ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
26 U-Agripha+ wathi kuPhawuli: “Usungakhuluma sizwe ukuthi uzivikela usithini.” UPhawuli waseselula isandla sakhe waqalisa ukukhuluma esithi:
2 “Nkosi Agripha, kuyangithokozisa ukuthi lamuhla ngizazivikela phambi kwakho ezintweni zonke amaJuda angimangalela ngazo.+ 3 Wena uyawazi wonke amasiko amaJuda lezimpikiswano zawo. Ngakho ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ubekezele, ungilalele.
4 “Wonke amaJuda ayazi mhlophe indlela engangiphila ngayo phakathi kwabantu bakithi* kusukela ngisesemncane langesikhathi ngiseJerusalema+ 5 njalo sekulesikhathi eside engazi. Nxa efuna angafakaza ukuthi ngangingumFarisi+ futhi abaFarisi banamathela kakhulu emthethweni+ ukwedlula amanye amaJuda. 6 Kodwa khathesi ngiyathonisiswa ngenxa yokuthi ngilethemba lokuthi isithembiso esenziwa nguNkulunkulu kubokhokho bethu+ sizagcwaliseka. 7 Isithembiso lesi yiso izizwana zethu ezilitshumi lambili ezilethemba lokusibona sigcwaliseka njengoba zisebenza gadalala zimenzela inkonzo engcwele ubusuku lemini. AmaJuda angimangalela ngenxa yethemba lelo+ nkosi.
8 “Kuyini okwenza lingakholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu angabavusa abafileyo? 9 Mina ngangizitshela ukuthi kuqondile ukwenza konke engingakwenza ukuze ngiphikise ibizo likaJesu umNazaretha. 10 Yikho kanye engangikwenza eJerusalema. Abanengi abangcwele ngabavalela emajele+ ngoba abaphristi abakhokhelayo babengiphe amandla okwenza njalo,+ futhi nxa kwasekumele babulawe ngangivotela ukuthi babulawe. 11 Ngangihlala ngibajezisa emasinagogeni, ngizama ukubatshiyisa ukholo lwabo ngenkani ngaze ngahlukuluza labanye kwamanye amadolobho ngoba ngangibazondele kakhulu.
12 “Ngakwenza lokhu ngisiya eDamaseko, ngiphiwe amandla kanye lomlayo ngabaphristi abakhokhelayo. 13 Nkosi, kwathi sekusemini enkulu ngisemgwaqweni ngabona ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, kusedlula ukukhanya kwelanga. Kwaphazima kwakhanyisa lapho engangikhona lakulabo engangihamba labo.+ 14 Sonke sawela phansi, ngasengisizwa ilizwi likhuluma lami ngolimi lwesiHebheru lisithi: ‘Sawuli, Sawuli, kanti ungihlukuluzelani? Uzithwalisa nzima nxa ulokhu ukhahlela izigodo ezicijileyo.’* 15 Mina ngasengisithi: ‘Ungubani Nkosi?’ INkosi yathi: ‘NginguJesu, lowo omhlukuluzayo. 16 Sukuma ume. Ngiziveze kuwe ukuze ngikukhethe ube yinceku yami lofakazi wezinto ozibonileyo kanye lalezo ezimayelana lami engizakutshengisa zona.+ 17 Ngizakuvikela esizweni sakini lasezizweni engizakuthuma kuzo+ 18 ukuthi uvule amehlo azo,+ uzisuse ebumnyameni+ ziguqukele ekukhanyeni,+ zisuke lasemandleni kaSathane+ ziguqukele kuNkulunkulu, ukuze zithethelelwe izono+ futhi zithole ilifa zilalabo abangcwelisiweyo ngenxa yokuthi balokholo kimi.’
19 “Lakanye ngakwenza lokho engakutshelwa embonweni ovela ezulwini Nkosi Agripha. 20 Ngaqala kwabaseDamaseko,+ ngasengisiya eJerusalema+ lakuzo zonke izindawo zeJudiya kanye lasebantwini bezinye izizwe, ngibatshela ukuthi baphenduke futhi basondele kuNkulunkulu ngokwenza imisebenzi etshengisa ukuthi sebephendukile.+ 21 Yikho amaJuda angibamba ethempelini azama ukungibulala.+ 22 Kodwa kuze kube lamuhla ngiqhubeka ngifakaza kubantukazana labahlonitshwa ngoba ngiyabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyangincedisa. Akukho okunye engikukhulumayo ngaphandle kwalokho abaPhrofethi loMosi abathi kwakuzakwenzakala,+ 23 ukuthi uKhristu wayezahlupheka,+ abe ngowokuqala ukuvuswa kwabafileyo+ njalo amemezele ukukhanya ebantwini laba lasezizweni.”+
24 UPhawuli wathi esakhuluma uFestu wamemeza wathi: “Usuphambene Phawuli! Ukufunda kakhulu sekukuphambanisa ingqondo!” 25 Kodwa uPhawuli wathi: “Kayisikho ukuthi sengiphambene Mhlonitshwa Festu kodwa ngikhuluma amazwi aliqiniso lalengqondo. 26 Inkosi engikhuluma layo ngikhululeke kangaka izazi kuhle izinto lezi. Angithandabuzi ukuthi akukho lokukodwa okuyeqileyo ngoba akukho okwenzelwe endaweni ecatshileyo.+ 27 Uyabakholwa yini abaPhrofethi Nkosi Agripha? Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uyabakholwa.” 28 Kodwa u-Agripha wathi kuPhawuli: “Ngesikhatshana nje uzangenza ngitshintshe ngibe ngumKhristu.” 29 UPhawuli wasesithi: “Loba kungathatha isikhathi esifitshane kumbe eside, engikufisayo yikuthi uNkulunkulu enze ukuthi wena labo bonke abangizwayo lamuhla libe njengami kodwa lingela amaketane la.”
30 Inkosi yasisukuma lombusi* loBhenisi kanye lamadoda ababehlezi lawo. 31 Bathi sebephuma bakhuluma bebodwa besithi: “Akulalutho olwenziwe yindoda le olungenza ifanele ukubulawa kumbe ukubotshwa.”+ 32 U-Agripha wasesithi kuFestu: “Indoda le ibizakhululwa aluba ayidluliselanga icala layo kuKhesari.”+