IzEnzo ZabaPhostoli
25 Ngakho uFestu, + esefike esifundazweni wathatha izintambo, ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu wakhuphukela eJerusalema esuka eKhesariya. 2 Abapristi abakhulu namadoda avelele kumaJuda bethula izikhalo zabo ngoPawulu. + Ngakho bancenga uFestu 3 ukuze ababonise umusa, athumele uPawulu ukuba alethwe eJerusalema. Kodwa babeceba ukumcuthela uPawulu bambulale endleleni. + 4 Nokho, uFestu waphendula ngokuthi uPawulu kwakumele agcinwe eKhesariya nokuthi naye ngokwakhe wayesezobuyela khona ngokushesha. 5 Wathi: “Ngakho labo abasesikhundleni sokuphatha phakathi kwenu, mabehle nami bambeke icala, uma ngempela kunokuthile okungalungile okwenziwe yile ndoda.” +
6 Ngakho lapho esechithe izinsuku ezingaba ngu-8 noma eziyishumi phakathi kwabo, wehlela eKhesariya, ngosuku olulandelayo wahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela wayala ukuba kungeniswe uPawulu. 7 Lapho engena, amaJuda ayehle evela eJerusalema ama amzungeza, ambeka amacala amaningi amabi ayengakwazi ukuveza ubufakazi bawo. +
8 Kodwa uPawulu wazivikela wathi: “Angenzanga sono ngokumelene noMthetho wamaJuda noma ngokumelene nethempeli noma ngokumelene noKhesari.” + 9 UFestu, efisa ukuthandwa amaJuda, + waphendula wathi kuPawulu: “Ingabe uthanda ukukhuphukela eJerusalema wahlulelwe khona phambi kwami mayelana nalezi zinto?” 10 Kodwa uPawulu wathi: “Ngimi phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKhesari, lapho kufanele ngahlulelwe khona. Angonanga lutho kumaJuda, okuyinto nawe oyibonayo. 11 Uma ngempela ngingumenzi wobubi futhi ngenze noma yini engenza ngifanelwe ukufa, + angikubalekeli ukufa; kodwa uma bungekho ubufazi obuphathekayo bezinsolo laba bantu abanazo ngami, akukho muntu onelungelo lokunginikela kubo ukuze athandwe abantu. Ngidlulisela icala kuKhesari!” + 12 UFestu, ngemva kokukhuluma nomkhandlu wabeluleki, waphendula: “Udlulisele icala kuKhesari; uzoya kuKhesari.”
13 Lapho sekudlule izinsuku ezithile, u-Agripha inkosi noBernike bafika eKhesariya beyovakashela* uFestu. 14 Njengoba babelapho izinsuku eziningana, uFestu wethula icala likaPawulu enkosini, ethi:
“Kukhona indoda eyashiywa uFeliksi iyisiboshwa, 15 lapho ngiseJerusalema abapristi abakhulu namadoda amadala amaJuda bayimangalela, + becela ukuba ilahlwe yicala. 16 Kodwa ngabaphendula ngathi akuyona inqubo yamaRoma ukuzenza uthandwe ngokunikela umuntu ngaphambi kokuba obekwe icala abhekane ubuso nobuso nalabo abammangalele futhi athole ithuba lokuziphendulela ngokuphathelene naleso sikhalo. + 17 Ngakho lapho befika, angichithanga sikhathi, kodwa ngosuku olulandelayo ngahlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela ngayala ukuba le ndoda ingeniswe. 18 Lapho bema, abayimangalele abayibekanga cala lanoma yiziphi izinto ezimbi engangizicabanga. + 19 Babemane nje bephikisana nayo mayelana nokukhonza kwabo unkulunkulu *+ nangokuphathelene nendoda ebizwa ngokuthi uJesu, eyafa kodwa uPawulu ayelokhu egomela ngokuthi iyaphila. + 20 Njengoba ngangididekile ngingazi ukuthi ngikusingathe kanjani lokhu kuphikisana, ngabuza ukuthi angathanda yini ukuya eJerusalema ahlulelwe khona mayelana nalezi zindaba. + 21 Kodwa lapho uPawulu ecela ukuba agcinwe eboshiwe aze athole isinqumo soMhlonishwa, *+ ngayala ukuba agcinwe ejele ngize ngimthumele kuKhesari.”
22 U-Agripha wathi kuFestu: “Ngingathanda ukuzizwela yena mathupha lo muntu.” + Wathi kuye: “Uzomuzwa kusasa.” 23 Ngosuku olulandelayo, u-Agripha noBernike bafika ngokubukisa okukhulu bangena egunjini lezilaleli kanye nabakhuzi bamabutho kanye namadoda avelele edolobha; uFestu wabe eseyala ukuba uPawulu angeniswe, wangeniswa. 24 UFestu wathi: “Nkosi Agripha nani nonke enikanye nathi lapha, nangu lo muntu wonke amaJuda aseJerusalema nawalapha enze isicelo ngaye kimi, ememeza ethi makabulawe. + 25 Kodwa ngabona ukuthi akenzanga lutho olumenza afanelwe ukufa. + Ngakho lapho lo muntu ngokwakhe edlulisela icala kuMhlonishwa, nganquma ukumthumela. 26 Kodwa anginalutho oluqinisekile engingakubhalela iNkosi yami ngaye. Ngakho ngimlethe phambi kwenu nonke, ikakhulukazi phambi kwakho, Nkosi Agripha, ukuze kuthi ngemva kokuba sekwenziwe uphenyo ngecala* ngithole okuthile engingakubhala. 27 Ngoba kubonakala kungenangqondo kimi ukuthumela isiboshwa kodwa ngingawavezi amacala aso.”