Isivumelwano NamaRoma
1Ngalesi sikhathi uJudase wezwa ngodumo lwabaseRoma, ukuthi babenamandla amakhulu, bethembekile kulabo abenze isivumelwano nabo, nokuthi bayethembeka esivumelwaneni sobungani kulabo abeza kubo, 2nanokuthi babenamandla amakhulu. Wayezwile ngezimpi zabo nangezenzo zabo zobuqhawe ababezenzile phakathi kwamaGalathiya, nokuthi babehlula kanjani baze babaphoqa ukuba bathele intela. 3Wayezwile ukuthi benzani ezweni iSpeyini ukuze bathathe izimayini zesiliva negolide ezazilapho, 4nokuthi bawathatha kanjani amandla ngobuchule nangokubekezela kwabo okuphatha sonke isifunda, nakuba indawo yayikude kakhulu kunabo. Behlula amakhosi ayebahlasela evela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, badala umonakalo omkhulu kuwo; amanye akhokha intela minyaka yonke. 5Babenqobile empini behlula uFiliphu, kanye nenkosi uPheresiya waseMakhedoniya, kanye nabanye ababavukela ukuba balwe nabo. 6Behlula no-Antiyokhusi oMkhulu, inkosi yase-Asiya, owaphuma ukulwa nabo enekhulu namashumi amabili ezindlovu, kanye namabutho nabagibele amahhashi, kwakuyimpi enkulu kakhulu, kodwa bamehlula.
7Bamthatha ephila base benza isimiso sokuthi yena nabo bonke abayobusa emva kwakhe bakhokhe intela enzima, futhi bakhulule bonke abathunjwa, banikele ngezinye izifunda zabo ezazizinhle kakhulu; 8ngezwe laseNdiya, eMediya kanye nelaseLidiya. Lawa mazwe bawadla base bewanikeza u-Ewumenesi inkosi. 9AmaGriki abuye enza icebo lokuba eze ababhubhise, 10kodwa lokhu bakuzwa, base bethumela omunye umkhuzi wempi kubo ukuzobahlasela. Iningi labo lalimala abanye bafa, abaseRoma bathumba amakhosikazi kanye nezingane zabo; babutha impango, balinqoba izwe, yilokhu bathunjwa kuze kube namuhla. 11Imibuso eseleyo kanye namazwe amaningi aseziqhingini alabo abamelane nabo, bayibhubhisa futhi babenza izigqila; 12kodwa abangani babo nalabo abathembele kubo, babugcina ubuhlobo babo. Behlula amakhosi akude naseduze, futhi iningi elezwa ngodumo lwabo lagcwala uvalo. 13Labo ababethanda ukubasiza nokubenza amakhosi, babenza amakhosi. Labo abathanda ukubehlisa ezihlalweni zabo, bayabehlisa; bayatuswa kakhulu. 14Nokho ngakho konke lokhu akukho noyedwa wabo osewake wathwala umqhele wobukhosi, noma agqoke ezibukhwebezane njengophawu lokuphakama, 15kodwa bazakhele indlu yezigele, futhi zonke izinsuku izigele ezingama-320 ziyahlangana ukuba zixoxe njalo ngabantu nangokubabusa kahle.
16Baphakamisa indoda eyodwa unyaka nonyaka ukuba ibabuse futhi iqondise lonke izwe labo; bonke bayayilalela le ndoda eyodwa futhi akukho mona namhawu phakathi kwabo. 17Ngakho-ke uJudase wakhetha u-Ewupolemusi indodana kaJohani ka-Akhosi, kanye noJasoni indodana ka-Eliyezare, wase ebathumela eRoma ukuba bayokwakha ubungani nesivumelwano, 18nokuba bazikhulule ejokeni; ngokuba babona ukuthi umbuso wamaGriki wawumgqilaza kakhulu u-Israyeli.
19Baya eRoma, uhambo olude kakhulu; futhi bangena endlini yezigele bakhuluma kanje: 20“UJudase, obizwa ngokuthi nguMakhabhizi, kanye nabafowabo nabantu bakwaJuda basithumile kinina ukuba sizokwakha isivumelwano nokuthula nani, nokuba sizokwakha ubungani sizwakalise nokuneseka kwethu.”
21Lesi siphakamiso sabathokozisa, 22lena yikhophi yencwadi abayibhala ezibhebheni zethusi bephendula, futhi bayithumela eJerusalema ukuze ibe ngakubo njengesikhumbuzo sesivumelwano sokuthula: 23“Konke sengathi kungahamba kahle kube phakade phakathi kwabaseRoma nesizwe sabaJuda asolwandle nasezweni, futhi sengathi inkemba nobutha bungakude nabo. 24Uma impi ihlasela kuqala eRoma noma kulabo abasisekelayo kuyo yonke imibuso yabo, 25isizwe sabaJuda siyakubambisana nabo ngenhliziyo ephelele, nanjengoba ithuba lingaziveza nakubo. 26Esitheni esilwa naso abayikusinikeza ukudla, zikhali, mali, noma imikhumbi, njengoba nelaseRoma linqume ukwenza; futhi bayakuyigcina ingxenye yabo yesivumelwano ngaphandle kokwamukeliswa umvuzo. 27Ngokunjalo uma impi, iza kuqala esizweni sakwaJuda, amaRoma ayosukuma ame nalabo abambisene nabo, njengoba kukhomba isimo. 28Awanakunikeza ukudla, zikhali, mali, namikhumbi, ezitheni zabo njengoba elaseRoma selinqumile; futhi bayozigcina lezi zethembiso bazifeze ngaphandle kwenkohliso.
29“Ngakho-ke amaRoma enza isivumelwano namaJuda phezu kwalemi bandela. 30Njengokuba le mibandela isimisiwe, omunye phakathi kwethu noma sobabili uma efisa ukunezezela noma ukususa okuthile, uyokwenze njalo ngokubona kwakhe, kodwa-ke noma yikuphi okunezelelwayo noma okususwayo kuyakuba semthethweni. 31Mayelana nobubi inkosi uDemetriyu abenza kuwo abajuda, simbhalele sathi: ‘Ulenzeleni ijoka lakho lisinde phezu kwabangani bethu abajuda na? 32Uma bephinda becela usizo, siyolivikela ilungelo labo sibhekane nani, kungaba solwandle noma ezweni.’ ”
