UMSEBENZI WABATHUNYWA 22

₁“Mawethu, nani bobawo, khanindiphulaphule xa ndiziphendulelayo.” ₂Bathi bakumva ukuba uthetha ngesiHebhere, bathi cwaka.

Waza waqhuba wathi uPawulos: ₃“Mna ndingumJuda, ndazalelwa eTarso kwelaseKiliki, kodwa ndakhulela apha eJerusalem, ndingumfundi kaGamaliyeli. Ndafumana ingqeqesho ecokisekileyo kumthetho wookhokho bethu; futhi ndandizinikele kuThixo, ndinjengokuba ninjalo nani namhlanje. ₄Ndandibatshutshis' ukufa abantu abalandela le Ndlela. Ndandiwabamba amadoda kwanabafazi, ndibafake entolongweni. ₅Umbingeleli omkhulu *neBhunga xa lilonke bangangqina ukuba ndithetha inyaniso xa nditshoyo. Ndandithatha iincwadi kubo, zibhalelwe amaJuda aseDamasko, ndize mna ndihambe ndiye kubamba abantu, ndibabuyise bekhonkxiwe, ndibazise eJerusalem, ukuze bohlwaywe.”

₆“Ndathi xa ndandihamba ndisondela eDamasko, emini emaqanda, ndabona ukukhanya okuqaqambileyo esibhakabhakeni kundibengezelela ngeenxa zonke. ₇Ndawa emhlabeni, ndaza ndeva ilizwi lisithi: ‘Sawule, Sawule, unditshutshisela ntoni na?’ ₈Ndabuza ndathi: ‘Ungubani wena, Nkosi?’ Laphendula lathi: ‘NdinguYesu waseNazarete, lo umtshutshisayo.’ ₉Amadoda endandihamba nawo akubona okunene ukukhanya, kodwa akazange ayive into ethethwa ngulowo wayethetha nam. ₁₀Ndabuza ndathi: ‘Ndingenza ntoni, Nkosi?’ Yaza yathi iNkosi kum: ‘Vuka, uye eDamasko; woyixelelwa khona apho into yonke akumisele ukuba uyenze uThixo.’ ₁₁Ukubengezela kokukhanya oko ndakubonayo kwanditsho ndayimfama, baza abo babendiphahlile bandibamba ngesandla, bandikhokelela eDamasko.

₁₂“Apho ke kwakukho indoda ethile egama linguHananiya. Yayiyindoda ewuzondeleleyo iwuthobele *umthetho, ihlonelwa kakhulu ngawo onke amaJuda aseDamasko. ₁₃Yeza yafika yema ecaleni kwam, yathi: ‘Sawule, mfondini, buya ubone.’ Kanye ngaloo mzuzu avuleka amehlo am, ndaza ndabona. ₁₄Wathi: ‘UThixo wookhokho bethu ukukhethele ukuba ukwazi ukuthanda kwakhe, ukuze usibone isiCaka sakhe esililungisa, uve ilizwi lakhe lithetha nawe, ₁₅kuba uya kuba lingqina lakhe, wazise bonke abantu izinto ozibonileyo nozivileyo. ₁₆Ngoku ke usalindele ntoni? Vuka, ubhaptizwe, zixolelwe izono zakho ngokubiza igama lakhe.’ ”

₁₇“Ndaphindela kwaseJerusalem, apho ndathi *ndisendlwini kaThixo ndithandaza, ndaba nombono. ₁₈Ndabona iNkosi isithi kum: ‘Khawuleza umke eJerusalem, kuba abantu balapha abayi kubamkela ubungqina bakho ngam.’ ₁₉Ndathi ke mna: ‘Nkosi, bazi kakuhle ukuba ndandifika ndibabambe abo bazinikele kuwe, ndibabethele apho *ezindlwini zesikhungo. ₂₀Kanti nangamhla kwakubulawa uStefano, ingqina lakho, nam ndandikho. Ndandihambisana nokugwintwa kwakhe, neempahla zababemgebenga zigcinwe ndim lo.’ ₂₁Yathi kum iNkosi: ‘Hamba, kuba ndiza kukuthuma kude kweleentlanga.’ ”

₂₂Babemphulaphule abantu uPawulos, kwada kwaza kutsho kule ndawo; basuka ke batsho ngentswahla besithi: “Msuse! Bulala loo nto!” ₂₃Kwakuthe nzwii yingxolo, bejiwuzisa iimpahla zabo, kuqhuma uthuli. ₂₄Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yomkhosi wamajoni amaRoma yathi uPawulos makangeniswe enqabeni yawo, akatswe, kuncinwe unobangela wento amxhibe ngayo amaJuda, ukuze angxole kangaka. ₂₅Kuthe sebembophelele, beza kumkatsa, uPawulos wabhekisa kumphathi-butho owayemi apho, wathi: “Khawutsho, kusemthethweni ukuba ungámbetha ummi ongumRoma engakhanga afunyanwe enetyala?”

₂₆Umphathi-butho akuyiva le nto, waya kwingqwayi-ngqwayi, wathi: “Uza kuthini ke? Lo mfo ngummi ongumRoma.”

₂₇Ingqwayi-ngqwayi ke yaya kuPawulos, yathi: “Khawutsho: ungummi ongumRoma wena?” Wavuma uPawulos. ₂₈Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yaqhuba isithi: “Ndahlawula imali eninzi ukuze ndibe ngummi ongumRoma.”

UPawulos wathi ukuphendula: “Kodwa ke mna ndinguye ngokuzalwa.”

₂₉Kwangoko loo madoda ayeza kumncina uPawulos arhoxa, ingqwayi-ngqwayi yoyika yakuqonda ukuba uPawulos wayengummi ongumRoma, imkhonkxe ngamatyathanga nje.

₃₀Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yafuna ukuqiniseka ngetyala awayemmangalela ngalo amaJuda uPawulos. Ithe ke ngengomso makakhululwe amatyathanga uPawulos, kubizwe ababingeleli abaziintloko kunye *neBhunga xa lilonke. Yaza ke yeza kummisa phambi kwentlanganiso uPawulos.