ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
24 Ngemva kwamalanga amahlanu umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya+ wafika labanye abadala legqwetha okuthiwa nguThethula, batshela umbusi*+ ukuthi babemmangalela ngani uPhawuli. 2 UThethula uthe esetshelwe ukuthi akhulume, waqalisa ukusola uPhawuli phambi kukaFelikhe esithi:
“Siyazibonela ukuthi wenze saba lokuthula okukhulu lokuthi ingqondo yakho ebanzi ilethe izinguquko esizweni lesi. 3 Lokhu sikubona zikhathi zonke ezindaweni zonke Mhlonitshwa Felikhe njalo siyabonga kakhulu. 4 Kodwa ngiyakuncenga ukuthi ube lomusa kithi, usilalele kancane nje. Angisoze ngikuqedele isikhathi. 5 Sithole ukuthi indoda le iluhlupho,+ itshotshozela wonke amaJuda emhlabeni wonke ukuthi avukele umbuso+ futhi yiyo ekhokhela iqembu lamaNazaretha.+ 6 Ibizama lokungcolisa ithempeli, yikho siyibambile.+ 7 *—— 8 Nxa ungayibuzisisa kuzakucacela konke lokhu esiyimangalela ngakho.”
9 Esetsho njalo lamaJuda amsekela esithi zonke izinto lezo ziliqiniso. 10 Umbusi wanqekuza ikhanda esithi uPhawuli kakhulume. UPhawuli wasesithi:
“Ngikwazi mhlophe ukuthi usube ngumahluleli wesizwe lesi okweminyaka eminengi. Yikho ngikhuluma ngikhululekile ukuze ngizivikele.+ 11 Akukadluli amalanga angu-12 ngihambe eJerusalema ngisiyakhonza,+ ungabuza loba ngubani. 12 Abazange bangithole ngixabana lomuntu ethempelini loba ngitshotshozela abantu emasinagogeni lakulo lonke idolobho ukuthi bavukele. 13 Kakho ongafakaza phambi kwakho ukuthi izinto abangimangalela ngazo ziliqiniso. 14 Kodwa engikuvumayo kuwe yikuthi ngenzela uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bami inkonzo engcwele+ ngilandela indlela le bona abayibiza ngokuthi liqembu lamaNazaretha njalo ngiyakukholwa konke okuseMthethweni lokubhalwe kubaPhrofethi.+ 15 Ngilethemba kuNkulunkulu, okuyilo ithemba amadoda la alalo elokuthi abafileyo bazavuswa,+ abalungileyo labangalunganga.+ 16 Lokhu kungenza ngihlale ngizama ngamandla wonke ukuba lomzwangedwa omsulwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu labantu.+ 17 Kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka eminengi ngingekho, ngafika ngizokupha isizwe sakithi izipho*+ njalo ngizokwenza iminikelo. 18 Ngathi ngisenza lokhu bangifica ethempelini ngihlanjululiwe ngokoMthetho kaMosi,+ ngingelaxuku futhi ngingabangeli ukuxokozela. Kodwa kwakulamanye amaJuda ayevela esabelweni se-Asiya 19 obekumele abekhona phambi kwakho, angimangalele nxa kukhona sibili akusolayo ngami.+ 20 Kumbe vumela amadoda alapha azikhulumele ukuthi ngesikhathi ngimi phambi kweSanihedrini angithola ngilecala bani, 21 ngaphandle kokukodwa nje engakutshoyo ngimi phakathi kwawo ngisithi: ‘Lamuhla ngithonisiswa phambi kwenu ngenxa yokuthi ngiyakholwa ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa!’”+
22 UFelikhe wayezazi kuhle izinto eziphathelane leNdlela le.+ Ngakho wabatshela ukuthi bahambe, wathi: “Indaba yenu ngizayahlulela nxa induna yamabutho uLisiya ingabuya.” 23 Watshela lomkhokheli webutho ukuthi uPhawuli aqhubeke ebotshiwe kodwa aphiwe inkululeko yokwenza ezinye izinto lokuthi abangane bakhe bavunyelwe ukumncedisa ngakuswelayo.
24 Ngemva kwamalanga athile uFelikhe wabuya lomkakhe uDrusila owayengumJuda wasesithi uPhawuli abizwe. Wamlalela ekhuluma ngokukholwa kuKhristu uJesu+ 25 kodwa uPhawuli wathi esekhuluma ngokulunga lokuzibamba kanye lokwahlulela okuzayo,+ uFelikhe wesaba wasesithi kuye: “Okwakhathesi hamba kodwa ngingathola ithuba ngizathi ubizwe futhi.” 26 Wayelokhu ekhangelele ukuthi uPhawuli uzamupha imali. Yikho wayesehlala esithi abizwe abesekhuluma laye. 27 Ngemva kweminyaka emibili uPhokhiyu Festu wangena esikhundleni sikaFelikhe. Kodwa uFelikhe watshiya uPhawuli elokhu esejele ngoba wayefuna ukuthabisa amaJuda.+