“Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, lalelani ukuziphendulela kwami phambi kwenu manje.”
Sebezwa ukuthi ukhuluma nabo ngolimi lwesiHebheru, bathula bathi du. Wayesethi: “Mina ngiyindoda engumJuda ezalwa eTharsu eKhilikhiya, kodwa ngakhulela kuwo lo muzi, ngasezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli, ngafundiswa ngesineke ngomthetho wobaba, ngishisekela uNkulunkulu njengalokhu nani ninjalo namuhla. Ngayizingela le Ndlela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, abesilisa nabesifazane ngibabopha, ngibakhaphela emajele, njengoba nomphristi omkhulu ufakaza ngami, namalunga wonke. Yibona engemukela kubo izincwadi ezilotshelwe abazalwane, ngangiya eDamaseku ukuba abakhona lapho ngibayise eJerusalema beboshiwe, ukuze bajeziswe.
“Kwathi ngisendleleni ngihamba, sengisondela eDamaseku emini kwabha, kwabanika masinyane nxazonke ukukhanya okukhulu kuvela ezulwini, ngawela phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa izwi lithi kimi: ‘Sawula, Sawula, ungihluphelani na?’
“Ngaphendula ngathi: ‘Ungubani, Nkosina?’
“Wathi kimi: ‘NginguJesu waseNazaretha omzingelayo.’
“Kepha labo ababenami bakubona ukukhanya, kodwa izwi lowakhuluma nami abalizwanga.
“Ngathi: ‘Ngizakwenzani, Nkosi, na?’
“INkosi yayisithi kimi: ‘Sukuma, uye eDamaseku, uzotshelwa lapho konke okubekelwe ukuba ukwenze.’
“Njengalokhu ngangingasaboni ngenxa yenkazimulo yalokho kukhanya, ngaholwa ngengalo yilabo engangihamba nabo, ngaze ngafika eDamaseku.
“Indoda ethile okuthiwa ngu-Ananiya, eyayikholwa, iwugcina umthetho, eyayifakazelwa yibo bonke abaJuda ababakhe lapho, yafika kimi, yema, yathi kimi: ‘Sawula, mzalwane, phinda ubone.’
“Ngase ngibona ngaso leso sikhathi.
“Wayesethi: ‘UNkulunkulu wokhokho wakumisela phambilini ukuba uyazi intando yakhe, nokumbona oLungileyo, nokulizwa izwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe. Ngokuba uzakuba ngufakazi wakhe kubantu bonke ngalokho okubonileyo nokuzwileyo. Pho usalindeleni na? Sukuma, ubhabhadiswe, uhlambulule izono zakho ngokukhuleka egameni lakhe.’
“Kwathi sengibuyele eJerusalema, ngikhuleka ethempelini, ngafikelwa yisiyezi, ngambona; wathi kimi: ‘Shesha uphume masinyane eJerusalema, ngokuba abazukubamukela ubufakazi bakho ngami.’
“Mina ngathi: ‘Nkosi, bayazi bona uqobo ukuthi yimina engangibabopha, ngibashaya emasinagogeni labo abakholwa nguwe, futhi namhla kuchithwa igazi likaStefani, ufakazi wakho, ngangimi khona lapho nami, ngivumelana nokwakwenzeka, ngiqaphe izingubo zabambulalayo.’
“Wathi kimi: ‘Hamba, ngokuba ngizakukuthuma kwabezizwe.’ ”
Bamlalela kwaze kwaba kuleli lizwi, base bekhamuluka bethi: “Msuseni onje emhlabeni, ngokuba akafanele ukuba aphile.”
Kwathi besakhamuluka, bekhumula izingubo zabo, bethunquza uthuli phezulu, induna yenkulungwane yayala ukuba angeniswe enkanjini, yathi akahlolwe ngenduku, ukuze iqonde ukuthi kungasici sini esibenza bamemeze kanje ngaye. Kuthe besambophe ngemichilo, uPawula wathi enduneni yekhulu eyayimi lapho: “Kuvumelekile yini ukuba kushaywe umuntu ongumRoma engakalahlwa yicala na?”
Yathi ukuba induna yekhulu ikuzwe lokho, yaya enduneni yenkulungwane, yabika yathi: “Uzokwenzenjani na? Ngokuba lo muntu ungumRoma?”
Induna yenkulungwane yaya kuPawula, yathi kuye: “Ngitshele, ngabe wena ungumRoma yini na?”
Yena wathi: “Yebo.”
Kepha induna yenkulungwane yaphendula, yathi: “Mina ngalithenga lelo lungelo ngemali enkulu.”
Kepha uPawula wathi: “Mina-ke ngazalwa nalo.”
Bamshiya masinyane labo ababezomhlola, nenduna yenkulungwane yesaba, lapho seyizwe ukuthi ungumRoma nokuthi ibimbophile.
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