Acts 22
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”
Madoda, bazalwane, labobaba, zwanini ukuziphendulela kwami khathesi kini.
2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,
Sebezwile ukuthi ukhuluma labo ngolimi lwamaHebheru, bathula kakhulu, wasesithi:
3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.
Mina ngiyindoda engumJuda, eyazalelwa eTarsu yeKilikhiya, ngakhuliselwa kulumuzi enyaweni zikaGamaliyeli, ngafundiswa ngokuqinileyo umlayo wabobaba, ngitshisekela uNkulunkulu, njengani lonke lamuhla;
4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
eyazingela leyondlela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, ngibabopha ngibanikela entolongweni amadoda kanye labafazi,
5 as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
njengoba lompristi omkhulu engifakazela, lomphakathi wonke wabadala; engazuza kubo incwadi eziya kubazalwane, ngaya eDamaseko, ukuthi lababekhona lapho ngibalethe eJerusalema bebotshiwe, ukuze bajeziswe.
6 “As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.
Kwasekusithi ngisahamba sengisondela eDamaseko, sekungaba yimini enkulu, kwahle kwakhanya ukukhanya okukhulu okuvela ezulwini kungizingelezela.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
Ngasengiwela phansi, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lisithi kimi: Sawuli, Sawuli, ungizingelelani?
8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’
Mina ngasengiphendula ngathi: Ungubani, Nkosi? Wasesithi kimi: NginguJesu weNazaretha wena omzingelayo.
9 “Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.
Lalabo ababelami bakubona ukukhanya, njalo basebesesaba, kodwa kabalizwanga ilizwi elakhuluma lami.
10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’
Ngasengisithi: Ngenzeni, Nkosi? INkosi yasisithi kimi: Sukuma uye eDamaseko; njalo uzatshelwa khona ngazo zonke izinto ozimiselwe ukuthi uzenze.
11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
Njengoba ngangingaboni ngenxa yenkazimulo yalokhokukhanya, ngakhokhelwa ngesandla yilabo ababelami, ngafika eDamaseko.
12 “One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,
Njalo uAnaniya othile, indoda ekhuthele ekukhonzeni ngokomlayo, owayefakazelwa yiwo wonke amaJuda ahlala khona,
13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.
weza kimi wasesima phansi kwami wathi kimi: Sawuli mzalwane, buya ubone. Njalo mina ngalesosikhathi ngasengimbona.
14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
Wasesithi: UNkulunkulu wabobaba bethu ukumisile ngaphambili ukuthi wazi intando yakhe, lokuthi ubone oLungileyo, njalo uzwe ilizwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe,
15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
ngoba uzakuba ngumfakazi wakhe kubo bonke abantu, walokho okubonileyo lokuzwileyo.
16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Khathesi-ke, usalindeleni? Sukuma ubhabhathizwe uhlanjululwe ezonweni zakho, ubize ibizo leNkosi.
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance
Kwasekusithi kimi sengibuyele eJerusalema, njalo ngikhuleka ethempelini, ngaba lokuhlehla kwengqondo,
18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’
ngasengimbona wathi kimi: Phangisa uphume ngesiqubu eJerusalema; ngoba kabasoze bemukele ubufakazi bakho ngami.
19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.
Ngasengisithi: Nkosi, bayazi bona ukuthi mina ngangibafaka entolongweni ngibatshaya emasinagogeni wonke labo abakholwa kuwe;
20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’
njalo mhla kuchithwa igazi likaStefane umfakazi wakho, mina uqobo ngangimi khona ngivumelana lokufa kwakhe, njalo ngilondoloza izembatho zalabo abambulalayo.
21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”
Wasesithi kimi: Hamba, ngoba mina ngizakuthuma khatshana kwabezizwe.
22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”
Bamlalela kwaze kwafika kulelolizwi, baphakamisa ilizwi labo besithi: Msuseni onje emhlabeni, ngoba kakufanele ukuthi aphile!
23 As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,
Kwathi besamemeza, baphosa izembatho, baphosa uthuli emoyeni,
24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.
induna enkulu yalaya ukuthi angeniswe enkambeni yamabutho, yathi kahlolisiswe ngokutshaywa ngesiswepu, ukuze yazi ukuthi kungasizatho bani bememeza ngokunjalo ngaye.
25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”
Kwathi sebemelulele phambili ngemichilo, uPawuli wathi enduneni yekhulu eyayimi lapho: Kuvunyelwe kini yini ukutshaya ngesiswepu umuntu ongumRoma engalahlwanga licala?
26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”
Induna yekhulu isizwile yasondela yatshela induna enkulu isithi: Nanzelela osuzakwenza; ngoba lumuntu ungumRoma.
27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”
Induna enkulu yasifika yathi kuye: Ngitshele, wena ungumRoma yini? Yena wathi: Yebo.
28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”
Induna enkulu yasiphendula yathi: Mina lelilungelo lokuba yisakhamuzi ngalizuza ngemali enkulu. UPawuli wasesithi: Kodwa lami ngazalwa lalo.
29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.
Ngakho labo abasebezamhlola bahle basuka kuye. Lenduna enkulu layo yesaba, isisazi ukuthi ungumRoma, lokuthi ibimbophile.
30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
Kwathi kusisa ifuna ukwazi iqiniso, ukuthi kungani emangalelwa ngamaJuda, yamkhulula kuzibopho, yalaya ukuthi abapristi abakhulu lomphakathi wabo wonke babuye, yamehlisa uPawuli yammisa phambi kwabo.
