UPawula wawubuka umkhandlu, wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, mina ngihambe phambi kukaNkulunkulu nginonembeza omsulwa, kuze kube namuhla.”
Umphristi omkhulu, u-Ananiya, wayala ababemi eduze naye ukuba bamshaye umlomo. Khona uPawula wathi kuye: “UNkulunkulu uzakukushaya wena ludonga olucakiweyo; uhleli ukuba ungehlulele ngokomthetho, kodwa wephula umthetho ngokuyala ukuba ngishaywe na?”
Ababemi lapho base bethi: “Uthuka umphristi omkhulu kaNkulunkulu na?”
UPawula wayesethi: “Bengingazi, bazalwane, ukuthi ungumphristi omkhulu, ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“ ‘Ungakhulumi kabi ngombusi wesizwe sakini.’ ”
UPawula azi ukuthi bangamaqembu, enye ingxenye ingeyabaSadusi, enye ingeyabaFarisi, wayesememeza emkhandlwini, wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, mina ngingumFarisi, nendodana yomFarisi, ngibekwe icala lokuthi nginethemba lokuvuka kwabafileyo.”
Esekushilo lokho, kwaqubuka impikiswano phakathi kwabaFarisi nabaSadusi, izixuku zehlukana kabili. Ngokuba abaSadusi bathi akukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, nangelosi, namoya, kodwa abaFarisi bayakuvuma konke.
Kwaqubuka omkhulu umsindo, kwase kusukuma abathile beqembu labaFarisi abayizazimthetho, balwa kakhulu, bethi: “Asifumani lutho olubi kulo muntu. Siyothini uma kukhulume ingelosi noma umoya kuye na?”
Kuthe sekusuke esinamathambo, induna yenkulungwane yesaba ukuthi uPawula bangahle bamenzakalise, yayisiyala amabutho ukuba ehle, amsuse phakathi kwabo, amyise enkanjini.
Ngobusuku obulandelayo iNkosi yema ngakuye, yathi: “Yima isibindi; njengokuba ufakaze ngami eJerusalema, kanjalo umelwe ukufakaza naseRoma.”
Kwathi kungasa, abaJuda benza itulo, bazibophezela ukuthi abasoze badla futhi baphuze lutho bengakambulali uPawula. Babengama-40 labo abenza lelo tulo. Baya kubaphristi abakhulu nakumalunga, bathi: “Sizibophezele esifungweni sokuthi asiyukukuthi mbibi ukudla, size simbulale uPawula. Ngakho-ke manje, nina kanye nomkhandlu yazisani induna yenkulungwane ukuba imehlisele kini ngokungathi nihlose ukuhlolisisa udaba lwakhe; thina-ke sikulungele ukumbulala engakasondeli.”
Kepha umshana kaPawula walizwa icebo labo lokumlalela unyendle, bambulale, wayeseya enkanjini, wangena, wambikela uPawula.
UPawula wabiza enye induna yekhulu, wathi kuyo: “Ake uyise le nsizwa enduneni yenkulungwane, kunokuthile ezakukubika kuyo.”
Ngakho-ke isiyithathile, yayiyisa enduneni yenkulungwane, yathi: “Isiboshwa uPawula singibizile, sangicela ukuba ngilethe le nsizwa kuwe, kunokuthile ezakukutshela khona.”
Induna yenkulungwane yayibamba ngesandla, yathi ukugudluka nayo, yayisiyibuza sebebodwa, yathi: “Kuyini ofuna ukungibikela khona na?”
Yathi: “AbaJuda bavumelene ukuza bakucele ukuba kusasa wehlisele uPawula emkhandlwini, ngokungathi bahlose ukuhlolisisa udaba lwakhe. Ngakho-ke ungabavumeli, ngokuba phakathi kwabo kunamadoda angaphezulu kwama-40 azomlalela unyendle, ngokuba azibophe ngesifungo ukuthi awazukudla futhi awazukuphuza engakambulali uPawula. Manje bakulungele lokho, futhi balindele ukuba uvume.”
Ngakho-ke induna yenkulungwane yayimukisa insizwa, yayiyala ukuba ingatsheli muntu lokho ebizombikela khona.
Induna yenkulungwane yayisibiza izinduna zekhulu ezimbili, yathi kuzo: “Hlelani amabutho angama-200 ukuze alungele ukuya eKhesariya ngehora lesithathu ebusuku, nabagibele amahhashi abangama-70, nabemicibisholo abangama-200. Nilungisele noPawula isilwane azogibela kuso, ukuze nimyise kuFelikisi, umbusi, ephephile.”
Yase iloba incwadi eyayihlelwe kanje: “UKlawudiyu Lisiya, kuye uFelikisi umbusi odumileyo, ngiyabingelela.
“Le ndoda ibibanjwe ngabaJuda, kwathi lapho sebezoyibulala, ngafika namabutho, ngayisindisa sengizwile ukuthi ingumRoma. Ngifuna ukwazi icala abayimangalela ngalo, ngayehlisela emkhandlwini wabo. Ngafumana ukuthi imangalelwe ngezindaba zomthetho wakubo, kodwa kungekho lutho olufanele ukubulawa noma ukuboshwa. Kuthe sekudaluliwe kimi ukuthi kunozungu eboshelwe lona, ngayithumela kuwe ngokushesha, ngabayala nabayimangalelayo ukuba beze kuwe bazokhuluma ngayo phambi kwakho.”
Ngakho-ke amabutho amthatha uPawula njengalokhu ayeyaliwe, amyisa e-Antiphatheri ebusuku. Ngakusasa ashiya ababegibele amahhashi ukuba bahambe naye, wona ayesebuyela enkanjini. Ekufikeni kwabo eKhesariya banika umbusi incwadi, bammisa noPawula phambi kombusi. Umbusi eseyifundile incwadi, wambuza uPawula ukuthi ungowakusiphi isifunda, wathi ukuba ezwe ukuthi ungowaseKhilikhiya, wathi: “Sengiyakuluzwa kahle udaba nxa sebefikile abakumangaleleyo.”
Wayeseyala ukuba agcinwe enqabeni kaHerode.
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