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26 So de Agrippa Agrippas said phēmi to pros · ho Paul Paulos, “ You sy have permission epitrepō to speak legō for peri yourself seautou.” Then tote · ho Paul Paulos stretched ekteinō out his ho hand cheir and began to make his defense apologeomai: Regarding peri all pas the things of which hos I am being accused enkaleō by hypo the Jews Ioudaios, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, I consider hēgeomai myself emautou fortunate makarios that it is before epi you sy that I am about mellō to make my defense apologeomai today sēmeron, especially malista because eimi you sy are eimi well acquainted gnōstēs with all pas the ho customs ethos and kai controversies zētēma of kata the Jews Ioudaios. Therefore dio I beg deomai you to listen to akouō me egō patiently makrothumōs. All pas the ho Jews Ioudaios know oida · ho my egō manner biōsis of life · ho from ek my youth neotēs, which ho from apo the beginning archē was ginomai spent among en · ho my own egō people ethnos in en Jerusalem Hierosolyma, for they have known proginōskō me egō from the first anōthen, if ean they are willing thelō to go on record martyreō, that hoti I lived zaō as a Pharisee Pharisaios according kata to the ho strictest akribēs party hairesis of ho our hēmeteros religious thrēskeia system . And kai now nyn I stand histēmi here on trial krinō because epi of my hope elpis in the ho promise epangelia made ginomai by hypo God theos to eis · ho our hēmeis fathers patēr, · ho to eis which hos · ho our hēmeis twelve dōdekaphylon tribes hope elpizō to attain katantaō, worshipping latreuō strenuously en ekteneia night nyx and kai day hēmera. It is for peri this hos hope elpis, your Excellency basileus, that I am being accused enkaleō by hypo Jews Ioudaios! Why tis is it thought krinō incredible apistos among para you hymeis that ei · ho God theos raises egeirō the dead nekros? I egō thought dokeō to myself emautou that I ought dei to do prassō many polys deeds hostile enantios to pros the ho name onoma of Jesus Iēsous of ho Nazareth Nazōraios. 10 And I did poieō so hos · kai in en Jerusalem Hierosolyma; · kai not only te did katakleiō I egō lock up katakleiō in en prison phylakē many polys of the ho saints hagios, · ho after receiving lambanō authority exousia from para the ho chief archiereus priests , but also te when they autos were put to death anaireō I cast katapherō my vote psēphos against them. 11 And kai I punished timōreō them autos often pollakis in kata all pas the ho synagogues synagōgē and tried to make anankazō them blaspheme blasphēmeō; and te since I was so perissōs vehemently angry emmainomai at them autos, I pursued diōkō them even heōs · kai to eis · ho foreign exō cities polis.

12  On en one of these hos journeys I was poreuō going to eis · ho Damascus Damaskos with meta authority exousia and kai commission epitropē from ho the ho chief archiereus priests , 13 and at midday hēmera I saw on kata the ho way hodos, O king basileus, a light phōs from heaven ouranothen, brighter than hyper · ho the ho sun hēlios, that shone perilampō around me egō and kai those ho who journeyed poreuō with syn me egō. 14 And te when we hēmeis had all pas fallen katapiptō to eis the ho ground , I heard akouō a voice phōnē saying legō to pros me egō in the ho Hebrew Hebrais language dialektos, ‘ Saul Saoul, Saul Saoul, why tis are you persecuting diōkō me egō? It is hard sklēros for you sy to kick laktizō against pros the goads kentron.’ 15 And de I egō said legō, ‘ Who tis are eimi you , Lord kyrios?’ And de the ho Lord kyrios said legō, ‘ I egō am eimi Jesus Iēsous whom hos you sy are persecuting diōkō. 16 But alla get up anistēmi and kai stand histēmi on epi · ho your sy feet pous; for gar I have appeared horaō to you sy for eis this houtos purpose , to appoint procheirizō you sy a servant hypēretēs and kai witness martys both te to the things in which hos you have seen me egō and te to those in which hos I will appear horaō to you sy. 17 I will rescue exaireō you sy from ek your ho people laos and kai from ek the ho Gentiles ethnos, to eis whom hos I egō am sending apostellō you sy 18 to open anoigō their autos eyes ophthalmos, that ho they may turn epistrephō from apo darkness skotos to eis light phōs, and kai from the ho power exousia of ho Satan Satanas to epi · ho God theos, that ho they autos may receive lambanō forgiveness aphesis of sins hamartia and kai a place klēros among en those ho who are sanctified hagiazō by faith pistis · ho in eis me egō.’ 19 So then hothen, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, I was ginomai not ou disobedient apeithēs to the ho heavenly ouranios vision optasia, 20 but alla I declared apangellō to those ho in en Damascus Damaskos first prōton, then te also kai to those in Jerusalem Hierosolyma and te through all pas the ho region chōra of ho Judea Ioudaia, and kai to the ho Gentiles ethnos, that they should repent metanoeō and kai turn epistrephō to epi · ho God theos, performing prassō works ergon worthy axios of ho repentance metanoia. 21 It was for that houtos reason that the Jews Ioudaios seized syllambanō me egō in en the ho temple hieron and tried peiraō to kill diacheirizō me. 22 Obtaining tynchanō help epikouria, therefore oun, · ho from apo · ho God theos, until achri · ho this houtos day hēmera I have stood histēmi testifying martyreō both te to small mikros and kai great megas, saying legō nothing oudeis beyond ektos what hos the ho prophets prophētēs and kai Moses Mōysēs said laleō would mellō come ginomai to pass : 23 that ei the ho Christ Christos was to suffer pathētos and, as ei the first prōtos to ek rise anastasis from the dead nekros, he would mellō proclaim katangellō light phōs both te to our ho people laos and kai to the ho Gentiles ethnos.”

24 As Paul autos was saying apologeomai these houtos things · de in his defense apologeomai, · ho Festus Phēstos said phēmi in a loud megas · ho voice phōnē, “ You are out of your mind mainomai, Paul Paulos! · ho Much polys learning gramma is driving peritrepō you sy insane eis mania!” 25 · ho But de Paul Paulos said phēmi, “ I am not ou out mainomai of my mind , most kratistos excellent Festus Phēstos, but alla true alētheia and kai rational sōphrosynē are the words rhēma that I declare apophthengomai. 26 For gar the ho king basileus knows epistamai about peri these houtos matters , and to pros him hos · kai I am speaking laleō boldly parrēsiazomai, for gar I am persuaded peithō that none outheis of these houtos things has escaped lanthanō his autos notice lanthanō, for gar this houtos was eimi not ou done prassō in en a corner gōnia. 27 Do you believe pisteuō, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, in the ho prophets prophētēs? I know oida that hoti you believe pisteuō.” 28 · ho Then de Agrippa Agrippas said to pros · ho Paul Paulos, “ In en too oligos short a time you believe peithō you are making poieō a Christian Christianos of me egō.” 29 · ho · de Paul Paulos replied, “ I would euchomai to ho God theos that whether kai the time be short en oligos or kai long en megas, not ou only monon you sy but alla also kai all pas those ho who are listening akouō to me egō today sēmeron would also kai become ginomai as toioutos hopoios I egō am eimi, except parektos for · ho these houtos chains desmos.” 30 Then te the ho king basileus stood anistēmi up , and kai the ho governor hēgemōn · ho and te Bernice Bernikē and kai those ho sitting synkathēmai with them autos; 31 and kai after they had left anachōreō the room , they spoke laleō to pros one allēlōn another , saying legō, “ This houtos man anthrōpos is doing prassō nothing oudeis worthy axios of death thanatos or ē imprisonment desmos.” · ho 32 And de Agrippa Agrippas said phēmi to ho Festus Phēstos, “ This houtos man anthrōpos could have dynamai been set apolyō free · ho if ei he had not appealed epikaleō to Caesar Kaisar.”

Paul Presents His Case to Agrippa

26 Then Agrippa told Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, that I can defend myself today against all the accusations of the Jewish leaders,[a] since you are especially familiar with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen patiently to me. All the Jews know how I lived from the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.

“And now I stand here on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors. Our twelve tribes, worshiping day and night with intense devotion, hope to attain it. It is because of this hope, O King, that I am accused by the Jews. Why is it thought incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead? Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth.[b] 10 That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death. 11 I would even punish them frequently in every synagogue and try to make them blaspheme. Raging furiously against them, I would hunt them down even in distant cities.

12 “That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests. 13 On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

14 “All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.’[c]

15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’[d]

“The Lord answered, ‘I’m Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet, because I’ve appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you’ve seen and of what I’ll show you. 17 I’ll continue to rescue you from your people and from the gentiles to whom I’m sending you. 18 You will help them understand[e] and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea—and after that the gentiles—to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance. 21 For this reason the Jewish leaders[f] grabbed me in the Temple and kept trying to kill me. 22 I’ve had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah[g] would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and would bring light both to our people and to the gentiles.”

24 As he continued his defense, Festus shouted, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much education is driving you crazy!”

25 But Paul said, “I’m not out of my mind, Your Excellency Festus. I’m reporting what is absolutely true. 26 Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I’m certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn’t done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!”

28 Agrippa asked Paul, “Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?”

29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am—except for these chains!”

30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up. 31 As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, “This man hasn’t been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippa told Festus, “This man could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to the emperor.”

Footnotes

  1. Acts 26:2 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
  2. Acts 26:9 Or Jesus the Nazarene; the Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (cf. Isa 11:1), and the name Nazareth.
  3. Acts 26:14 Quoted in The Bacchae by Euripides, although Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound used almost identical language.
  4. Acts 26:15 Or Sir
  5. Acts 26:18 Lit. will open their eyes
  6. Acts 26:21 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
  7. Acts 26:23 Or Christ