UPowula uzivikela phambi kwaka-Agripa
1U-Agripa wathi kuPowula: “Unalo ilungelo lokuzikhulumela.” UPowula waphakamisa isandla sakhe wathoma ukuzivikela wathi: 2“Kosi Agripa! Namhlanjesi ngizithatha njengomuntu onetjhudu bona ngibe nokuzivikela phambi kwakho ngazo zoke izinto amaJuda angithwesa umlandu ngazo, 3khulukhulu ngombana wazi woke amasiko wamaJuda neempikiswano zawo. Yeke ngiyakubawa, bona ungilalele ngesineke.
4“Woke amaJuda ayayazi ipilwami kusukela ngisemncani; iye, ipilo engayiphila kusukela ekuthomeni hlangana nabantu bekhethu nangeJerusalema. 5Sekusikhathi eside bangazi begodu nabafuna ukufakaza bangatjho bona bengiphila njengelunga lesiqhema esiqinileko ekolweni yekhethu, ngiphila njengomFarisi. 6Alo-ke manjesi ngijame lapha bona ngigwetjwe ngebanga lethemba lesithembiso uZimu asenza kibokhokho; 7iye, isithembiso izizwe zekhethu ezilitjhumi nambili ebezithemba ukusifikelela, njengombana zilotjha imini nobusuku. Kungalo ithembeli, wena ohloniphekileko, ngimangalelwe maJuda! 8Alo, kubangelwa yini bona nanyana ngubani wenu afunyane kulikhuni ukukholwa ukuthi uZimu uyabavusa abafileko na?
9“Nami ngokwami ngikholisekile bona bekufanele ngenze okunengi okuphambene nebizo lakaJesu weNazaretha. 10Kwakhona ngikho lokho engakwenza eJerusalema. Ngemvumo engayamukela ivela ebaphristini abakhulu ngaphosela abacwengileko abanengi ngesikhungweni. Kwathi nalokha agwetjwa intambo, nami ngakusekela lokho. 11Ngeenkhathi ezinengi ngibahlunguphazele ngemasinagogini, ngilinga ukubakatelela bona bahlambalaze. Bengifutheke khulu ngabo kangangobana bengibalandelela nakwamanye amadorobho wabatjhili.
12“Ngiso isizathweso esangenza bona ngiye eDamaseku ngegunya elivela ebaphristini abakhulu. 13Kwathi emini ekulu ngisesendleleni, wena ohloniphekileko, ngabona umkhanyo omkhulu kunelanga uphazima, wangizombeleza nalabo ebengikhamba nabo. 14Soke sawela phasi, ngezwa ilizwi lisithi kimi ngesiHebheru, ‘Sawula, Sawula, ungizumelani na? Kunzima kuwe ukurarha itlobo yesitlhorholojakomo.’ 15Ngabuza ngathi: ‘Ungubani, wena Kosi na?’ IKosi yathi: ‘NginguJesu, ozumana naye. 16Nje-ke, sikima ujame ngeenyawo zakho. Ngibonakele kuwe ngebanga lokobana ngizokukhetha ube sisebenzi nofakazi ngezinto ozibonileko ngami nangalokho engizakutjengisa khona. 17Ngizokuphephisa ebantwini bekhenu nakwabatjhili engikuthumela kibo 18bona uvule amehlwabo khona bazakusuka ebumnyameni beze ekukhanyeni; basuke emandleni kaSathana beze kuZimu ukuze bamukele ukulitjalelwa kwezono, babe nesabelo phakathi kwabacwengisiweko ngokukholwa.’
19“Ngalokho, kosi Agripa, akhange ngibe lihlongandlebe ngombono ovela ezulwini. 20Kodwana ngathoma ukumemezela kabaseDamaseku, kwaba seJerusalema nakiyo inarha yeJudiya ngitjho nakwabatjhili bonyana baphenduke ezonweni babuyele kuZimu, benze imisebenzi ekhambisana nokuphenduka. 21Kungebangelo amaJuda angidzwebule ngethempelini alinge ukungibulala. 22Kodwana uZimu ungisize bekwaba kunamhlanjesi, kungakho ngijame lapha ngifakaza kabancani nakabakhulu. Angikhulumi okhunye ngaphandle kwalokho abaphorofidi noMosi abakutjhwileko bona kuzokwenzeka: 23UKrestu kufuze ahlupheke, nokuthi njengombana angewokuthoma ukuvuka kabafileko, uzakumemezela ukukhanya ebantwini bekhethu nakabatjhili.”
24Kuthe uPowula asazivikela njalo, uFestusi wamrhuwelela wathi: “Powula, uyahlanya na! Ukufunda khulu kuyakuhlanyisa!”
25UPowula waphendula wathi: “Angihlanyi, mhlonipheki Festusi, kodwana ngikhuluma iqiniso ngokuzizwisisa! 26Eqinisweni ikosi u-Agripa iyazi ngeendabezi, kiyo ngikhuluma ngesibindi, ngokwazi bonyana ayikho neyodwa yezintwezi engizizwako kiyo ngombana izintwezi akhange zenzeke emsithelweni. 27Kosi Agripa, uyabakholwa abaphorofidi na? Ngiyazi bona uyabakholwa!”
28U-Agripa wathi kuPowula: “Ucabanga bona msinyana kangaka ungangiphendula umKrestu na?” 29UPowula wamphendula wathi: “Namkha kumsinyana nanyana kungasinjalo, ngithandaza kuZimu bonyana kungabi nguwe wedwa, kodwana nabo boke abalaleleko namhlanje, sengathi bangaba ngilokhu engingikho, ngaphandle kweenketanezi!”
30Yeke ikosi yasikima nombusi noBherinike kanye nabo boke ebebahlezi nayo. 31Kuthe bona basuke lapho bathi komunye nomunye: “Umuntu lo akakenzi ilitho bona angabe abulawe namkha afakwe ngesikhungweni.” 32Nje-ke u-Agripa wathi kuFestusi: “Umuntu lo ngawuthukululwe ingathana umlandwakhe akhange awudlulisele kumbusi omkhulu.”
