UPowula udlulisela isigwebo kumbusi omkhulu
1Amalanga amathathu emva kobana uFestusi afike esifundeni, wakhuphuka asuka eKhesariya waya eJerusalema, 2lapha abaphristi abakhulu nabarholi bamaJuda bathwesa khona uPowula umlandu. Bancenga 3uFestusi ngokuzibawela umusa bona uPowula alethwe eJerusalema. Bakwenza lokho ngokujamelene noPowula ngombana bebanobukhwebetjhana bokumlalela endleleni bambulale. 4UFestusi wabaphendula ngokuthi uPowula sibotjhwa esilondwe eKhesariya, nokuthi msinyana nje yena ngokwakhe usophe ukuya lapho. 5Wathi: “Nje-ke, akuthi labo abanegunya phakathi kwenu behle nami, begodu nakube kukhona okuyisolo ngendoda leyo, abayithwese umlandu.”
6Sele ahlezi nabo amalanga abunane ukuya kalitjhumi, wabuyela eKhesariya. Ngelanga elilandelako wahlala esihlalweni sokugweba, wayala bona uPowula alethwe. 7Kwathi bona uPowula afike, amaJuda avela eJerusalema amzomba athoma ukumrhwayela ngemilandu ebudisi angeze aba nobufakazi ngayo. 8Kodwana uPowula wazivikela, wathi: “Angikenzi ilitho elimbi malungana nomthetho wamaJuda nethempeli namkha kumbusi omkhulu.”
9Kodwana uFestusi afuna ukuthabisa amaJuda, wabuza uPowula wathi: “Uzakuthanda ukukhuphukela eJerusalema bona uyokugwetjwa khona phambi kwami ngemilandu othweswe yona le na?”
10UPowula wathi: “Ngijame phambi kwebandla lombusi omkhulu, lapha kufuze ngigwetjwe khona. Angikenzi ilitho elimbi emaJudeni, njengombana nawe usazi kuhle. 11Nangabe ngonile ngenza okumbi okungabangela bona ngigwetjelwe ukufa, angizami ukuphepha ukufa; kodwana nangabe akunalitho emilandwini abangibeka yona, akakho ongangibuyisela kibo. Ngidlulisela umlandu kumbusi omkhulu.”
12Kuthe bona uFestusi avunge nabaluleki bakhe, waphendula wathi: “Udlulisele umlandu kumbusi omkhulu, yeke uzokuya kumbusi omkhulu.”
UPowula phambi ko-Agripa noBherinike
13Ngemva kwesikhathi ikosi u-Agripa noBherinike beza eKhesariya bazokwamukela uFestusi. 14Njengombana bebanamalangana bahlezi lapho, uFestusi wabendlalela indaba kaPowula, wathi: “Kukhona lapha umuntu owatjhiywa nguFeliksi asibotjhwa. 15Kwathi lokha ngiye eJerusalema, abaphristi abakhulu nabaphathi bamaJuda bamthwesa umlandu, bangibawa bona ngimbone umlandu. 16Kodwana ngabatjela bona akusiwo umkhuba wamaRoma ukubona umuntu umlandu angazange akhe abonane ubuso nobuso nabamangaleli bakhe, aphiwe nethuba lokuziphendulela ngomlandu abamthwese wona. 17Kuthe bona bahlangane lapha, akhange bengisariyada. Ngelanga elilandelako ngahlala endawenami yokugweba ngathi bamngenise. 18Abamthwesa umlandu nabasikimako, akhange bamthwese umlandu loyo ebengilindele bona bazamthwesa wona. 19Koke abakubekako kuphikisana naye ngokukholwa kwabo nangomuntu okuthiwa nguJesu, owafako, uPowula akhuluma ngaye bona uyaphila. 20Kuthe ngisararekile bona indaba le ngingayiphenyisisa njani, ngambuza bona angathanda ukuya eJerusalema kobana ayokugwetjwa lapho ngalokho athweswe khona na. 21Kodwana kuthe lokha uPowula abawa bona alondwe ngesikhungweni bekube kulokha umbusi omkhulu aqunta khona, ngayala bona ahlale aqaliwe bengimthumele kumbusi omkhulu loyo.”
22U-Agripa wathi kuFestusi: “Indoda leyo ngifuna ukuyizwa ngokwami.” UFestusi wathi: “Uzayizwa kusasa.”
23Nje-ke ngelanga elilandelako u-Agripa noBherinike bafika ngevunulo yakanokutjho. Bangena ngerhubheni neenduna zamajoni kanye namadoda adumileko wedorobho. Nje-ke uFestusi wayala bona uPowula angeniswe. 24UFestusi wathi: “Ngwenyama Agripa nani noke enilapha nathi, niyayibona indoda le, woke umphakathi wamaJuda uyimangalele kimi eJerusalema nalapha, urhuwelela bona ayikafaneli ukube isaphila. 25Kodwana ngifunyene bona ayikenzi ilitho elifanele bona ife; kuthe lokha nayidlulisela umlandu kumbusi omkhulu, ngahlosa bona ngiyithumele. 26Kodwana anginalitho elidarhileko ngayo engingatlolela umbusi omkhulu ngalo. Yeke ngiyilethe phambi kwenu noke, khulukhulu phambi kwakho Ngwenyama Agripa! Khona kuzakuthi ngemva kokuyihlola, kube nento engingayitlola ngayo 27ngombana ngibona kwanga kukutlhoga umkhumbulo kimi ukuthumela isibotjhwa ngingakuphawuli lokho esimangalelwe ngakho.”
