba amalungisa namagwenxa aya kuvuka ngokufanayo. 16Ngenxa yoko ndizama ngamaxesha onke ukugcina isazela sam singenakumbi phambi koBawo wethu naphambi kwabantu. 17Emva kweminyaka eliqela ndeza ndiphethe izipho zokuphathana amahlwempu ohlanga lwakowethu, neminikelo. 18Ndakuba kuloo nto, bandifumana ndihlanjululiwe etempileni—kungekho sihlwele, kungekho sidubedube. 19Amanye amaYuda avela kwelaseAsiya ngamawabe akhona apha phambi kwakho eze kumangalela, ukuba anento ngam. 20Okanye mawatsho la madoda ngokwawo ukuba yintoni na enganalungisa abayifumanayo oko ndandimi phambi kwentlanganiso yamatyala, 21ngaphandle kwale nto inye endayidandulukayo ndimi phakathi kwawo, ndathi: ‘Kungenxa yokuvuka kwabafileyo le nto ndixoxwa ityala phambi kwenu namhlanje.’”
22UFelikse, owayeyazi kakuhle iNdlela, walirhoxisa ityala, wathi: “Xa afika uLisiya umphathi, ndoyigweba intlontlo yakho.” 23Wamwisela umthetho umthetheli-wekhulu ukuba amgcine uPawulos, kodwa amvumele inkululeko ethile, angatsho athintele namnye kubahlobo bakhe ekumlungiseleleni.
24Emva kweemini ezithile, weza uFelikse nomkakhe uDrusila, owayengumYudakazi, wathumela ukuba kubizwe uPawulos, waza wamphulaphula ngokholo ngoKrestu Yesu. 25Wathi uPawulos akuxoxa ngobulungisa, nokuzeyisa, nomgwebo ozayo, woyika uFelikse, wathi: “Kwanele okwangoku; hamba. Xa ndifumene ithuba, ndoyikubiza.” 26Wayenethemba lokuba uPawulos uya kumnika imali, ngoko wayemana emthumela waza wathetha naye.
27Emva kweminyaka emibini, uPorkiyo Festo waba sesikhundleni sikaFelikse. Efuna ukukholisa amaYuda, uFelikse wamshiya uPawulos entolongweni.
