IZenzo 26:1-32

U-Agripha wayesethi kuPawula: “Uvumelekile ukuba uzikhulumele.” UPawula wayesephakamisa isandla sakhe, waziphendulela wathi: “Maqondana nakho konke engimangalelwe ngakho ngabaJuda, nkosi Agripha, ngizibona nginenhlanhla, ngokuba ngizakuziphendulela namuhla phambi kwakho, ikakhulu lokhu uyingcweti yawo wonke amasiko nokuphikisana kwabaJuda. Ngakho-ke ngiyakunxusa ukuba ungilalele ngesineke. “Bonke abaJuda bayayazi inkambo yami kusukela ekuqaleni, ebusheni bami phakathi kwabakithi naseJerusalema. Bengazi kwasekuqaleni, uma bethanda ukufakaza ukuthi ngangihamba ngehlelo eliqinileyo lenkonzo yakithi ngingumFarisi. Manje ngimi ngimangalelwe ngenxa yethemba lesithembiso asenzayo uNkulunkulu kokhokho, isithembiso ezithemba ukufinyelela kuso izizwe zakithi ezili-12 ezikhonza ngesineke ubusuku nemini. Kungalelo themba, nkosi, ngimangalelwe ngabaJuda. Kungani kuyinsumansumane kini ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabavusa abafileyo na? “Kepha mina ngokwami ngazimisela ukwenza okuningi okuphambene negama likaJesu waseNazaretha. Lokho ngakwenza eJerusalema, ngafaka abaningi abangcwele emajele, ngigunyazwe ngabaphristi abakhulu; nalapho abangcwele bebulawa yimi engangibalahla ngevoti lami. Emasinagogeni wonke, kukaningi ngibajezisa, ngibaphoqa ukuba bahlambalaze; ngibathukuthelele kakhulu, ngibahlupha kwaze kwaba semizini yabezizwe.” “Kwathi ngiya eDamaseku ngegunya nangemvume yabaphristi abakhulu, emini bebade, nkosi, ngisendleleni, ngabona ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini, okwedlula ngisho ukukhazimula kwelanga, kwangikhanyisa nxazonke kanye nababehamba nami. Kwathi sonke sesiwe phansi emhlabathini, ngezwa izwi lithi kimi ngolimi lwesiHebheru: ‘Sawula, Sawula, ungihluphelani na? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlela ezinkandini.’ “Kepha ngathi: ‘Ungubani, Nkosi, na?’ INkosi yathi: ‘Mina nginguJesu omhluphayo. Sukuma ume ngezinyawo zakho, ngokuba ngibonakele kuwe ukuze ngikubeke ube yisikhonzi nofakazi walokhu, wokuthi ungibonile nowalokho engizakuzibonakalisa kuwe ngakho. Ngizakukusindisa esizweni sakini nakwabezizwe engikuthumela kubo, ukuze uvule amehlo abo basuke ebumnyameni, baphendukele ekukhanyeni, basuke emandleni kaSathane, baphendukele kuNkulunkulu, baze bamukeliswe ukuthethelelwa kwezono nesabelo phakathi kwalabo abangcweliswe ngokukholwa kimi.’ ” “Ngalokho, nkosi Agripha, angizange ngingawulaleli umbono wasezulwini, kodwa ngamemezela kwabaseDamaseku kuqala, nakwabaseJerusalema, nakulo lonke iJudiya nakwabezizwe ukuba baphenduke, baguqukele kuNkulunkulu, benze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka. Ngenxa yalokho, abaJuda bangibamba ethempelini, bazama ukungibulala. Kepha ngathola usizo kuNkulunkulu, yingakho ngimi lapha namuhla ngifakaza kwabancane nabadala. Angikhulumi lutho ngaphandle kwalokho abakukhulumile abaphrofethi noMose ukuthi kuzokwenzeka, ukuthi uKhristu uzakuhlupheka nokuthi uzakuba ngowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, ozomemezela ukukhanya kuso isizwe nakwabezizwe.” Kwathi esaziphendulela kanjalo, uFestu wathi ngezwi elikhulu: “Pawula, uyahlanya; ukufunda okuningi kuyakuhlanyisa.” Kepha uPawula wathi: “Festu odumileyo, angihlanyi, kodwa ngikhuluma iqiniso elimsulwa namazwi anomqondo. Ngokuba iNkosi engikhuluma kuyo ngokukhululeka iyakwazi lokho, angikholwa ngukuthi kukhona utho lwalokhu olufihlekileyo kuyo, lokhu akwenziwanga ekusithekeni. Nkosi, Agripha, uyakholwa yini ngabaphrofethi na? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakholwa.” U-Agripha wathi kuPawula: “Kusilele kancane ungivumise ngibe ngumKhristu.” UPawula wayesethi: “Bengingafisa ukuba uNkulunkulu noma kukancane noma kukakhulu, kungabi nguwe wedwa, kodwa bonke abangizwayo namuhla babe njengami, ngaphandle kwalezi zibopho.” Inkosi yayisisukuma nombusi noBhernike nababehlezi nabo; kwathi sebegudlukile, bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Lo muntu akenzanga lutho olufanele ukuba afe noma ukuboshwa.” Kepha u-Agripha wathi kuFestu: “Lo muntu ngabe simkhululile ukuba icala akaledluliselanga kuKhesari.”