Emva kwezinsuku eziyisihlanu umpristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wewuka kanye namalunga athile nommeli othile uTertulu; laba bammangalela uPawulu kumbusi. Yena esebiziwe, uTertulu waqala ukumbeka icala, ethi: “Lokho ukuthi ngenxa yakho sitholile ukuthula okukhulu nangokubonelela kwakho lesi sizwe senzelwe okuhle okuningi siyakwamukela ngezikhathi zonke nasezindaweni zonke ngokubonga okukhulu, Feliksi odumileyo. Kepha ukuba ngingakubambezeli, ngiyakuncenga ukuba ngobumnene bakho usizwe ngokufushane.
“Ngokuba le ndoda siyifumene iyishinga ivusa ukwambuka phakathi kwabaJuda ezweni lonke, iyinhloko yehlelo lamaNazaretha, yalinga nokungcolisa ithempeli; sayibamba, sathanda ukuyahlulela ngomthetho wakithi. Kepha kwafika uLisiya induna yenkulungwane, wamthatha ngendluzula enkulu ezandleni zethu, eyala abambeka icala ukuba beze kuwe, ukuze umbuzisise wena uqobo, uzwe ngakho konke esimmangalela ngakho.”
NabaJuda bakuvuma lokho, bathi kunjalo.
Umbusi esemqhwebile ukuba akhulume, uPawulu waphendula wathi: “Lokhu ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminingi ungumahluleli kulesi sizwe, ngiyaziphendulela ngesibindi; futhi ungaqonda ukuthi akungaphezu kwezinsuku eziyishumi nambili ngikhuphukile ukuyokhuleka eJerusalema; abangifumananga ngiphikisana namuntu, nakuba ngivusa isiphithiphithi esixukwini, nasethempelini, nasemasinagogeni,* nasemzini, futhi bangekuqinise kuwe lokhu abangibeka icala ngakho manje. Kepha ngiyavuma lokhu kuwe ukuthi ngeNdlela abathi iyihlelo ngiyamkhonza ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu wawobaba, ngikholwa yikho konke okulotshiwe emthethweni nakubaprofethi; nginethemba kuNkulunkulu abalibheka nabo uqobo lokuthi kuyakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile. Kulokhu nami ngiyazama ukuba njalo ngibe nonembeza ongenacala phambi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu.
“Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminingi ngafika ukuletha izipho esizweni sakithi neminikelo, okuthe ngikulokho bangifumana ethempelini ngihlanjululiwe, kungekho isixuku nomsindo, abaJuda abathile base-Asiya ababefanele ukuvela phambi kwakho, bangimangalele, uma benotho ngami. Nokuba mabasho laba ukuthi bafumanani okungalungile mhla ngimi phambi komphakathi, ngaphandle kwalelo zwi elilodwa engalimemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo lokuthi: ‘Ngokuvuka kwabafileyo mina ngimangalelwa yinina namuhla.’ ”
Kepha uFeliksi ekwazi ngokuchachileyo okwaleyo Ndlela wabahlehlisa ethi: “Lapho uLisiya induna yenkulungwane esewukile, ngizakuyinquma indaba yenu,” wayala induna yekhulu ukuba agcinwe, kepha abe nenkululeko, kunganqatshelwa muntu wakubo ukumkhonza.
Kepha emva kwezinsuku ezithile wafika uFeliksi noDrusila umkakhe owayengumJudakazi, wabiza uPawulu, wamuzwa ngokukholwa nguKristu Jesu. Esakhuluma ngokulunga, nangokuzithiba, nangokwahlulela okuzayo, uFeliksi washaywa luvalo, waphendula wathi: “Okwamanje hamba; kepha nxa ngithola isikhathi, ngizakukubiza,” wethemba futhi ukuthi uzakunikwa imali nguPawulu; ngalokho wayehleze embiza, ekhuluma naye.
Kepha sekuphelile iminyaka emibili, uFeliksi walandelwa nguPorkiyu Festu; kodwa uFeliksi efuna ukubongwa ngabaJuda washiya uPawulu eboshiwe.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
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