IZenzo 25

25 ¹Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezintathu uFestu efike esifundeni, wenyukela eJerusalema esuka eKhesariya. ²Khona lapho abapristi abakhulu nabaholi bamaJuda bethula icala labo ngokumelene noPawulu, bemncenga, ³becela umusa ngokumelene naye—ukuba abize uPawulu eze eJerusalema. Babehlela ukumqamekela ukuze bambulale endleleni. ⁴UFestu waphendula wathi uPawulu wayebanjelwe eKhesariya, nokuthi yena uqobo wayezohamba maduze. ⁵Wathi: “Ngakho-ke mabehle nami labo abanamandla phakathi kwenu bammangalele lo muntu, uma ekhona okubi kuye.”

⁶UFestu akazange ahlale nabo ngaphezu kwezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili noma eziyishumi, wase ehlela eKhesariya. Ngakusasa wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, wayala ukuba kulethwe uPawulu. ⁷Kwathi uPawulu efika, amaJuda avela eJerusalema amhaqa, eletha amacala amaningi anzima angakwazi ukuwafakazela. ⁸UPawulu waziphendulela wathi: “Angonanga lutho ngokumelene nomthetho wamaJuda, nethempeli, noma uKhesari.”

⁹Kodwa uFestu, efuna ukujabulisa amaJuda, wabuza uPawulu wathi: “Uyafuna yini ukwenyukela eJerusalema uyokwahlulelwa khona phambi kwami ngalawa macala?”

¹⁰UPawulu wathi: “Ngimi phambi kwenkundla kaKhesari, lapho okufanele ngahlulelwe khona. Angonanga lutho kumaJuda, njengoba nawe ngokwakho wazi kahle kakhulu. ¹¹Uma ngonile, ngenza okuthile okufanele ukufa, angiyikwenqaba ukufa. Kodwa uma amacala alaba bantu angibeka wona engenasisekelo, akekho ongangikhaphela kubo. Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari.”

¹²Esebonisene nomkhandlu wakhe, uFestu waphendula wathi: “Udlulisele icala kuKhesari; uzakuya kuKhesari.”

¹³Emva kwezinsuku ezithile, inkosi u-Agripha noBhernike bafika eKhesariya babingelela uFestu. ¹⁴Njengoba babechitha izinsuku eziningi khona, uFestu wethula icala likaPawulu enkosini wathi: “UFeliksi washiya indoda lapha iyisiboshwa. ¹⁵Ngesikhathi ngiseJerusalema, abapristi abakhulu namalunga amaJuda bammangalela, becela kimi ukuba agwetshwe. ¹⁶Ngabatshela ukuthi akusona isiko lamaRoma ukunikela umuntu ngaphambi kokuba lowo omangalelwe abhekane nabammangalelayo ubuso nobuso, athole ithuba lokuziphendulela ngecala. ¹⁷Ngakho-ke lapho bebuthene lapha, angizange ngilibale—ngakusasa ngahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, ngayala ukuba kulethwe le ndoda. ¹⁸Lapho abammangalelayo sebesukuma, abazange baveze namunye wamacala obugebengu engangiwalindele. ¹⁹Kunalokho, babenezimpikiswano ezithile naye ngenkolo yabo siqu nangendoda efile egama layo linguJesu, uPawulu ayelokhu eqinisekisa ukuthi iyaphila. ²⁰Ngingaqiniseki ukuthi ngingakuphenya kanjani lokhu, ngabuza ukuthi uyavuma yini ukuya eJerusalema ayokwahlulelwa khona ngalawa macala. ²¹Kodwa njengoba uPawulu adlulisela icala ukuba abanjwe alinde isinqumo soMbusi, ngayala ukuba abanjwe kuze kube yilapho ngingamthumela kuKhesari.”

²²U-Agripha wathi kuFestu: “Nami ngingathanda ukumuzwa lo muntu.” UFestu wathi: “Kusasa uzakumuzwa.”

UPawulu Uma Phambi Kuka-Agripha NoBhernike

²³Ngakusasa u-Agripha noBhernike bafika ngobukhazikhazi obukhulu bangena ehholo kanye nezinduna zempi namadoda adumile omuzi. Ngokuyala kukaFestu, uPawulu walethwa. ²⁴UFestu wathi: “Nkosi Agripha, nani nonke enikhona lapha nathi—niyayibona le ndoda. Isizwe sonke samaJuda sangincenga ngayo, kokubili eJerusalema nalapha, sikhamuluka sithi akufanele iphile futhi. ²⁵Kodwa ngingatholi lutho olufanele ukufa, futhi njengoba yena uqobo adlulisela icala kuMbusi, nganquma ukumthumela. ²⁶Anginalutho oluqinisekile engingalubhalela inkosi yami ngaye, ngakho ngimlethe phambi kwenu nonke, ikakhulukazi phambi kwakho, Nkosi Agripha, ukuze emva kwalolu phenyo ngibe nokuthile engingakubhala. ²⁷Ngokuba kubonakala kungenangqondo kimi ukuthumela isiboshwa ngingaveze amacala abekwa wona.”