1 UAgripa wathi kuPawulos: “Uvumelekile ukuzithethelela.” UPawulos ke waphakamisa isandla, wenjenje ukuziphendulela:
2 “Kumkani Agripa, ndinenyhweba ukuba ndibe ndiza kuziphendulela phambi kwakho namhlanje, kuzo zonke ezi ndawo ndityholwa ngazo ngamaJuda;
3 nangakumbi kuba wena unolwazi ngamasiko amaJuda nezinye iinkcukacha zobuJuda. Uze undiphulaphule ngenyameko ke.
4 “Iyaziwa ngawo onke amaJuda indlela endandiziphethe ngayo kwandiselula. Ayayazi kwakudala indlela endandihlala ngayo kummandla wakowethu naseJerusalem.
5 Kudala kakade esazi, ukuba angathanda ukuyingqina loo nto, ukuba mna kwasekuqaleni ndaba lilungu lelona qela lingqongqo kunqulo lwakowethu, iqela *labaFarasi.
6 Kungokunje naku ndimi apha, ndize ematyaleni ngenxa yethemba endinalo kwidinga uThixo âlenza nookhokho bethu;
7 kanye elo dinga zililangazelelayo xa zizonke ezi zizwe zakowethu zilishumi elinambini, njengoko zimnqula uThixo imini nobusuku. Kungenxa yeli themba ke, mhlekazi, endimangalela nje amaJuda.
8 Kungani na ningakholwa nje, maJuda, ukuba uThixo uyabavusa abafileyo?
9 “Mna lo ndandiba yinto efanelekileyo ukwenza nayiphi na into, ndilichasa igama likaYesu waseNazarete.
10 Ndandisenza loo nto kanye eJerusalem. Ndandigunyaziswa ngababingeleli abaziintloko ukuba ndivalele entolongweni abantu bakaThixo abaninzi. Kwakusithi xa begwetyelwa ukufa, nam ndihambisane neso sigqibo.
11 Amaxesha ngamaxesha ndandisiya *ezindlwini zesikhungo, ndifike ndibohlwaye, ndisenzela ukuba bahlukane nokholo lwabo. Ngangengcwangu endandinayo ngakubo ndandide ndiye kubatshutshisa nakwezikude iidolophu.”
12 “Kwakungale njongo ke kanye ukuze ndiye eDamasko, ndinamagunya endawafumana kubabingeleli abaziintloko.
13 Endleleni apho, emini emaqanda, mhlekazi, ndabona ukukhanya okubengezela ngaphezu kokukhanya kwelanga, kuvela esibhakabhakeni, kundibengezelela ngeenxa zonke, naloo madoda ndandihamba nawo.
14 Xa sisonke sawa phantsi, ndaza ndeva ilizwi lithetha nam ngesiHebhere, lisithi: ‘Sawule, Sawule, unditshutshisela ntoni? Uyazenzakalisa ngezi nkani zakho!’
15 ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ ndabuza ndatsho. Yathi iNkosi: ‘Mna ndinguYesu, lo umtshutshisayo.
16 Vuka ume ngeenyawo. Ndibonakala kuwe ngesi sizathu sokuba ndikumisele ube sisicaka sam, ungqine kwabanye abantu ngokundibona kwakho namhlanje, nangezinto endisaza kukubonisa zona.
17 Ndikuhlangula kumaSirayeli nasezintlangeni; phofu ndikuthuma kwakuzo,
18 ukuba uvule amehlo azo, uziguqule ziphume ebumnyameni, zize ekukhanyeni, ziphume egunyeni likaSathana, zize kuThixo, ukuze zithi ngenxa yokuzinikela kum zixolelwe izono zazo, futhi zizuze indawo phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo abanyuliweyo.’ ”
19 “Ngoko ke, kumkani Agripa, ndawuthobela umbono lowo wawuvela ezulwini.
20 Ndaqala eDamasko ndaya eJerusalem, nakuwo wonke umhlaba wakwaJuda, nakweleentlanga, ndashumayela ukuba baguquke, beze kuThixo, benze izinto ezibonakalisayo ukuba baguqukile.
21 Sesi sizathu ke esabangela ukuba amaJuda andihlasele endlwini kaThixo, efuna ukundibulala.
22 Kodwa kude kwayile mini uThixo endinceda; nangoku ndimi apha ndingqina kubo bonke, abaphakamileyo nabaphantsi ngokufanayo. Le nto ndiyithethayo ikwayiloo nto bayithethayo *abashumayeli bamandulo kwakunye noMosis,
23 le yokuba uKrestu umelwe kukuva ubunzima, aze abe ngowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, avakalise ukuvela komsobomvu wosindiso kumaJuda nasezintlangeni.”
24 Wathi uPawulos esazithethelela njalo, uFesto wakhwaza wathi: “Uphambene, Pawulos! Imfundo eninzi iyakuphambanisa!”
25 UPawulos waphendula wathi: “Andiphambananga, mhlekazi Festo; la mazwi ndiwathethayo ayinyaniso, futhi ngawengqondo.
26 Mhlekazi Agripa, ndingathetha phandle nawe, kuba wena uyazazi ezi zinto. Ndiqinisekile ukuba waziqaphela xa zizonke, kuba le nto ayizange ifihlakale ukwenzeka kwayo.
27 Kumkani Agripa, uyakholwa ludaba *lwabashumayeli bamandulo? Kambe ndiyazi ukuba uyakholwa!”
28 Wathi uAgripa kuPawulos: “Kwangoku sowufuna ukundenza umKrestu nam?”
29 UPawulos waphendula wathi: “Nokuba kukwangoku, nokuba kukade, ngumthandazo wam ukuba ingabi nguwe wedwa, kodwa ibe ngabo bonke abandiphulaphuleyo namhlanje, babe njengam; kodwa ke noko bona bangakhonkxwa.”
30 Waza ke ukumkani, irhuluneli, noBhernike, nabo bonke ababelapho, baphakama,
31 baza xa bemkayo wathi omnye komnye: “Le ndoda ayenzanga nto engade ibulawe okanye ifakwe entolongweni ngenxa yayo.”
32 Wathi uAgripa kuFesto: “Le ndoda ngeyikhululwa ukuba ibingabhenelanga *kuKhesare.”