Emva kwezinsuku ezinhlanu, umphristi omkhulu, u-Ananiya, namanye amalunga, wehlela eKhesariya nommeli thizeni okuthiwa nguTherthulu; owachazela umbusi amacala abekwe wona uPawula. Esebiziwe uPawula, uTherthulu waqala ukumbeka icala, ethi kuFelikisi: “Ngenxa yakho, selokhu waqala ukubusa, sesibe nokuthula isikhathi eside, futhi sekube nezinguquko ezinhle ozenzele lesi sizwe, ngenxa yobuhlakani bakho. Felikisi oHlonipheke kakhulu, siyakwamukela lokhu ngokubonga ngezikhathi zonke nasezindaweni zonke. Kepha angithandi ukukuchithela isikhathi, ngiyacela ukuba ngobumnene bakho usiphe indlebe nje okwethutshana.
“Le ndoda siyithole iluhlupho, iphehla udweshu kubaJuda kulo lonke izwe, ingumholi wehlelo lamaNazaretha, futhi yazama ukungcolisa ithempeli; sayibopha, safuna ukuyehlulela ngomthetho wakithi. Kepha kwafika uLisiya, induna yenkulungwane, wayithatha ngendluzula enkulu ezandleni zethu. Wayala abayibeka icala ukuba beze kuwe, ukuze uyiphenye ngemibuzo wena uqobo, uzwe konke esiyimangalela ngakho.”
NabaJuda bakuvuma lokho, bathi kunjalo.
Umbusi wavuma ngokunqekuzisa ikhanda ukuba uPawula akhulume, waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi sekuyiminyaka eminingi ungumehluleli kulesi sizwe, ngiyathokoza ukuziphendulela ngalezi zinto, njengalokhu nawe uzitholela ukuthi akukapheli nezinsuku ezili-12 ngikhuphukele eJerusalema ukuyokhuleka. Abangificanga ngixoxa namuntu ethempelini, noma ngimi ngidala isiphithiphithi esixukwini, emasinagogeni, noma emzini wonke. Futhi abanakubeka bufakazi kuwe ngalokhu abangibeka icala ngakho manje. Kepha ngiyakuvuma lokhu kuwe ukuthi mayelana neNdlela abayibiza ngokuthi wukuduka, ngikhonza kanjalo uNkulunkulu wokhokho, futhi ngiyakholwa yikho konke okulotshwe emthethweni nakubaphrofethi; nginethemba kuNkulunkulu abalibhekile nabo uqobo lokuthi kuyakuba khona ukuvuka kwabafileyo, okwabalungile nokwabangalungile. Ngakho-ke nami ngiyazama ukuba njalo ngihlale nginonembeza omsulwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu.
“Kwathi emva kweminyaka eminingi, ngabuyela esizweni sakithi, ngilethe izipho neminikelo, okuthe ngisenza lokho, bangifica ethempelini ngihlanjululiwe, kungekho sixuku nasiphithiphithi. Kepha abaJuda abathile base-Asiya yibo okufanele ngabe bakhona ukuze bangimangalele, uma benodaba oluthile olumelene nami. Noma-ke mabasho laba ukuthi cala lini abalithola mhla ngimi phambi komkhandlu, ngaphandle kwalokho okukodwa zwi engakumemeza ngimi phakathi kwabo, kokuthi: ‘Mina ngehlulelwa yinina namuhla ngokuvuka kwabafileyo.’ ” Kepha uFelikisi ekwazi kahle okuqondene naleyo Ndlela, wakuguqisa ukuqulwa kwecala, ethi: “Kuyakuthi uma sekufike uLisiya, induna yenkulungwane, bese nginquma ngodaba lwenu.”
Wajuba induna yekhulu ukuba imgcine uPawula, kodwa imnike inkululeko, futhi inganqabeli muntu wakubo ukuzomsiza.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
