IzEnzo 26:1-32
26 U-Agripha+ wathi kuPawulu: “Uvunyelwe ukuba uzikhulumele.” Khona-ke uPawulu welula isandla+ wayesethi ekuzivikeleni kwakhe:+
2 “Ngokuphathelene nazo zonke izinto amaJuda angimangalela ngazo,+ Nkosi Agripha, ngiyajabula ngokuthi namuhla kumelwe ngiziphendulele phambi kwakho,
3 ikakhulukazi njengoba uyisazi sawo wonke amasiko+ nezimpikiswano phakathi kwamaJuda. Ngakho-ke ngiyakuncenga ukuba ungilalele ngesineke.
4 “Ngempela, ngokuqondene nendlela yokuphila+ engangiyiphila kusukela ebusheni kuqhubeke phakathi kwesizwe sakithi naseJerusalema kusukela ekuqaleni, wonke amaJuda
5 ayejwayelene nami ngaphambili kusukela ekuqaleni ayazi, uma ethanda angafakaza, ukuthi ngokwehlelo+ elinomthetho oqine kakhulu lendlela yethu yokukhulekela ngangiphila njengomFarisi.+
6 Kodwa manje ngenxa yethemba+ lesithembiso+ esenziwa uNkulunkulu kokhokho bethu ngibizelwe ukwahlulelwa;
7 kuyilapho izizwe zakithi eziyishumi nambili zinethemba lokufinyelela ekugcwalisekeni kwalesi sithembiso ngokunikela kakhulu kuye inkonzo engcwele ubusuku nemini.+ AmaJuda angimangalela mayelana naleli themba,+ nkosi.
8 “Kungani nikubheka njengokungakholeleki ukuthi uNkulunkulu uvusa abafileyo?+
9 Impela, mina ngokwami, ngangicabanga ngaphakathi kimi ukuthi kufanele ngenze izenzo eziningi zokuphikisa igama likaJesu umNazaretha;
10 okuyilokho, eqinisweni, engakwenza eJerusalema, futhi abaningi kwabangcwele ngabavalela ematilongweni,+ njengoba ngangithole igunya kubapristi abakhulu;+ futhi lapho bebulawa, ngangivota ngokumelene nabo.
11 Ngokubajezisa izikhathi eziningi kuwo wonke amasinagoge,+ ngazama ukubaphoqa ukuba bahoxe; futhi njengoba ngangibathukuthelele ngokudlulele, ngaze ngabashushisa ngisho nasemizini engaphandle.
12 “Phakathi nale mizamo njengoba ngangiya eDamaseku+ nginegunya futhi ngithunywe abapristi abakhulu,
13 emini bebade ngabona endleleni, nkosi, ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini okungaphezu kokukhazimula kwelanga kubaneka nxazonke zami nalabo esasihamba nabo.+
14 Lapho sonke sesiwele phansi, ngezwa izwi lithi kimi ngolimi lwesiHebheru, ‘Sawulu, Sawulu, ungishushiselani na? Ukuqhubeka ukhahlela izinkandi kwenza kube nzima kuwe.’+
15 Kodwa ngathi, ‘Ungubani wena, Nkosi?’ INkosi yathi, ‘NginguJesu, omshushisayo.+
16 Noma kunjalo, vuka ume ngezinyawo.+ Ngoba ngizibonakalise ngale njongo kuwe, ukuba ngikukhethe njengesikhonzi nofakazi+ wezinto ozibonile nezinto engizokubonisa zona ngami;
17 lapho ngikukhulula kulesi sizwe nasezizweni, engikuthuma kuzo,+
18 ukuba uvule amehlo azo,+ uzisuse ebumnyameni+ uziyise ekukhanyeni+ uzisuse egunyeni likaSathane+ uziyise kuNkulunkulu, ukuze zithole ukuthethelelwa kwezono+ nefa+ phakathi kwalabo abangcweliswa+ ngokholo lwabo kimi.’
19 “Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Agripha, angizange ngingawulaleli umbono wasezulwini,+
20 kodwa ngayisa isigijimi kulabo abaseDamaseku+ kuqala nakulabo abaseJerusalema,+ nakulo lonke izwe laseJudiya nasezizweni,+ sokuthi kufanele baphenduke futhi baguqukele kuNkulunkulu ngokwenza imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka.+
21 Ngenxa yalezi zinto amaJuda angibamba ethempelini futhi azama ukungibulala.+
22 Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi ngitholé usizo+ oluvela kuNkulunkulu ngiyaqhubeka kuze kube yilolu suku ngifakaza kwabancane nabakhulu, kodwa angisho lutho ngaphandle kwezinto abaProfethi+ kanye noMose+ abathi zaziyokwenzeka,
23 ukuthi uKristu wayeyohlupheka,+ futhi njengoba engowokuqala ukuba avuswe+ kwabafileyo, wayeyomemezela ukukhanya+ kulesi sizwe nasezizweni.”+
24 Manje njengoba asho lezi zinto ezivikela, uFestu wathi ngezwi elikhulu: “Uyahlanya,+ Pawulu! Ukufunda kakhulu kuyakuhlanyisa!”
25 Kodwa uPawulu wathi: “Angihlanyi, Mhlonishwa Festu, kodwa ngikhuluma amazwi eqiniso nawokuhluzeka kwengqondo.
26 Eqinisweni, inkosi engikhuluma kuyo ngenkululeko yokukhuluma yazi kahle ngalezi zinto; ngoba ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi ayikho neyodwa kulezi zinto eyiphunyukayo, ngoba le nto ayenziwanga ekusithekeni.+
27 Ingabe wena, Nkosi Agripha, uyakholelwa kubaProfethi? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholelwa.”+
28 Kodwa u-Agripha wathi kuPawulu: “Ngesikhashana nje uzongithonya ukuba ngibe umKristu.”
29 Khona-ke uPawulu wathi: “Bengingafisa kuNkulunkulu ukuba kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngesikhashana nje noma ngesikhathi eside kungabi nguwe nje kuphela kodwa futhi nabo bonke laba abangizwayo namuhla nibe ngabantu abanjengami, ngaphandle kwalezi zibopho.”
30 Inkosi yasukuma kanjalo nombusi noBernike namadoda ayehlezi nabo.
31 Kodwa njengoba besuka bakhuluma bodwa, bethi: “Lo muntu akukho lutho alwenzayo olumenza afanelwe ukufa+ noma izibopho.”
32 Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Agripha wathi kuFestu: “Lo muntu ngabe ukhululiwe ukuba akalidluliselanga+ kuKhesari icala.”
