UPawulu Phambi KoMkhandlu
Eshaywe ngempama ekuqulweni kwecala lakhe, uPawulu uhlukanisa umkhandlu ngokubiza uvuko, futhi abaFarisi nabaSadusi bayaphendukelana. Ngalobo busuku uJesu umtshela ukuthi uzofakaza eRoma. Amadoda angamashumi amane afunga ukumbulala; umshana wakhe osemncane uyezwa, futhi amasosha amkhipha ebumnyameni.
23 1UPawulu wawugqolozela umkhandlu wathi: “Bazalwane, ngiphile ukuphila kwami phambi kukaBaba wethu ngonembeza omuhle ngokupheleleyo kuze kube namuhla.”
2Umpristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wayala labo ababemi eduze naye ukuba bamshaye uPawulu emlonyeni.
3UPawulu wathi kuye: “UBaba wethu uzakukushaya, wena donga elicakwe ngomcako omhlophe! Uhlezi lapho ukuze ungahlulele ngomthetho, kodwa wephula umthetho ngokuyala ukuba ngishaywe?”
4Labo ababemi eduze bathi: “Ulokotha uthuke umpristi omkhulu kaBaba wethu na?”
5UPawulu wathi: “Bazalwane, bengingazi ukuthi ungumpristi omkhulu; ngokuba umBhalo uthi, ‘Ungakhulumi kabi ngombusi wabantu bakho.’”
6UPawulu, azi ukuthi abanye babengabaSadusi, abanye bengabaFarisi, wamemeza emkhandlwini wathi: “Bazalwane, ngingumFarisi, indodana yabaFarisi. Ngimangalelwe ngenxa yethemba nokuvuka kwabafileyo!”
7Esesho lokhu, kwavela ukuphikisana phakathi kwabaFarisi nabaSadusi, umhlangano wahlukana phakathi. 8Ngokuba abaSadusi bathi akukho kuvuka kwabafileyo, futhi ayikho ingelosi nomoya, kodwa abaFarisi bayakuvuma konke lokhu. 9Kwavela uxokozelo olukhulu. Ababhali abathile abangakubaFarisi basukuma baphikisa ngamandla bathi: “Asitholi lutho olubi kulo muntu. Kuthiwani uma umoya noma ingelosi ikhulume naye?” 10Njengoba ukuphikisana kwakhula kwaba lukhulu, umlawuli, esaba ukuthi uPawulu uzakudatshulwa yibo, wayala amabutho ukuba ehle, amhlwithe phakathi kwabo, amngenise enqabeni.
11Ngobusuku obulandelayo iNkosi yethu uJesu yema eceleni kwakhe yathi: “Yiba nesibindi! Njengoba ufakazile ngami eJerusalema, kanjalo umelwe ukufakaza naseRoma.”
Uzungu Lokubulala uPawulu
12Kuthe ekuseni amaJuda enza uzungu afunga ukuthi ngeke adle noma aphuze kuze kube abulele uPawulu. 13Babengaphezu kwamashumi amane ababehlanganyele kulolu zungu. 14Baya kubapristi abakhulu namalunga bathi: “Sizibophe ngesifungo esiqinileyo ukuba singanambithi lutho kuze sibulale uPawulu. 15Ngakho-ke, nina kanye nomkhandlu, celani umlawuli ukuba amehlisele kini, ngokungathi nizohlola icala lakhe ngokucophelela. Thina sesilungele ukumbulala engakafiki.”
16Kodwa indodana kadadewabo kaPawulu, izwa ngalolu zungu lokuqamekela, yahamba yangena enqabeni yatshela uPawulu. 17UPawulu wabiza omunye wezinduna zekhulu wathi: “Yisa le nsizwa kumlawuli—inento efuna ukuyibika.”
18Ngakho wamyisa kumlawuli wathi: “Isiboshwa uPawulu singibizile sangicela ukuba ngilethe le nsizwa kuwe; inento efuna ukukutshela yona.”
19Umlawuli wayibamba isandla, wayisusela eceleni bebodwa, wabuza: “Yini ofuna ukungitshela yona?”
20Yathi: “AmaJuda avumelene ukukucela ukuba wehlisele uPawulu emkhandlwini kusasa, enza sengathi afuna ukubuza ngaye ngokucophelela. 21Ungabalaleli—amadoda abo angaphezu kwamashumi amane amqamekele. Azibophe ngesifungo ukuba angadli noma aphuze kuze ambulale, manje aselungele, alindele imvume yakho.”
22Umlawuli wayimukisa insizwa, eyiyala: “Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi ungazisile lokhu.”
UBaba Uvikela Ufakazi Wakhe
23Wabe esebiza izinduna zekhulu ezimbili wathi: “Lungiselani amabutho angamakhulu amabili aye eKhesariya, nabagibeli bamahhashi abangamashumi ayisikhombisa, nabaphethe imikhonto abangamakhulu amabili, ngehora lesishiyagalolunye kusihlwa.” 24Wabatshela ukuba balungise izilwane zokugibela zikaPawulu, bamfikise ngokuphepha kumbusi uFeliksi. 25Wabhala incwadi eyayifundeka kanje:
26“UKlawudiyu Lisiya, kumbusi oyinhlonipheka uFeliksi: Ngiyakubingelela.
27AmaJuda ambamba lo muntu ayesezambulala, ngafika namabutho ami ngamhlenga, sengizwile ukuthi uyisakhamuzi saseRoma. 28Ngifuna ukwazi icala ababelibeka kuye, ngamehlisela emkhandlwini wabo. 29Ngamfica emangalelwa ngemibuzo yomthetho wabo, engenacala elifanele ukufa noma ukuboshwa. 30Sengaziswe ngozungu olwaluhlelwa ngalo muntu, ngamthumela kuwe ngaso leso sikhathi, ngiyala nabammangalelayo ukuba balubeke kuwe udaba lwabo ngaye.”
31Ngakho amabutho, elandela imiyalo yawo, amthatha uPawulu amyisa ebusuku e-Antipatri. 32Ngakusasa ayeka abagibeli bamahhashi ukuba baqhubeke naye, wona abuyela enqabeni. 33Abagibeli bamahhashi bafika eKhesariya, banikela incwadi kumbusi, bamethula noPawulu kuye. 34Eseyifundile, umbusi wabuza ukuthi uvela kusiphi isifundazwe, wezwa ukuthi uvela eKhilikhiya, 35“Ngizakukuzwa,” kusho yena, “lapho abakumangalelayo sebefikile.” Wayala ukuba agcinwe eqashiwe esigodlweni sikaHerode.
