IZenzo 24

₁Emva kwezinsuku ezinhlanu, umphristi omkhulu, u-Ananiya, namanye amalunga, wehlela eKhesariya nommeli thizeni okuthiwa nguTherthulu; owachazela umbusi amacala abekwe wona uPawula. ₂Esebiziwe uPawula, uTherthulu waqala ukumbeka icala, ethi kuFelikisi: “Ngenxa yakho, selokhu waqala ukubusa, sesibe nokuthula isikhathi eside, futhi sekube nezinguquko ezinhle ozenzele lesi sizwe, ngenxa yobuhlakani bakho. ₃Felikisi oHlonipheke kakhulu, siyakwamukela lokhu ngokubonga ngezikhathi zonke nasezindaweni zonke. ₄Kepha angithandi ukukuchithela isikhathi, ngiyacela ukuba ngobumnene bakho usiphe indlebe nje okwethutshana.

₅“Le ndoda siyithole iluhlupho, iphehla udweshu kubaJuda kulo lonke izwe, ingumholi wehlelo lamaNazaretha, ₆futhi yazama ukungcolisa ithempeli; sayibopha, safuna ukuyehlulela ngomthetho wakithi. ₇Kepha kwafika uLisiya, induna yenkulungwane, wayithatha ngendluzula enkulu ezandleni zethu. ₈Wayala abayibeka icala ukuba beze kuwe, ukuze uyiphenye ngemibuzo wena uqobo, uzwe konke esiyimangalela ngakho.”

₉NabaJuda bakuvuma lokho, bathi kunjalo.

₁₀Umbusi wavuma ngokunqekuzisa ikhanda ukuba uPawula akhulume, waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminingi ungumehluleli kulesi sizwe, ngiyathokoza ukuziphendulela ngalezi zinto, ₁₁njengalokhu nawe uzitholela ukuthi akukapheli nezinsuku ezili-12 ngikhuphukele eJerusalema ukuyokhuleka. ₁₂Abangificanga ngixoxa namuntu ethempelini, noma ngimi ngidala isiphithiphithi esixukwini, emasinagogeni, noma emzini wonke. ₁₃Futhi abanakubeka bufakazi kuwe ngalokhu abangibeka icala ngakho manje. ₁₄Kepha ngiyakuvuma lokhu kuwe ukuthi mayelana neNdlela abayibiza ngokuthi wukuduka, ngikhonza kanjalo uNkulunkulu wokhokho, futhi ngiyakholwa yikho konke okulotshwe emthethweni nakubaphrofethi; ₁₅nginethemba kuNkulunkulu abalibhekile nabo uqobo lokuthi kuyakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile. ₁₆Ngakho-ke nami ngiyazama ukuba njalo ngihlale nginonembeza omsulwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu.

₁₇“Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminingi, ngabuyela esizweni sakithi, ngilethe izipho neminikelo, ₁₈okuthe ngisenza lokho, bangifica ethempelini ngihlanjululiwe, kungekho sixuku nasiphithiphithi. ₁₉Kepha abaJuda abathile base-Asiya yibo okufanele ngabe bakhona ukuze bangimangalele, uma benodaba oluthile olumelene nami. ₂₀Noma-ke mabasho laba ukuthi cala lini abalithola mhla ngimi phambi komkhandlu, ₂₁ngaphandle kwalokho okukodwa zwi engakumemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo, kokuthi: ‘Mina ngehlulelwa yinina namuhla ngokuvuka kwabafileyo.’ ” ₂₂Kepha uFelikisi ekwazi kahle okuqondene naleyo Ndlela, wakuguqisa ukuqulwa kwecala, ethi: “Kuyakuthi uma sekufike uLisiya, induna yenkulungwane, bese nginquma ngodaba lwenu.”

₂₃Wajuba induna yekhulu ukuba imgcine uPawula, kodwa imnike inkululeko, futhi inganqabeli muntu wakubo ukuzomsiza.

₂₄Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezithile, wafika uFelikisi noDrusila, umkakhe, owayengumJuda; wambiza uPawula, ukuze amlalele ekhuluma ngokukholwa kuKhristu uJesu. ₂₅Kuthe esakhuluma ngokulunga, ngokuzithiba, nangokwehlulela okuzayo, uFelikisi washaywa luvalo, wayesephendula ethi: “Okwamanje hamba, kodwa uma ngithola ithuba, ngizokubiza.”

₂₆Wayenethemba futhi lokuthi uPawula uzakumnika imali, ngalokho-ke wayelokhu ethumela embiza, akhulume naye.

₂₇Kepha sekuphele iminyaka emibili, isikhundla sikaFelikisi sathathwa nguPhorkiyu Festu, kodwa yena efuna ukuthokozisa abaJuda wamshiya uPawula eboshiwe ejele.