IZenzo 26

26 ¹U-Agripha wathi kuPawulu: “Ungazikhulumela.” Khona-ke uPawulu welula isandla sakhe waqala ukuzivikela.

²Nkosi Agripha, ngizibona nginenhlanhla ukuzivikela phambi kwakho namuhla kuzo zonke izinsolo zamaJuda, ³ikakhulukazi njengoba uwazi kahle wonke amasiko nezingxabano zamaJuda, ngakho ngiyakucela ukuba ungilalele ngesineke.

⁴Wonke amaJuda ayakwazi ukuphila kwami kusukela ebusheni bami, engakuchitha kwasekuqaleni phakathi kwesizwe sakithi naseJerusalema. ⁵Sebengazi kudala, futhi uma bevuma ukufakaza, ukuthi ngokwehlelo eliqine kakhulu lenkolo yethu ngaphila ngingumFarisi. ⁶Manje-ke ngimi ngithethwa icala ngenxa yethemba esethembisweni uBaba wethu asenza kobaba bethu. ⁷Izizwe zethu eziyishumi nambili zithemba ukufinyelela kulesi sithembiso, zimkhonza ngokushiseka ubusuku nemini. Ngenxa yaleli themba, nkosi, ngibekwa icala ngamaJuda. ⁸Kungani kubonwa kuyinto engakholeki kini ukuthi uBaba wethu uyabavusa abafileyo?

⁹Mina ngokwami ngangicabanga ukuthi kumele ngenze izinto eziningi ezimelene negama likaJesu waseNazaretha. ¹⁰Yilokho engakwenza eJerusalema: ngegunya elivela kubapristi abakhulu, ngavalela abaningi babangcwele etilongweni, futhi ngavuma lapho bebulawa. ¹¹Emasinagogeni onke ngavame ukubajezisa, ngizama ukubacindezela ukuba bamhlambalaze uNkulunkulu; ngibathukuthelele kakhulu, ngabazingela ngisho nasemadolobheni angaphandle.

¹²Kolunye lwalolo hambo ngaya eDamaseku nginegunya nomyalo ovela kubapristi abakhulu. ¹³Emini enkulu, we nkosi, ngabona endleleni ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini, okukhanya kunelanga, kuvutha kungizungeza mina nalabo engangihamba nabo.

¹⁴Sawa phansi sonke, ngezwa izwi likhuluma kimi ngesiHeberu, lithi: ‘Sawuli, Sawuli, ungishushiselani? Kunzima kuwe ukukhahlela izinkandi.’ ^a a v14 “Ukukhahlela izinkandi” kwakuyisisho esivamile ngenkabi enenkani elwa nenkandi yomlimi—ukumelana kulimaza wena uqobo.

¹⁵Ngabuza: ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ INkosi yathi: ‘NginguJesu, lowo omshushisayo.’

¹⁶‘Kodwa sukuma, ume ngezinyawo zakho—ngibonakele kuwe ngenxa yalesi sizathu: ukukumisa ube yinceku nofakazi, kokubili walokho osukubonile ngami nalokho engisazokubonakalisa kuwe, ¹⁷ngikukhulula esizweni sakho nakubezizwe—engikuthuma kubo, ¹⁸ukuvula amehlo abo, ukuze baphenduke ebumnyameni baye ekukhanyeni, basuke emandleni kaSathane baye kuBaba wethu, bamukele ukuthethelelwa kwezono nendawo phakathi kwalabo abenziwa babangcwele ngokukholwa kimi.’

¹⁹Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Agripha, angibanga ongalaleli umbono wasezulwini, ²⁰kodwa ngashumayela kuqala kulabo abaseDamaseku, ngase ngishumayela eJerusalema nakuso sonke isifunda saseJudiya, nakubezizwe futhi, ukuba baphenduke babuyele kuBaba wethu, benze izenzo ezihambisana nokuphenduka kwabo. ²¹Ngenxa yalokhu amaJuda angibamba ethempelini azama ukungibulala. ²²Ngosizo oluvela kuBaba wethu, ngimi kuze kube namuhla ngifakaza kubo bobabili abancane nabakhulu, ngingasho lutho ngaphandle kwalokho abaprofethi noMose abathi kuyokwenzeka: ²³ukuthi uKhristu kumele ahlupheke, futhi, engowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, amemezele ukukhanya kubo bobabili isizwe sakithi nabezizwe.

²⁴Kwathi uPawulu esazivikela, uFestu wamemeza wathi: “Pawulu, uyahlanya! Ukufunda kwakho okukhulu kuyakuhlanyisa.”

²⁵Kodwa uPawulu wathi: “Angihlanyi, Festu ohloniphekile kakhulu; ngikhuluma amazwi eqiniso nawokwahlulela okuhle. ²⁶Inkosi iyazazi lezi zinto—ngikhuluma kuyo ngokukhululeka. Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi akukho lutho kulokhu olungayifihlekelanga, ngokuba akwenziwanga engosini. ²⁷Nkosi Agripha, uyabakholwa yini abaprofethi? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.”

²⁸U-Agripha wathi: “Ngokushesha kangaka ungangincenga ukuba ngibe ngumKhristu na?”

²⁹UPawulu wathi: “Noma kungesikhathi esifushane noma eside, ngiyakhuleka kuBaba wethu ukuba kungabi nguwe wedwa kodwa bonke abangizwayo namuhla babe njengami—ngaphandle kwalawa maketanga.”

³⁰Khona-ke inkosi yasukuma, kanye nombusi noBhernike nalabo ababehlezi nabo.

³¹Besaphuma, batshelana bodwa bathi: “Lo muntu akafanelwe ukufa noma ukuboshwa.”

³²U-Agripha wathi kuFestu: “Lo muntu ubengakhululwa ukube ubengadluliselanga icala kuKhesari.”