IzEnzo Chapter 26

1. Khona u-Agripha wathi kuPawulu: “Uvunyelwe ukuba uzikhulumele.” UPawulu wayeselula isandla, waziphendulela wathi:

2. “Maqondana nakho konke engimangalelwa ngakho ngabaJuda, nkosi Agripha, ngizibona nginenhlanhla, ngokuba ngizakuziphendulela namuhla phambi kwakho,

3. ikakhulu lokhu uyisazi sawo onke amasiko nokuphikisana kwabaJuda; ngalokho ngiyakunxusa ukuba ungilalele ngokubekezela.

4. “Inkambo yami kwasebusheni eyaba sesizweni sakithi naseJerusalema kwasekuqaleni bonke abaJuda bayayazi,

5. bengazi kwasekuqaleni, uma bethanda ukufakaza ukuthi ngangihamba ngehlelo eliqinileyo lenkonzo yakithi ngingumFarisi.

6. Kepha manje ngimi ngimangalelwe ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso asenzayo uNkulunkulu kubo obaba,

7. ezithemba ukufinyelela kuso izizwe eziyishumi nambili zakithi, zikhonza ngesineke ubusuku nemini; ngalelo themba, nkosi, ngimangalelwa ngabaJuda.

8. Kungani kube yinto engakholekile kini ukuthi uNkulunkulu uvusa abafileyo na?

9. “Kepha mina ngokwami ngangithi ngifanele ukwenza okuningi okuphambene negama likaJesu waseNazaretha;

10. lokho ngase ngikwenza-ke eJerusalema; mina ngabafaka abaningi kwabangcwele ematilongweni, ngiwatholile amandla kubapristi abakhulu, nalapho bebulawa ngabalahla ngevoti lami.

11. Nasemasinagogeni onke kaningi ngabajezisa ngibacindezela ukuba bahlambalaze; ngahlanya kakhulu ngabo, ngibazingela kwaze kwaba semizini yabezizwe.

12. “Kwathi lapho ngisaya eDamaseku ngamandla nangokuthunywa ngabapristi abakhulu,

13. emini enkulu, nkosi, ngisendleleni, ngabona ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini, kudlula ukukhazimula kwelanga, kungikhanyisela nxazonke kanye nababehamba nami;

14. kwathi sesiwile phansi sonke emhlabathini, ngezwa izwi likhuluma kimi ngo limi lwesiHeberu, lithi: ‘Sawulu, Sawulu, ungizingelelani na? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlela ezinkandini.’

15. “Kepha mina ngathi: ‘Ungubani, Nkosi, na?’ INkosi yathi: ‘Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo.

16. Kepha sukuma, ume ngezinyawo zakho; ngokuba ngibonakele kuwe ngalokho ukuba ngikumise ube yisikhonzi nofakazi walokhu kungibona kwakho nowalokhu engizakuzibonakalisa kuwe ngakho,

17. ngikophule esizweni nakwabezizwe engikuthumela kubo

18. ukuvula amehlo abo ukuba basuke ebumnyameni, baphendukele ekukhanyeni, basuke emandleni kaSathane, baphendukele kuNkulunkulu, ukuze bamukeliswe ukuthethelelwa kwezono nesabelo phakathi kwabangcwelisiweyo ngokukholwa kimi.’

19. “Ngalokho, nkosi Agripha, angibanga ngongawulaleliyo umbono wasezulwini,

20. kodwa ngamemezela kuqala kwabaseDamaseku nakwabaseJerusalema, nakulo lonke izwe laseJudiya nakwabezizwe ukuba baphenduke, baguqukele kuNkulunkulu, benze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka.

21. Ngenxa yalokho abaJuda bangibamba ethempelini, balinga ukungibulala.

22. Ngitholile usizo kuNkulunkulu ngimi kuze kube kulolu suku ngifakaza kwabancane nakwabakhulu, angikhulumi lutho ngaphandle kwalokho abakukhulumile abaprofethi noMose ukuthi kuzakwenzeka,

23. ukuthi uKristu nga ehlupheka nokuthi engowokuqala ekuvukeni kwabafileyo uzakumemezela ukukhanya kuso isizwe nakwabezizwe.”

24. Kwathi esaziphendulela kanjalo, uFestu wathi ngezwi elikhulu: “Pawulu, uyahlanya; ukufunda okuningi kuyakuhlanyisa.”

25. Kepha uPawulu wathi: “Angihlanyi, Festu odumileyo, kodwa ngikhuluma amazwi ayiqiniso nawokuqonda.

26. Ngokuba inkosi engikhuluma kuyo ngesibindi iyazi ngalezi zinto, ngokuba angikholwa ukuthi kukhona utho lwalokhu olufihlekile kuyo; ngokuba lokhu akwenziwanga engosini.

27. Nkosi Agripha, uyakholwa ngabaprofethi na? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.”

28. U-Agripha wathi kuPawulu: “Kusilele kancane ungivumise ngibe ngumKristu.”

29. UPawulu wayesethi: “Bengingafisa kuNkulunkulu ukuba, noma kukancane noma kukakhulu, kungabi wena wedwa kodwa bonke abangizwayo namuhla babe njengami, ngaphandle kwalezi zibopho.”

30. Inkosi yayisisukuma nombusi noBernike kanye nababehlezi nabo;

31. kwathi sebegudlukile, bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Lo muntu akenzi lutho olufanele ukufa noma izibopho.”

32. Kepha u-Agripha wathi kuFestu: “Lo muntu ngabe ekhululiwe, uma ebengalidluliselanga kuKesari.”