Acts 26
1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
U-Agripha wasesithi kuPhawuli, “Ulemvumo yokuzikhulumela.” Ngakho uPhawuli wasephakamisa isandla sakhe waqalisa ukuzivikela, wathi,
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
“Nkosi Agripha, ngizibona ngilenhlanhla ukuma phambi kwakho lamuhla ngisethula ukuzivikela kwami kuwo wonke amacala engiwetheswa ngamaJuda,
3 Especially [because I know] thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
ikakhulu njengoba wena uwazi amasiko amaJuda kanye lokuphikisana kwawo. Ngakho ngiyakucela ukuthi ungilalele ngokubekezela.
4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
AmaJuda wonke ayayazi impilo engiyiphilileyo kusukela ebuntwaneni bami, ekuqaleni kokuphila kwami elizweni lakithi njalo laseJerusalema.
5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Sebengazi okwesikhathi eside njalo bangafakaza nxa bethanda, ukuthi ngenhlelo zenkolo yethu eqinileyo, ngangiphila ngingumFarisi.
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
Manje sekungenxa yethemba lami kulokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisa okhokho bethu okwenza ngithonisiswe lamuhla.
7 Unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, instantly serving [God] day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
Lesi yiso isithembiso esilindelwe yizizwana zakithi ezilitshumi lambili ukuthi zizasibona sigcwaliseka zilokhu zimkhonza uNkulunkulu ngokutshiseka emini lebusuku. Mhlekazi, kungenxa yalo lelithemba engimangalelwa lona ngamaJuda.
8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
Kungenzakala kanjani ukuthi phakathi kwenu kube yinto engakholekiyo ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabavusa abafileyo na?
9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Lami ngokwami ngangizimisele ukuthi ngenze yonke imizamo yokuphikisana lebizo likaJesu waseNazaretha.
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against [them].
Lakanye yikho lokho engakwenzayo eJerusalema. Ngaphiwa amandla ngabaphristi abakhulu ngaphosela abanengi abangcwele entolongweni, kwathi ekubulaweni kwabo lami ngasekela ukubalahla.
11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled [them] to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted [them] even unto strange cities.
Izikhathi ezinengi ngangihamba nginquma lamasinagogu ngisithi kabajeziswe, ngazama njalo ukubabamba ngamandla ukuthi bahlambaze uJesu. Ngathi ngihlanyiswa yikubazonda ngaya lakwamanye amadolobho asezizweni ukuyabahlukuluza khona.
12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
Kolunye uhambo lwami ngalubangisa eDamaseko ngilamandla lomlayo engawuphiwa ngabaphristi abakhulu.
13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
Kwathi sekungaba yimini enkulu ngisendleleni Mhlekazi Agripha, ngabona ukukhanya kuvela ezulwini, kukhazimula ukwedlula ilanga, kungizingelezele kanye labakhula bami.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Sonke sawela phansi, ngezwa ilizwi lisithi kimi, ngesiHebheru, ‘Sawuli, Sawuli ungihlukuluzelani na? Kubuhlungu kuwe ukukhahlela izinciji.’
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
Ngasengibuza ngathi, ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ INkosi yaphendula yathi, ‘NginguJesu omhlukuluzayo.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Phakama khathesi ume ngezinyawo zakho. Ngizibonise kuwe ukuthi ngikukhethe ukuba yinceku njalo ube ngufakazi walokho osukubonile ngami, lalokho engisazakutshengisa khona.
17 Delivering thee from the people, and [from] the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Ngizakuphephisa ebantwini bakini lakwabeZizwe. Ngikuthuma
18 To open their eyes, [ and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
ukuthi uvule amehlo abo, ubaphendule basuke ebumnyameni baye ekukhanyeni, njalo basuke emandleni kaSathane baye kuNkulunkulu ukuze bemukele ukuthethelelwa kwezono lendawo phakathi kwalabo abangcweliswe ngokukholwa kimi.’
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Agripha, kangiqholozelanga umbono ovela ezulwini.
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Ngaqala ngaba seDamaseko, kwalandela abaseJerusalema laseJudiya lonke, kwalandela labeZizwe labo, ngatshumayela ukuthi kumele baphenduke babuyele kuNkulunkulu njalo babonise ukuphenduka kwabo ngezenzo zabo.
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill [me].
Kungaleso isizatho okwenza amaJuda angibamba ngisemagumeni ethempeli azama ukungibulala.
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
Kodwa uNkulunkulu ungiphephisile kuze kube namuhla, yikho ngimi lapha ngifakaza kwabancinyane labakhulu ngokufananayo. Kakulalutho engilutshoyo ngaphezu kwalokho abaphrofethi loMosi abathi kuzakwenzakala,
23 That Christ should suffer, [and] that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
ukuthi uKhristu wayezahlupheka, njalo njengowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, atshumayele ukukhanya ebantwini bakibo lakwabeZizwe.”
24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
Khonapho uFestasi wasemphazamisa esazivikela wathi, “Phawuli, usangene ingqondo! Ukufunda kwakho okukhulu sekukuphambanise ingqondo.”
25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
Waphendula uPhawuli wathi, “Kangihlanyi, Mhlekazi omkhulu Festasi. Engikutshoyo kuliqiniso njalo kulengqondo.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
Inkosi izijayele lezizinto yikho ngikhuluma kuyo ngikhululekile. Ngiyakholwa ukuthi kakukho lokukodwa kukho okuyeqileyo inkosi, ngoba kakwenziwanga ejikweni ngokucatshelana.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Nkosi Agripha, uyabakholwa na abaphrofethi? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyabakholwa.”
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
U-Agripha wasesithi kuPhawuli, “Kambe ucabanga ukuthi ngesikhatshana esifitshane kangaka ungangiphendula ngibe ngumKhristu?”
29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
UPhawuli waphendula wathi, “Singaba sisifitshane loba sibeside, ngiyakhuleka kuNkulunkulu ukuthi kakungabi nguwe kuphela kodwa bonke abangizwayo lamuhla bangaba yilokho engiyikho khona, ngaphandle kwala amaketane.”
30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
Inkosi yaphakama kanye lombusi loBhenikhe lalabo ababehlezi labo.
31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
Baphuma endlini, bathi sebekhuluma bodwa, bathi, “Indoda le kakulalutho elwenzayo olufanele ukufa loba ukuvalelwa entolongweni.”
32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar.
U-Agripha wathi kuFestasi, “Indoda le ibizakhululwa kube ibingedluliselanga icala layo kuKhesari.”
