Paul before Agrippa

23 So, on the next day when (A)Agrippa and (B)Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, [a]accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them. 24 And Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom (C)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that (D)he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed (E)nothing deserving death; and since he himself (F)appealed to [b]the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 [c]Yet, I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him as well.”

Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

26 (G)Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

“Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, [d]especially because you are an expert in all (H)customs and [e]questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“So then, all Jews know (I)my way of life since my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and in Jerusalem, since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a (J)Pharisee (K)according to the strictest (L)sect of our religion. And now I am standing trial (M)for the hope of (N)the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise (O)to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this (P)hope, O king, I am being (Q)accused by Jews. Why is it considered incredible among you people (R)if God raises the dead?

“So (S)I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to (T)the name of Jesus [f]of Nazareth. 10 And this is [g]just what I (U)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the [h]saints in prisons, after (V)receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also (W)cast my vote against them when they were being put to death. 11 And (X)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was (Y)extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them (Z)even to [i]foreign cities.

12 [j]While so engaged, (AA)as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, [k]brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had (AB)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the [l](AC)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [m]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and (AD)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to (AE)appoint you as a (AF)servant and (AG)a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 (AH)rescuing you (AI)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to (AJ)open their eyes so that they may turn from (AK)darkness to light, and from the [n]power of (AL)Satan to God, that they may receive (AM)forgiveness of sins and an (AN)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by (AO)faith in Me.’

19 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but continually proclaimed (AP)to those in Damascus first, and (AQ)in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even (AR)to the Gentiles, that they are to (AS)repent and turn to God, performing deeds (AT)consistent with repentance. 21 For these reasons some Jews (AU)seized me in the temple and tried (AV)to murder me. 22 So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day (AW)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what (AX)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, 23 as to (AY)whether the [o]Christ was [p]to suffer, and whether, as (AZ)first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim (BA)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Footnotes

  1. Acts 25:23 Lit and with
  2. Acts 25:25 See note v 21
  3. Acts 25:26 Lit About whom I
  4. Acts 26:3 Or because you are especially expert
  5. Acts 26:3 Or controversial issues
  6. Acts 26:9 Or the Nazarene
  7. Acts 26:10 Lit also
  8. Acts 26:10 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  9. Acts 26:11 Or outlying
  10. Acts 26:12 Lit In which things
  11. Acts 26:13 Lit above the brightness of
  12. Acts 26:14 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  13. Acts 26:14 An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with a spiked stick
  14. Acts 26:18 Or dominion
  15. Acts 26:23 I.e., Messiah
  16. Acts 26:23 Lit subject to suffering

23 So oun on the ho next epaurion day when Agrippa Agrippas and kai Bernice Bernikē came erchomai · ho · ho with meta great polys pomp phantasia and kai entered eiserchomai eis the ho audience akroatērion hall along syn with the commanding chiliarchos officers and kai the ho prominent exochē men anēr of the ho city polis, and kai when Festus Phēstos had given keleuō the order , · ho Paul Paulos was brought agō in . · ho 24 And kai Festus Phēstos said phēmi, · ho King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, and kai all pas · ho men anēr present sympareimi with us hēmeis, you see theōreō this houtos man about peri whom hos the ho whole hapas Jewish Ioudaios people plēthos · ho petitioned entynchanō me egō, both te in en Jerusalem Hierosolyma and kai here enthade, crying boaō out that he autos ought dei not to live zaō any mēketi longer . 25 But de I egō found katalambanō that he autos had done prassō nothing mēdeis worthy axios of death thanatos; and de since he autos himself houtos appealed epikaleō to the ho emperor sebastos, I decided krinō to send pempō him. 26 But I do echō not ou have echō anything tis definite asphalēs about peri him hos to write graphō to my ho lord kyrios. Therefore dio I have brought proagō him autos before epi you hymeis all, and kai especially malista before epi you sy, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, so hopōs that , when the ho examination anakrisis has been conducted ginomai, I may have echō something tis to write graphō. 27 For gar it seems dokeō unreasonable alogos to me egō, in sending pempō a prisoner desmios, not to sēmainō also kai report sēmainō the ho charges aitia against kata him autos.”

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.”