Act 24 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ngemuva kwezinsuku ezinhlanu umphristi ophezulu u-Ananiya wehlela eKhesariya labadala abathile kanye lommeli owayethiwa nguThethula, bafika beneka ukummangalela kwabo uPhawuli kumbusi.

Acts 24

Icala Lithethwa NguFelikhe

1 Ngemuva kwezinsuku ezinhlanu umphristi ophezulu u-Ananiya wehlela eKhesariya labadala abathile kanye lommeli owayethiwa nguThethula, bafika beneka ukummangalela kwabo uPhawuli kumbusi.

2 UPhawuli esebiziwe uThethula walethula icala kuFelikhe wathi: “Mhlekazi! Ngaphansi kombuso wakho sesikholise isikhathi eside esokuthula, ikanti lombono wakho usulethe intuthuko kulesisizwe. 3 Yonkindawo, ngazozonk’ izindlela, mhlekazi omuhle Felikhe, siyakwamukela konke lokhu ngokubonga okukhulu. 4 Kodwa ukuthi ngingakuchitheli isikhathi, ngiyakucela ukuthi uke usizwe kancinyane esikutshoyo.

5 “Indoda le siyifumane ukuthi iluhlupho, idunga abantu ukubhidliza phakathi kwabaJuda kuwo wonke umhlaba. Ingumholi welahlekiso lamaNazarini 6 futhi yazama njalo ukungcolisa ithempeli; yikho sayibamba. (Sasifuna ukumahlulela ngokomlayo wethu. 7 Kodwa umlawuli uLisiya weza wazamthatha ngodlakela ezandleni zethu, 8 wathi abammangalelayo kabeze phambi kwakhe.) Ngokumhlola wena ngokwakho uzalibona iqiniso ngazo zonke lezi izinto esimmangalela ngazo.”

9 AbaJuda labo bayingenela indaba beqinisa ukuthi lezizinto zaziliqiniso. 10 Kwathi umbusi esemphile ithuba lokuthi akhulume uPhawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi usube ngumahluli walesisizwe okweminyaka eminengi; ngakho ngiyathokoza ukwethula ukuzilamulela kwami. 11 Ungalithola iqiniso lokuthi kakudluli izinsuku ezilitshumi lambili ngiyile eJerusalema ukuyakhonza.

12 Abangimangalelayo kabazange bangifumane ngiphikisana lomuntu ethempelini, loba ngitshotshozela amaxuku emasinagogeni kumbe ngaphi edolobheni. 13 Bangazake balethe ubufakazi kuwe balezizinto abangimangalela ngazo. 14 Kodwa ngiyavuma ukuthi ngikhonza uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, njengomlandeli weNdlela abayibiza ngokuthi lilahlekiso. Ngiyakukholwa konke okuvumelana loMlayo lokubhaliweyo kubaPhrofethi, 15 njalo ngilalona lelothemba kuNkulunkulu alalo lamadoda, ukuthi kuzakuba lokuvuka kwabafileyo, abalungileyo lababi. 16 Ngakho ngiyazama kokuphela ukuba isazela sami sihlale sihlanzekile phambi kukaNkulunkulu laphambi kwabantu.

17 “Ngemuva kweminyaka eminengi ngingekho, ngeza eJerusalema ukuletha izipho zabayanga ebantwini bakithi lokwethula iminikelo. 18 Ngangihlanzekile ngokomkhuba baze bangifumane ethempelini ngisenza lokhu. Kwakungelaxuku labantu elalilami, kumbe ukuthi ngangiphazamisa ngokuthile. 19 Kodwa kukhona abaJuda abathile abavela esifundeni sase-Asiya, okufanele ukuthi ngabe bakhona lapha phambi kwakho, bangethese icala uma kukhona abakusolayo ngami. 20 Kumbe bonalaba abakhona kabachaze ukuthi licala bani abalifumanayo kimi mhlazana ngimi eSanihedrini – 21 ngaphandle kwalokhu kodwa engakumemezayo ngimi phambi kwabo ukuthi: ‘Kungenxa yendaba yokuvuka kwabafileyo okwenza ngithonisiswe phambi kwenu lamuhla.’ ”

22 Yikho uFelikhe, owayesazi kakhulu ngeNdlela walimisa icala. Wathi, “Kuzakuthi nxa uLisiya umlawuli angafika ngizaliquma icala lenu.” 23 Walaya umphathi wekhulu ukuthi agcine uPhawuli elindiwe kodwa amvumele ukukhululeka okuthile kanye labangane bakhe ukuthi bamenzele lokho akuswelayo.

24 Ngemuva kwezinsuku ezinengi uFelikhe wafika lomkakhe uDrusila owaye ngumJudakazi. Wathi kakubizwe uPhawuli, wamlalela echaza ngokukholwa kuJesu Khristu.

25 UPhawuli wathi esebalisa ngokulunga, langokuzithiba langokwahlulelwa okuzayo uFelikhe wesaba wathi, “Sekwanele okwamanje! Usungahamba. Kungaze kulunge njalo ngizakubiza.” 26 Yena wayekhumbula ukuthi uPhawuli wayezamupha imfumbathiso, yikho wayembiza futhi futhi ekhuluma laye.

27 Isidlule iminyaka emibili, uFelikhe walandelwa esikhundleni nguPhokhiyu Festu, kodwa ngoba uFelikhe wayefuna ukuthabisa abaJuda, watshiya uPhawuli elokhu esentolongweni.