IzEnzo ZabaPhostoli 24:1-27
24 Ezinsukwini ezinhlanu kamuva umpristi ophakeme u-Ananiyase + wehla namanye amadoda amadala nesikhulumi saseningini,* esigama laso linguTertulu, bamangalela uPawulu kumbusi. +
2 Lapho ebizwa, uTertulu wammangalela, ethi:
“Njengoba sijabulela ukuthula okukhulu ngenxa yakho futhi kwenzeka izinguquko kulesi sizwe ngenxa yokuhlela kwakho izinto kusengaphambili,
3 siyakuqaphela lokhu futhi sibonga kakhulu ngazo zonke izikhathi nakuzo zonke izindawo, Mhlonishwa Feliksi.
4 Kodwa ukuze ngingakubambezeli kakhulu, ngiyakuncenga ukuba usilalele kafushane ngomusa wakho.
5 Ngoba sithole ukuthi le ndoda iwuhlupho, + ibhebhezela ukuvukela umbuso + phakathi kwawo wonke amaJuda emhlabeni wonke, ingumholi weqembu lenkolo lamaNazaretha. +
6 Yazama nokungcolisa ithempeli, ngakho sayibamba. +
7 *——
8 Lapho uyiphenya uzozithola zonke lezi zinto esiyimangalela ngazo.”
9 Khona manjalo amaJuda nawo ahlanganyela kulokhu kuhlasela, egomela ngokuthi lezi zinto ziyiqiniso.
10 Lapho umbusi ekhomba uPawulu ngekhanda ukuba akhulume, waphendula:
“Njengoba ngazi kahle ukuthi ubungumahluleli walesi sizwe iminyaka eminingi, ngiziphendulela ngokunganqikazi. +
11 Njengoba nawe ungakuqinisekisa lokhu, azikapheli izinsuku ezingu-12 kusukela ngakhuphukela eJerusalema ngiyokhonza uNkulunkulu; +
12 abangitholanga ngiphikisana namuntu ethempelini noma ngibanga isiyaluyalu esixukwini, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kusemasinagogeni noma kulo lonke idolobha.
13 Futhi abanakuzifakazela kuwe izinto abangimangalela ngazo njengamanje.
14 Kodwa ngiyavuma kuwe ukuthi, ngokwendlela abayibiza ngokuthi iqembu lenkolo, ngale ndlela nginikela inkonzo engcwele kuNkulunkulu wokhokho bami, + njengoba ngikholwa yizo zonke izinto ezibekwe eMthethweni nezilotshwe kubaProfethi. +
15 Nginethemba kuNkulunkulu, okuyithemba nalaba bantu abalilangazelelayo, lokuthi kuyoba khona uvuko + lwabalungile nabangalungile. +
16 Ngenxa yalokhu, ngihlale ngisebenza kanzima ukuze ngilondoloze unembeza ohlanzekile* phambi kukaNkulunkulu nakubantu. +
17 Ngemva kweminyaka eminingana impela, ngafika ngilethe izipho zesihe + neminikelo esizweni sakithi.
18 Lapho ngisenza lezi zinto, bangithola ngihlanzekile ngokwesiko ethempelini, + kodwa kungenasixuku futhi ngingabangeli siyaluyalu. Kodwa kwakukhona amaJuda athile ayevela esifundazweni sase-Asiya
19 okufanele abe khona phambi kwakho ukuze angimangalele uma ngempela enokuthile okubi ngami. +
20 Noma, wona la madoda akhona lapha mawasho ukuthi yini embi ayithola lapho ngimi phambi kweSanhedrini,
21 ngaphandle kwale nto eyodwa engamemeza ngayisho lapho ngimi phakathi kwawo: ‘Namuhla ngahlulelwa phambi kwenu ngenxa yovuko lwabafile!’ ” +
22 Nokho, uFeliksi, ewazi kahle amaqiniso aphathelene nale Ndlela, + wawaxosha la madoda wathi: “Noma nini lapho uLisiya umkhuzi wamabutho ehla, ngizokwenza isinqumo ngalezi zindaba ezinithintayo.”
23 Wayala isikhulu samabutho ukuba lo muntu agcinwe eboshiwe kodwa anikezwe inkululeko ethile, nokuba abantu bakubo bavunyelwe ukuba banakekele izidingo zakhe.
24 Ngemva kwezinsuku ezithile, uFeliksi wafika noDrusila umkakhe, owayengumJuda, wathumela ukuba kulandwe uPawulu, wamlalela njengoba ekhuluma ngokukholwa kuKristu Jesu. +
25 Kodwa njengoba uPawulu ayekhuluma ngokuqondene nokulunga nokuzithiba nokwahlulela okuzayo, + uFeliksi wethuka, waphendula wathi: “Okwamanje hamba, kodwa lapho ngithola ithuba ngizothumela ukuba ubizwe futhi.”
26 Ngesikhathi esifanayo wayenethemba lokuthi uPawulu uzomnika imali. Ngenxa yalokho, wayethumela kaningi ukuba alandwe axoxe naye.
27 Kodwa lapho sekudlule iminyaka emibili, kwangena uPorkiyu Festu esikhundleni sikaFeliksi; ngenxa yokuthi uFeliksi wayefisa ukuthandwa amaJuda, + washiya uPawulu eboshiwe.
