IzEnzo ZabaPhostoli 23:1-35
23 Egqolozele iSanhedrini, uPawulu wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, ngiziphathe ngonembeza omsulwa ngokuphelele + phambi kukaNkulunkulu kuze kube namuhla.”
2 Umpristi ophakeme u-Ananiya wayala labo ababemi ngakuye ukuba bamshaye emlonyeni.
3 UPawulu wathi kuye: “UNkulunkulu uzokushaya wena mzenzisi.* Ingabe uhlalele ukungahlulela ngokuvumelana noMthetho, ngesikhathi esifanayo weqe uMthetho ngokuyala ukuba ngishaywe?”
4 Labo ababemi lapho bathi: “Uthuka umpristi ophakeme kaNkulunkulu?”
5 UPawulu wathi: “Bafowethu, bengingazi ukuthi ungumpristi ophakeme. Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi, ‘Ungakhulumi kabi ngombusi wabantu bakini.’ ” +
6 UPawulu ebona ukuthi enye ingxenye yayingabaSadusi kodwa enye ingabaFarisi, wamemeza kuyiSanhedrini wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, ngingumFarisi, + indodana yabaFarisi. Ngahlulelwa ngenxa yethemba lovuko lwabafile.”
7 Ngenxa yokusho lokhu, kwavela ukungezwani phakathi kwabaFarisi nabaSadusi, bahlukana phakathi.
8 Ngoba abaSadusi bathi akukho vuko nangelosi namoya, kodwa abaFarisi bakwamukela* konke. +
9 Ngakho kwaba nesiyaluyalu esikhulu, abanye kubabhali beqembu labaFarisi basukuma baphikisana kwashunqa uthuli, bethi: “Asitholi lutho olubi kulo muntu, kodwa uma umoya noma ingelosi yakhuluma naye +—.”
10 Lapho ukungezwani kuba kukhulu, umlawuli wamabutho wesaba ukuthi babezombulala uPawulu, ngakho wayala amasosha ukuba ehle amhlwithe phakathi kwabo amlethe ekamu lamasosha.
11 Kodwa ngobusuku obulandelayo iNkosi yama ngakuye yathi: “Yiba nesibindi! + Ngoba njengoba nje ubufakaza ngokugcwele ngami eJerusalema, kanjalo kumelwe ufakaze futhi naseRoma.” +
12 Lapho kusa, amaJuda akha uzungu, afunga ukuthi ngeke adle noma aphuze aze ambulale uPawulu.
13 Ayengaphezu kuka-40 amadoda akha lolu zungu futhi enza isifungo.
14 La madoda aya kubapristi abakhulu nasemadodeni amadala afike athi: “Senze isifungo sokuthi ngeke sidle lutho nhlobo size simbulale uPawulu.
15 Ngakho nina kanye neSanhedrini kufanele nazise umlawuli wamabutho ukuthi kumelwe amehlisele kini njengokungathi nifuna ukulihlolisisa ngokwengeziwe icala lakhe. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba asondele, sizobe sesikulungele ukumbulala.”
16 Nokho, umshana kaPawulu wezwa ngozungu ababelwakha, wangena ekamu lamasosha wabikela uPawulu.
17 UPawulu wabe esebiza esinye sezikhulu zebutho wathi: “Hambisa le nsizwa kumlawuli wamabutho, ngoba inokuthile efuna ukumbikela kona.”
18 Ngakho sayithatha sayihambisa kumlawuli wamabutho, sathi: “Isiboshwa esinguPawulu singibizile sangicela ukuba ngilethe le nsizwa kuwe ngoba inokuthile efuna ukukutshela kona.”
19 Umlawuli wamabutho wayibamba ngesandla wayoyibuza ngasese: “Yini le ofuna ukungibikela yona?”
20 Yathi: “AmaJuda avumelene ngokuba akucele wehlisele uPawulu kuyiSanhedrini kusasa, njengokungathi ahlose ukuzwa okwengeziwe ngecala lakhe. +
21 Kodwa ungawavumeli ukuba akuthonye, ngoba amadoda angu-40 kuwo amcuthele, enze isifungo sokuthi ngeke adle noma aphuze engakambulali; + asemi ngomumo manje, alindele ukuba wamukele isicelo sawo.”
22 Ngakho umlawuli wamabutho wayidedela le nsizwa ngemva kokuyiyala ethi: “Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi ungitshelile lokhu.”
23 Wabiza izikhulu zebutho ezimbili wathi kuzo: “Lungisani amasosha angu-200 ukuba amashe aze afike eKhesariya, kanye nabagibeli bamahhashi abangu-70 nabaphatha imikhonto abangu-200, ngehora lesithathu lobusuku.*
24 Lungisani amahhashi ukuze nigibelise uPawulu nimyise kuFeliksi umbusi ngokuphepha.”
25 Wabhala incwadi ethi:
26 “Mina Klawudiyu Lisiya, ngikubhalela le ncwadi wena Mhlonishwa, Mbusi Feliksi: Ngiyabingelela!
27 Le ndoda yabanjwa amaJuda futhi ayesezoyibulala, kodwa ngafika ngokushesha namasosha ami ngayisindisa, *+ ngoba ngezwa ukuthi ingumRoma. +
28 Njengoba ngangifuna ukuthola ukuthi kungani ayeyimangalela, ngayehlisela kuyiSanhedrini yawo. +
29 Ngayithola ibekwa icala ngezinto eziphathelene noMthetho wawo, + kodwa ingamangalelwa nangento eyodwa eyenza ifanelwe ukufa noma ukuboshwa.
30 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi ngitsheliwe ngozungu eyakhelwe lona, + ngiyithumela kuwe njengamanje futhi ngiyala labo abayimangalele ukuba balethe leli cala kuwe.”
31 Ngakho la masosha amthatha uPawulu + njengoba ayeyaliwe amyisa e-Antipatheri ebusuku.
32 Ngosuku olulandelayo avumela abagibeli bamahhashi ukuba baqhubekele phambili naye, wona abuyela ekamu lamasosha.
33 Abagibeli bamahhashi bangena eKhesariya banikeza umbusi incwadi base bethula noPawulu kuye.
34 Wayifunda, wabuza ukuthi uvela kusiphi isifundazwe, wathola ukuthi ungowaseKhilikhiya. +
35 Wathi: “Ngizokunika ithuba lokuba ukhulume konke lapho abakumangalele sebefikile.” + Wayala ukuba agcinwe esigodlweni sikaHerode agadwe.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “ludonga olucakwe ngokumhlophe.”
^ Noma, “bakuvuma obala.”
^ Okuwukuthi, cishe ngo-9:00 ebusuku.
^ Noma, “ngayophula.”
