ImiSebenzi Yabaphostoli
22 “Madoda, bafowethu lani bobaba, lalelani lizwe ukuzivikela kwami.”+ 2 Bathi besizwa ekhuluma labo ngesiHebheru baqhubeka bethule, wasesithi: 3 “Mina ngingumJuda+ owazalelwa eThasu yeKhilikhiya+ kodwa ngafundiswa nguGamaliyeli+ ngokwakhe* kulonaleli idolobho. Ngafundiswa ukuwugcina ngonanzelelo uMthetho wabokhokho+ njalo ngangikukhuthalele ukukhonza uNkulunkulu njengani lonke elilapha lamuhla.+ 4 Ngangihlukuluza abaleyoNdlela ngize ngibabulalise futhi ngangibopha amadoda labesifazana ngibahambisa emajele.+ 5 Umphristi omkhulu leqembu lonke labadala bangangifakazela. Yibo abanginika izincwadi ezazisiya kubafowethu abangamaJuda ababeseDamaseko, ngasengisuka ngisiyabopha ababekuleyondawo ukuze ngibuye labo eJerusalema bajeziswe.
6 “Kodwa ngathi sengiseduze leDamaseko, sekungaba semini enkulu, lapho engangikhona kwaphazima ukukhanya okwakuvela ezulwini.+ 7 Ngawela phansi, ngezwa ilizwi lisithi kimi: ‘Sawuli, Sawuli, kanti ungihlukuluzelani?’ 8 Ngaphendula ngathi: ‘Ungubani Nkosi?’ Yena wathi kimi: ‘NginguJesu umNazaretha lowo omhlukuluzayo.’ 9 Amadoda engangilawo akubona ukukhanya kodwa kawazwanga ukuthi ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma lami lalisithini. 10 Ngasengisithi: ‘Kufanele ngenzeni Nkosi?’ INkosi yathi kimi: ‘Sukuma ungene eDamaseko, uzafika lapho utshelwe konke okhethelwe ukuthi ukwenze.’+ 11 Kodwa njengoba ngangingasaboni lutho ngenxa yenkazimulo yokukhanya lokho, ngafika eDamaseko ngibanjwe ngesandla yilabo engangilabo.
12 “Indoda okuthiwa ngu-Ananiya eyesaba uNkulunkulu, egcina uMthetho njalo ekhulunyelwa kuhle yiwo wonke amaJuda 13 yeza kimi yafika yama eduze kwami yathi kimi: ‘Sawuli mfowethu, amehlo akho kawaphinde abone!’ Ngaso kanye lesosikhathi ngahle ngabona, ngamkhangela u-Ananiya.+ 14 Wasesithi: ‘UNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu ukukhethile ukuthi wazi intando yakhe lokuthi ubone olungileyo,+ uzwe lelizwi lakhe 15 ngoba uzakuba ngufakazi wakhe ebantwini bonke, ubatshele konke okubonileyo lokuzwileyo.+ 16 Manje usalindeni? Sukuma ubhabhathizwe ugeze izono zakho+ ngokubiza ibizo lakhe.’+
17 “Kodwa ngathi sengiphendukile eJerusalema+ ngafikelwa ngumbono ngithandaza ethempelini. 18 Ngabona iNkosi, yathi kimi: ‘Phangisa uphume eJerusalema masinyane ngoba abasoze bakwamukele okufakazayo ngami.’+ 19 Ngasengisithi: ‘Nkosi, abantu labo bakwazi mhlophe ukuthi ngangijayele ukuhamba isinagogi ngesinagogi ngibopha abakholwa kuwe ngibavalela ejele njalo ngibabhaxabula.+ 20 Langesikhathi ufakazi wakho uStefane ebulawa ngangimi khonapho ngivumelana lababembulala, ngilinde izembatho zabo.’+ 21 Loba kunjalo yathi kimi: ‘Hamba ngoba ngizakuthuma ezizweni ezikhatshana.’”+
22 Babelokhu bemlalele kodwa wathi esekhulume amazwi lawo bamemeza bathi: “Kasuswe emhlabeni umuntu lo ngoba akufanelanga aphile!” 23 Babeklabalala bejikela izembatho zabo zangaphandle le lale, bephosela inhlabathi emoyeni.+ Yikho 24 induna yamabutho yathi uPhawuli alethwe enkambeni yamasotsha, yasisithi kabuzisiswe ebhaxabulwa ukuze ikwazi kuhle ukuthi kungani abantu bememeza kangako besithi abulawe. 25 Kodwa bathi sebembophile ukuze bamtshaye, uPhawuli wathi kumkhokheli webutho owayemi khonapho: “Kusemthethweni yini ukuthi ubhaxabule umuntu ongumRoma* engadliwanga licala?”*+ 26 Umkhokheli webutho wathi esizwa lokho wasuka wayatshela induna yamabutho wathi: “Manje uzakwenzani? Phela indoda le ingumRoma.” 27 Ngakho induna yamabutho yamlanda yathi kuye: “Akungitshele, ungumRoma yini?” Yena wathi: “Ye.” 28 Induna yamabutho yasisithi: “Ngawathenga ngemali enengi kakhulu amalungelo okuba yisizalwane seRoma.” UPhawuli wathi: “Manje mina ngazalwa ngilawo.”+
29 Amadoda ayesefuna ukumbuza emhlukuluza ahle amyekela atshedela emuva. Induna yamabutho yesaba isizwa ukuthi wayengumRoma ngoba yayimbophe ngamaketane.+
30 Yikho ngelanga elilandelayo yamkhulula yatshela abaphristi abakhokhelayo leSanihedrini yonke ukuthi babuthane ngoba yayifuna ukwazi sibili ukuthi kungani amaJuda emmangalela. Yasisehla loPhawuli yammisa phakathi kwabo.+