IzEnzo 24

₁Emva kwezinsuku eziyisihlanu umpristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wewuka kanye namalunga athile nommeli othile uTertulu; laba bammangalela uPawulu kumbusi. ₂Yena esebiziwe, uTertulu waqala ukumbeka icala, ethi: “Lokho ukuthi ngenxa yakho sitholile ukuthula okukhulu nangokubonelela kwakho lesi sizwe senzelwe okuhle okuningi ₃siyakwamukela ngezikhathi zonke nasezindaweni zonke ngokubonga okukhulu, Feliksi odumileyo. ₄Kepha ukuba ngingakubambezeli, ngiyakuncenga ukuba ngobumnene bakho usizwe ngokufushane.

₅“Ngokuba le ndoda siyifumene iyishinga ivusa ukwambuka phakathi kwabaJuda ezweni lonke, iyinhloko yehlelo lamaNazaretha, ₆yalinga nokungcolisa ithempeli; sayibamba, sathanda ukuyahlulela ngomthetho wakithi. ₇Kepha kwafika uLisiya induna yenkulungwane, wamthatha ngendluzula enkulu ezandleni zethu, ₈eyala abambeka icala ukuba beze kuwe, ukuze umbuzisise wena uqobo, uzwe ngakho konke esimmangalela ngakho.”

₉NabaJuda bakuvuma lokho, bathi kunjalo.

₁₀Umbusi esemqhwebile ukuba akhulume, uPawulu waphendula wathi: “Lokhu ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminingi ungumahluleli kulesi sizwe, ngiyaziphendulela ngesibindi; ₁₁futhi ungaqonda ukuthi akungaphezu kwezinsuku eziyishumi nambili ngikhuphukile ukuyokhuleka eJerusalema; ₁₂abangifumananga ngiphikisana namuntu, nakuba ngivusa isiphithiphithi esixukwini, nasethempelini, nasemasinagogeni,* nasemzini, ₁₃futhi bangekuqinise kuwe lokhu abangibeka icala ngakho manje. ₁₄Kepha ngiyavuma lokhu kuwe ukuthi ngeNdlela abathi iyihlelo ngiyamkhonza ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu wawobaba, ngikholwa yikho konke okulotshiwe emthethweni nakubaprofethi; ₁₅nginethemba kuNkulunkulu abalibheka nabo uqobo lokuthi kuyakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile. ₁₆Kulokhu nami ngiyazama ukuba njalo ngibe nonembeza ongenacala phambi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu.

₁₇“Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminingi ngafika ukuletha izipho esizweni sakithi neminikelo, ₁₈okuthe ngikulokho bangifumana ethempelini ngihlanjululiwe, kungekho isixuku nomsindo, ₁₉abaJuda abathile base-Asiya ababefanele ukuvela phambi kwakho, bangimangalele, uma benotho ngami. ₂₀Nokuba mabasho laba ukuthi bafumanani okungalungile mhla ngimi phambi komphakathi, ₂₁ngaphandle kwalelo zwi elilodwa engalimemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo lokuthi: ‘Ngokuvuka kwabafileyo mina ngimangalelwa yinina namuhla.’ ”

₂₂Kepha uFeliksi ekwazi ngokuchachileyo okwaleyo Ndlela wabahlehlisa ethi: “Lapho uLisiya induna yenkulungwane esewukile, ngizakuyinquma indaba yenu,” ₂₃wayala induna yekhulu ukuba agcinwe, kepha abe nenkululeko, kunganqatshelwa muntu wakubo ukumkhonza.

₂₄Kepha emva kwezinsuku ezithile wafika uFeliksi noDrusila umkakhe owayengumJudakazi, wabiza uPawulu, wamuzwa ngokukholwa nguKristu Jesu. ₂₅Esakhuluma ngokulunga, nangokuzithiba, nangokwahlulela okuzayo, uFeliksi washaywa luvalo, waphendula wathi: “Okwamanje hamba; kepha nxa ngithola isikhathi, ngizakukubiza,” ₂₆wethemba futhi ukuthi uzakunikwa imali nguPawulu; ngalokho wayehleze embiza, ekhuluma naye.

₂₇Kepha sekuphelile iminyaka emibili, uFeliksi walandelwa nguPorkiyu Festu; kodwa uFeliksi efuna ukubongwa ngabaJuda washiya uPawulu eboshiwe.