UPawulu ulandisa abaJuda ngokuphenduka kwakhe
1“Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, yizwani ukuziphendulela kwami phambi kwenu kalokhu.”
2Kwathi bemuzwa ekhuluma kubo ngolimi lwesiHeberu, bathula bathi du. Wayesethi: 3“Mina ngiyindoda engumJuda, ngazalwa eTarsu laseKhilikhiya, kodwa ngakhulela kulo muzi, ngafundiswa ngasezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli ngesineke ngomthetho wawobaba, ngashisekela uNkulunkulu njengokuba nonke ninjalo namuhla; 4ngayizingela leyo Ndlela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, ngibopha ngibakhaphela ematilongweni abesilisa nabesifazane, 5njengokuba nompristi omkhulu ufakaza ngami namalunga onke; ngamukela kubo izincwadi ezilotshelwe abazalwane, ngaya eDamaseku ukuba nababe khona lapho ngibayise eJerusalema beboshiwe, ukuze bajeziswe.
6“Kwathi ngisahamba ngisondela eDamaseku kuphakathi kwemini, kwangibaneka masinyane nxazonke ukukhanya okukhulu okwavela ezulwini, 7ngawa phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa izwi lithi kimi: ‘Sawulu, Sawulu, ungizingelelani na?’
8“Ngase ngiphendula ngathi: ‘Ungubani, Nkosi, na?’
“Wathi kimi: ‘Mina nginguJesu waseNazaretha omzingelayo.’ 9Kepha labo ababe nami bakubona ukukhanya, kodwa izwi lowakhuluma nami abalizwanga.
10“Ngathi: ‘Ngizakwenzani, Nkosi, na?’
“INkosi yayisithi kimi: ‘Sukuma, uye eDamaseku, uzakutshelwa khona konke okumiselweyo ukuba ukwenze.’ 11Kepha njengokuba ngangingasaboni ngenxa yenkazimulo yalokho kukhanya, ngaholwa ngesandla yibo ababe nami, ngafika eDamaseku.
12“U-Ananiya othile, indoda ekholwa ngokomthetho, owayefakazelwa yibo bonke abaJuda ababakhile khona, 13weza kimi, wema, wathi kimi: ‘Sawulu, mzalwane, buye ubone.’ Mina ngase ngimbona ngaso leso sikhathi.
14“Wayesethi: ‘UNkulunkulu wawobaba wakumisela ngaphambili ukuyazi intando yakhe, nokumbona oLungileyo, nokulizwa izwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe, 15ngokuba uzakuba ngufakazi wakhe kubantu bonke walokho okubonileyo nokuzwileyo. 16Manje-ke ulibalelani na? Sukuma, ubhapathizwe, uhlambulule izono zakho ngokukhuleka egameni lakhe.’
17“Kwathi sengibuyele eJerusalema, ngikhuleka ethempelini, ngehlelwa yisiyezi, 18ngambona; wathi kimi: ‘Khawuleza uphume masinyane eJerusalema, ngokuba abazukwamukela ubufakazi bakho ngami.’
19“Mina ngase ngithi: ‘Nkosi, bayazi bona ukuthi yimina engangibabopha ngibashaya emasinagogeni* abakholwa nguwe; 20futhi mhla kuchithwa igazi likaStefanu ufakazi wakho, ngangimi khona mina, ngivuma, ngilinda izingubo zabambulalayo.’
21“Wathi kimi: ‘Hamba, ngokuba mina ngizakukuthuma uye kude kwabezizwe.’ ”
AbaJuda bafuna ukumbulala uPawulu
22Kepha bamlalela kwaze kwaba kulelo zwi; base bephakamisa izwi labo, bethi: “Msuseni onje emhlabeni, ngokuba akufanele ukuba aphile.” 23Kwathi besabangalasa, behlubula izingubo, bethuquza uthuli phezulu, 24induna yenkulungwane yayala ukuba angeniswe ekamu,* yathi akahlolwe ngenduku, ukuze iqonde ukuthi kungasiphi isici bememeza kanje ngaye. 25Kepha besamelula ngemichilo, uPawulu wathi enduneni yekhulu eyayimi khona: “Kuvunyelwe yini ukushaya umuntu ongumRoma engalahlwanga yicala na?”
26Induna yekhulu ikuzwile yaya enduneni yenkulungwane, yabika yathi: “Usuzakwenzani na, ngokuba lowo muntu ungumRoma?”
27Induna yenkulungwane yayisifika, yathi kuye: “Ngitshele, wena ungumRoma na?”
Yena wathi: “Yebo.”
28Kepha induna yenkulungwane yaphendula yathi: “Mina ngalithenga lelo lungelo ngemali enkulu.”
Kodwa uPawulu wathi: “Kepha mina ngazalwa nalo.”
29Ngakho basuka kuye masinyane abase bezakumhlola; kepha induna yenkulungwane yesaba, isiyazi ukuthi ungumRoma nokuthi ibimbophile.
30Kwathi ngangomuso ifuna ukwazi iqiniso lalokho amangalelwe ngakho ngabaJuda, yamkhulula, yayala ukuba abapristi abakhulu nomphakathi wonke ubuthane, yamehlisa uPawulu phambi kwabo.
