IZENZO ZABAPOSTOLI 24

₁Ngemva kwamalanga amahlanu umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiyasi wehla weza nabaphathi negqwetha uTertulusi, bafese bendlala indababo ngoPowula phambi kombusi uFeliksi. ₂Kuthe bona uPowula abizwe, uTertulusi wathoma ukumbeka icala wathi: “Sibe nokuthula isikhathi eside ngawe begodu ukuthuthuka kube kunengi esizwenesi ngebanga lokuhlakanipha kwakho. ₃Lokho-ke, Feliksi odumileko, sikwamukela ngeendlela zoke endaweni zoke begodu siyathokoza. ₄Angifuni ukuba siqedamlozi, yeke, ngibawa ngobuntu bakho ukhe usilalele kafitjhani. ₅Indoda le siyifumane imumuntu oyipehli nebanga ukuhlubuka phakathi kwamaJuda ephasini loke, begodu imrholi wesiqhema ekuthiwa maNazaretha. ₆Yalinga ngitjho nokusilaphaza ithempeli, nje-ke sayibopha. ₇Kodwana kwafika induna uLisiya yayidzwebula ngamandla ezandleni zethu, ₈yabe yayala bona beze nayo kuwe kobana nawe ngokwakho uzoyihlola ngalokho esiyimangalele ngakho.” ₉AmaJuda nawo akufakazela lokho ngokugandelela bona koke kunjalo.

₁₀Kwathi uPowula sele akhonjwe mbusi bona akhulume, waphendula wathi: “Ngebanga lokobana ngiyazi bona sekuminyaka eminengi umgwebi esizwenesi ngalokho ngiziphendulela ngithabile. ₁₁Njengombana nawe ungazibonela nje, akukapheli ngitjho amalanga alitjhumi nambili ngikhuphukele eJerusalema kobana ngiyokuthandaza. ₁₂Akhange bangifumane ngiphikisana namunye ngethempelini namkha ngidunga abantu ngesinagogini namkha kukuphi edorobheni. ₁₃Begodu angekhe bakulethela ubufakazi bezinto abangithwesa umlandu ngazo njenganje. ₁₄Kodwana nakhu engikuvumako kuwe kobana ngesaba uZimu wabokhokho bami ngokulandela iNdlela leyo abathi kuqhema, godu ngiyakholwa kizo zoke izinto ezitlolwe emthethweni neencwadini zabaphorofidi. ₁₅Nginalo ithemba kuZimu, iye, ithemba nabo abalamukelako lokobana kuzakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileko kwabo boke abalungileko nabangakalungi. ₁₆Yeke ngalinga ngamandlami woke bona ngibe nomkhumbulo otsengileko phambi koZimu nabantu.

₁₇“Nje-ke emva kweminyaka embalwa ngeza bona ngilethe izipho ebantwini bekhethu nokobana ngizokwenza imihlabelo. ₁₈Bengihlambulukile ngihlobile ngesikhathi bangifumana ngingetempeleni ngenza lokhu. Bekungekho isiqubuthu sabantu kimi kungekho nokuvungama. ₁₉Kodwana bekukhona amaJuda wesifundeni se-Asiya, wona-ke gade afanele abe khona azongithwesa umlandu phambi kwakho, nakube kukhona abanakho ngami. ₂₀Namkha bona laba, abakhulume bonyana ngiwuphi umlandu abawufumana kimi lokha nabe ngijame phambi kwesigungu sababarholi bamaJuda; ₂₁ngaphandle kwento eyodwa engiyitjhwileko nangijame phambi kwabo ngathi, ‘Namhlanje ngimangalelwe ngendaba yokuvuka kwabafileko.’ ”

₂₂Nje-ke uFeliksi owakhe watjelwa kuhle ngeNdlela le, waqeda ikulumo le ngokuphawula wathi: “Ngizakuba nequnto lendaba le lokha induna uLisiya nasele yehlile yafika.” ₂₃Wayala umphathimabutho bona amlonde ngesikhungweni, kodwana amvumele athukuluke angakhandeli nabangani bakhe bona bamnikele itjhejo alifunako.

₂₄Ngemva kwamalanga uFeliksi weza nomkakhe uDrusila obegade amJuda. Wabiza uPowula wamlalela lokha nakhuluma ngokukholwa kuKrestu Jesu. ₂₅UPowula asakhuluma ngokulunga, ukuzibamba nokuza kwelanga lokugwetjwa, uFeliksi wafikelwa kukwesaba wathi: “Okwanje ungakhamba, ngizakubiza godu nanginesikhathi.” ₂₆Khonapho bekanethemba bona uPowula uzamfumbathisa. Ngesizathwesi bekanande ambiza bona akhulume naye.

₂₇Sekudlule iminyaka emibili, uPorkiyusi Festusi wangena esikhundleni sakaFeliksi njengombusi. Ngebanga lokobana uFeliksi afuna ukuthabisa amaJuda, walisa uPowula ngesikhungweni.