1 “Mawethu, nani bobawo, khanindiphulaphule xa ndiziphendulelayo.”
2 Bathi bakumva ukuba uthetha ngesiHebhere, bathi cwaka.Waza waqhuba wathi uPawulos:
3 “Mna ndingumJuda, ndazalelwa eTarso kwelaseKiliki, kodwa ndakhulela apha eJerusalem, ndingumfundi kaGamaliyeli. Ndafumana ingqeqesho ecokisekileyo kumthetho wookhokho bethu; futhi ndandizinikele kuThixo, ndinjengokuba ninjalo nani namhlanje.
4 Ndandibatshutshis' ukufa abantu abalandela le Ndlela. Ndandiwabamba amadoda kwanabafazi, ndibafake entolongweni.
5 Umbingeleli omkhulu *neBhunga xa lilonke bangangqina ukuba ndithetha inyaniso xa nditshoyo. Ndandithatha iincwadi kubo, zibhalelwe amaJuda aseDamasko, ndize mna ndihambe ndiye kubamba abantu, ndibabuyise bekhonkxiwe, ndibazise eJerusalem, ukuze bohlwaywe.”
6 “Ndathi xa ndandihamba ndisondela eDamasko, emini emaqanda, ndabona ukukhanya okuqaqambileyo esibhakabhakeni kundibengezelela ngeenxa zonke.
7 Ndawa emhlabeni, ndaza ndeva ilizwi lisithi: ‘Sawule, Sawule, unditshutshisela ntoni na?’
8 Ndabuza ndathi: ‘Ungubani wena, Nkosi?’ Laphendula lathi: ‘NdinguYesu waseNazarete, lo umtshutshisayo.’
9 Amadoda endandihamba nawo akubona okunene ukukhanya, kodwa akazange ayive into ethethwa ngulowo wayethetha nam.
10 Ndabuza ndathi: ‘Ndingenza ntoni, Nkosi?’ Yaza yathi iNkosi kum: ‘Vuka, uye eDamasko; woyixelelwa khona apho into yonke akumisele ukuba uyenze uThixo.’
11 Ukubengezela kokukhanya oko ndakubonayo kwanditsho ndayimfama, baza abo babendiphahlile bandibamba ngesandla, bandikhokelela eDamasko.
12 “Apho ke kwakukho indoda ethile egama linguHananiya. Yayiyindoda ewuzondeleleyo iwuthobele *umthetho, ihlonelwa kakhulu ngawo onke amaJuda aseDamasko.
13 Yeza yafika yema ecaleni kwam, yathi: ‘Sawule, mfondini, buya ubone.’ Kanye ngaloo mzuzu avuleka amehlo am, ndaza ndabona.
14 Wathi: ‘UThixo wookhokho bethu ukukhethele ukuba ukwazi ukuthanda kwakhe, ukuze usibone isiCaka sakhe esililungisa, uve ilizwi lakhe lithetha nawe,
15 kuba uya kuba lingqina lakhe, wazise bonke abantu izinto ozibonileyo nozivileyo.
16 Ngoku ke usalindele ntoni? Vuka, ubhaptizwe, zixolelwe izono zakho ngokubiza igama lakhe.’ ”
17 “Ndaphindela kwaseJerusalem, apho ndathi *ndisendlwini kaThixo ndithandaza, ndaba nombono.
18 Ndabona iNkosi isithi kum: ‘Khawuleza umke eJerusalem, kuba abantu balapha abayi kubamkela ubungqina bakho ngam.’
19 Ndathi ke mna: ‘Nkosi, bazi kakuhle ukuba ndandifika ndibabambe abo bazinikele kuwe, ndibabethele apho *ezindlwini zesikhungo.
20 Kanti nangamhla kwakubulawa uStefano, ingqina lakho, nam ndandikho. Ndandihambisana nokugwintwa kwakhe, neempahla zababemgebenga zigcinwe ndim lo.’
21 Yathi kum iNkosi: ‘Hamba, kuba ndiza kukuthuma kude kweleentlanga.’ ”
22 Babemphulaphule abantu uPawulos, kwada kwaza kutsho kule ndawo; basuka ke batsho ngentswahla besithi: “Msuse! Bulala loo nto!”
23 Kwakuthe nzwii yingxolo, bejiwuzisa iimpahla zabo, kuqhuma uthuli.
24 Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yomkhosi wamajoni amaRoma yathi uPawulos makangeniswe enqabeni yawo, akatswe, kuncinwe unobangela wento amxhibe ngayo amaJuda, ukuze angxole kangaka.
25 Kuthe sebembophelele, beza kumkatsa, uPawulos wabhekisa kumphathi-butho owayemi apho, wathi: “Khawutsho, kusemthethweni ukuba ungámbetha ummi ongumRoma engakhanga afunyanwe enetyala?”
26 Umphathi-butho akuyiva le nto, waya kwingqwayi-ngqwayi, wathi: “Uza kuthini ke? Lo mfo ngummi ongumRoma.”
27 Ingqwayi-ngqwayi ke yaya kuPawulos, yathi: “Khawutsho: ungummi ongumRoma wena?” Wavuma uPawulos.
28 Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yaqhuba isithi: “Ndahlawula imali eninzi ukuze ndibe ngummi ongumRoma.”UPawulos wathi ukuphendula: “Kodwa ke mna ndinguye ngokuzalwa.”
29 Kwangoko loo madoda ayeza kumncina uPawulos arhoxa, ingqwayi-ngqwayi yoyika yakuqonda ukuba uPawulos wayengummi ongumRoma, imkhonkxe ngamatyathanga nje.
30 Ingqwayi-ngqwayi yafuna ukuqiniseka ngetyala awayemmangalela ngalo amaJuda uPawulos. Ithe ke ngengomso makakhululwe amatyathanga uPawulos, kubizwe ababingeleli abaziintloko kunye *neBhunga xa lilonke. Yaza ke yeza kummisa phambi kwentlanganiso uPawulos.