Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:
U-Agripha wasesithi kuPhawuli, “Ulemvumo yokuzikhulumela.” Ngakho uPhawuli wasephakamisa isandla sakhe waqalisa ukuzivikela, wathi,
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
“Nkosi Agripha, ngizibona ngilenhlanhla ukuma phambi kwakho lamuhla ngisethula ukuzivikela kwami kuwo wonke amacala engiwetheswa ngamaJuda,
3 especially because thou art 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 then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation, and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
AmaJuda wonke ayayazi impilo engiyiphilileyo kusukela ebuntwaneni bami, ekuqaleni kokuphila kwami elizweni lakithi njalo laseJerusalema.
5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, how that after the 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 [here] to be 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, earnestly serving [God] night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
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 is it judged incredible with you, if God doth 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 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my vote against them.
Lakanye yikho lokho engakwenzayo eJerusalema. Ngaphiwa amandla ngabaphristi abakhulu ngaphosela abanengi abangcwele entolongweni, kwathi ekubulaweni kwabo lami ngasekela ukubalahla.
11 And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign 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 journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
Kolunye uhambo lwami ngalubangisa eDamaseko ngilamandla lomlayo engawuphiwa ngabaphristi abakhulu.
13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that 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 saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
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 the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
Ngasengibuza ngathi, ‘Ungubani, Nkosi?’ INkosi yaphendula yathi, ‘NginguJesu omhlukuluzayo.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein 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 I send thee,
Ngizakuphephisa ebantwini bakini lakwabeZizwe. Ngikuthuma
18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith 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 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Agripha, kangiqholozelanga umbono ovela ezulwini.
20 but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of 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 this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
Kungaleso isizatho okwenza amaJuda angibamba ngisemagumeni ethempeli azama ukungibulala.
22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what 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 how that the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
ukuthi uKhristu wayezahlupheka, njalo njengowokuqala ukuvuka kwabafileyo, atshumayele ukukhanya ebantwini bakibo lakwabeZizwe.”
24 And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning doth turn thee to madness.
Khonapho uFestasi wasemphazamisa esazivikela wathi, “Phawuli, usangene ingqondo! Ukufunda kwakho okukhulu sekukuphambanise ingqondo.”
25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
Waphendula uPhawuli wathi, “Kangihlanyi, Mhlekazi omkhulu Festasi. Engikutshoyo kuliqiniso njalo kulengqondo.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been 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 And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
U-Agripha wasesithi kuPhawuli, “Kambe ucabanga ukuthi ngesikhatshana esifitshane kangaka ungangiphendula ngibe ngumKhristu?”
29 And Paul [said], I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become 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 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 had withdrawn, they spake one to another, 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 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
U-Agripha wathi kuFestasi, “Indoda le ibizakhululwa kube ibingedluliselanga icala layo kuKhesari.”
