IzEnzo Chapter 23

1. UPawulu wayesegqolozela umphakathi, wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, mina ngihambile phambi kukaNkulunkulu nginonembeza wonke omuhle kuze kube namuhla.”

2. Kepha umpristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wayala ababemi khona ukuba bamshaye umlomo.

3. Khona uPawulu wathi kuye: “UNkulunkulu uzakukushaya wena ludonga olucakiweyo; uhlalele ukungahlulela ngokomthetho, kodwa ngokuphambene nomthetho uyala ukuba ngishaywe na?”

4. Ababemi khona base bethi: “Uthuka umpristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu na?”

5. UPawulu wayesethi: “Bengingazi, bazalwane, ukuthi ungumpristi omkhulu; ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “ ‘Ungakhulumi kabi ngombusi wesizwe sakini.’ ”

6. Kepha kwathi uPawulu azi ukuthi enye inxenye yabo ingabaSadusi nenye ingabaFarisi, wamemeza emphakathini, wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, ngingumFarisi mina, ngiyindodana yabaFarisi; ngimangalelwa ngethemba nangokuvuka kwabafileyo.”

7. Eseshilo lokho, kwavela ukuphambana phakathi kwabaFarisi nabaSadusi, ibandla lahlukana kabili.

8. Ngokuba abaSadusi bathi akukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, nangelosi, namoya, kepha abaFarisi bavuma kokubili.

9. Kwase kuvela umsindo omkhulu, kwasukuma abathile kubabhali benxenye yabaFarisi, balwa kakhulu, bathi: “Asifumani lutho olubi kulo muntu; uma, pho, kukhulume kuye umoya noma ingelosi na?”

10. Kwathi sekuvele isiyaluyalu esikhulu, induna yenkulungwane yesaba ukuba uPawulu angadwengulwa yibo, yayala impi ukuba yehle imhlwithe phakathi kwabo, imyise ekamu.

11. Ngobusuku obulandelayo iNkosi yema ngakuye, yathi: “Yima isibindi; njengalokho ufakaze ngami eJerusalema, ngokunjalo umelwe ukufakaza naseRoma.”

12. Kwathi sekusile, abaJuda benza iqeqeba, bazilokothela bethi abayikudla, bangaphuzi, bengakambulali uPawulu.

13. Babengaphezu kwamashumi amane ababenze lelo cebo.

14. Bona base beza kubapristi abakhulu nasemalungeni, bathi: “Sizibophe ngesilokothelo sokuthi asiyikuzwa ukudla size simbulale uPawulu.

15. Manje-ke nina kanye nomphakathi yazisani induna yenkulungwane ukuba imehlisele kini ngokungathi nizakuhlolisisa indaba yakhe; thina-ke silungele ukumbulala engakasondeli.”

16. Kepha indodana kadadewabo kaPawulu yezwa ngokumqamekela kwabo, yafika yangena ekamu, yambikela uPawulu.

17. UPawulu wayesebiza enye induna yekhulu, wathi: “Yisa le nsizwa enduneni yenkulungwane, ngokuba inento ezakuyibika kuyo.”

18. Yayisiyithatha-ke, yayiyisa enduneni yenkulungwane, yathi: “Isiboshwa uPawulu singibizile, sacela ukuba ngilethe le nsizwa kuwe, inento ezakukutshela yona.”

19. Induna yenkulungwane yayisiyibamba ngesandla, yagudluka nayo, yayibuza bebodwa, yathi: “Kuyini ozakungibikela khona na?”

20. Yathi: “AbaJuda bavumelene ukucela kuwe ukuba wehlisele uPawulu emphakathini ngomuso ngokungathi bazakuhlolisisa indaba yakhe.

21. Ngakho-ke wena ungabavumeli, ngokuba kubona amqamekele amadoda angaphezu kwamashumi amane azilokotheleyo ukuba angadli, angaphuzi, engakambulali; manje-ke sebelungele bebheke isithembiso sakho.”

22. Khona induna yenkulungwane yayisiyimukisa insizwa, isiyiyalile ukuba ingatsheli muntu ukuthi imbikele lokho.

23. Yayisibiza izinduna zekhulu ezimbili, yathi: “Lungisani amabutho angamakhulu amabili alungele ukuya eKesariya ngehora lesithathu lasebusuku, kanye nezinkweli ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa, nabemikhonto abangamakhulu amabili,

24. kulungiselwe futhi izilwane, ukuze bakhwelise uPawulu, bamyise kahle kuFeliksi umbusi,”

25. yaloba incwadi ehlelwe kanje:

26. UKlawudiyu Lisiya kuye uFeliksi umbusi odumileyo; ngiyakubingelela.

27. Le ndoda ibibanjwe ngabaJuda; ibisizakubulawa yibo, ngafika namabutho, ngayophula sengizwile ukuba ingumRoma.

28. Ngathi ngifuna ukwazi icala abayimangalela ngalo, ngayehlisela emphakathini wabo;

29. ngayifumana imangalelwe ngezindaba zomthetho wakubo, kepha engamangalelwa ngalutho olufanele ukufa nokuba ukuboshwa.

30. Sekudaluliwe kimi ukuthi kukhona icebo ngaleyo ndoda, ngase ngiyithumela kuwe masinyane, ngibayalile nabayimangalelayo ukuba bakhulume ngayo phambi kwakho.

31. Khona amabutho ayesemthatha uPawulu njengokuyalwa kwawo, amyisa e-Antipatheri ebusuku.

32. Kepha ngangomuso ashiya izinkweli ukuba zihambe naye; wona abuyela ekamu;

33. lezo sezifikile eKesariya zanika umbusi incwadi, zamisa uPawulu phambi kwakhe.

34. Eseyifundile wambuza ukuthi ungowasiphi isifunda; esezwile ukuthi ungowaseKhilikhiya,

35. wathi: “Ngiyakuyizwa kahle indaba yakho, nxa sebefikile abakumangalelayo.” Wayala ukuba alondwe enqabeni kaHerode.