Izenzo

UPawulu ulandisa abaJuda ngokuphenduka kwakhe

¹ “Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, yizwani ukuziphendulela kwami phambi kwenu kalokhu.” ²Kwathi bemuzwa ekhuluma kubo ngolimi lwesiHeberu, bathula bathi du. Wayesethi: ³“Mina ngiyindoda engumJuda, ngazalwa eTarsu laseKhilikhiya, kodwa ngakhulela kulo muzi, ngafundiswa ngasezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli ngesineke ngomthetho wawobaba, ngashisekela uNkulunkulu njengokuba nonke ninjalo namuhla; ⁴ngayizingela leyo Ndlela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, ngibopha ngibakhaphela ematilongweni abesilisa nabesifazane, ⁵njengokuba nompristi omkhulu ufakaza ngami namalunga onke; ngamukela kubo izincwadi ezilotshelwe abazalwane, ngaya eDamaseku ukuba nababe khona lapho ngibayise eJerusalema beboshiwe, ukuze bajeziswe. ⁶ “Kwathi ngisahamba ngisondela eDamaseku kuphakathi kwemini, kwangibaneka masinyane nxazonke ukukhanya okukhulu okwavela ezulwini, ⁷ngawa phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa izwi lithi kimi: ‘Sawulu, Sawulu, ungizingelelani na?’ ⁸“Ngase ngiphendula ngathi: ‘Ungubani, Nkosi, na?’“Wathi kimi: ‘Mina nginguJesu waseNazaretha omzingelayo.’ ⁹Kepha labo ababe nami bakubona ukukhanya, kodwa izwi lowakhuluma nami abalizwanga. ¹⁰“Ngathi: ‘Ngizakwenzani, Nkosi, na?’“INkosi yayisithi kimi: ‘Sukuma, uye eDamaseku, uzakutshelwa khona konke okumiselweyo ukuba ukwenze.’ ¹¹Kepha njengokuba ngangingasaboni ngenxa yenkazimulo yalokho kukhanya, ngaholwa ngesandla yibo ababe nami, ngafika eDamaseku. ¹² “U-Ananiya othile, indoda ekholwa ngokomthetho, owayefakazelwa yibo bonke abaJuda ababakhile khona, ¹³weza kimi, wema, wathi kimi: ‘Sawulu, mzalwane, buye ubone.’ Mina ngase ngimbona ngaso leso sikhathi. ¹⁴ “Wayesethi: ‘UNkulunkulu wawobaba wakumisela ngaphambili ukuyazi intando yakhe, nokumbona oLungileyo, nokulizwa izwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe, ¹⁵ngokuba uzakuba ngufakazi wakhe kubantu bonke walokho okubonileyo nokuzwileyo. ¹⁶Manje-ke ulibalelani na? Sukuma, ubhapathizwe, uhlambulule izono zakho ngokukhuleka egameni lakhe.’ ¹⁷ “Kwathi sengibuyele eJerusalema, ngikhuleka ethempelini, ngehlelwa yisiyezi, ¹⁸ngambona; wathi kimi: ‘Khawuleza uphume masinyane eJerusalema, ngokuba abazukwamukela ubufakazi bakho ngami.’ ¹⁹“Mina ngase ngithi: ‘Nkosi, bayazi bona ukuthi yimina engangibabopha ngibashaya emasinagogeni* abakholwa nguwe; ²⁰futhi mhla kuchithwa igazi likaStefanu ufakazi wakho, ngangimi khona mina, ngivuma, ngilinda izingubo zabambulalayo.’ ²¹ “Wathi kimi: ‘Hamba, ngokuba mina ngizakukuthuma uye kude kwabezizwe.’ ”

AbaJuda bafuna ukumbulala uPawulu

²² Kepha bamlalela kwaze kwaba kulelo zwi; base bephakamisa izwi labo, bethi: “Msuseni onje emhlabeni, ngokuba akufanele ukuba aphile.” ²³Kwathi besabangalasa, behlubula izingubo, bethuquza uthuli phezulu, ²⁴induna yenkulungwane yayala ukuba angeniswe ekamu,* yathi akahlolwe ngenduku, ukuze iqonde ukuthi kungasiphi isici bememeza kanje ngaye. ²⁵Kepha besamelula ngemichilo, uPawulu wathi enduneni yekhulu eyayimi khona: “Kuvunyelwe yini ukushaya umuntu ongumRoma engalahlwanga yicala na?” ²⁶Induna yekhulu ikuzwile yaya enduneni yenkulungwane, yabika yathi: “Usuzakwenzani na, ngokuba lowo muntu ungumRoma?” ²⁷Induna yenkulungwane yayisifika, yathi kuye: “Ngitshele, wena ungumRoma na?”Yena wathi: “Yebo.” ²⁸Kepha induna yenkulungwane yaphendula yathi: “Mina ngalithenga lelo lungelo ngemali enkulu.”Kodwa uPawulu wathi: “Kepha mina ngazalwa nalo.” ²⁹Ngakho basuka kuye masinyane abase bezakumhlola; kepha induna yenkulungwane yesaba, isiyazi ukuthi ungumRoma nokuthi ibimbophile. ³⁰Kwathi ngangomuso ifuna ukwazi iqiniso lalokho amangalelwe ngakho ngabaJuda, yamkhulula, yayala ukuba abapristi abakhulu nomphakathi wonke ubuthane, yamehlisa uPawulu phambi kwabo.