ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli 23:1-35
23 UPhawuli wayikhangela iSanihedrini wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, umzwangedwa wami umsulwa+ ngenxa yendlela ebengiziphethe ngayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu kuze kube lamuhla.”
2 Umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wasesithi ababemi eduze kwakhe bamtshaye umlomo.
3 UPhawuli wathi kuye: “UNkulunkulu uzakutshaya wena mduli opendwe waba mhlophe. Uhlezi khonapho ukuze ungahlulele ngoMthetho ngapha wena usephula lowoMthetho ngokubatshela ukuthi bangitshaye.”
4 Ababemi lapho bathi: “Kanti uthethisa umphristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu?”
5 UPhawuli wathi: “Bafowethu, bengingazi ukuthi ungumphristi omkhulu. Kubhaliwe ukuthi, ‘Akumelanga uthuke umbusi wabantu bakini.’”+
6 Njengoba uPhawuli wayesazi ukuthi elinye icele lalingelabaSadusi elinye lingelabaFarisi, wamemeza phakathi kweSanihedrini wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu, mina ngingumFarisi,+ ngiyindodana yabaFarisi. Ngithonisiswa ngenxa yokuthi ngilethemba lokuthi abafileyo bazavuswa.”
7 Ngemva kwalokho kwavuka impikiswano kubaFarisi labaSadusi, badabukana phakathi
8 ngoba abaSadusi bathi abafileyo abasoze bavuswe futhi akulazingilosi kumbe izidalwa zomoya kodwa abaFarisi bona bathi konke lokhu kukhona.+
9 Yikho kwaba lokuxokozela okukhulu, abanye ababhali beqembu labaFarisi basukuma baphikisa ngamandla besithi: “Asitholi cala emuntwini lo, kodwa nxa umoya kumbe ingilosi ikhulume laye+—.”
10 Impikiswano yathi isitshisa, induna yamabutho yesaba ukuthi babezamdabudabula uPhawuli, yasitshela amasotsha ukuthi ayehle ayemsusa phakathi kwabo, amlethe enkambeni yamasotsha.
11 Ngelanga elilandelayo iNkosi yama eceleni kwakhe ebusuku yathi: “Woba lesibindi!+ Njengoba nje ubufakaza ngami ngokugcweleyo eJerusalema, kumele uyefakaza laseRoma.”+
12 Kusisa amaJuda ahlanganisa amakhanda enza isifungo sokuthi nxa angadla loba anathe engakambulali uPhawuli ayabe eqalekisiwe.
13 Amadoda enza isifungo lesi ayesedlula 40.
14 Ahamba kubaphristi abakhokhelayo labadala afika athi: “Sesenze isifungo sokuthi nxa singadla loba yini singakambulali uPhawuli siyabe siqalekisiwe.
15 Yikho lina leSanihedrini kumele litshele induna yamabutho ukuthi imlethe kini, lenze angathi lifuna ukulihlolisisa kuhle icala lakhe. Thina sizabe sesimlindele ukuze simbulale esasendleleni.”
16 Kodwa indodana kadadewabo kaPhawuli yezwa ukuthi babefuna ukumcathamela, yasingena enkambeni yamasotsha yabikela uPhawuli.
17 UPhawuli wabiza omunye wabakhokheli bebutho wathi kuye: “Thatha ijaha leli uhambe lalo enduneni yamabutho ngoba kulento elifuna ukuyibika kuyo.”
18 Lakanye waya lalo enduneni yamabutho wafika wathi: “UPhawuli isibotshwa ungibizile wangicela ukuthi ngilethe ijaha leli kuwe ngoba kulento elifuna ukukutshela yona.”
19 Induna yamabutho yabamba ijaha lelo ngesandla yalidonsela eceleni yalibuza yathi: “Ufuna ukungitshelani?”
20 Lona lathi: “AmaJuda asevumelene ukukucela ukuthi ulethe uPhawuli eSanihedrini kusasa ukuze kukhanye angathi afuna ukwazi okunye ngecala lakhe.+
21 Kodwa ungavumi loba angaze akuncenge njani ngoba alamadoda edlula 40 amcathameleyo njalo enze isifungo sokuthi nxa angadla loba anathe engakambulali aqalekisiwe.+ Sikhuluma nje asemelele ukuthi wena uvume kuphela.”
22 Ngakho induna yamabutho yaqonqosela ijaha lelo yathi: “Ungatsheli muntu ukuthi ungibikele indaba le.” Yasiliyekela lahamba.
23 Yabiza abakhokheli bebutho ababili yathi: “Thathani amasotsha angu-200 lilungiselele ukuya eKhesariya ngehora lesithathu ebusuku,* lithathe lamanye angu-70 agada amabhiza kanye langu-200 alemikhonto.
24 Liphinde lilungisele loPhawuli amabhiza azawagada ukuze afike evikelekile kumbusi* uFelikhe.”
25 Wasebhala incwadi eyayilamazwi athi:
26 “Mina Klawudiyu Lisiya, ngiyakubingelela wena Mhlonitshwa, Mbusi Felikhe:
27 Indoda le ibanjwe ngamaJuda futhi abesezayibulala kodwa mina lamasotsha ami sihle safika masinyane sayilamulela+ ngoba besengizwe ukuthi ingumRoma.+
28 Ngiyithethe ngayisa phambi kweSanihedrini yawo ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi ayimangalela ngani.+
29 Ngasengithola ukuthi ayimangalela ngezinto ezimayelana loMthetho wawo+ kodwa akukho lokukodwa emangalelwa ngakho okungenza ifanele ukubulawa loba ukufakwa ejele.
30 Loba kunjalo ngiyithumela kuwe masinyane ngoba ngitshelwe ukuthi sekubunjwe icebo lokuyibulala+ njalo sengitshele lalabo abayimangalelayo ukuthi bazokwethula udaba lwabo phambi kwakho.”
31 Amasotsha athatha uPhawuli+ njengoba ayetsheliwe, ahamba laye ebusuku ayafika e-Antiphatri.
32 Ngelanga elilandelayo amtshiya lamasotsha ayehamba ngamabhiza ukuthi aqhubeke laye, wona abuyela enkambeni yamasotsha.
33 Ababegade amabhiza bangena eKhesariya bafika banika umbusi incwadi, batshiya loPhawuli ezandleni zakhe.
34 Waseyibala wabuza ukuthi wayevela kusiphi isabelo, watshelwa ukuthi wayevela eKhilikhiya.+
35 Wasesithi, “Indaba yakho ngizayilalelisisa nxa abakumangalelayo sebefikile.”+ Wathi kagcinwe esigodlweni sikaHerodi ahlale elindiwe.
