IzEnzo 21:17-36

Sesifinyelele eJerusalema, abazalwane basamukela ngokujabula. Ngangomuso uPawulu wangena nathi kuJakobe; namalunga onke ayekhona. Wababingelela, wabalandisa ngakho konke ngakunye uNkulunkulu abekwenzile phakathi kwabezizwe ngenkonzo yakhe. Sebekuzwile lokho bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi kuye: “Uyabona, mzalwane, ukuthi ziningi kangaka izigidi zabakholwayo phakathi kwabaJuda, futhi bonke bayizishisekeli zomthetho; sebebikelwe ngawe ukuthi ufundisa bonke abaJuda abaphakathi kwabezizwe ukuhlubuka kuMose, uthi mabangasoki abantwana babo, bangahambi ngamasiko. Pho-ke, senze njani na? Impela bazakuzwa ukuthi usufikile. Ngakho yenza lokhu esikusho kuwe: Kukhona kithi amadoda amane azibophile ngesifungo; wathathe wona, uzihlambulule kanye nawo, uwakhokhele ukuba aphucule ikhanda; khona bazakwazi bonke ukuthi akukho lutho lwalokho abakubikelwe ngawe, kepha ukuthi nawe uhamba ulonda umthetho. Kepha maqondana nabezizwe abakholwayo sesilobile sanquma ngokuthi mabazilonde kokuhlatshelwe izithombe, negazi, nokuqumbeleneyo, nobufebe.” Khona uPawulu wawathatha lawo madoda, ngangomuso wayesezihlambulula kanye nawo, wangena ethempelini, wabika ukuphela kwezinsuku zokuhlanjululwa, kuze kulethwe umnikelo ngenxa yawo onke. Kwathi sezizakuphela lezo zinsuku eziyisikhombisa, abaJuda base-Asiya bembonile ethempelini, bayaluzisa sonke isixuku, babeka izandla kuye, bamemeza bathi: “Madoda akwa-Israyeli, yelekelelani; nguye lo muntu ofundisa bonke ezindaweni zonke okuphambene nesizwe, nomthetho, nale ndawo, futhi wangenisa ethempelini amaGreki, wayingcolisa le ndawo engcwele.” Ngokuba babebonile ngaphambili uTrofimu wase-Efesu enaye emzini, ababesho ngaye ukuthi uPawulu umngenisile ethempelini. Umuzi wonke wanyakaziswa, abantu bagijimela ndawonye, bambamba uPawulu, bamhudulela ngaphandle kwethempeli; iminyango yavalwa masinyane. Kuthe sebefuna ukumbulala, kwafika izwi enduneni yenkulungwane lokuthi lonke iJerusalema liyayaluza; yona yayisithatha masinyane amabutho nezinduna zekhulu, yagijimela kubo; sebebona induna yenkulungwane namabutho bayeka ukumshaya uPawulu. Khona induna yenkulungwane yasondela, yamthatha, yayala ukuba aboshwe ngamaketanga amabili, yabuza ukuthi ungubani nokuthi wenzeni. Kepha abanye esixukwini bamemeza okunye, abanye okunye; yathi ukuba ingenakulazi iqiniso ngenxa yomsindo, yayala ukuba ayiswe ekamu.* Esefikile esikhwelweni, kwenzeka ukuba athwalwe ngamabutho ngenxa yokukhandana kwesixuku; ngokuba kwalandela isixuku sabantu bememeza bethi: “Msuseni!”